Windows Movie Maker Help

I am not sure if this is the right area to ask this, if it isn't please move this to the right area.

anyways, my question is

My digital camera is a Kodak Easyshare and it takes video in .mov format and i have been using windows movie maker, it allows me to import that format fine. Been working on some video projects and I should have finished the project, before i reformatted my system, but thats in the past and this is now. (I learned my lesson)

after i reformatted and put vista back on, i tried importing and playing the video files in windows movie maker and the video will play ok, but i have no sound.
I drag it to the timeline and expand the video to show the audio and the audio doesn't show up. I can play other sound files ok, it just wont play sound from .mov formats.

I tried playing the video in quicktime and it plays fine with sound too.
I tried another video editing software and it plays fine too. I am working on getting another video editing software, but for now, i will just use what i got, but i got nothing now. If someone could help that would be great.

I tried Windows Live movie maker, which btw, is really ugly, it doesnt even have a timeline, how can you edit videos without a timeline? anyways...i tried the video and it plays, but still no sound.

I am thinking that there was a codec that was installed before, but i am not sure what that is. Is there a way to find out what codecs you should have or does it depend on what the user has installed and customized system?

I have tried wmm on xp and it seems to crash or freeze up every time i try to import any video. When i tried wmm on vista, it could allow me to import .mov format, which was a surprise to me, because i have read that .mov format doesn't work with wmm, but i went with it. Maybe it is just catching up with me...lol

The wmm on vista, seems to be more stable then xp wmm, but that might be me, and maybe i will try and update xp with all the latest updates and see what wmm does for xp.

I just have a Kodak Easyshare camera for pics and video, i don't have a regular video camera, but i am working on getting a video camera though. for now i just use what i can.

I have updated vista with the latest updates.

I don't make real long videos, from the camera...about 5-10 min between each video take, then i cut that down in the editing part, so the final video would be less...it varys for the final video from 1 min to 6 min...I had one video was 1 hr 30 min, which was my church christmas program. that was taking on the digital camera and before i reformatted. I got that project all done, just need to making the dvd.

I don't really like to convert the original video, as it seems to lose something. I am looking into another video software, which if i cant get wmm to work, i might have to be forced into buying another video software when i am not quite ready to get one yet. I do have the 30 day Ulead Video Studio, but it is really differcult to edit with, because i want to see the video and the audio wave to know exactly what/where to cut the video. WMM showed the audio wave and was perfect for that.

I think the longest video i took was 12 min, mostly cause it is the digital camera and i don't know how long the battery will hold out either, so i try and make short takes and know i can always edit it together later.

maybe this is telling me it is time to move up with video software...lol...it was a joke, but thinking about that seriously.

I like wmm because it is not that complicated, yet it is easy enough to make videos. I looked at the windows live movie maker, and i definitely don't like that one at all, it doesn't even have a timeline, how can anyone edit video without a timeline, why Microsoft came out with that update for wmm is beyond me. I know i mentioned this above, so i won't go any further with this.

I guess the only thing for me to do is find a different video software, unless there are more people that would like to toss in their help too.

Thanks to all those that might have some solutions for me.
thanks

Sorry if this is long and unorganized, i tried my best to make it easy to read. I had posted this on another tech forum, so i thought i would copy it from there, instead of typing all over again...smart thinking...i think.

Hope someone can help

Tech Swaby (Matt)

Update PS

I now can't do anything with wmm, because i try to import any type of file and it crashes on me. A mac is looking better everytime i use my windows system...lol...but seriously.

Please try this codec
Download K-Lite Codec Pack
Download the standard version. Uncheck the media player, as you won't need this.
Lemme know if that helps!

I searched windows help and got this:


You can import files with the following file name extensions into Windows Movie Maker to use in your project:

• Video files: .asf, .avi, .dvr-ms, .m1v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, .wm, and .wmv
• Audio files: .aif, .aifc, .aiff .asf, .au, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .snd, .wav, and .wma
• Picture files: .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff, and .wmf

It doesn't look like .mov is supported by default. I'll see if I can find a work around.

Try the codec's posted above me first. That should work..

Crucial is correct about the .mov being proprietary to Apple.
Here is a free utility for file conversion
SUPER &copy

I am trying the codec pack. I do have the vista codec pack, but i will try the one listed above.

I don't know why i could use wmm with mov videos before for probably like 6 months and then i had to reinstall and i lost that ability.
Why do they have to make video software so complicated...

I will let you know what comes up after trying the codec pack.

I did a little searching and its true, you cant import .mov files into movie maker. .mov is a native format to quick time. So your clips should be converted to .wmv for a easy import and good quality. The software above should work.

That is werid that wmm won't take mov format, yet i could import and make about 5 other videos from it.
Maybe reinstalling vista, had it catch up with me and what i was doing...lol
i have noticed that i install a program and it works fine and everything, then after quite some time few months or so, the next time i open that program up, it says that it can't do this certain task, which it had been doing for many months and all sudden it can't do that task anymore? funny and werid.

I installed the codec pack from above and tried importing the mov video again and this is what comes up...."Location of file/100_8678.MOV could not be imported. Unspecified error" but wmm didn't close on me this time.

I played a avi video and it played ok, with out wmm closing like last time.

Thanks for your help. if you have anything else, i would like to read it, but thanks for your help.

this is one reason why macs are looking better and better...lol

Glad we could be of help! Good luck.

Don't switch to mac just because of a file format problem lol. It's not that bad to convert files before importing them, plus if you switched to apple you might find other incompatibilities that dont have work arounds...

In this thread there were multiple tools you can use to change video format to import into WMM, so go have some fun making movies!

No No! don't get a mac that is where bill gates gets his computer from!! lol
who remembers that one?

I will continue to use windows, but for video editing a mac would be the best thing.

I will try the different programs that were metioned for converting and see if i can get them to work.

It would be funny, if Bill Gates is the founder of windows and uses a mac himself. That would be so funny, i don't know if i would be able to stop laughing.

The SUPER program is really confusing and i am not figuring out how it is suppose to work.

Tech Swaby said:

The SUPER program is really confusing and i am not figuring out how it is suppose to work.

Click to expand...

Try this one, I've used it before, its simple and it works. plus its completely free.

Any Video Converter - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

CrucialHoax said:

Tech Swaby said:

The SUPER program is really confusing and i am not figuring out how it is suppose to work.

Click to expand...

Try this one, I've used it before, its simple and it works. plus its completely free.

Any Video Converter - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

Click to expand...

I tried the program out, and it does work, but the audio and video are out of sync.
Is there any way to fix that?