Re: Need Help Testing MPEG-1 File
 

You might have a look at Flip4Mac, whose sole purpose is making and viewing .wmv files on Macs, we used it where I used to work, worked a treat: Windows Media player for Mac - Flip4Mac WMV Overview - Telestream

Re: Need Help Testing MPEG-1 File
 

Actually, I'm using TMPG to re-encode the Squeeze files so I can send product to my clients. I'd gladly use TMPG if they could do batches and handle AVCHD files. Heck, I'd pay $200.

Thanks everyone for your testing. Its been a great help. If I find out a solution, I'll post it for posterity's sake.

Re: Need Help Testing MPEG-1 File
 

I have fddshow on my machine as well. I'm running 64bit Windows 7..version 12.0.7601.17514. When I tried to play it from Windows Media player it said there was a problem. I have the version of WMP that comes with Windows 7 so that's consistent with what Mr Farkas said about MS no longer supporting the codec.

Re: Need Help Testing MPEG-1 File
 

Okay, I have to update and scold myself. TMPG actually CAN input AVCHD files and CAN do batches. I didn't even have to upgrade it.

I just assumed that, because it's less expensive it couldn't do them. I also assumed that, if it could do them, why the hell does something like Squeeze sell for $600? Why does it even exist? Okay, Squeez's main market is exporting H264 files, not MPEG-1s. But still, I feel foolish for buying the Sorenson product.

My first tests show that the final product even looks better than the Squeeze.

This will simplify things immensely.

Re: Need Help Testing MPEG-1 File
 

Well, well, well... you didn't know because, as I said, it's a well kept secret (OK, it WAS a secret).

And you haven't even started scratching the surface. TMPG is nicely customizable, out of the box is not the best, you need to look under the hood and adjust a thing or two. For example HDV editors have had a very hard time transcoding interlaced footage to good looking DVD (standard definition). We killed ourselves with all sorts of work-arounds (AviSynth, VirtualDub) until TMPG has been updated and it is now the king of HDV to DVD - finally a crisp, clean video.

Re: Need Help Testing MPEG-1 File
 

Yes, to give the final report: I have returned Squeeze 7 and am going with TMPGEnc. To be fair, the Squeeze folks were gracious about extending the time I had to return for refund because I had been working with them on finding a solution since the first month I had it.

For now I am working with TMPGEnc 4, and it is the solution I spent weeks looking for. My quest now is to improve encoding speed, perhaps by employing a CUDA card. If you have any ideas about that, here's the thread to that discussion:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/avchd-fo...a-tmpgenc.html

I want to avoid buying a brand new computer and CUDA card. I figure if I can get the least expensive computer that is compatible with CUDA cards, then I can get all the processing power from the card and the CPU really doesn't enter into the equation.

We'll see if my idea pans out.

Thanks again, everyone!