Have The Right Codec, Still Can't Add Video (.avi File)

[cob206 0]

Just bought this product hoping to burn some video and photos to DVD. Nothing to complicated. My first operation was to try and burn a movie in .avi format. The app (DVD Express) displays a red x for the file in question. I then found this forum and did a little research. Based on other posts, it would seem I'm missing the correct codec. Okay, cool. Problem is I can already play this file with other media players (Windows Media Player, DivX player). I downloaded Gspot and it said I already had the required codec which is XVID. I went and grabbed the latest version of XVID to be sure. Is there some trick to get this product to recognize the required codec is present? What am I missing or did I just flush $30 down the toilet.

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[Brendon 204]

cob206,

 

Hi. I'm in a state of great unhappiness over this one.

 

Usually when you get this behaviour from MyDVD or Express, it means you don't have the right codecs installed for the AVI you're trying to add to your DVD. However you say you have the right codec installed, and you certainly have the right understanding, so that called for some testing. I've included all my working here, so you can judge for yourself if I've reached the only logical conclusion.

 

(1) Easy CD & DVD Burning is a cut-down version of EMC9. It has had the ability to handle AC3 audio surgically removed, so I thought it might have had its AVIs cut off too.

 

(2) I took a fresh XP-SP2 installation and installed Easy CD & DVD burning. Surprise! MyDVD Express handled some of the AVIs I threw at it, but wouldn't touch avis compressed with the 4CC codes I263; XviD; DIV3; or DX50. [DIV3 and DX50 are DivX] So MyDVD Express is able to handle some AVIs.

 

(3) I installed the I263 codec, and the AVIs with I263 were at once accepted by MyDVD Express and Windows Media player. That was encouraging, because if it worked for I263 then it should work for DivX and XviD.

 

(4) I installed XviD 1.1.3 [the latest] and Windows Media Player started to play them, but My DVDExpress would not touch them.

(5) I Installed DivX 6.8 [the latest] and WMP was playing everything, but My DVDExpress still would not touch them.

 

(6) I changed the 4CC code of a DX50 AVI to DIVX, and MyDVD Express accepted it. I changed it back and that file was then rejected again.

I spent the rest of my afternoon installing various codecs for XviD and DivX, but none of them changed the situation.

 

(7) I installed the full EMC9 suite on another fresh XP-SP2 system and threw the same AVIs at it. I needed to install the I263 codec to get the I263 AVIs to be accepted, but since DivX is included with EMC9 all the DivX and XviD files worked without a problem.

 

 

Based on this testing, I think that Easy CD & DVD Burning has had its handling of DivX and XviD AVIs deliberately disabled - probably by testing for the 4CC codes used by AVIs compressed with these codecs, and blocking where that 4CC code is found. [they forgot DIVX ]

 

I don't know why this was done, but doing this would stop you buying Easy CD & DVD Burning [cheaper than EMC9] and installing the free DivX bundle to get the same result as the full version of MyDVD Express. If I'm being too cynical, or my logic is wrong, I would be delighted to have someone step in and point out the flaw. Given that the advertising at the point of sale does not tell the buyer of the deliberate crippling of parts of the software, how *legal* is this?

 

What am I missing or did I just flush $30 down the toilet.

 

I don't think you missed anything. You need to check your toilet!!

 

Regards,

Brendon

 

[cob206 0]

Brendon,

 

Thanks so much for the lengthy reply. I'm dissapointed that I wasted $30, but knowing why it doesn't work helps to ease the pain. Had I known this wasn't going to work, I would have gladly spent the extra money for the full featured version. Now I'll buy a solution from another vendor as I feel I was duped out of $30.

 

Thanks again.

 

cob

[Jim_Hardin 417]

Brendon,

 

Thanks so much for the lengthy reply. I'm dissapointed that I wasted $30, but knowing why it doesn't work helps to ease the pain. Had I known this wasn't going to work, I would have gladly spent the extra money for the full featured version. Now I'll buy a solution from another vendor as I feel I was duped out of $30.

 

Thanks again.

 

cob

If you looked around a little you found that the full version of both Roxio Creator 10 as well as Nero8 have a full retail price of $99.95…

 

But you bought one that retails for $29.95…

 

You were not 'duped' in any way shape or form. Instead, you deluded yourself into believing that you were buying something that was too good to be true!

 

What did you think wouldn't be in the box that was $70 cheaper?

 

You will find if you are doing any video editing at all that Roxio is the way to go. If it was my mistake, I would move on and still go with Roxio.

 

But of course you are entitled to do whatever you wish.

 

[Brendon 204]

While I respect your right to your opinion Jim, users may well feel that the 'full' version of EMC10 [which isn't really full - see BoT] or Nero 8 have too many 'features' for them, or want to take over their computer.

 

There is obviously a niche for simpler suites, else SOXIO [sonic/Roxio] would not have divided up the applications in so many different ways and sold them so many times over as different suites of programs.

 

Easy CD & DVD burning has fewer applications than EMC10, and that's fine. You know which applications you're getting because they're advertised, and the version with fewer applications is cheaper.

 

A user can't complain if an OEM install that he is given has crippled applications - it's free, and you can expect that.

 

However if you buy a retail version of Easy CD & DVD Burning because it has MyDVD Express, I think you are entitled to expect that you'll get a proper version of MyDVD Express and not one that has been deliberately crippled without notification to the retail buyer by the deliberate removal of the very popular AC3 sound and the deliberate blocking of certain very popular formats of AVI, among other things.

 

I personally think that the sales department has deliberately deceived the buyers in this respect, and in cob's position I would be demanding a refund. I don't know how actionable in consumer law this sneaky sales method is, but I think it is quite unethical and I can't support or defend it. Being a matter of honesty, I hope none of us would.

 

Best regards

Brendon

 

 

[cob206 0]

If you looked around a little you found that the full version of both Roxio Creator 10 as well as Nero8 have a full retail price of $99.95…

 

But you bought one that retails for $29.95…

 

You were not 'duped' in any way shape or form. Instead, you deluded yourself into believing that you were buying something that was too good to be true!

 

What did you think wouldn't be in the box that was $70 cheaper?

 

You will find if you are doing any video editing at all that Roxio is the way to go. If it was my mistake, I would move on and still go with Roxio.

 

But of course you are entitled to do whatever you wish.

Eh, no disrespect Jim, (even though you do come across as a bit of a douche in your reply), but why in the world would I suspect that this software wouldn't do what it said it would do on the box? It said it would burn video to DVD. Well, in some cases it does. Had it stated that it didn't support Xvid encoded video in some cases then I would have stayed away. I think this vendor has a responsibility to list what the software can and can't do. I'm not sure why I should suspect it won't execute a simple task that it advertises it will perform right on the box. I'm a typical user and honestly don't know jack about codecs and the various video formats. However I do know enough to have an avi file I want to burn and had this vendor stated it might not work, I wouldn't have bought it and would gladly pony up for the version I needed. Not sure how I'm supposed to know that the $99.95 version is what I really want especially given the fact that this version listed all the features I'm interested in. Guess if I were as smart as you, I wouldn't be making such foolish mistakes.

[Jim_Hardin 417]

In light of what you and Brendon say, I can understand the thinking behind your choice. As Brendon said, you have a right to your opinions…

 

Could it be more clear on the box? How much advertising have you ever seen that flaunts what the item Can not Do???

 

Nowhere on the box does it say it can do AC3, so if it does, it is a bonus, if not… Well it is certainly not evil deception.

 

None of the full versions say that can or cannot do every audio or video format that is out there. And if you happen to be feeding it one that it does not do, you are going to be disappointed.

 

That is life in the big world, and there is no one to hold your hand anymore.

 

[Brendon 204]

I think it's evil deception!

 

Brendon

[Jim_Hardin 417]

I think it's evil deception!

 

Brendon

I hate that when it happens!

[Drronin2112 0]

So wait...the box tells me that I can "Create custom DVD's with motion menus, buttons and background music", as well as "Burn Video CDs, SVCDs or DVDs" and then "Play them back on your home DVD player" And yet your telling me that there's video filetypes that it won't support doing this on?

 

That's crazy, and the funniest part is in big bold print above all the listings of things that this product does (Or I guess "should" do) "...best-selling burning product from the award-winning brand you can trust. All you need to capture, edit burn and share your digital creations on CD or DVD."

 

Brand you can trust? All you need?

 

I picked this product up so I could burn my cousin's wedding onto a DVD format to give out to the family and friends in attendance. The usual DVD software I used for my own videos doesn't have the option to put in menus and I thought it would be nice to pick up something that did. Now suddenly I'm stuck with a program that gives me the denied circle of doom on not only the wedding movie files, but 99% of the rest of my video files (Which I checked to see if the problem was only the files from my camera, not all the stuff I had on my system. And I say 99% because I think out of the several dozen I checked, I saw 1 that didn't have the circle-slash denied symbol of doom). Then I log on here and find out that those have been deliberatly left out...

 

Honestly, I'm not feeling the "trust" here...and appear to be out $35.00 with tax as well.

 

[Brendon 204]

Post number 8 [above] applies.

 

Brendon

[BobbyAt 0]

I think it's evil deception!

 

Brendon

 

I think it's an evil deception too. Premier version my butt.

 

Add to this Roxio's search not being able to find anything related to this problem, I only found roxio forum postings (and there are a lot of them) on this subject using google.

 

Roxio could have saved a lot of people a lot of effort by admitting (however spun) they don't support DIVX, and it is because Roxio Creator Premire is crippleware.

 

I had no problem creating the avi file using Pinnacle TV capture, and no problem playing the avi file on my Philips DVD player (via it's USB thumb drive slot), or using windows media player on the PC to watch it. The only problem I have is selecting it for roxio to burn onto a dvd.

 

So Roxio intended to be incompatible, this does not mitigate the fact that they are (or why there is no error message explaining they want more money if you want to burn a DVD with this avi).

 

Because they don't care enough to do simple support like this is the reason I stopped purchasing easy creator upgrades a few years ago, and this episode has shown me it is best to just uninstall creator if comes with a new machine.

 

What a waste.

 

Here are a few other search tags/text to help others find the above postings.

can't burn avi can not burn avi can't select avi can not select avi won't burn avi

will not burn avi won't select avi will not select avi no avi to dvd

 

Bobby

 

[bimicher 132]

I think it's an evil deception too. Premier version my butt.

 

Add to this Roxio's search not being able to find anything related to this problem, I only found roxio forum postings (and there are a lot of them) on this subject using google.

 

Roxio could have saved a lot of people a lot of effort by admitting (however spun) they don't support DIVX, and it is because Roxio Creator Premire is crippleware.

 

I had no problem creating the avi file using Pinnacle TV capture, and no problem playing the avi file on my Philips DVD player (via it's USB thumb drive slot), or using windows media player on the PC to watch it. The only problem I have is selecting it for roxio to burn onto a dvd.

 

So Roxio intended to be incompatible, this does not mitigate the fact that they are (or why there is no error message explaining they want more money if you want to burn a DVD with this avi).

 

Because they don't care enough to do simple support like this is the reason I stopped purchasing easy creator upgrades a few years ago, and this episode has shown me it is best to just uninstall creator if comes with a new machine.

 

What a waste.

 

Here are a few other search tags/text to help others find the above postings.

can't burn avi can not burn avi can't select avi can not select avi won't burn avi

will not burn avi won't select avi will not select avi no avi to dvd

 

Bobby

 

The full Roxio version works with DivX just fine. The problem is you have a cut-down version with limited features. Any version that come with a machine is an OEM version and is "free" so you can't expect it to have all features. Pinnacle, Ulead etc work the same way when they are included with DVD burners or computers.

[Brendon 204]

Roxio could have saved a lot of people a lot of effort by admitting (however spun) they don't support DIVX, and it is because Roxio Creator Premire is crippleware.

Hello Bobby,

 

This forum is for Roxio "Easy CD & DVD Burning" but it's interesting to know that your version has had its "boy bits" removed too. The problem is a deliberate designed blocking, rather than a failure to support DivX.

 

Would you tell us the full name [and version number too if possible] of your software so we can add it to our list of neutered software?

 

Thank you,

Brendon

[Big B 1976 0]

I want an honest opinion guys.......

 

How much money do you think ROXIO has made off of "misinformed" and "misunderstood" people as ourselves, who purchased this piece of CRAP??????

 

Does anyone know where I can send this software (I know where I would like to shove it) for a refund? Since retailers wont accepted software returns.

 

ROXIO won this battle.... no wonder they can afford to be No. 1.

 

 

Sorry ROXIO you just lost a customer. Just because it's cheaper, doesn't mean you have to "SHORT" us of a certain file that is most important to use the product. Without that file.... this product is useless!!!!!!

[Brendon 204]

This is a long-dead topic, and I've already given my opinion so I won't bother flogging the dead horse.

 

You won't get a refund - this software hasn't been sold by Roxio for years. It was a "oncer", with no updates.

 

The software wasn't just short of a certain file. It was written to block the use of those codecs even if you obtained them and installed them yourself. That's what got me so angry.