Video codec quicklinks: AVI Samsung, DAT, MJPEG AVI, MOD/TOD, MPEG 4/MP4, MOV, VRO, TS, WMV
Audio codec quicklinks: AC-3
General
Note: I do not recommend installing codec packs such as the K-Lite pack. They can cause havoc amoungst the codecs on your computer and may result in MEP not being able to open video or audio. If you are desperate to solve a codec problem, I suggest you create a Windows System Restore point (or otherwise back up your registry) so that, if the codec pack doesn't result in what you want, you can uninstall it and restore the registry back to the state prior to installation of the codec pack.
Depending on what codecs you have installed on your system, you may need to install extra codecs to allow MEP to display/use various video files that you need to edit.
"Out of the box", MEP can open DV-AVIs, MPEGs and VOBs and quite a lot of other video files. However, due to the thousands of codecs, there will always be some videos that MEP will not be able to open. And don't be misled when Windows Media Player, VLC or Media Player Classic (or other media players) can open a video file while MEP can't. These players have their own decoders built-in and don't use the installed Windows codecs, which are the ones that MEP sometimes needs to open a video file. You may therefore have to source the codec you need from the Internet and install it yourself. This will give MEP access to it and then you'll be able to open the file.
If you don't have the required codecs, you may get all sorts of weird messages from MEP such as "Bad File Format!" or "File cannot be read by Movie Edit Pro!", even if the file is visible in the MEP Media Pool.
To help troubleshoot codec problems, you can use MediaInfo or GSpot to identify the actual codecs being used in the file. For example, an "AVI" is merely a "container" for any number of video codecs, which may be, for example, DVSD, XVID, MOV or MJPEG.
For more advanced users, FFDShow can be used to activate codecs, thereby allowing MEP to import various exotic files.
Codec Control
In Win XP, control or delete your codecs using Start>Settings>Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager>Sound, Video and Game Controllers>audio or video codecs.
For more advanced users, how codecs are used by Windows can be controlled using programs such as Direct Show Filter Manager. GSpot can also be used to change the merit value of a codec.
Video Codec Specifics
Here are some specific codecs issues that I have encountered or have been frequently mentioned on the MEP user Board.
MEP 15 Plus (can't vouch for MEP 15) and later: MEP will open these files OK with no other codecs required.
AVI from Samsung Video Cameras
To open Samsung video files, (if you have not already installed the video codec software from the Samsung CD), download the Samsung video codec (SEDG) from here. After unzipping, double-click the CODEC.EXE file.
You will then be able to open and edit your Samsung video files in MEP.
Copy the DAT files from the MPEGAV folder on your VCD to a suitable folder on your hard drive and then change their extensions from DAT to MPG. MEP will then be able to open them.
MEP 14 Plus will not export MOVs if you have a later version of QT or QTA installed. Read this thread on the MEP user forum for details.
That said, I have come across a MOV file using the H263 video codec and the AMR audio codec that wouldn't open in MEP. I used Super to convert it to WMV and then I could open and edit it in MEP.
Regarding HD MOVs from AIPTEK video cameras, read this post.
MEP 14 Plus and later has MPEG 4 support - it has to be activated though. Choose Help>Activate Additional Functions... This will send a request to Magix, who will email back an activation code. In MEP 15 and later (plus versions), no activation code is necessary.
TS files are created by programs such as WinTV (from TV recordings). If you get no audio when you drag your TS onto the timeline, right-click on the audio track. At the top of the RC menu, if you have a "Switch Current Audio Track" option, choose an alternative audio track.
Basically, copy the file to your hard drive, then rename the extension to MPG. Then MEP will Smart Render/Copy it. For further info, see this post: Editing VRO Files.
Audio Codec Specifics