Thumbnail images for .vid files?

[loldudes]

I have an important project to do with .vid files and I can't see any preview thumbnails for them. They are replaced by the VLC cone. Does anyone have a solution to making .vid files have thumbnails?

[Hitchhiker]

You haven't mentioned which version of Windows you're running. I'm running Windows 8.1 so I'll give you instructions on what to do to check how you've configured it. The menus look a little different than Windows 10, but the principle is the same.

1. Hit Windows key + E to to open File Explorer.
2. Click the word View on the top toolbar.
3. Click the Options button on the far right.
4. In the menu which opens click the View tab
5. Remove the checkmark from "Always show icons never thumbnails".
6. Apply/OK to save and exit

Here's a screenshot.


(click to enlarge)

[SillyOldDude]

When the VLC Cone thumbnails are showing without the previews, this is an indicator that the preview handler failed to initialize properly. The handler needs to be reinitialized. This can be done by resetting the default video player back to default. The preview handler gets Reinitialized. You'll see your previews in Explorer again. It's using the Windows Media Player Rich Preview Handler once again. Once you get the previews back, then go and set the default video player back to VLC and check Explorer to verify that they are visible still.

If the preview handler is broken (I think it is), and if all of your video files are associated to VLC, then previews would not be showing for other media types as well, like MP4's. If they don't have MP4 previews, but have the VLC cone thumbnail on top of them, then the handler is definitely the culprit.

What in the world is this file type used for anyway. I'm curious. Why not convert it with FFmpeg to another common video file type. Or was the extension renamed.

Windows 10 does not even support it. The .vid file format is rare, huh? Upon closer examination of the install process where you can choose which file types to associate VLC to, there is no .vid listed.



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What led me to this forum was to find out if VLC provides a preview handler? I think it does. Does VLC provide a preview handler?

[loldudes]

When the VLC Cone thumbnails are showing without the previews, this is an indicator that the preview handler failed to initialize properly. The handler needs to be reinitialized. This can be done by resetting the default video player back to default. The preview handler gets Reinitialized. You'll see your previews in Explorer again. It's using the Windows Media Player Rich Preview Handler once again. Once you get the previews back, then go and set the default video player back to VLC and check Explorer to verify that they are visible still.

If the preview handler is broken (I think it is), and if all of your video files are associated to VLC, then previews would not be showing for other media types as well, like MP4's. If they don't have MP4 previews, but have the VLC cone thumbnail on top of them, then the handler is definitely the culprit.

What in the world is this file type used for anyway. I'm curious. Why not convert it with FFmpeg to another common video file type. Or was the extension renamed.

Windows 10 does not even support it. The .vid file format is rare, huh? Upon closer examination of the install process where you can choose which file types to associate VLC to, there is no .vid listed.



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What led me to this forum was to find out if VLC provides a preview handler? I think it does. Does VLC provide a preview handler?

yeah i guess the format is pretty rare. They are special films if you know what I'm saying lol. They used to download in mp4 from this host, but since they switched to .vid their files have compressed to about 1/3rd of the size actually. It's a good format as far as I can tell, I just cant get any information on VLC creating preview thumbnails for them. The .mp4's in the same folder are showing previews. I guess until a codec for adding .vid files into VLC is created, theres not much I can do except reformat the files into mp4s.

[SillyOldDude]

I get the feeling that the host of the download server expects you to rename the extension. Have you tried renaming it from .vid to .mp4? See if renaming the file extension would show the preview you seek?

You did not mention it, but I assume it will playback . VLC does recognize the compression being used.

I checked the registry and the program files. VLC does not have a preview handler. Previews are generated by the Windows Media Player Rich Preview Handler which only supports the most common file types.

Registry path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PreviewHandlers

I'm just an old DOS dinosaur. Unless someone else chimes in and tells me I am wrong, VLC is working as designed.
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And I found my answer to my question I was seeking. VLC does not come with its own preview handler.

[cwoog541]

Thanks "silly dude"

Your info was very much helpful to me.
I wonder if the developers are working on changing this because VLC is an awesome player but.. image previews would make it 10x better.. Matter of fact, if any developers are reading this.. I will donate 20 dollars if ya'll fix that. I don't know how hard it is to add a "video handler" into your program (as the Silly old Dude say its missing) But that would make it so much better.

[Jeffrey-zxxe]

is there a fix for this yet, the videos .vid file work well with vlc but they never show any thumbnails, i tried to add a picture via ctrl+i in metadate but it didn't work

[Gruko]

VLC is unable to make video file thumbnails. To view the thumbnails you can use a specific program such as Media Preview, here: https://www.babelsoft.net/products/mediapreview.htm

[bodwyn]

Media Preview

Worked. Thanks.