All right, I give up... need computer help please

[Simulacrum]

Hopefully someone will be geeky enough to know how to help me out with this problem.

I'm building a website for my work, and I need several video files uploaded to it. I am building this site with Dreamweaver.

For this site I have videotaped several movies and then transferred them to Mpeg2 (m2v) format using Final Cut Pro. FCP is exclusively a Mac only program, and I'm PC. I believe that these are quicktime files, because each one comes in two parts- a .aif file (audio) and the actual .m2v file, which is the video.

When I try to add these files to my website via dreamweaver, I get that dialogue box that says "windows does not recognize this file type. Tell us which program made this file". So apparently I don't have a program on my machine that can read .m2v files. When I click on the "find it on the web" option, nothng happens.

How should I handle this? Should I try and re-encode my files to a different file type? Or is there a plug in I should have that I don't have already? (I have quicktime) Or is there any easier way to put movies on your website??

Acs and Cu, I'm looking at you guys here.

[acsguitar]

I'd try reencoding to a file that that windows likes. Or try using Windows Media Player classic to open it. If it doesn't open it you'll need to reencode I think

[Simulacrum]

What file type would you recommend as best for the web, acs? As in, the most people will be able to open it without downloading any plugins.

[Coppermine]

I think I may be able to offer a relatively simple solution; MPEG2 is a file format this is incompatable with WMP (the default windows media player of course) but will work with a proper MPEG2 codec, which must be downloaded separately. A simple solution would be to use the .mpg file extention; it's universally playable and should solve your problem. I don't think you're dealing with a quicktime file here, and if you were, it should be able to play in quicktime.

I would recommend NOT using mpeg2 format though for a couple reasons; one is it's relative incompatability, it's not compatable with nearly anything, and because it's a file format that is exclusively licensed by the motion picture association of america or something like that so that they can control piracy.

[Simulacrum]

I think I may be able to offer a relatively simple solution; MPEG2 is a file format this is incompatable with WMP (the default windows media player of course) but will work with a proper MPEG2 codec, which must be downloaded separately. A simple solution would be to use the .mpg file extention; it's universally playable and should solve your problem. I don't think you're dealing with a quicktime file here, and if you were, it should be able to play in quicktime.

I would recommend NOT using mpeg2 format though for a couple reasons; one is it's relative incompatability, it's not compatable with nearly anything, and because it's a file format that is exclusively licensed by the motion picture association of america or something like that so that they can control piracy.

And Coppermine knocks it out of the park! Thanks man. That relatively simple solution was exactly what I wanted to hear- it means I'm not insane.

I'll try re-encoding it into a different file format.