Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with wmv

Transcoding flv to wmv for creative labs zen

sailormouth — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:48:44 -0800

Need some help transcoding flv to wmv for Creative Labs Zen. I have been reading how easy it is supposed to be to download flash from youtube (or other flash video sites) transcode to the format of your liking and watch on your portable device.

I am having some issues with this for my Creative Labs Zen. The zen has a video converter with the following settings for its optimal file size.
video format: wmv, 320x240, 30 fps
audio format: wma, stereo
total bitrate: Up to 414 kbps, constant bitrate, 1 pass

So I think that is my target: flv to wmv

On XP.
Download a flv file.
Load flv into Riva.
Use settings:
video 30 fps, 320x240, deinterlace (default), Bitrate 360 (default)
audio Enable audio, Bitrate 56, Sampling 22050, stereo
output file is myfile.wmv

It generates myfile.wmv which I go to transfer to my zen. The zen software says the file needs to be converted. I let it convert it, but it fails saying the file is beyond the capabilities of the zen.

I have tweaked the settings and output file type in Riva, but still does not work.
Also some flv files fail on Riva with a vague message about mismatch parameter or unsupported codec.

On Linux (kunbuntu 7.10)
Since Riva is a frontend to ffmpeg I loaded ffmpeg. There is a bit more info why a flv fails, like unsupported audio codec for mp4a in the flv.

Two fold question.
1. What do I need to do so the zen software is able to do a final convert on my file, or better yet does not need to convert my file at all?
I do not have a problem with going the ffmpeg route because it will let me tweak more than Riva, but I am a bit lost on what I need to tweak now. I set the video settings just like zen is doing. The audio I have not found what I need to specify to match wma.

2. Once part 1 is done, do I just have to accept that not all flv files can be converted because they might have been encoded with codecs that ffmpeg does not support?

Thank you for any help.

Fixing a WMV glitch with PowerPoint 2007 in Windows

kingfisher, his musclebound cat — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:49:07 -0800

I am embedding WMVs in a PowerPoint. They play well from slide-to-slide on a Mac, but when played back on PC, each video begins with a glitch. The files aren't too long, but there isn't much there other than WMV files. PowerPoint is used to sequence and control playback. It's the tool of choice so others can make changes to the file if they need to. So, sticking with PowerPoint: what can I try to eliminate the glitch with WMV playback on PCs.
(This is PowerPoint 2007 on XP, but the problem also occurs in Windows 7. The WMV files are in the same folder as the PPT.)

Play a WMV on a Mac

tommasz — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:23:02 -0800

I've got a Mac G4 running 10.4.11 and I've been experiencing worsening problems playing WMV files. I realize this is a kludge to begin with, but things are getting weird... When I doubleclick a WMV file in the Finder, it appears to start the Quicktime Player, but nothing happens. I can view the file in VLC with no problem. This has been an on-going issue.

Now, and this is recent, in both Camino and Firefox certain embedded WMV files download but instead of playing in the browser window, I get a black window with a white bar across the top and "(no video)" in the center of the window. Nothing plays.

I had both Perian and Flip4Mac installed so I uninstalled both with no change in behavior. I have the latest Quicktime and my system software is up to date. I can work around all of this but it bugs me that it's supposed to work and doesn't. Any ideas?

WMVs into Flv

boyinmiami — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:13:22 -0800

Please help me convert my mgp and wmv files to flash. Thanks in advance. Need a program that can take my 2-3 minute clips and make them into flv files. I can spend up to a 100 dollars on a program but freeware works. I would also like them to maintain the quality. Any recommendations? Thank you

Quicktime to high-res WMV conversion

captainscared — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:38:18 -0800

I need to transcode QuickTime files for Windows Media Pplayer that works on both XP and Vista. I know macs like the back of my hand, but SQUAT about windows. I have high-res files QuickTime files exported from Final Cut Pro that need to be transcoded to WMV files. The Quicktime files come with a variety of codecs, from DV to HDV, to DVCPro. I need the best but cheapest solution for converting these files to High-Res WMV files. I'm using a PC machine running XP for the conversion. Any tools, tips, workflows, or codec suggestions would make me and my boss very happy :)

WMV format for Nickelodeon Npower Fusion

shinynewnick — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:47:35 -0800

Santa needs a hand: WMV format for Nickelodeon Spongebob NPower Fusion media player? One of the kiddos will be getting a Nickelodeon Spongebob NPower Fusion from Santa this Christmas. Unfortunately, Santa cannot find much information online about what video format the media player will accept. The information page from Memorex states "MP3, WMA9, PD-DRM, WM-DRM/Video playback: WMV9 + WMA with DRM support."

I know you can load files from both USB and from pre-produced SD cards that have music and movies, but I cannot find out if we can convert and add our own videos in the WMV format. Santa would prefer to find this out before the 25th, and without ripping open the entire package. If it's not possible, Santa will most likely make a return and get the elves started on the iPod Nano (but the Npower looks very kid-friendly and fairly durable at $99).

Does anyone know what the included software allows?

free video editor?

princeofpersiaxz — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:06:58 -0800

I am looking for a free video (mpeg, wmv, etc) editor with some very basic options! ok I have looked far and wide online for a video editor. my disk space on my PC is getting scarce, so I am wanting to edit clips out of some video files to free up some space on my hard drive. is there a free video editor that will let me cut out (not "hide" hint hint Microsoft Movie Maker) clips from a video file, without any watermarks or restrictions? my hard drive says thanks!

Best media players for wmv, keyboard shortcuts, and transparency?

abkadefgee — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:20:49 -0800

What media players have decent keyboard shortcuts, don't mess up wmv files when fast-forwarding, and can be set as transparent? I'm going through a lot of different video files on my hard drive, trying to clean up. Some of them are old home videos or projects which are inexplicably saved as wmv files. I'd like to figure out which ones are worth keeping by playing through them, but when I fast forward using alt+rt arrow in VLC, the video frame freezes or becomes distorted and it takes a few moments to return to normal. This means I could be missing something and I have to take the time to watch the clip all the way through.

I'd also like to be able to play my videos in a transparent mode so I could check email and complete other tasks while watching downloaded tv shows.

Can anyone suggest a media player that can play wmv files correctly while fast-forwarding and transparently display movies, but that also has the quick fast-forwarding shortcuts of VLC?

Automatic still image capture of a video file on Windows XP SP2

nickerbocker — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:54:04 -0800

Automatic still image capture of a video file on Windows XP SP2. What software tool would I need to automatically generate a sequence of still images from a video file that are spaced something like 5 minutes apart?

My two video formats are MPEG2 (w/ .MPG extension) and WMV. My camcorder generates MPEG2 files on its HDD but I'm going to be running this through a WMV encoder so that I can have compressed files ready to put up on the web.

If I could open the video file with a program, select from 01:00:00 to 02:00:25 and generate a still image in JPEG or some format at 5 minute intervals then that would be just perfect. (Those parameters could change...for instance I may want every 10 minutes or something...)

Last video question I posted here had some really good answers that really helped me. Lets see if we can make it 2 for 2 :). Thanks for your time.

How to I boost the audio within a qmt file?

Izzmeister — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:34:34 -0800

How would I boost audio from within qt or wmv files that i've rendered already from final cut pro?
i want to boost audio from within qt or wmv files that i've rendered already from final cut pro.

i don't want to render them again (they're due at 9am gmt)

i've been on the phone with apple qt pro tech support for hours trying to figure out why that app doesn't do what it says it can do. they're as mystified as i.

so, can anyone point me toward an application that will allow me to change the audio level within a wmv or qt composite video file without having to re-render it from within final cut pro or premiere?

Basically, I ned a solution wherein i can edit audio properties within a qt or wmv file to make it louder.

Thanks!

Why does Nero insist on stretching my files?

oddman — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:45:39 -0800

Help me make good looking movies with small picture dimensions. My dad has a bunch of 320x240 WMV videos that he would like to burn to DVD. The problem is that Nero seems to insist on burning them at 740x480. As a result the video looks really bad on a TV screen.

I wold like to be able to create a DVD with the smaller (and better looking) resolution videos. Does anyone know how to force Nero to burn DVDs at the native resolution of the source file?

This thread (http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/27791) helped, but we would have to spend about $200 bucks for both the encoder and DVD authoring programs. Clearly, working with Nero would be better. ( I tried using the encoder to make mpeg files and then using Nero, but Nero seems to insist on re-encoding everything. I think I could use something called "smart encoding" but I'm sure if that's what I need or not.)

(My father also has Pixela so instruction on using that would be fine, also. Although I find that programs non-standard interface to be almost inscrutable.)

How to put a WMA into a WMV with blank video?

superboy422 — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:03:54 -0800

How can I turn a WMA into a WMV with blank video? Here's what I would like to do. I want to take an existing MP3, which I will convert to WMA, but I want to wrap it into a WMV with nothing but blank video (or a static image that is displayed in every frame) so that it can be played on a device that only supports WMV files natively (but not WMA audio files).

Bonus points for finding an open-source way to do this that can be automated easily. If I need to do it by hand each time, it will will be significantly more inconvenient.

WMV + DRM + maybe OSX = SUX

soma lkzx — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:51:42 -0800

Help me defeat Thai internet television cooking show WMV DRM! I have a subscription to some thai cable tv network; they serve out DRM'd WMV files, which are incompatible enough with my mac, but after a lot of fighting I got one on a pc (i've actually tried this on two) and thought it'd be okay. I wasn't!

When it tries to acquire the license, it asks me to go log in on the web site (in IE). So I hit "cancel" on the license acquisition thing, log in on the web site, and try to play the file again. When it attempts to get the license, it comes up with this gibberish, and the "Play" button stays greyed out.

I'm assuming that's my license key, but it's being sent or received incorrectly. What can I do? Is this a known bug? Could I capture the traffic and save the license as a file somewhere? Anything? The WMP on this comp is version 10.00.00.3646 and I don't know Thai.

WinMac Media Player

spaceman_spiff — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:05:34 -0800

Daily Show on a Mac Windows Media Player is, at least on a Mac, nearly unuseable for embedded video, and Flip4Mac likewise (WMP skips and jumps, and F4M never gets past the buffering stage). However, some sites (the Daily Show, for instance) use nothing but. While I am aware that many such clips end up on YouTube, I'd like to use Comedy Central's site instead.

Anyone have a suggestion?

Is Windows Media Player causing popups?

Brian James — Tue, 02 May 2006 21:06:42 -0800

How do I stop popups that appear when Windows Media Player is running? I do not in general have a popup problem. The only time I get popups is when Windows Media Player is playing a feed off the web, or if it is playing an embedded video in a web page. I do not get popups at any other time. (I have Quicktime set up to play, in Firefox, almost all video streams it can; I only use Windows Media for wmv and so forth)

In the Security tab, I see a setting that may be relevant called "Do not run script commands and rich media streams if the player is running inside a web page" that is checked. Windows XP automatic updates is enabled and up-to-date.

I use Firefox 1.5.0.3, I scan for spyware/popups regularly with Windows Defender, Ad-Aware, and Ewido. Running version 10 of Windows Media.

simple images-to-video converter for mac/unix?

sergeant sandwich — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 13:19:55 -0800

can anyone recommend a simple piece of Mac (or unix) software that will take a bunch of image files named abc001, abc002, etc and string them together into a video file that i can view with a lowest-common-denominator video player? i have some code that spits out a bunch of images - currently into the simple PPM format that's part of netpbm package. the images have filenames with sequential numbers in them, and i want software that will just string them together in order into one of the more common (mpeg, avi, quicktime, or whatever) video formats.

i was planning to use ppmtompeg that comes with netpbm but i'm having a hard time getting the netpbm package to compile on my powerbook. while i try to sort that out, i'm wondering if there's any other software available to do what i want?

i see from this thread that apparently quicktime will do this, but i suspect i need the quicktime pro that you have to pay for, as opposed to the free quicktime player.

so, my only absolute requirement be that the software is free. it would be nice if it supported the PPM format (if not, i can batch-convert my images in graphic converter) and extra nice if i could run it from the command line like ppmtompeg so that i can incorporate the conversion into a shell script.

any ideas? thanks in advance!

Converting a DVD to high-quality WMV?

robbie01 — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 12:28:48 -0800

Converting a DVD to high-quality WMV? I want to experiment with the idea of having digital copies of my (original, legal) DVDs transferred onto my network for playback via Windows Media Center Edition (mostly with Extenders througout my home.)

I'm a stickler for audio/video quality, so I will likely want the video uncompressed from its original source and full surround sound, which I understand will result in huge, multi-gigabyte files. If I can find an acceptable process, I'd consider investing in a multi-terabyte network hard drive to store my 200+ DVD collection. I also understand this would entail a significant commitment in time, but I'm willing to do it if it works.

I've looked online and easily found a number of commercial (and a couple of shareware) DVD rippers and converters, but the choices are just too overwhelming.

Is there a defacto standard process that those "in the know" use to convert DVDs to WMV with essentially lossless compression? (I used the combo of Exact Audio Copy and RazorLAME when I converted my CD collection to MP3.)

I need a system for ripping a DVD (either the entire disc with menus or just the movie itself) and converting it into a WMV file (non-negotiable, since this is one of the few formats that will actually play back on Windows Media Center Extenders, an Xbox 360 and Xbox Classic with Extender software in this case. So unfortunately I can't consider formats like xVid or DiVX) Just to be clear, the final WMV file will live on a network hard drive, and will not ever be re-burned onto a DVD-R, so I have no need to make the file size arbitrarily smaller.

I'll assume a PC solution is the preferred method given the final output file, but Mac software can also be considered if there's something amazing available.

Alternatively, I've also been considering a physical DVD changer such as the Niveus DVD Changer that interfaces with Windows Media Center, but my ulterior motive is to begin phasing out the DVD as a physical medium for eventual conversion of my entire library to HD-DVD and/or Blu-ray. I'd like to keep access available to all my DVD titles until an HD version is available, at which time I would sell the standard definition version.

I mention this because although it would be easier and less time-intensive to make my DVD collection available over a network with a changer, I don't like the idea of investing several thousand dollars in a piece of hardware that is designed for standard-definition DVDs, whereas at least I know a multi-terabyte hard drive could be re-used for something else.

Rip audio from WMV

ykjay — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 11:11:11 -0800

Does anyone know a good utility to rip the audio from WMV files? I have a long drive coming up (1800 km from Yellowknife, NT to Calgary, AB), and I'd like to take the audio portion of my www.learnvisualstudio.net courses with me to listen to while driving.

Converting WMV on a Mac

boombot — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 17:09:08 -0800

A Google search reveals several possible ways to convert a WMV file to an mpg, or an avi, or a mov, on a Mac. My question is, for someone who does not have QT Pro and is hoping to do this for free, and has no easy access to any machine other than his G5, what is the best way to convert a wmv into something, anything else (mpg, avi, mov)? This is something of a repeat question (24337) but I'm not facing any DRM and do have access to Final Cut Pro 4.

Convert DVD to WMV/AVI

JPowers — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 20:32:05 -0800

What is the *easiest* way to take a clip from a commercial DVD and turn it into a WMV or AVI file. I own the DVD I am using and need a hastle-free way of showing lots of DVD clips in my class lectures. Also, the quality needs to be reasonable -- but not perfect. And again, I'm looking for the *easiest* way.

Windows Media Encoder Screen Capture Problem

mmascolino — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 12:14:34 -0800

I'm trying to use Windows Media Encoder to capture a video of my computer screen. Everything is fine, but the resulting movie plays back split down the diagonal of the screen. Its hard to describe, so here is a sample. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong? I've tried turning off hardware acceleration but that didn't have any effect. The product has a zillion different switches and knobs I could turn but I don't really know which ones to start with.

WMV to MPEG conversion tool?

Colloquial Collision — Mon, 09 May 2005 16:41:07 -0800

Can anyone suggest a tool to convert WMV to MPEG format? A tool that is preferably freeware, though licensed software would be great too. This is just for a friend's school project. He asked me if I knew of any tools to convert WMV to MPEG, after searching Google and SourceForge without find any specific conversion tools, I though I'd ask the MetaFilter community.

Multi media wedding

snsranch — Sat, 09 Apr 2005 22:12:59 -0800

Does anyone know where I can download romantic scenes from movies to be projected during our reception dinner? Anything that we can put onto a cd and project with sound during parts of the dinner.

Why are movies embedded rather than linked?

Nelson — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:17:07 -0800

Why do sites show movies embedded in a tiny web page rather than linking to it so I can view it in the media player of my choice?

What are those files on Gnutella that are my exact search term with a file suffix?

derbs — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 06:58:52 -0800

When searching for something in the Gnutella network (i'm using acquisition on the mac), what are those files that get returned that are my exact search terms, but with a .jpg or .wmv on the end? I've never dared download one in case it's mr goatse or something