avi files

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I cannot get .avi files to play on my PC. It tells me I need a decompressor(?) (error 80040200). I went to Microsoft’s site and downloaded and installed the latest version (V9) of Windows media player, but that did not solve the problem. Any insight that anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Ron M

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Do you have Windows XP? Run Windows Update. MS has a bunch of codecs (codec = coder/decoder) available. After installing it, I was able to run several video files that complained about needing a new codec before.

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Hans, I am running Windows 2000, not XP. Should have mentioned this. So many things to remember . How does that change things? Thanks.

Ron M

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What was the source of the AVI files? If they are the “movies” shot with a digital camera, you typically need QuickTime player or the codecs that get installed with QuickTime player. Once you have that, you can convert between formats. Here’s some stuff I posted elsewhere that might help:

Canon (Tested with PowerShot G3 movies)

The file can be played in QuickTime. For other formats, which might not play in QuickTime (you can’t please everyone, I guess), I took the recommendation to try VirtualDub, a free program that quite quickly can convert the Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) videos that digital cameras create (the file extension – AVI or MOV – is meaningless) into files that Windows Media Player and RealOne can play.

1. Download VirtualDub ZIP file from http://www.virtualdub.org/%5B/url%5D
2. Unzip, then double-click VirtualDub.exe to start it up
3. Open file to convert (File > Open), then press the right arrow to show the first frame. Right one? Good.
4. On the Video menu choose Compression… and pick Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V2 (QuickTime cannot play this format, but it can play the original format)
5. On the File menu choose Save As AVI, give it a name, and watch it fly
6. Close the file before testing

This gives pretty good compression, too.

Minolta (Tested with DiMAGE 7i and 7Hi movies)

The 7i and 7Hi .mov files are QuickTime MDAT files. Not a lot of programs read this format (of course, the free QuickTime player is an exception).

1. Download the RAD Video Tools installer from http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm%5B/url%5D (Windows only, as far as I can tell). This is donation-ware. Double-click radtools.exe to install.
2. From Start > Programs > Bink and Smacker, run RAD Video Tools
3. Navigate to and highlight .MOV file to convert then click the Convert a file button
4. Click the Output type.. button and choose AVI (click the Defaults button to save this setting)
5. Click the Convert button and the file should open and you should get a pop-up asking for an output CODEC. Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V2 (third up from bottom) works well.

   Note: If RAD Video Tools cannot read the file, you probably do not have
   the free QuickTime player. Download and install it from
   http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qt/%5B/url%5D, then try again.

6. The new .AVI file will be samed in the same folder with the same name but an AVI extension.

Hope this helps!

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jscher, they were .avis that people sent me. I do not know how they were “obtained”. Thanks.

Ron M

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Hi, Ron ~

To alleviate this problem. simply download DivX 5.0.3. This will give you the codecs for nearly all .avis you will ever view. You do not need to install or use the player that comes with it – Windows Media Player will recognize the codecs automatically.

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Thanks Bruce, works like a charm.

Ron M

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