Converting .mov files - a discovery!

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Hello,

A few days ago I asked for advice regarding converting .mov files so I could import the files to Windows Movide Maker. Thanks for those who responded.

The advice was to use a website for free conversion of .mov to .avi files.

Anyway, I was mucking around on my computer and disovered this:

I right clicked on the .mov file. I clicked 'rename'. I then put in a name.avi and ........ it worked!

And this from a self-confessed computer moron. Maybe I'm progressing to a self-confessed computer semi-moron (is there a classification system ... computer moron up to computer genius?)

Now I'm not going to develop an ego over this chance discovery ..... I can't understand about 90% of what is written in the 'Computer, Math, Science and Technology' forum.

Helen

And here I've been converting them to Windows Media Video format...

Thanks Helen, that'll be really useful

It's good for you if this works, but it looks like all you did was rename the file, not convert it. In that case what you have now is not an .avi file, but a misnamed .mov file.

Indeed, Helen, you can change the file name extension, which generally means you will confuse Windows. Microsoft aren't very good at understanding file names or what they contain.

Under Linux, there's some snazzy software built in, so that it makes no difference what the file name (and extension) say, it figures out what the file contains all on its own.

When it was named .mov I couldn't import it into Windows Movie Maker. Since I re-named it .avi I can import it into Windows Movie Maker.

When it was .mov the computer said it was a QuickTime movie.

When I changed it to .avi the computer said it was a Video Clip.

So it must have been converted - maybe I have a computer programme on my computer that I didn't know about.

I won't ramble on ... computers are not my area of expertise.

Helen

Renaming a file doesn't alter the file's contents. Here's an explanation of why it probably worked:

There are a few main media programs.
Microsoft: Windows Media Player+Windows Movie Maker
Apple: Quicktime
RealNetworks: RealPlayer

You may have seen different types of images, like JPEG, GIF, and PNG. Each format has benefits and drawbacks. Video and audio can also be saved in any of several formats.

To read any particular audio or video format, a program needs a file called called a coder/decoder(also called a "codec"). Codecs are installed without your knowledge when any of the above programs are installed, and the three programs above include many of the same codecs.

Windows-based products save video files with extensions like "avi", "wmv", and "asf", and Mac-based products usually save video files with the "mov" extension. A file's extension indicates very little about the actual format of the video inside.

The video itself is stored inside the video file using whatever codec was used to create it. Any media program having this codec may be able to read the information from the file regardless of file extension.

Inside the video file, the audio track is also stored separately, in whatever codec was used to create that audio track(like mp3 or wav).

By changing the video file's name, you gave Windows Media Maker an idea that the file might contain some information which it might be able to read. The file's format and contents were not changed.

Changing a file's extension to force a program to try to read that file does not always help. Files will only be readable by programs having access to the correct codecs.

Since it is a .mov file if you want to convert it you can try this

Download VLC Video Lan Client Player
Open file
Check Stream/Save
You want it saved to a file
call the file .avi(same filename with this extension)
Now it will actually be an avi

Note: VLC can read quicktime files (this may not be the most elegant solution)