Running 32/64-bit HuffYUV codecs concurrently in Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
 

It's inevitable that we as editors will have to migrate to a real 64-bit platform, with real software to match our untapped processors. I say, "It's about damn time!"

So, not to be left out of the shin-kicking, Adobe is making a quasi-transition to the 64-bit rendering engine in most of their suites. On the PC side, Adobe Premiere CS5 is my ahem premiere NLE and it is 64-bit only. VirtualDub has a 64-bit compile as well, but I am using the 32-bit only. Why? Most of the (old, but good) filters are still 32-bit, as well as some codecs, namely, HuffYUV. I think you know where this is headed...

PROBLEM: 64-bit CS5 does not acknowledge HuffYUV 32-bit codec and 32-bit Vdub does not see Huff64.
SOLUTION: After some fiddling around, with a dual codec installation, I have successfully installed both codecs, so each program can read/export HuffYUV! (Rather than having a long post, someone can ask how I did this if they need to know)

The question is, is this OK for my workflow (and health) long-term?

I noticed that any export from CS5 with that "working" codec will be readable in Vdub. Conversely, any Vdub export with that codec will be importable in CS5. Of course, if I drop these files into a 32-bit environment, it may be trouble, because I may have a mix of 32/64 codec huffy files.

Also of note, Vdub can read anything huffy, either from itself or the CS5. This implies that the Vdub can read both 32/64bit streams. What's weird is that VLC (Videolan) cannot display the CS5 64-bit video when decoding the CS5 export, but can read the Vdub's export. This is consistent. Whaaa?

Confused? I am ;-)

Actually, can a Mod move this thread to the "Capture, Record, Transfer" instead? I feel this falls more into that category. Thanks

I've moved it to the editing sub-forum for digital video, since it pertains to NLEs like Premiere...

It would be most excellent if you could write up that method here. That's what the site is all about, after all -- sharing knowledge on digital media (video, photo, audio, web/print), in order to create an "FAQ" that anybody can learn from. I've not even moved to Premiere CS5 yet, but that day is inevitable, and this would be good information for when that day comes. In fact, it's actually information that may speed up that move, since this problem is now eliminated!

My initial thought would be this:
- Huffyuv 64
- VirtualDub 64
- Premiere CS5 64-bit

And then importing 32-bit Huffyuv should be rather basic (at some point in time, at least, if not already). It's already possible on Mac OS X, via the Perian filter. So that's one OS down. Windows is probably not far behind, if this is a real issue, of not being able to import 32-bit Huffyuv into Premiere (or anything else 64-bit).

Yes.

(Nodding head in agreement.)

Eh... not necessarily. Maybe, maybe not.

VirtualDub relies on VfW filters (video for Windows, deprecated yet still supported), as a pre-WDM editor.
Premiere relies on WDM (Windows driver model) codecs, as does most anything modern.
VLC relies on an internalized codec system.

So that's your discrepancy.