Advice please audio But no video shows in sony vegas after converting file

[Jenny London]

Hi Guys

I am not able to see video only hear audio in sony vegas from converted video files from the internet (changed into .avi files) yet one can see the video etc ok if you open it in a viewer such as windows media player etc same with at times certain .mp4 files- Please, can someone throw some light why and advice me?

I use sony veags pro 9 I am new to editing and file conversion bare with me... In short if I download some video footage from websites perhaps for example webinars etc or whatever various videos and convert them from the orginal website into say a file such as .avi and try opneing them up once exported into sony vegas then only audio shows in the time line etc yet the video is infact there when you open the same avi file in something like windows media player, quick time etc !

any pointers I'd really be grateful and also...

I have noticed at times .mp4 files it can be the same problem i.e. show only audio with certain videos converted from their orginal l file at the time into a .mp4 that I may change it into ....though I may add this is not as frequent and a problem as what is happening with the avi files but I would like to know about the .mp4 files as well or should I try converting those to another file format.... if so what specific one please and good quality wise?

Lastly,
how do you get a .swf file to work ok audio and video wise aspects of it showing up on the time line pf vegas or I presume what TYPE of file should one convert that orginal.swf from the internet that will likely work ok inside sony vegas?

many thanks indeed anyone can get offer some help and advice to try for the 3 issues above

Jenny

[Edward Troxel]

What type of file is it? (AVI is not the type - it's the file extension)

The short answer is: You don't have the required CODEC installed that Vegas needs to read the file. Either save it into a codec that Vegas has or find the proper codec for Vegas to use.

[Jenny London]

Hi Edward

thanks for getting back to me ..I am so new to video, editing and file extensions and how they work etc hence please bare with me...

I went and looked and yes on closer inspection ooops when I downloaded the orginal files from the web etc I just saw they are infact avi.sfk extension file .....so I converted that to .avi and as said this converted file I did to .avi plays in various media players ok BUT only audio side of it shows up when imported into vegas

let me know your thoughts as to what perhaps I should convert avi.sfk extension files to fully have video and audio in vegas show up

and also regarding the the mp4 oops I mentioned in my post I noticed is also actually a .mp4.sfk file which I did infact convert to a .mp4 file and works fine inside vegas HOWEVER when converted mp4.sfk to .wmv comes up error when you try to import it into Vegas

so again what would you say I should convert any mp4.sfk files to options that will likely play ok inside vegas? as well as what should I convert avi.sfk extension files to likely also play?

OBSERVATION for me so far is...It seems converting avi.sfk and mp4.sfk to mp4 seems to work in vegas most of the time what should also I try converting them to that may work

and lastly how do you get a .swf file to work ok audio and video wise aspects of it showing up on the time line pf vegas

many thanks either Edward or anyone if you can kindly explain to me what to do here will be greatly appreciated
Jenny

[Don Bloom]

To expand on Edward a little. As he said AVI is an extension. Think of AVI as a blank candy wrapper. Inside it could be a Mars Bar or a 3 Musketeer or an Almond Joy. Until it gets unwrapped you don't know for sure. Google a little piece of free software called G-Spot. Seriously. It will look into both the AVI file AND your computer to see if you have the codec that will work with whats inside that AVI file which appearently you don't hence you can't play it/see it on the Vegas TL. It will tell you which piece of the puzzle you are missing and IIRC where you can find it. It's a harmless program that works a treat.

As for the MP4 well a lot depends on which version of Vegas you're using. So let us know which version of Vegas and then we can better answer, but generally in V8 or V9 MP4 files should play fine. I know a lot of folks that play them in V9.

Now SWF is another horse. Vegas will not read an SWF file to the best of my knowledge so you need something to convert it back to a format that Vegas CAN read. AVI with the right codec in the wrapper, mpeg, although if you plan on editing it MPG is one of the worst formats to edit or MP4. There are free and low cost converter programs to do this with.

Keep in mind that no NLE will be the end all, be all and read every format, every codec out there at least not without some help from outside sources.

[Edward Troxel]

The avi.sfk files are not video files. The are images of the audio made from the avi files when avi files are loaded on the timeline in Vegas. So the sfk files will do you no good. Go back and download the actual avi files.

[Don Bloom]

Ah, I missed the .skf notation. Gotta wear the glasses.

[Jenny London]

Thankyou so much Edward and Don 9 Don nice explanation) I am learning fast!

I will play around over the weekend with the files and sony vegas.

regards
Jenny