Possible codec issue, unknown file type

[Gralfus]

I have been given some files with mv2 (*not m2v*) extensions to convert to DVD, but the format of the files is not anything I have seen before. I thought they were MPG files, but no player I have recognizes them. I opened them in a hex editor to compare headers and footers with other video files, and found this as the header:

6D 76 30 32 01 00 00 00 69 76 33 32 mv02 ____ iv32

(This is vastly different than a standard mpg)

After doing some sleuthing, I found that there is an IV32 codec called Indeo Video 3.2, so I installed the Indeo codec package..

But still the players don't recognize the files. Is there a particular extension that I need to use, or a particular kind of player? Will any of the standard converters like TmpGenc or VirtualDub be able to convert the files? (So far, they are not) I have asked the person who gave me the files to find out more about how they were created. Something to do with a security camera.

[jimmalenko]

http://www.gotchanow.com/text/faq.html talks about creating MV2 files from security cameras - Google is soooo under-rated

[vhelp]

If you want to know for sure what you have (ie, is it a AVI or
other format) then, IMO my aproach would be to just see if the
AVI file follows the AVI RIFF. If it does, it's definately
an AVI file, but that you are missing the proper codec.
.
But, be warned, that you could have another AVI RIFF altogether,
such an an Quicktime or Apple format, which does not follow the
standard vfw AVI RIFF format. This could be throwing you off too.
.
Every codec has a matching 4cc code, which (in short) points
to the codec to be installed and used during the decoding
process (ie, if you were using vdub as your playback/editor
software)

GSpot is a good utility for this in most every case, but maybe
for what you have, you need a little backward preview in the
form of hacking.
.
I created a utility for just this situation, though still very
experimental. Basically, it opens and quickly scans the headers
structure of an AVI file, and reports if it has the following
familiar strings.. RIFF; AVI; LIST; hdrl; avih; etc followed by
a few other important things like FCC_Type and FCC_Handle, and
a few other odds. I like it, because I developed it



Above is a pic of a (basic) preview layout of a bunch of AVI's dumped
into the window (drag'n droped) and as you can see, some files are
damanged (evidenced by the strange char's) But, you can also see
a bunch of standard AVI's with various codec types. But these all
indicate to me, that they are in the standard AVI RIFF format.
.
The tool is still under development though

-vhelp 3401

[Gralfus]

Thanks jimmalenko, you got it. It is a proprietary format that only the Gotcha software understands. Thankfully, it can export as an AVI.