Screen Video Capture 1:25 PM

by Gee Jay M. Coleco

I will be posting video capture of WMP and VLC demonstration on this website using Windows Media Encoder.

Windows Media Encoder is a downloadable media encoder developed by Microsoft which enables content developers to convert or capture both live and prerecorded audio, video and computer screen images playable on Windows Media Player for live and on-demand delivery.

I will use this application software to show the differences between the two media players, their features, controls and menu options.

We can also use this when we submit our assignment on Friday instead of the usual document or desktop presentation. Feel free to download and play around with it at home. I have tried it on my laptop and it works great in creating and showing demonstrations and walkthroughs on your desktop. And the best part -- it's free! :-)

After I have recorded the screen video captures, I will edit them using Windows Movie Maker. I am not an expert on this, but I tried it today and I find it very easy to to use. We can probably finish everything by Thursday. If only I can find a way to minimize the file size because it's just too big.

So for those people who have not contributed anything yet, you have until Tuesday, Sept 15, to post your inputs. I still need some time to polish it before submission. And since I'm trying to balance work and school, I would need Wednesday and Thursday for final touch-ups. My work is near UP Diliman, so I can submit the assignment personally.

I have given you guys so much time. Do not blame me if I did not include your name on the list.

Understanding Codec 10:28 AM

by Gee Jay M. Coleco

Have you tried opening a file and experienced these errors on your media player?

WMP Codec Error 1

WMP Codec Error 2

VLC Codec Error

Arguably the most common error one might experience is a "Codec error." This error may be experienced in both WMP and VLC media players whenever we try to play or open certain audio and/or video files.

But what exactly are codecs?

According to Wikipedia, a codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding and/or decoding a digital data stream or signal. The word codec is a portmanteau (word used to mean a blend of two or more words) of 'compressor-decompressor' or, most accurately, 'coder-decoder'.

Simply put, it makes your audio/video file smaller in size to make it playable on your media player. Which means, if you are receiving this error message, you probably don't have the right codec program installed on your computer in order for your media player to read the file.z

If you are receiving this kind of error, then most likely you don't have the correct codec installed in your computer. Hence, your medial player cannot read your audio/video files.

About.com said that video and audio files are normally large in size. Because of this, files are difficult to transfer across the Internet quickly. To help speed up downloads, mathematical "codecs" were built to encode ("shrink") a signal for transmission and then decode it for viewing or editing. Without codecs, downloads would take three to five times longer than they do now.

So which codec should I use if I experience these errors?

Unfortunately, there are hundreds of codecs available on the Internet. Different types of media files -- mp3's, movies, voice recording, screen captures, streaming videos, etc. -- use different sets of codecs. There is no specific codec that is compatible with certain file types.

Because of the number of choices available for download, About.com suggested that user should download codec packs instead. Codec packs are collections of codecs gathered in single large files.

For suggested codec packs, please visit the About.com website.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/multimedia/f/codec.htm