diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/export_video_dialog.cc b/gtk2_ardour/export_video_dialog.cc
index 89693aee8e..104a1c5c6d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/export_video_dialog.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/export_video_dialog.cc
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ ExportVideoDialog::ExportVideoDialog (PublicEditor& ed, Session* s)
 {
 	set_session (s);
 
-	transcoder = 0;
 
 	set_name ("ExportVideoDialog");
 	set_position (Gtk::WIN_POS_MOUSE);
@@ -105,15 +104,18 @@ ExportVideoDialog::ExportVideoDialog (PublicEditor& ed, Session* s)
 	VBox* options_box = manage (new VBox);
 	HBox* path_hbox;
 
-#if 0
-	l = manage (new Label (_("<b>Export Video File</b>"), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
-	l->set_use_markup ();
-	vbox->pack_start (*l, false, false);
-	l = manage (new Label (_("The file-format is determined by the extension you choose for the output file."), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
-	l->set_size_request(700,-1);
-	l->set_line_wrap();
-	vbox->pack_start (*l, false, false, 8);
-#endif
+	/* check if ffmpeg can be found */
+	transcoder = new TranscodeFfmpeg("");
+	if (!transcoder->ffexec_ok()) {
+		l = manage (new Label (_("No ffprobe or ffmpeg executables could be found on this system. Video Export is not possible until you install those tools. See the Log widow for more information."), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
+		l->set_line_wrap();
+		vbox->pack_start (*l, false, false, 8);
+		get_vbox()->pack_start (*vbox, false, false);
+		add_button (Stock::OK, RESPONSE_CANCEL);
+		show_all_children ();
+		return;
+	}
+	delete transcoder; transcoder = 0;
 
 	l = manage (new Label (_("<b>Files:</b>"), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
 	l->set_use_markup ();
@@ -538,7 +540,7 @@ ExportVideoDialog::encode_pass (int pass)
 	 */
 	transcoder = new TranscodeFfmpeg(invid);
 	if (!transcoder->ffexec_ok()) {
-		warning << _("No ffprobe or ffmpeg executables could be found on this system. Transcoding is not possible until you install those tools.") << endmsg;
+		/* ffmpeg binary was not found.  TranscodeFfmpeg prints a warning */
 		unlink (insnd.c_str());
 		Gtk::Dialog::response(RESPONSE_CANCEL);
 		return;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/transcode_ffmpeg.cc b/gtk2_ardour/transcode_ffmpeg.cc
index 76c101e231..57121e257d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/transcode_ffmpeg.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/transcode_ffmpeg.cc
@@ -64,7 +64,18 @@ TranscodeFfmpeg::TranscodeFfmpeg (std::string f)
 	}
 
 	if (ffmpeg_exe.empty() || ffprobe_exe.empty()) {
-		PBD::warning << _("No ffprobe or ffmpeg executables could be found on this system. Transcoding is not possible until you install those tools.") << endmsg;
+		PBD::warning << _(
+				"No ffprobe or ffmpeg executables could be found on this system.\n"
+				"Video import and export is not possible until you install those tools.\n"
+				"Ardour requires ffmpeg and ffprobe from ffmpeg.org - version 1.1 or newer.\n"
+				"\n"
+				"The tools are included with the Ardour releases from ardour.org "
+				"and also available with the video-server at http://x42.github.com/harvid/\n"
+				"\n"
+				"Important: the files need to be installed in $PATH and named ffmpeg_harvid and ffprobe_harvid.\n"
+				"If you already have a suitable ffmpeg installation on your system, we recommend creating "
+				"symbolic links from ffmpeg to ffmpeg_harvid and from ffprobe to ffprobe_harvid.\n"
+				) << endmsg;
 		return;
 	}
 	ffexecok = true;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/transcode_video_dialog.cc b/gtk2_ardour/transcode_video_dialog.cc
index a4d0287399..00e7d2ec5c 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/transcode_video_dialog.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/transcode_video_dialog.cc
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ TranscodeVideoDialog::TranscodeVideoDialog (Session* s, std::string infile)
 
 
 	if (!transcoder->ffexec_ok()) {
-		l = manage (new Label (_("No ffprobe or ffmpeg executables could be found on this system. Transcoding is not possible until you install those tools."), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
+		l = manage (new Label (_("No ffprobe or ffmpeg executables could be found on this system. Video Import is not possible until you install those tools. See the Log widow for more information."), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
 		l->set_line_wrap();
 		options_box->pack_start (*l, false, true, 4);
 		transcode_button.set_sensitive(false);
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ TranscodeVideoDialog::TranscodeVideoDialog (Session* s, std::string infile)
 		bitrate_checkbox.set_sensitive(false);
 	}
 	else if (!transcoder->probe_ok()) {
-		l = manage (new Label (string_compose(_("Video file-info could not be read. Most likely '%1' is not a valid video-file. It could also be a rare unsupported video codec or format."), infn), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
+		l = manage (new Label (string_compose(_("File-info can not be read. Most likely '%1' is not a valid video-file or an unsupported video codec or format."), infn), Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER, false));
 		options_box->pack_start (*l, false, true, 4);
 		transcode_button.set_sensitive(false);
 		aspect_checkbox.set_sensitive(false);
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/video_server_dialog.cc b/gtk2_ardour/video_server_dialog.cc
index f8d8172d9e..5809b9a7d4 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/video_server_dialog.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/video_server_dialog.cc
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ VideoServerDialog::VideoServerDialog (Session* s)
 		path_entry.set_text(X_("C:\\Program Files\\harvid\\harvid.exe"));
 	}
 	else {
-		PBD::warning << _("The external video server 'harvid' can not be found, see https://github.com/x42/harvid") << endmsg;
+		PBD::warning <<
+			_("The external video server 'harvid' can not be found. The tool is included with the Ardour releases from ardour.org, "
+			  "alternatively you can download it from http://x42.github.com/harvid/ or acquire it from your distribution.") << endmsg;
 	}