Preview window only shows grey?

[dmeek]

Hi all,

 

Just getting started with this software, so please excuse what I'm sure is a stupid newbie question:

I load a media file (.wmv) into VideoPad, and drag the clip in and the preview window only shows grey. The clip itself is shown in the editor (i.e. I can see the pictures composing the individual frames), but I can't see anything in the preview window (making it very hard to edit!). I thought maybe it was a compatibility issue, so converted it to .avi, but still no luck. Windows movie maker can open and edit the file no problem, so I don't think that's the issue. Any thoughts? Is this a constraint of the free version?

Thanks in advance,

David

[dmeek]

HI David

 

No, It's not a daft question. I use the free version and it works fine with wmv clips. (So far :-))...and these clips also play OK in WMM even though they were generated with VP.

Glad to hear this isn't a complete brain fart...

 

OK, so you have ....

 

Opened VP

Clicked the "Add Media" button and loaded your wmv clip into the Media List window.

At this point the two preview windows will be blank except the right hand pane will say you haven't got a clip on the sequence line.

 

Yep, all of the above is correct....

What happens when you click once on your clip in the media list? (ie select it)

 

What SHOULD happen is that it SHOULD highlight in blue and a preview SHOULD appear in the left hand window with a miniature sequence line beneath it and the right hand window SHOULD not alter..

 

Yeah, well SHOULD is great, what happens is it highlights in blue, I see the clip now in the first (selected clip preview window) but only as small thumbnails of each frame. When I click Play the little red line moves through it, but there is no visual display in the preview window.....

 

When I "add clip to sequence" then the clip goes down into the overlay track window and i can play through it, but still no preview....

 

Any thoughts would be MUCH APPRECIATED!

Best,

David

]

[dmeek]

Well, I found a workable solution, although it's very bassackwards....

 

By right clicking on the preview window once I've hit play then the video starts playing (i.e. I can see it). Unfortunately, the window is then partially obscured by a text box that pops up asking what I want to do, i.e. open a file, but at least I can see part of what's playing! Any better ideas would always be appreciated!