[MacDV] AVI Conversion?

[Ron Woodland]

In QuickTime, there is a command in the Window menu to show the Movie 
Info palette.  Even though QuickTime can't play the codec used in an 
AVI file, it will tell you the codec name that was used.  Some AVI 
codecs have QuickTime versions, many do not.  Conversion to a codec 
that will play in QuickTime will probably be best accomplished on a PC 
using a conversion utility.  Depending on the original codec, I've 
found success with Indeo 4 or Indeo 5, Cinepac, MPEG-1, or MPEG-2.  
Generally, you should avoid the MPEG codecs in a conversion situation.  
They are good only from original sources.  It may be that it's in DIVx, 
the illegal bastard rip-off of MPEG-4 that won't die.  The MPEG 
standards group should sue over DIVx.  But there is a DIVx codec you 
can download for QuickTime. That's an easy fix to your problem.  Indeo 
is also an easy fix.

This PC bigot has created a losing situation for you, however.  Even if 
you can convert the codec, recompressing already-compressed video will 
lower the quality significantly.  In his ignorance of the issues 
involved, he (she?) will then point out that it looks worse on a Mac 
than a PC.  If you both could capture the same video from the original 
source, you could then demonstrate the superior abilities of QuickTime 
vs AVI/WMV.  That would be the kind of level playing field on which you 
should go head-to-head with this person.

By the way, when discussing what sucks and what doesn't, this person 
has no room to talk.  The AVI format sucks very seriously itself 
...which is why Microsoft abandoned it for the WMF junk they use now.  
Better, but not much.  There's AVI 1 and AVI 2 formats, which are not 
compatible.  In days before FireWire, when we had to use 
analog-to-digital video capture cards, it usually meant you could buy a 
card that supported version 1 or version 2 but not both.  These issues 
are old, I agree, but show how badly Microsoft screwed up ...and we 
know they haven't improved.  Just do a search on Google for "AVI 
incompatibility" and see how many web resources are dedicated to trying 
to sort the problems out still today.  In contrast, QuickTime is fully 
backward compatible to the very first QT file ever made.  The only 
changes in QuickTime have been to introduce better and better codecs 
and improve playback performance.

Not sucking when using a Mac,
Ron


On Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at 03:55  PM, Sean W.Gallagher wrote:

> I've got this AVI that QuickTime will not open. It gives that standard 
> AVI message that it has a "compressor that quicktime does not 
> understand". Does anyone know of a program that will convert it? I 
> tried cleaner but it came out blank. I'm also trying to show up the PC 
> user that created it who told me that the reason I can't open the file 
> is that "Macs suck".
>
> -Sean
>
>
> ----------
> <http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/MacDV.html>.
> Send a message to <MacDV-DIGEST at themacintoshguy.com> to switch to the 
> digest version.
>
> XRouter | Share your DSL or cable modem between multiple computers! 
> Dr. Bott | Now $139.99      <http://www.drbott.com/prod/xrouter.html>
>
>   Cyberian   | Support this list when you buy at Outpost.com!
>   Outpost    |         http://www.themacintoshguy.com/outpost.shtml
>
> MacResQ Specials: LaCie SCSI CDR From $99! PowerBook 3400/200 Only 
> $879! Norton AntiVirus 6 Only $19! We Stock PARTS! 
> <http://www.macresq.com>
>