Can play this file but can't import it into a video project

[saharasurfer]

First Post (big deal!)

I'm a 100% video newbie so please type slowly and use small words and big letters.

I've manage to edit and burn one dvd using some lower quality clips but I have have some higher quality clips that I can't import.

I'm using Nero 6 Suite so this is Nero Vision Express I'm talking about now ... but I couldn't import this same clip into the MyDVD software that came with my burner before I tried Nero.

I captured this video with an ATI Rage Pro 128 All-in-Wonder (AGP) card that's about 3 or 4 years old. (I'm way behind the times on the card, I know.)

I captured it using the "best quality" and the ATI capturing software (also old) saved it as a "movie" file, which I think has an extension of ".mp2". At the time I assumed that meant MPEG-2 but the truth is I'm totally lost about what type of file it saved. With XP I can't even figure out how to find the extensions of files that have associations to apps. (The options setting in the ATI capture software states that best quality is MPEG-2, 352 X 480, NTSC(525), 8.00 M bit / second, but again, I'm not sure of the extension the software used when naming the file.)

Both the ATI File Player and the Nero Video Player (Show Time) don't have any problem playing these clips but the Nero editor / authoring software won't even list it when I use to browse for clips to import into the project.

I'm posting in the conversion forum because I'm assuming that I'm somehow got to convert this ATI format to something that the Nero Vision Express can recognize (although their file player doesn't have any problem with it.)

I'm just looking to understand what going on here so any knowledge or advice on what to try next will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Tommyknocker]

Try changing the file extension to .mpg and see if it works.

[saharasurfer]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I found out how to display extensions in XP and these files were saved as .mp2. I tried your suggesstion (tried .mpeg and .mpe as well) but it didn't work. The Showtime file player can still play them but Nero Express won't import them. Its import browser recognizes the files with the .mpg extension but the import fails.

I noticed something else. The import browser for Vision Express displays each video file available with a preview pane showing a frame from the video file. The preview pane works for my other .mpg files but not for these (renamed) .mp2 files. For these files it displays the Show Time icon.

I'd write this off as some sort of ATI proprietary format but I'm annoyed by the fact that the Nero player recognizes these files and plays them but the Editor treats them like poison.

Anyone familiar enough with Nero and ATI to take a guess at what type of file these .mp2 video files might be? I'll buy something to convert them but first I want to know what going on.

[Tommyknocker]

I thought mp2 files were audio files. Do yours show video as well?

[mastersmurfie]

what version of MMC are you using? I also have an "old" ATI AIW card (which I use almost every day to capture...still not convinced it's not a PRO card ) that captures compliant DVD compliant MPEG-2 beautifully! I use MMC ver 7.7 and have many different settings available in the "record quality"...never a problem importing any captured material into DVD Lab for DVD authoring...

Maybe a newer version of MMC is what you need???

mastersmurfie

[saharasurfer]

I thought mp2 files were audio files. Do yours show video as well?

As far as I know they are audio files but yes, the ATI video capture saved them as mp2 and both Nero Show Time and the ATI File Player play them back as video.

[saharasurfer]

what version of MMC are you using? I also have an "old" ATI AIW card (which I use almost every day to capture...still not convinced it's not a PRO card ) that captures compliant DVD compliant MPEG-2 beautifully! I use MMC ver 7.7 and have many different settings available in the "record quality"...never a problem importing any captured material into DVD Lab for DVD authoring...

Maybe a newer version of MMC is what you need???

mastersmurfie

I'm using 7.2, which is what the ATI download site says I should be running with for my OS and v-card. I've got support emails into both Nero and ATI and I'm waiting to see what both of them have to say first. After that I'll try installing a new version because I can't put myself in worse situation than I'm already in from a video standpoint.

Thanks for the input. If ATI and/or Nero responses lead to anything interesting I'll post it into this thread.