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IMPORTANT: Whenever you use a new computer, for working with INTERACT, you need to make sure that the correct codec for your videos is installed.
Pay attention to the bottom line of your video window: indicates that there might be something wrong!
Follow the instructions in System Configuration to verify this and perform the Accuracy test, to ensure that video control is OK.

In general, most problems concerning opening or controlling your video are caused by faulty or missing multimedia components on your system. So, if you know what codec was used on a working system, you need to install the same codec on any new computer you want to use.

▪Read Identify Video Codecs if you are not sure what you got.

Any of the issues listed below, can occur if your computer internally uses the wrong codec for playback:

•The video cannot be opened at all, but without an error message about an unknown file type.

•The time code value in the Time Code Display is wrong.

TAKE CARE: the last two digits of the time code should be FRAMES or MS not seconds!

•Near the end of the video, the video continuous, whereas the time code stops early.

•The video is jerking during playback.

•General time code problems and frame by frame control difficulties.

•The ongoing time code in the Observation Ribbon does not run smoothly.

•The video cannot be controlled properly using the frame by frame and fast search controls.

•The video cannot be played in slow motion.

•You hear a sound, but do not see the picture.

•You see the video picture, but there is no sound.

•The video picture is blurred or distorted.

Known trouble makers

Systems with various video software packages installed, are hard to get up and running reliably!

There are widely spread software packages that include many codecs that screw up your system!
(At least when it comes to getting accurate time information -worst of all for MPEG2) Known trouble makers are:

•DVD creation and Disc Burning software like "Cyberlinks Power DVD" and "Nero"

•Free codec packs like 'K-light' or the free LAV codec package.

•Many video converter software package have this effect as well (especially FormatFactory is a trouble maker).

DO NOT install Video Codec Packs!!! Unless you know exactly what is what.

Do you have this kind of software installed AND you do have trouble getting accurate control over your videos:

▪Un-install all converters, DVD creator / Disc burning software, or better create a clean full setup of Windows and start from scratch.

On a default up-to-date Windows installation, only the required codec for your video type are needed and all is well!

Problematic Video Sources

Known issues are:

o'Videos' are stored in a special data base like structure of images, which requires you to export the previously recorded videos. This is a time consuming process and seldom successful, due to the issues that follow.

oTime limited export that allows only the export of a few minutes at a time.

oExport limited by file size instead of duration, resulting in videos with different duration, which makes it next to impossible to synchronize them.

oExported videos are created in a CCTV system specific video codec that can only be handled by the system specific player.

oDatabase-based storage of time information, resulting in videos that cannot be controlled accurately without the system specific player, even if a compatible DirectShow codec is available.

oLength of exported video does not match the real time duration, because of variable frame rates that can only be interpreted correctly by the system specific player in combination with the time information mentioned before.

oConversion is hardly ever an option, because of the timing issues listed before. Only an accurate export routine from the CCTV system may result in usable videos.