[MEncoder-users] How to determine the codec of AVI file

[James Hastings-Trew]

Dave M G wrote:
> Nicolas,
>
> Thank you for responding.
>
>  > ... but the -i option would have prevented file from giving
>   
>> useful information if it could.
>>     
>
> Oh... sorry. Is this more helpful?
>
> $ file video.avi
> video.avi: data
>
> My friend swears that these files play on his Windows machine, but 
> perhaps there is something being garbled when he burns it to CD for me.
>   
There is a free utility for windows called GSpot that tell you what 
codecs are required for a particular AVI file. Your windows-using friend 
could possibly download that, install it, and use it on his files and 
tell you the results.

Reminder: AVI is only a container format - the video or audio track(s) 
contained within could be compressed with any of a bewildering number of 
codecs. Saying it's an AVI file is like describing a letter by talking 
about the kind of paper the envelope is made of.