Why Can't I Insert a Media Item on My New Install?

The reason I say try it is because I can play any mp4 video file on my PC (Win7 x64) as I can any other normal video, avi, whatever but when I add an mp4 to Reaper, it opens up an ffdshow instance in the taskbar which is not usually there. It also opens an instance of Haali Media Splitter which is used for reading and decoding mkv/mp4 video/audio.

Reaper doesn't install it's own codecs for anything so there has to be something there for it to work with. A file playing on one media player doesn't necessarily mean you have a correct codec for it to work in another program. It depends on the coding of the program and codec type it is looking for.

I rarely use Reaper for video unless I'm sampling a film or something but these are codecs I have installed for use with other video programs (I do a lot DVD conversions for people) and these are the things that Reaper is using on my Win7 x64 machine. IIRC, it was the same on my old XP x86 Machine too.

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Interestingly, as a test. I uninstalled Haali Media Splitter while typing this out and now get this error in Reaper when trying to import an mp4.

error.jpg

Re-installing Haali Media Splitter and.....Hey Presto!

Image00001.jpg

You can download Haali Media Splitter free from here. Haali Media Splitter or you can completely ignore me, the choice is yours.

I'm just trying to help. Two small codecs won't harm your PC in any way, so why not try it? :thumbs up:

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That's the error message I get when I get a message.

I'll try this, can't hurt, though it still seems strange that different installations don't have the problem just using VLC codecs. But if works, I'll try.

You have no idea how many "experts" I've lit up about this and they're all stumped. I'm convinced it's a bug, but if this will get me unstuck I'll certainly give it a try.

IIRC, the codec has to be selected from a list in Reaper's media options, right?
 
bongolation said:
That's the error message I get when I get a message.

I'll try this, can't hurt, though it still seems strange that different installations don't have the problem just using VLC codecs. But if works, I'll try.

You have no idea how many "experts" I've lit up about this and they're all stumped. I'm convinced it's a bug, but if this will get me unstuck I'll certainly give it a try.
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware, VLC uses it's own codecs in its plugins/codecs folder, independent of those that are on your system like Windows Media Player would use from the System folder, which Reaper would also try to use.

bongolation said:
IIRC, the codec has to be selected from a list in Reaper's media options, right?
Click to expand...

I've never looked at or changed any such setting until you mentioned it. FWIW, mine was set as FFmpeg. I've just changed it to VLC and that works also for mp4 files.

Give it a go and see if it works. Like I said, a few codecs won't harm your system and the good thing with those individual codecs is they're clean and have good uninstall functions, as opposed to a codec pack that could seriously mess shit up.

:thumbs up:
 
bongolation said:
That's the error message I get when I get a message.

I'll try this, can't hurt, though it still seems strange that different installations don't have the problem just using VLC codecs. But if works, I'll try.

You have no idea how many "experts" I've lit up about this and they're all stumped. I'm convinced it's a bug, but if this will get me unstuck I'll certainly give it a try.

IIRC, the codec has to be selected from a list in Reaper's media options, right?
Click to expand...

Because software applications depend on what services the OS provides. You could have removed something fro your OS install, changed something that others didn't do. There are very few applications that a totally self contained. That stopped with Windows 95 for MS OS'es.

If you were a Linux guy, you would see that, many times you have to install certain application support features. Linux installs usually gives you the basics, unless it is a focused install (like this: Ubuntu Studio). That is what kind of makes Windows a pain is that it straddles between Apple (feed the masses with what is good for them) and Linux (they better know what they want and how to get it). Kind of like the difference between stupid and knowing. :) Windows tries to cut through the middle.

Therefore, to some of us, it does make sense.
 
DM60 said:
Therefore, to some of us, it does make sense.
Click to expand...

Well, I loaded both of these in, rebooted and it worked.

So, you were right about this simple fix...but I'll still never understand why all the other installations of Reaper didn't need these same codecs to work. :confused:

I'm not going to worry about it, though.

Many thanks for your help! :)
 
bongolation said:
Well, I loaded both of these in, rebooted and it worked.

So, you were right about this simple fix...but I'll still never understand why all the other installations of Reaper didn't need these same codecs to work. :confused:

I'm not going to worry about it, though.

Many thanks for your help! :)
Click to expand...

I can only assume something was different between each computer. Maybe the codecs that Reaper installs has limitations that you just now discovered. Maybe it will only play 720 with its codec and you are now trying to play 1080. I am just throwing a wild guess. But glad you're back in business.
 
Well I'll be danged! I loaded VLC onto the Win7 machine, and Reaper now has no problems in accepting an MP4 properly.
 
gecko zzed said:
I loaded VLC onto the Win7 machine, and Reaper now has no problems in accepting an MP4 properly.
Click to expand...

Note VLC was installed on this machine at the outset, to no effect. VLC is the preferred codec set for Reaper -- but wouldn't work for this media type on this machine.
 
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