Microsoft KB Archive/100015

= Converting to 8-Bit Color Results in Gray Scale from VidEdit =

Article ID: 100015

Article Last Modified on 10/10/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Sound System 1.0
 * Microsoft Windows Sound System 1.0a

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This article was previously published under Q100015



SUMMARY
When you convert an AVI file from 16-bit RGB or 24-bit RGB to 8-bit PAL using the VidEdit program that ships with Video for Windows, the resulting AVI file may use a color palette that is composed of 256 shades of gray.



MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Video for Windows contains a "default" palette that consists of 256 shades of gray. When an AVI file is converted from RGB values to 8-bit PAL, if no palette has been specified, VidEdit will use this default palette. This behavior is by design because it is not possible to create a color palette that will match all possible AVI files.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

 * 1) Open or switch to VidEdit and open an AVI file that uses 16-bit or 24-bit RGB.
 * 2) From the Video menu, choose Video Format and select 8 Bit. Choose the OK button.
 * 3) From the File menu, choose Save As and select the Compression Options button.
 * 4) If the current Video Compression Method is Indeo, switch to Microsoft Video 1 or Microsoft RLE. This must be done because Indeo supports 24-bit color depth only.
 * 5) Choose the OK button and then save the file. The resulting AVI file will use the default 256 gray scale palette.

Solution
If you create a palette from the AVI file, and then apply that palette to the file prior to saving, the resulting 8-bit AVI file will use the created palette rather than the default gray scale palette.

To convert a 16- or 24-bit RGB AVI file to 8-bit PAL using a created palette:


 * 1) Open or switch to VidEdit and open a 16-bit or 24-bit RGB AVI file.
 * 2) From the Video menu, choose Custom Palette and set the desired attributes for your palette (number of colors, and so on). Choose the OK button.
 * 3) Once the palette has been created, choose Paste from the Palette Created dialog box. Choose the All Frames radio button and choose OK.
 * 4) From the File menu, choose Save As and select the Compression Options button.
 * 5) If the current Video Compression Method is Indeo, switch to Microsoft Video 1 or Microsoft RLE. This must be done because Indeo supports 24-bit color depth only.
 * 6) Choose the OK button and then save the file. The resulting AVI file will use the created 8-bit palette.

Keywords: KB100015

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