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Activity Forums Avid Media Composer Importing Files

  • Importing Files

    Posted by Alan Silvester on January 8, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    I’ve just installed a copy of the 30 day Avid trial for a uni project on my new PC (i5760, 8GBRAM). I use Avid at uni and always been able to drop MP4, AVI, MPEG files into Avid and they load no problem. At home however I’m having some serious issues getting any file to import for one reason or another.

    Tried WMF and it imported but there was no video track, audio only. Tried batch import and nothing changed.
    Tried AVI, MP4, MPEG and Avid wouldn’t even import saying that XXX file is not supported for import.

    I’m aware that it’s not the file types that’s the issue here it’s my Avid setup and I’ve read that the import setting and/or codec’s can effect importing files but I don’t know how to check or alter these to be correct.

    Do you just download a codec and auto install it? If so does anyone have any links?

    Do I change the import settings, if so where is this option and what should I change it to?

    Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

    Thanks in advance.

    Michael Kammes replied 15 years, 4 months ago 2 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • Michael Kammes

    January 8, 2011 at 5:10 pm

    A few things at work here:

    1. Avid can IMPORT (i.e. convert the files) to an Avid flavor. This has been Avid’s MO since the beginning

    2. The Quicktime implementation of AMA (Avid Media Access) which allows Avid to use Quicktime files WITHOUT importing them. This feature is present in MC 5.x and above.

    I presume you mean you are having problems IMPORTING.

    Do you have the sanctioned version of Quicktime and Windows Media Player installed? You can find this in the README that came with the trial download.

    Next, make sure you have the codecs that the files are encoded with. You can use a free program like MediaInfo or VLC to find what the codec is, then track down the appropriate codec. Then Google for it.

    Unfortunately, it is very difficult to tell you what codec you need with just a “.MP4, .AVI” description. This is like telling us the manufacturer of a car – not the model, color, or year – which is needed!

    Good Luck!

    ~Michael

    .: michael kammes mpse
    .: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
    .: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
    .: michaelkammes.com

  • Alan Silvester

    January 8, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    Thank you for your response. I’ve managed to get Avid to read the media now. I went through the steps you suggested, reinstalled QT and downloaded a codec pack and it is reading the media.

    One further problem though is that the media is showing on the timeline as video and audio but on playback I’m only getting video, no audio. Is there a setting that I need to apply to get audio on playback?

    Thanks

  • Michael Kammes

    January 8, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    Glad things are beginning to work.

    Audio requires codecs, too. However, there are fewer Audio codecs than Video, so before hunting for other codecs, ensure that the basics are covered: you can hear audio from other sources, volume is up, etc. Try a test tone out of avid to verify.

    If you’re absolutely certain it’s the file – and not your settings – than use Media Info and VLC the same way to determine the audio codec.

    ~Michael

    .: michael kammes mpse
    .: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
    .: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
    .: michaelkammes.com

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