Every few years I start using VirtualDub & keep asking the same questions.

[IAMMADASHELL]

What do I need to do to make VirtualDub recognize videos so I can edit them?

I just re-installed my OS & downloaded Virtualdub.
I also downloaded the plugins for MPEG/Matroska/WMV & placed them in the plugin folder.

Now when I try to open any video or any type, I get the message saying

"Could not locate decompressor for format XVID (unknown)
Virtual dub requites a Video for Windows (VFW) compatible code to decompress video"

What do I need to do to get VirtualDub to work like it is supposed to.

Any step by step instructions on what I need to download additionally & then what to install or check off on that?

[manono]

Have you installed the XviD codec?

[Cornucopia]

You match the capabilities of the app with the format of the file.

If they don't match, you get a plugin that extends the native capabilities of the app.

If that's not possible, you convert first to a format that the app (or a plugin) CAN accept.

Use MediaInfo to find out what your media file truly is. Then read up on what formats are acceptable for native + plugin options.

Scott

[Calidore]

MPEG/Matroska/WMV are examples of containers, and Xvid is the actual video encoding format (codec). Giving Virtualdub those plugins covered the container half; now, as manono said, you need to install the Xvid codec itself. You said "videos" plural, so if you have more videos of different types you may want to install ffdshow instead.

[IAMMADASHELL]

MPEG/Matroska/WMV are examples of containers, and Xvid is the actual video encoding format (codec). Giving Virtualdub those plugins covered the container half; now, as manono said, you need to install the Xvid codec itself. You said "videos" plural, so if you have more videos of different types you may want to install ffdshow instead.

I actually did download ffdshow & installed it, but for some reason no videos still load up in Virtualdub.

There really isn't an tutorials on how to install & use ffdshow for the sole purpose of using it with Virtualdub.
I'm not sure if I was supposed to check off something or what.

[Calidore]

MPEG/Matroska/WMV are examples of containers, and Xvid is the actual video encoding format (codec). Giving Virtualdub those plugins covered the container half; now, as manono said, you need to install the Xvid codec itself. You said "videos" plural, so if you have more videos of different types you may want to install ffdshow instead.

I actually did download ffdshow & installed it, but for some reason no videos still load up in Virtualdub.

There really isn't an tutorials on how to install & use ffdshow for the sole purpose of using it with Virtualdub.
I'm not sure if I was supposed to check off something or what.

The ffdshow installation wizard offers to set it up for Virtualdub and AVISynth. I don't know if there's a way to do that once it's already installed, or if you need to uninstall & reinstall it (which isn't that big a hassle anyway).

[MaverickTse]

or just try something else, e.g. Avidemux, AviUtl ...

[DarrellS]

It's very simple if you follow directions. No reason that you should have to ask the same question every time you use Virtualdub. Especially when the error tells you exactly what codec you need to open the file (clue = xvid). There are many threads here on how to use Virtualdub and many more on the Virtualdub forum. There is even a help file in the program with a lot of good information if you bother to read it.

The mods need to pin instructions to the top of this forum cause It gets really tiring, answering the same questions every day for years.

I recommend anyone using Virtualdub to go to the virtualdub page here and...

Download the latest Virtualdub (I recommend using 32 bit versions of everything). I use the test builds since they are the most up to date
Download all of fcchandler's plugins and acm files (you'll need to install the acm files and place the plugins in the plugins 32 folder)
Install Phaeron's Directshow plugin and Raythe0n's FFMPEG Input Driver
Install ffdshow and set it to use libavcodec for all file types that you don't have codecs for (h264, all Flash types and set all WMV to use wmv9 except for VC-1 which needs libavcodec). I like to use common codecs like XviD or DivX 6.9.2 if I can to encode AVI and the external encoder to encode everything else. This needs to be done in the VFW configuration since as the error stated, Virtualdub requires VFW codecs to decompress video. This can be done in either Virtualdub under Video > Compression or under Start > All Programs > ffdsow > VFW Configuration.

There are also guides on the page above.

All these files you need can be found on the Virtualdub page here or at the Virtualdub forum.

Important links are ...

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=4 for newbies with instructions on how to open non AVI files (and in your case, avi files also)

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=7 section about plugins with links to filters and plugins

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=3 section for codec discussion including how to use the external encoder to output other file types besides avi

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=2 section for general discussion

[racer-x]

I now only use the ffmpeg input driver and nothing else, I deleted all the others. Everything I drag into Virtualdub opens via ffmpeg input driver.

That works fine for all my needs anyway...........

[DarrellS]

I now only use the ffmpeg input driver and nothing else, I deleted all the others. Everything I drag into Virtualdub opens via ffmpeg input driver.

That works fine for all my needs anyway...........

I have a few files on my PC that I get an error while trying to drag and drop. Either can't find a video stream in MKV or Could not parse MP4. Another problem with just using the ffmpeg input driver or the DirectShow input driver is that they decompress both the audio and video files so they have to be re-encoded. Same with using Avisynth to open files in Virtualdub.

[IAMMADASHELL]

It's very simple if you follow directions. No reason that you should have to ask the same question every time you use Virtualdub. Especially when the error tells you exactly what codec you need to open the file (clue = xvid). There are many threads here on how to use Virtualdub and many more on the Virtualdub forum. There is even a help file in the program with a lot of good information if you bother to read it.

The mods need to pin instructions to the top of this forum cause It gets really tiring, answering the same questions every day for years.

I recommend anyone using Virtualdub to go to the virtualdub page here and...

Download the latest Virtualdub (I recommend using 32 bit versions of everything). I use the test builds since they are the most up to date
Download all of fcchandler's plugins and acm files (you'll need to install the acm files and place the plugins in the plugins 32 folder)
Install Phaeron's Directshow plugin and Raythe0n's FFMPEG Input Driver
Install ffdshow and set it to use libavcodec for all file types that you don't have codecs for (h264, all Flash types and set all WMV to use wmv9 except for VC-1 which needs libavcodec). I like to use common codecs like XviD or DivX 6.9.2 if I can to encode AVI and the external encoder to encode everything else. This needs to be done in the VFW configuration since as the error stated, Virtualdub requires VFW codecs to decompress video. This can be done in either Virtualdub under Video > Compression or under Start > All Programs > ffdsow > VFW Configuration.

There are also guides on the page above.

All these files you need can be found on the Virtualdub page here or at the Virtualdub forum.

Important links are ...

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=4 for newbies with instructions on how to open non AVI files (and in your case, avi files also)

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=7 section about plugins with links to filters and plugins

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=3 section for codec discussion including how to use the external encoder to output other file types besides avi

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=SF&f=2 section for general discussion

I downloaded all that & now I can open video files, expect for ASF & WMV files.
When I load them, I get a pop up saying WMV plugin by fcchandler is constructing index block & then when it finishes loading, the screen just shows "missing codec".


All other file types seem to work fine, like MPG, AVI, & MP4.

I downloaded the plugins for WMV & ask & placed them in the plugins folder.
Do I need to do anything else, like tick off one of the boxes in ffdshow somewhere?

[DarrellS]

This could be either a video or audio codec issue. If the file has WMA 9 pro audio, you'll need to covert the audio. Virtualdub does not support that audio.

For wma, you need to have either the DivX ; version 3.11 or the divx audio codec.

For Video, make sure that WMV1,2 and 3 are set to WMV9 in ffdshow VFW Configuration and VC-1 is set to libavcodec.

[IAMMADASHELL]

For Video, make sure that WMV1,2 and 3 are set to WMV9 in ffdshow VFW Configuration and VC-1 is set to libavcodec.

Ah that worked.
I set them to that in the Video Decoder Configuration menu, not in the VFW Configuration menu, so that must have been why it wasn't working for me.

Thanks again everybody.