How to tell whether a DV file is type 1 or type 2?

[Mike Velte]

DV files on a PC fall into 2 categories;
1. Microsoft DirectShow
2. Video for Windows (vfw)

All have an .avi file extension.
Microsoft’s DirectShow has 2 types…1 and 2 for better names. Premiere creates and can open only type 2. Movie Maker creates type 1 but can open type 2. Other apps vary in their compatibility.

Video For Windows is used by third parties like Canopus, Matrox, etc. There is probably a dozen different VFW codecs around. Premiere can play these IF the codec and hardware hare installed on the system.

How can you tell which is whicH?
If niether Movie Maker nor Premiere can open the file, then it is probably a VFW movie and your system does not have the codec installed.

If Premiere cant open it, but Movie Maker does, then it is probably DirectShow type 1.

[L. D. james]

Thanks, Mike. The previous thread on slow rendering had me wondering. I was sure my video was type 2 as I use the latest version of MainConcept for compression. I just didn’t see a set an option for the type.

All my AVI files can be open with all the Video Players on my machine.

— L. James

————–
L. D. James
ljames@apollo3.com
http://www.apollo3.com/~ljames

[Rich O.]

Have not used this myself L.D., but this freeware utility (Videoinspector) might be useful for your situation.

https://www.webattack.com/freeware/gmm/fwvideo.html

Supposed to give you detailed info about the video file you have a question about.

Rich