Patrick Griffith
Member
Thanks, again, Microsoft, for restoring my faith in your products. I had erased Microsoft from my life as completely as possible years ago, an switched to Linux. But, recently, I came back to the fold.
Yesterday, an idea hit me for a simple my audience on social media would enjoy. It required some screen capture, so I turned to Microsoft for the tools to get the job done. I downloaded the Microsoft Expression Capture/Encoding Suite. I performed the needed capture work, using the default settings, and encoded the raw file, again the default output format (encoded as Windows Media file), since I intended to edit the encoded video to its final form using Windows Movie Maker. And, encoding to MP4 format was an option only available in the paid version (the option to purchase was there, of course).
The story reaches its peak intensity when I drag the encoded file into Movie Maker, and I discover the encoded file is unsupported by Movie Maker. What? It's Wmdows Media file format, encoded by Microsoft encoding software, and the only option available in said software. There must be some mistake.
Hours of trying to encode it again with the same software, using different settings, or convert the file to a supported format have brought me to the point at which the restoration of my faith in Microsoft has taken place.
It's been reduced back to absolute zero, where I should have been smart enough to keep it in the first place. What the hell king of company makes software that only makes video that even its own editing software does not support? I realize Microsoft no longer supports Expression. But, why the hell was it even offered to begin with if it's output was essentially useless. My Adobe After Effects won't touch it. My online video converting service won't touch it. Your own editing software won't touch it.
My Windows 10 laptop is back in the bottom of the closet, and my Ubuntu laptop is right back on the desk where it's staying for good this time. Screw Microsoft, and everything that bears the logo.
Faith restored.....to zero.
Yesterday, an idea hit me for a simple my audience on social media would enjoy. It required some screen capture, so I turned to Microsoft for the tools to get the job done. I downloaded the Microsoft Expression Capture/Encoding Suite. I performed the needed capture work, using the default settings, and encoded the raw file, again the default output format (encoded as Windows Media file), since I intended to edit the encoded video to its final form using Windows Movie Maker. And, encoding to MP4 format was an option only available in the paid version (the option to purchase was there, of course).
The story reaches its peak intensity when I drag the encoded file into Movie Maker, and I discover the encoded file is unsupported by Movie Maker. What? It's Wmdows Media file format, encoded by Microsoft encoding software, and the only option available in said software. There must be some mistake.
Hours of trying to encode it again with the same software, using different settings, or convert the file to a supported format have brought me to the point at which the restoration of my faith in Microsoft has taken place.
It's been reduced back to absolute zero, where I should have been smart enough to keep it in the first place. What the hell king of company makes software that only makes video that even its own editing software does not support? I realize Microsoft no longer supports Expression. But, why the hell was it even offered to begin with if it's output was essentially useless. My Adobe After Effects won't touch it. My online video converting service won't touch it. Your own editing software won't touch it.
My Windows 10 laptop is back in the bottom of the closet, and my Ubuntu laptop is right back on the desk where it's staying for good this time. Screw Microsoft, and everything that bears the logo.
Faith restored.....to zero.
