Ableton Forum

I've been really struggling to get video to work in Ableton on Windows. I've been trying different formats (AVI,MP4,moving etc). but none of them work the video box is empty but the audio gets imported. I know the video plays in VLC. I've installed the suggested codec packs, this made little difference. I'm really using it to import some kareoke tracks, get a singer to cover a track, then I was hoping to go from there, so really they are just guide tracks for vocals. I'm a bit surprised how rubbish it is to be honest, Pro Tools just used to work.

Any suggestions?

This type of files works, but not necessarily very efficiently. Best format for Live is supposed to be Photo-JPEG. On osx at least.

Just checking: have you dragged your video clip in the Arrange View? Video clips played from Session View behave as audio-only clips, which is consistent with what you're describing.
Also. some more info about your system would be helpful: mac/pc/os etc etc

[jur] wrote:This type of files works, but not necessarily very efficiently. Best format for Live is supposed to be Photo-JPEG. On osx at least.

Photo-JPEG? That's a video format? I've worked in a media production company for a decade and never heard about it.

Why cannot Live just support common raw Pro Video formats or even MP4 H.264 or even better H.265 at least? And export to the common multiple track video formats, and… This amateur level of video support is really annoying.

Maybe it's time for a Live Pro? Playtime is over.

Stromkraft wrote:Photo-JPEG? That's a video format? I've worked in a media production company for a decade and never heard about it.

Yes it is. Photo-jpeg been around for longer than 10 years. It has traditionally been the first codec-of-choice for VJ'ing (at least, up until the HAP codec came along, and SSD's becoming the norm). Photo-jpeg gives a good trade-off between file size and image quality.

Is "Photo-Jpeg" the same as Mjpeg? That was the format I use to work with a decade ago with the first DVR recorders before H264 was even invented.

The natural codecs to support are what Pro editors support plus a few VJ-oriented formats. Actually I think video in Live is a joke for the most part. Max For live apps is the way to go, or separate applications that can take or send a sync signal. I mean it's 2018, not 1995.

Video has always been very limited in Live but at least in Live9 32 bit the playback was OK (Windows I mean), Live 10 (ie 64 bit) is sluggish as, er, a slug.

jestermgee wrote:Is "Photo-Jpeg" the same as Mjpeg? That was the format I use to work with a decade ago with the first DVR recorders before H264 was even invented.

they are not exactly the same, but very closely related...

IMO it's very restrictive to only support QuickTime .mov format (assuming that's still the case). If Ableton want people to use Live for video editing, then they need to add support for all popular codecs.

102455 wrote:IMO it's very restrictive to only support QuickTime .mov format (assuming that's still the case). If Ableton want people to use Live for video editing, then they need to add support for all popular codecs.

As far as a I see, Live was never meant for video editing. Apart from basic straight cuts and looping, you can't really do anything else with your video in it. You wouldn't, for example, have a DAW with only those editing functions for audio (with no mixing, layering, fx, etc), lol. Like all other DAWs, the video import is there to allow you to edit your sound to a video (a video usually edited in a video editing program).

102455 wrote:IMO it's very restrictive to only support QuickTime .mov format (assuming that's still the case). If Ableton want people to use Live for video editing, then they need to add support for all popular codecs.

Mov is a container, not a codec. As Quicktime support many codecs including Pro ones I open for example MP4 with H.264 no problem in Live. That's a consumer format. I haven't tried Pro Codecs, but I assume that should work. To rely on Quicktime might have been a fine temp solution before. But as AVFoundation evolves QuickTime on the macOS platform isn't as central. Quicktime also seem to be losing relevancy on the Windows platform.

I maintain my firm position that the only sane way to work with native Live video support is to work with Video Editing in a video editing app (there are even free ones that are great!) and ise a low res copy in Live for developing and setting the music. Then export and import only the music into the video editing hi-res copy. That should sync fine if placed right.

Or if you want to do video performances in Live look up the Max For Live video packages.

Stromkraft wrote: Mov is a container, not a codec.

I didn't say that .mov was a codec.

102455 wrote:

Stromkraft wrote: Mov is a container, not a codec.

I didn't say that .mov was a codec.

OK. Thanks for clearing that up.
You did state:

102455 wrote: it's very restrictive to only support QuickTime .mov format

You didn't say "the Quicktime platform", "Quicktime framework" or maybe "Quicktime technology". Any of these would have been more or less correct as they describe what Live, AFAIU still in Live 10, unfortunately relies on. It's not the container format MOV.

As your statement is still wrong and other container formats that are supported on the Quicktime platform play fine in Live then it's not that strange I assume you suggested the .mov format was a codec as the lack of support for codecs typically is the big problem area users may discuss in video contexts.

I think everyone understood what was being discussed, there’s no real need to get into semantics.