Missing .mov codec on PC

MileCreations

MileCreations

A client has given me a video which was exported in iMovie (I think no. 6 or 7). I work on a Windows 7 machine with CS6 with all the latest updates however as feared the .mov file will only play audio on my computer and will not import into Premiere Pro because I'm missing a codec. As it is iMovie there are no other export options at the quality the client wants.

In short do you know what codec I need to download and if it is available on PC? I've just downloaded divx and xvid (they aren't fixing it) and I don't want to download every codec on the internet if there's an easier way of figuring this out. Thanks in advance

Strangely enough I've had the same issue with taking MPEG2s from my PC to a Mac, except in that case it was the sound which was missing.
 
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Well it's got the exact same codecs installed as Premiere so if it didn't work in PP I wouldn't expect it to work in Media Encoder. I have tested it just in case but it won't even open in Media Encoder (doesn't open in PP either, but it does play just the audio in my quicktime).

My Quicktime is also the latest version of the free one... If they even still have a paid one?
 
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Zensteve said:
Handbrake?

http://handbrake.fr/
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I'd forgotten about Handbrake, I do have it.

...Tried it and had an error. I think Handbrake still relies on the codecs installed on my computer.

Fortunately at this point the file I've been given is just a test file so that we can figure out what file will work with my system. At the moment it's looking like probably the only option will be to convert it on a computer with Final Cut which has a few more export options, this just will be very inconvenient as I believe I'm going to be given several hours of footage... :/

Yup, QT Pro is $30 about now
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yeah I went and looked it up, $45 for me in Australia though. Do you think it would come with the required codecs? You'd kind of think it would...
 
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First, download VLC. It's free. Throw the video into it and see what the codec actually is (Tools->Codec) to make sure you're getting what you need.

.mov isn't a codec, it's a container.

There may be a chance that the video itself may have errors and it isn't your lack of codec.
 
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Sweetie said:
First, download VLC. It's free. Throw the video into it and see what the codec actually is (Tools->Codec) to make sure you're getting what you need.

.mov isn't a codec, it's a container.

There may be a chance that the video itself may have errors and it isn't your lack of codec.
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Yes I'm aware it's not a codec, but it's a codec within the QuickTime/.mov container. It was poor wording on my part.

Thanks for the VLC info, I was trying to find a way to find out the exact codec
 
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Thanks for the VLC info, I was trying to find a way to find out the exact codec.
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All good. I was fairly sure you knew it wasn't a codec... I just couldn't resist the needle ;)

AFAIK CS6 has all the Quicktime codecs, at least the ones in general use. It could be some company doing the Microsoft/Apple trick and running with an idea and fubar'ing up the standing and making their own standard that is incompatible with everyone else.

Or... check again if its a file with an error in it.
 
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I have an albeit earlier version of iMovie ('09), but it has 'export to QuickTime movie, in which if you go deeper into the settings, you can choose from whatever codec you want. On my machine there's everything from DV-PAL to Animation, DVCPRO and HDV. Your client probably won't have all codecs installed, but it shouldn't be too hard to find a happy medium codec - DV-PAL or HDV should be pretty friendly with a PC workflow, otherwise use MPEG Streamclip to batch transcode.
 
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Sweetie said:
First, download VLC. It's free. Throw the video into it and see what the codec actually is (Tools->Codec) to make sure you're getting what you need.
Click to expand...

So for the original clip the client sent me it literally displayed no information after I went here. VLC said there was no way of fixing the problem. He sent me a DV version and video still doesn't work but VLC did display some info. Says its PCM.

But looks like he's going to run it back onto a tape then give me the tape because a tape works across everything!
 
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Never heard of PCM as a codec. I threw it into google and came up with a piece of software that converts it, but it says that PCM is an audio codec.

http://gx-transcoder.en.softonic.com/

Going to Wiki it seems to agree:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation

Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form for digital audio in computers and various Blu-ray, DVD and Compact Disc formats, as well as other uses such as digital telephone systems. A PCM stream is a digital representation of an analog signal, in which the magnitude of the analog signal is sampled regularly at uniform intervals, with each sample being quantized to the nearest value within a range of digital steps.

Perhaps there isn't video included with the files that your client supplied you? Sounds a little weird though.

After a quick it seems that PCM audio is supported by Audition 3/CS4+.

From another forum I hear someone else having similar issues:
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1165824

I'm trying to import a .mov file with Timecode and Linear PCM codecs into FCP 7 sent from a client. I've asked for the file to be sent as a .mov with a png codec, but I'm unsure if I'll get them soon or if at all. I have one file, a .mov with a png codec, from them that worked. Is there a plugin I can download to get the other .mov to work in QuickTime FCP or any other program? I have QuickTime 7 and the VLC player, but they only read the audio. Thanks for the help!
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The answer isn't helpful, so at least you know it's not only you having the issue.

Another thread had some more info. May be worth looking at:
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/200/886932
 
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If from iMovie in standard def and a slightly older version of iMovie, the standard export used to be DVStream in a .mov or .dv wrapper. PCM is the adio codec used. Quicktime should allow you to open the file and within it you can do a "Get Info" on the file... unless you've upgraded to quicktime X which is a worthless steaming pile of horse crap. QT7 is the last useful quicktime player for anyone who needs to do anything other than just playing a file (although it's not fantastic at that in some circumstances either).

The get info will tell you all of the internal information about the file... a bit like "properties..." on a windows machine.
 
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Sweetie said:
Never heard of PCM as a codec. I threw it into google and came up with a piece of software that converts it, but it says that PCM is an audio codec.
Click to expand...

You can consider "PCM" as the term used to describe raw digital audio data. So wav and aiff are PCM file formats. Technically MP3 is not PCM but is converted (decoded) back to PCM when played. In other words, "PCM" doesn't really tell you much except that the mov container contains uncompressed digital audio data. BTW, all NLEs therefore support PCM audio data.

The fact that VLC is only telling you that the mov contains PCM data implies that either: 1. The mov file does not contain any video data, only uncompressed digital audio or 2. That the video data is so corrupt (or uses such an obscure codec) that it cannot even be identified. My guess would be #1.

G
 
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knightly said:
If from iMovie in standard def and a slightly older version of iMovie, the standard export used to be DVStream in a .mov or .dv wrapper. PCM is the adio codec used. Quicktime should allow you to open the file and within it you can do a "Get Info" on the file... unless you've upgraded to quicktime X which is a worthless steaming pile of horse crap. QT7 is the last useful quicktime player for anyone who needs to do anything other than just playing a file (although it's not fantastic at that in some circumstances either).

The get info will tell you all of the internal information about the file... a bit like "properties..." on a windows machine.
Click to expand...

That does make sense though, because I'm only receiving audio, there is no video (but there is on Mac)
 
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