Export to AVI problems

I have a customer who has a 45 minute VHS tape that he wants converted to an AVI file. I captured it through FCP and tried exporting to AVI using QuickTime conversion. The process took about 45 minutes and I ended up with an AVI that I can't play on any PC (or on my Mac, for that matter).

I must have something wrong in the codec, but I haven't had to do AVI before, so I probably did something wrong. I used DV/DVCPro - NTSC at Best quality. I also changed the audio to 48kHz, 16-bit stereo.

The file does not work at all. Does anyone know a better way to get this to an AVI file?

Thanks!
Casey

Sometimes when one has a client who still uses Windows and refuses for whatever reason to install Quicktime, figuring out how to get them footage can be a real problem. "I know," you might think. "I'll make an AVI!"

Now you have two problems.

Try EVERYTHING else. Try sending your client a Quicktime. Try an MPEG-4 file. Try EVERYTHING else before beating your head against the AVI problem. Because it just frickin never works.

For one thing, whenever you're testing compression and conversion and you're in foreign waters, do a test first. Export 10 seconds. Don't do the whole thing until you have a set of workable settings.

MPEG Streamclip can do AVI exports. But "It doesn't play on any computer" worries me. AVI is simply a wrapper; you still need to choose a codec. Try something ancient like Sorenson 3 or Motion JPEG A for the codec. And remember -- 10 seconds. It's a waste of time to export the whole timeline if your settings don't work.


www.derekmok.com

Okay...after 15 minutes, the original AVI opened on the Mac.

I tried using MPEG Streamclip with Motion JPEG A, and it works fine...I'm just a little murky on the other settings...I'm tired and my brain doesn't want to function properly.

Settings for Frame Size and Field Dominance?

Thanks!