wmv file

[itsme51]

I've used several components of Roxio 7.5 very successfully. Mainly VW. I am trying something new with no luck. My son sent me a CD with a video he captured from his video cam. The video is a wmv file.

 

I could not view it on my set top DVD player. I got a message "no media."

 

When I tried to open it to view it in Cineplayer I also received the message "no media".

 

But I can view it on the computer by clicking the file on the CD. It opens automatically in Irfanview and plays fine.

 

I decided to try to capture the video to my hard drive so I could burn a DVD in Roxio so I can view it on my set top player rather than having to sit in front of the computer to watch it through Irfanview. When I chose "capture" in Roxio, the list of possible devices opened but did not list my CD drive as an opiton.

 

So I tried another tactic. I opened VW and dragged the video into VW. Saved the production. Previewed the video in VW and all was well. I proceeded to burn to disc. I tried burning dirctly to disc. DVD Builder opened as usual but I received the message "some files are missing" and it would not burn. So I tried to create an ISO file instead. The procedure began fine. The screen went through all the usual steps. Step 1 - 7. All completed. But when I went to burn a DVD from the ISO file I received the message about "AVI missing" and it would not burn. I am not a computer person. I don't have a clue what AVI means or what I should do about that.

 

I checked the properties of the video on the CD my son sent me. Properties indicate it is a read-only file. Would this have anything to do with why I can't burn in DVD Builder or when I can't play it in Cineplayer or in my set top DVD player or the AVI problem?

 

If read-only is not the problem what can I do to copy this video from the CD to either my hard drive or Roxio or VW or whaterever to burn a DVD?

[itsme51]

Windows Movie Maker is part of WinXP and you'll find it in the Start Menu\ Accessories.

 

Movie Maker is not listed in my Accessories. I have Windows XP Professional V. 5.1 Build 2600 SP2

 

Is it possible Movie Maker is not an accessory in XP Professional?

[Beerman]

Movie Maker is not listed in my Accessories. I have Windows XP Professional V. 5.1 Build 2600 SP2

 

Is it possible Movie Maker is not an accessory in XP Professional?

It's listed as Windows Movie Maker......if your Start menu is in alpha order, it should be near the end.

[james_hardin]

Renaming is OK, there is only one way to do it and that is what you did. However my advice to rename a WMV file to mpg was wrong! I was thinking of another file type. (Sorry)

 

Players are designed to operate with a lot of errors and keep on going. Editors on the other hand require the source file to be in proper order or they will not work.

 

Another workaround would be to load each one into Windows Movie Maker and export them as AVI or mpg type. It should be able to render its' native file type into one of those.

 

That file should be usable by VW.

 

I hope you have a disc or 2 of DVD RW media on hand to play with until you can get this setteled.

[james_hardin]

Copy the file to your HD and rename the extension from wmv to mpg. It should then behave as a 'normal' video file.

[grandpabruce]

I do have Napster installed. I installed it last week, rebooted, and all my problems remain. I still have it on my computer. Have not uninstalled it yet. I keep trying to open Creator Classic but still get the error message.

 

Thank you for the suggestion.

 

Okay, uninstall the version of Napster that is on your computer now. Then, go to Napster's site, and download the newest version. Install that one, reboot, and see if it fixes the problem. It should.

[Guest ml]

I'd open Windows Movie Maker and put that wmv file onto the storyboard.

 

Then do a File\ Save Movie File and choose the DV camcorder. That will make a DV AVI file that you can use in Roxio. I don't see how you can save it as an mpeg2 file. Most of the other options are .wmv files.

[itsme51]

Okay, uninstall the version of Napster that is on your computer now. Then, go to Napster's site, and download the newest version. Install that one, reboot, and see if it fixes the problem. It should.

Hi grandpabruce,

I uninstalled Napster. Went to Napster's site and downloaded. My computer tells me I have NapsterSetup-US-NCOM-3.8.1.4.exe but I still get the error message when I try to open Creator Classic and it will not open.

[itsme51]

First - thanks to the suggestions in this thread I have successfully renamed and loaded the movie into VideoWave. I now have it burned on DVD.

 

Further FYI - I had been having a gazillion issues with Roxio over the past several months.

 

Disc Copier – “cannot initialize API”

Creator Classic – “Dragon Engine initialization failed”

D2D – “Drag to Disc could not start because components necessary to run are missing”

DVD Builder – did not recognize my Sony burner

 

I performed the following tasks as suggested by various posters (unfortunately with no results):

 

Device Manager – check for errors shown for the burner

Device Manager – uninstall drive that is not being recognized by Roxio and reboot

Compatibility – make sure no there are no checks in “run this program in compatibility mode”

Defragged

Downloaded and ran SpyBot

Downloaded and installed Napster

Windows/Add Remove Programs/Roxio/Change/ Repair

Uninstall / Reinstall Roxio

Update burner firmware

Updated to DirectX 9c

 

Over Easter weekend my son visited and reformatted my hard drive and success was ours. Which probably means the problem was never a Roxio problem at all.

 

FYI – having read many posts on this forum advising against installing D2D I requested my son not to install it so hopefully that will stop any future problems at least with that issue.

 

I read many, many posts on this forum as well as posting my own call for help. I received much advice from Roxio posters for which I am appreciative. My intention was not to bore you with all of the above but wanted you to know I received many suggestions from all of you and tried as many of them as I had time for before my son actually arrived to save the day. BUT the time you spent giving me advice was not in vain. In addition to becoming a much more informed Roxio user, I have printed all the posts and am keeping them for future reference (which I hope never to need). 

 

I love Roxio and what I can do with it and I continue to be grateful to you all and these forums.

[grandpabruce]

I am glad that all is well for you, now. Computer/software problems are always frustrating.

[itsme51]

Copy the file to your HD and rename the extension from wmv to mpg. It should then behave as a 'normal' video file.

I tried your suggestion. I copied the file to my HD. I changed the extension simply by right clicking on the file name and choosing to Rename. Then I kept the same file name as the one I copied but just changed the extension from wmv to mpg. Is there some other action I should have taken or should I have changed the extension in some other way rather than just renaming the file?

 

Again it played fine in Irfanview and Windows Media Player. When it was a wmv file VW did allow me to drag it in to VW and create a production (even though I could not burn it). This time with the mpg extension VW would not even allow me to drag it in to VW.

 

Have I missed something? Am I doing something wrong? Should I look for something in particular in the properties of the video on the CD that may be causing the problem? Could it have anything to do with the specific properties of the file?

 

There are 2 files on the CD. Two copies of the same video with different properties.

 

One is 8.07 MB, video 185 kbps, 24 bit, audio 238 kbps, 16 bit, 32 khz

 

The other is 108.95 MB, video 2989 kbps, 24 bit, audio 3179 kbps, 16 bit, 48 khz

 

I am not computer savvy enough to know what any of this means but maybe it means something to you.

 

I think I have tried to work with each one of them but I've tried this so many times I can't remember. Would either of these files be better to use than the other?

[itsme51]

I feel a little foolish (it's not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last). The error message did not refer to "AVI". It was "cannot initialize API" when I tried to open Disc Copier to burn to DVD using the iso file. Sorry.

 

Anyway . . . I would like to try the suggestion received from James and ml of using Windows Movie Maker. However - not so computer literate newb here - is that something I might have on my computer and not be aware of or is it something I can download? How would I find Windows Movie Maker?

 

Also, the instruction is to Save Movie File and choose the DV camcorder. I don't have a camcorder. Do I actually need one connected to the computer to use that distinction? All I do have is the CD the movie is on.

 

Sorry for being so helpless. With the patience and kindness of the gurus on this forum it's downright amazing the projects I have been able to complete. Who knew?

[Guest ml]

The error message did not refer to "AVI". It was "cannot initialize API" when I tried to open Disc Copier to burn to DVD using the iso file. Sorry.

 

Ok. Let's go back to the beginning. Have you had trouble using Disk Copier in the past? Have you installed any new programs lately? (potential software conflict) Even if you cannot copy the disk, you should be able to open Disk Copier.

 

Windows Movie Maker is part of WinXP and you'll find it in the Start Menu\ Accessories.

 

You don't need a DV camcorder. When you choose that option, it just makes it into a DV AVI file that can be used in VideoWave.

 

I don't know why the program could use the video in the past, but cannot use them now. Something is obviously different.

[itsme51]

Have you had trouble using Disk Copier in the past?

Yes, for about the last 2 months. This is not a new problem. I doubt it is particularly connected to the movie I am working with.

 

Have you installed any new programs lately?

Nope.

 

Windows Movie Maker is part of WinXP and you'll find it in the Start Menu\ Accessories.

Thank you. This is good to know. I will explore it. I'm sure it will be handy in the future also.

 

You don't need a DV camcorder. When you choose that option, it just makes it into a DV AVI file that can be used in VideoWave.

Thank you for enlightening me.

 

I don't know why the program could use the video in the past, but cannot use them now.

I have not used this particular movie in VideoWave before.

 

Acutally VideoWave has never ever caused me any problems. Maybe I was unclear about that in previous postings. I tried again last night and was able to load the wmv file into storyboard in VideoWave. The trouble seems to come in the burn process when DVD Builder opens.

 

I have a stack of problems lately. I have had a frustrating couple of months.

 

I have been getting messages like

dragon engine initialization failed - Creator Classic

cannot initialize API - Disc Copier

my burner not recognized - when I try to burn in DVD Builder

utility devices not installed (or some message like that ) - when I try Roxio Utility component

 

I have had a bad couple of months !!

 

None, some or all of that may be relevant with this post or my wmv/mpg problem but I think I will let it all rest for now and take the suggestion of my son - when he comes to visit at Easter he will reformat my system. Although he is unfamiliar with Roxio and the other software I use, he seems to think my multitude of problems may be solved with a reformat. I'm going to hang my hopes on that and hope in a few weeks this will all be behind me.

 

I'll post back and thank you so much for the useful information.

[grandpabruce]

Have you had trouble using Disk Copier in the past?

Yes, for about the last 2 months. This is not a new problem. I doubt it is particularly connected to the movie I am working with.

 

Have you installed any new programs lately?

Nope.

 

Windows Movie Maker is part of WinXP and you'll find it in the Start Menu\ Accessories.

Thank you. This is good to know. I will explore it. I'm sure it will be handy in the future also.

 

You don't need a DV camcorder. When you choose that option, it just makes it into a DV AVI file that can be used in VideoWave.

Thank you for enlightening me.

 

I don't know why the program could use the video in the past, but cannot use them now.

I have not used this particular movie in VideoWave before.

 

Acutally VideoWave has never ever caused me any problems. Maybe I was unclear about that in previous postings. I tried again last night and was able to load the wmv file into storyboard in VideoWave. The trouble seems to come in the burn process when DVD Builder opens.

 

I have a stack of problems lately. I have had a frustrating couple of months.

 

I have been getting messages like

dragon engine initialization failed - Creator Classic

cannot initialize API - Disc Copier

my burner not recognized - when I try to burn in DVD Builder

utility devices not installed (or some message like that ) - when I try Roxio Utility component

 

I have had a bad couple of months !!

 

None, some or all of that may be relevant with this post or my wmv/mpg problem but I think I will let it all rest for now and take the suggestion of my son - when he comes to visit at Easter he will reformat my system. Although he is unfamiliar with Roxio and the other software I use, he seems to think my multitude of problems may be solved with a reformat. I'm going to hang my hopes on that and hope in a few weeks this will all be behind me.

 

I'll post back and thank you so much for the useful information.

 

 

The message you get with Creator Classic is due to not having Napster installed. Install Napster, reboot, start Creator Classic, and if it opens ok, you can uninstall Napster.

[itsme51]

The message you get with Creator Classic is due to not having Napster installed. Install Napster, reboot, start Creator Classic, and if it opens ok, you can uninstall Napster.

I do have Napster installed. I installed it last week, rebooted, and all my problems remain. I still have it on my computer. Have not uninstalled it yet. I keep trying to open Creator Classic but still get the error message.

 

Thank you for the suggestion.