You would need to open those project files with Pinnacle Studio. They are probably not videos but just a roadmap to what is in the project when it was made. .
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BoilerPlate: To posters who ask for help -- it is nice to thank the volunteers who try to answer your questions !
Anything I post unless stated with a reference is my personal opinion.

OK, thanks I was afraid of that.

So these files are not the actual raw video files from the camera-they are essentially the raw files converted to a 'project' (group of files usable by Pinnacle). Is that the right way to think of it?

So once I open them in Pinnacle, I can take the 'project' and output it to a few different formats, which I think I should be then able to import to PD13...what is the best output format that will be easiest to use/least quality loss?

Thanks,
Kevin

EasterAZ99mba,

You mention a *.wmv, did you try that one in PD13?

Or did you mean *.wav?

WMV= Windows Media Video.

WAV = a PCM audio file.

The size of the file may be a clue if a video or an audio file.

MediaInfo sure would tell you what the various file extensions mean.

Part J: http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/40225.page Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

sorry, yes its a .wav file - either a typo or I was thinking Win Movie in my head as I typed. It is the audio, and yes, the video files are several megs, and clearly identifiable as the video files (*.m2v). The .wav files do show up as importable into PD13, but obviously they are useless because the video *.m2v files don't come with them.

I did look up the .m2v - they are MPEG2 video files. But I can't figure out how to open them .

I think I will just go back to my old laptop w/ PInnacle, and output these videos into a movie format, xfer to external HDD, then import this file into PD13 on my new laptop. Just have to figure out what output Pinnacle has that PD13 will be able to recognize and be editable

I was just hoping that i wouldn't have to use that old laptop to do any processing, as its so old its the first Intel Dual Core...not even a monolithic - its an MCP Kluge of two Single Cores on an interposer. Good lord, it might as well be tubes.

Thanks!
Kevin

I did look up the .m2v - they are MPEG2 video files. But I can't figure out how to open them .

Try changing .m2v to .mpg. If windows asks, say Yes, to change the extension. Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

I tried that, as well as changing to .m2t, as someone else said they had a Canon HV20 that used the .m2t extension. Neither were able to be read by PD13.

You probably have Pinnacle Studio 10. Start PS. See what video files will import to the timeline. Those are the only ones that can be used in PowerDirector. Open Windows Explorer. Navigate to the Pinnacle Studio folder/Videos or Captured Videos in the earlier versions. The video files are the only ones that work on the timeline. The scn files are the scene detection files. The Index files are for PS use only.

The Render and Temporary file folders have those wav and m2v files for your created projects and they get delelted when you go to File/Delete Auxillary Files. They are for PS use only.

The other place where you can import files to PD are the DVDimport and the My Disc Images folders which contains copies of your completed disc project.

Long time maybe former PS user. Let us know if this helps.

I think it is PS10 - I will try your suggestion and get back to you - will be a few days before I get a chance to.

Thanks for your help!