.DIF file and codec option question

[jdw]

New to this board, but have lurked for a while.

I have 2 questions I could not find an answer to.

1). I use Mainconcept 1.4.2 to capture from an 8mm camcorder via Canopus ACEDVio. The MC app gives an option to capture raw DV depending on the codec used and creates a .DIF file. Which I assume is raw DV without the AVI wrapper. Without the AVI wrapper, I cannot play with the media players I have (MS MP9, Cinematograph, or BSplayer) nor can I import into Premiere Pro. What can I do with this format to ultimately convert into MPEG2? I can easily capture to DV type 1 or type 2 and convert, but it just bugs me not knowing how to work with .DIF files. Apps I currently use are Premiere Pro, Procoder Express, TMPenc plus, MC 1.4.2.

2) I have a Canopus software DV Codec that gives an option of "No block display by buffering". Any idea what this means? I've encoded with and without this option and couldn't tell a difference.

Thanks,
John

[rcb]

re 1) take a look at this page - may give a few more clues:http://www.focusinfo.com/products/firestore/DVConversionSuite/dvcsuite.html

re2) if not here, you might get an answer over in the canopus website forums...

[jdw]

From the documentation on that site I read:

"Raw DV (.dv/.dif/.dvsd)
This is just raw DV frames without any headers. Because of its simplicity most applications can read this format. "

Makes sense, except the "most applications can read this format" part. At least in my case.

But I did also find this elsewhere:

".dif is just the raw digital info without an avi or mov package....

The header of the file... the metadata is the difference.

When we use an .avi file, the raw DV (digital info) is placed in an avi wrapper which has header info that says "I'm an avi file, I'll play back in a media player." The .dif file is the exact same digital information without that avi header file.

A PC running Windows looks at a .dif file and recognizes it as something resembling a .mov file. That explains that when you look at the files in your Windows Explorer, and you have QuickTime installed on your system, there's a QuickTime icon next to the dif file, where as an avi file will have a Windows Media picon or Real picon next to it, depending on which media player you use, and what files you associated to it."


Thanks for the link. That clue about the headers helped to understand.

Now to figure out that codec parameter