First the only idea I know about codec is, codec use to be able to play audio and video file to other player... that's all know... Anyone would tell me what codec really is and how to use it...

For example I have a avi movie I want to cut it into two so that I can burn it to cd... I have virtualdub for cutting but a when I open my avi movie error appears (couldn't locate decompressor for format 'XVID'(unknown)

I download xvid but don't know how to use it so I just uninstalled it

So please help me teach me about codec and staff... (on bended knees) :confused:

I don't know how to solve your problem directly, but I can tell you a bit about codecs.

You are correct, they are usually downloads that you can use to allow certain players (Windows Media Player, Real Player, etc.) to play other formats that they usually aren't able to play.

They can also allow other programs to do things they normally can't do by default.

Good luck and hopefully some of the experts here can give you more info.

Gee thanxz for your reply... have you try to use codec... how does it work... is it also a player... like windows media or divx..

A codec is like an accessory, it allows you to do things that you normally couldn't do with a program.

A codec is not a player. A codec is an add-on for a player or other program.

Let's say you want to download a codec for Windows Media Player so you can play a certain type of audio file.

You would go to Microsoft.com and download the appropriate codec to your computer. When downloaded, it is usually an executable file, meaning you can simply double click it and it will open and install. Then, if all works properly, when you use the player (or program) it will work with the codec.

Hopefully that helps; if you need anything else, just ask!

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Originally Posted by avel

First the only idea i know about codec is, codec use to be able to play audio and video file to other player...that's all know...Anyone would tell me what codec really is and how to use it...

For example i have a avi movie i want to cut it into two so that i can burn it to cd... i have virtualdub for cutting but a when i open my avi movie error appears (couldn't locate decompressor for format 'XVID'(unknown)

i download xvid but don't know how to use it so i just uninstalled it

So please help me teach me about codec and staff...(on bended knees) :confused:

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Look up and find a DivX player program, as the file type you mentioned is one that can be played only by that codec. Each player and/or burning program has different codec and you just don't have that one in your collection yet.

Hmm... now I get it, so it means that when I use a codec it automatically run when I run a player... all I have to do is to download a codec am I right...

Well is codec can also be use in burning cds... because when I try to burn a avi file nero don't let me... I look at the 80m meter seems to be enough space but on the process nero tells that file is too large to burn... why... is there any way I could do to burn avi (exept converting) because when I try to convert a avi to other format my PC going slow sorry for me I guess, so if there is other way to burn avi I want to know... please? :D

I do not know if there is a codec for Nero that can do that. I do know, however, that DVD format video is not in AVI, it is in - I think - MPEG4 (am I correct?) So technically, I think you would need something to convert it to normal DVD format video.

I could be wrong, but I know that is the way I do it when editing then transferring to DVD.

OK, avel, here goes.


1. If you only have a CD burner your Nero will only burn an avi file after you click on 'create a VCD or SVCD movie, then when the menu comes up again, it asks if you want to import or add a file, (import is from a camera) (add is from a directory on your hard drive), go to the directory and choose the *.avi file, click on add, and then click on finish. Remember that the file cannot be larger than about 680 MB as that's about all that will fit on a CD, once you've done that, you can work with or without a menu, but Nero converts (or translates) it into VCD or SVCD format for that CD and it takes a few minutes till it's finished. Then you click on next, till you get to the burn button, then click that. If the film is too long, Nero will tell you that the CD does not have enough space and will eject it. So if you are trying to burn a DVD length movie onto a CD with Nero, this will not work. You need a DVD burner for that and If you only have a DVD player on your PC then get a new one which will only cost around 40-50 dollars from NEC at tigerdirect.com.
2. The same will happen to WinDVD or WinCD, because DVD length movies are too long and will not fit onto CDs. Most of the movies you download from limewire or Kazaa are larger than what will fit on CD's so you will probably have to get a new DVD player/burner anyway. And right now the ones from NEC and Phillips are at a real good price.
3. If you have Nero 6, it comes with 'user guides' and they make very good reading and teach you all you need to know on how to make movies, slide shows with music, MP3 CD, or regular music CD you can play in your car, so I'd read up on it. If you don't have them, go to the Nero site and download the manuals and tutorials - they really help, and to read and learn more about the product you have is the best way of using it and not just jumping in not knowing what your are doing.. Hope this helped. Till next time, Chery

P.S. the best program, if you don't have Nero but a DVD burner, and want to backup your DVDs, is called DVDShrink. Which you can download for free, and also the manual.. But believe me, I've used Nero for years and it also works with DVDShrink, and lets you backup your DVDs so that your originals will not get damaged. They will also play on regular DVD players anywhere then, not just on your computer.

Hmmm OK... guess much work for me to make it done but thanxz for the advise... hope you can help me also 'bout those post I made out there in the educational software... its more on viruses I guess... :D

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Originally Posted by avel

Hmmm ok... guess much work for me to make it done but thanxz for the advise... hope you can help me also 'bout those post i made out there in the educational software... its more on viruses i guess... :D

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Getting a good product takes some work and reading... It always has been that way. We are not born with all the knowledge we would like, so some work is involved. And just think, once your've learned, you can feel proud of your efforts and can help others as well. I will look under Educational Software and see if I find your post. Compare comuters to cars, put the wrong gas in, you get nowhere. Tune it right and it will give you a smooth ride. It's the same principle.

You you are right... thanxz for that...

Oh hey why is it when burning mpeg file is faster than burning avi file... do I really have to convert avi - mpeg to burn it fast... and what is the difference between svcd to vcd... :D :confused:

Avel dear, if you enjoy using mpeg movies and burning them, then download only those types. As far as Video CD and/or Super Video CDs, creation, that's also your choice. Pick up a book or a read the Users guides of your burning software and it will explain it all to you, at your pace, so you can always go back and read if you forget something. I'm not perfect and might miss something, so it's better to read the user's guides. After that, and you still have questions, get back with me, OK? As a matter of fact, go to nero.com and download the users guides in PDF format. This way you can read them at your pace and understand all about burning a CD and/or DVD in a few days. They even have different language packs. I just downloaded the guides in Italian for a friend of mine and he's having fun learning, so now it's your turn...

http://www.nero.com/nero6/eng/Tutorials.html These are the tutorials in *.zip format for downloading for you to learn

http://www.nero.com/nero6/eng/User_Guides.html These are the user's guides for Nero6 for downloading in PDF format for reading with Acrobat Reader.
As you can see, they are coming up with a new Nero 7 version next month, and if you purchase Nero 6 Reloaded now, you will get Nero 7 upgrade for free, how much better can it get? - and you can even read about the changes coming up. Check these two sites out and download all the manuals, this will help you learn all about the different types of CD, VCD,DVD types and how to work with them with movies, music, slide shows, etc. A real treasure-chest of knowledge right at your fingertips. Happy reading.

www.doom9.org is probably the best place to go to answer all of your questions.

A quick explination of what a codec is:
Video in raw format would take immense amounts of disk space (100’s of MB’s for just a few seconds), so video has to be compressed. There are a number of compression techniques, one of which is mpeg. Mpeg, instead of storing all frames in full, takes a reference frame, every so many frames, and only stores data for the in-between frames that differs from the reference frames. This is the basic concept but is of course a lot more complicated. Mpeg 1,2 and 4 all do this differently, mpeg 4 giving the highest amount of compression for the same quality of video. Mpeg 2 is used in the DVD video format. Mpeg 4 is used in video files with the ‘.avi’ file extension.

Video codec’s contain the instructions to how to compress the video (i.e. to encode the video). There is a different codec for each method and multiple codec’s for the same methods (such as DivX and Xvid, that both compress in the mpeg 4 format, but in a slightly different way).

To play back a video you could say it needs decompressing back into full frames, the reverse of the compressing technique ( decode the video). Therefore you need the same codec that the video was compressed with to perform the decompression during playback. When you open a video file the media player will look to see if the correct codec is installed to play back your file. If its not there it won’t play and you’ll have to install the correct codec.

A bit more info:
For most people the only codec’s they’ll need to install separately (to compliment those installed by windows media player 10) to play almost anything they come across are: 1) Real media codec’s, normally installed by the real media player (but I recommend using real alternative) 2) QuickTime codec’s (again I use QuickTime alternative) 3) Either the DivX (commercial- www.divx.com/divx) or Xvid (open source- www.xvid.org) codec, both play mpeg 4.
(note: windows media player will not play real media files ‘.rm’. Use media player classic)

Sometimes the encoding function of a codec is locked so you can’t use it e.g. The DivX play bundle. You have to pay to encode with DivX, Xvid is free.