What kind of software do I need?

I had a Vista laptop, and turned it back into an XP machine. Apparently I need to add some more to it. I tried this weekend to download a video from a Ellen's camera , and could not play it successfully. (Sorry, Em, to waste your trip back for the connector.) I have Windows Media Player 9 and VLC Media player, and Quick time. I do not need something fancy to edit videos. I just would like to be able to play videos that boaters take. The file that did not work was an .avi file.

I have Paint Shop Pro 9 for when I need to edit graphics.

Any advice?

BTW, I have developed an even higher level of respect for Ellen who has so cheerfully traveled on many boating trips without being a boater. I feel odd to come home from a weekend of doing nothing with a huge bruise from getting unstuck from a hot leather seat.

You probably need a video editing program. Not sure if your PC has one or not, but Microsoft sometimes loads machines with one. You may be able to get one from their website for free. For aftermarket software, Pinnacle and Sony Vegas seem to be the popular for PC's.

Windows Movie Maker is free and does an okay job for basic level editing and is very straight forward to learn. I also prefer Premier Elements as a bargain program for a little more advance editing. Your basic windows media player will play the videos for the most part.

If the problem is viewing the file then it is a codec issue. I don't know what they are or what they do but our media room is always adding them so folks can view avi files. Evidently it is a popular problem. You can download them from the web and install them.

Paul

Codecs and drivers!! All sorts of litle programs to make one thing work with another on Wintel machines!

I tried to go to Ubuntu 7.1, but it duid not have a driver for my Wifi card! So Ubuntu (Linux) is not always better than Wintel

so, cannon and other many digital cameras output these AVI's (presumabley many jpeg kinda files all packed in a row similar to the way walt disney made mickey move around years ago) and windows cannot always deal with all of the AVI variations?

they open right up on our two macs and our 2 pcs. One PC is defaulting to cannon's software, the other to windows media player. the MAC's are using whatever they come with Iphoto or whatever. i think

MAC's come pre-loaded with iMovie which will open AVI files. As Paul noted above, Linda can probably get a codec that will allow windows media player to play the files. Or, she can download Windows Movie Maker. The simple answer is to get a MAC.

The company I program for made a crack once about changing to MACs. They'd be hiring a new developer. I've used MACs at workshops, and they are the emobdiment of evil for what I do. But this is like coffee - either you love it, or you wonder why people bother to make it since it tastes so bad.

Jonathan pm'd me a link to the solution of my codec problems. I wish there were standards for .avi files, where Reverse is located on stick-shift cars, and which side of the steering column has the wipers.

Thanks to all for their advice .

The nice thing about computer standards is...we have so many to choose from!!



Sorry for the negativity, but it had to be said!