computer help needed

Malefic23

Malefic23

AC Members
Nov 7, 2006
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Charlotte NC
Ok dokie... I'm trying to find a free program to convert video from MPG4 to MPGanythingelse or better still, to wmv format. I've found endless programs to convert everything else into mpg4, but nothing to convert it FROM mpg4 to other formats... Anyone got any ideas?



Oh yeah, this is because my video camera shoots mpg4, and your computer has to download a codec every single time the video is played. I figured converting video would make it a lot more user friendly.
 
Hiya Malefic,
So, you want to play on your computer, what is on your camera, correct? And are you sure the footage on your camera is MPEG 2? (there are a lot off different formats for cameras, including just plain old "raw").

I have a couple of questions for you:
Have you downloaded the footage to your computer and tried to play it from the computer? or did you try to play the footage back from the camera itself through the computer?
What computer and operating system do you have?
I might have some suggestions for you, but I need more info.
Cheers,
U.
 
I can download it from my camera to my computer, I can play it on my computer, although with a delay as it downloads the same codec over and over again. What I can't do is chop it into small pieces or otherwise edit it with windows movie maker in this format. And yeah, it's mpg2... I'm trying to get more precise info on exactly what format it's using. Sony handicam dvd108 is shooting the video, VPR matrix computer with XP OS is running it.
 
Ok, it doesn't sound like it's really downloaded to the computer (can be played from the computer without the camera being attached). If this is not true, and you can play the file without the camera being attached, then you can try this little app called Media Player Classic. It is not the Media Player everyone is used to - it's only the skin that is similar. Here is the link:
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/video_players/media_player_classic.cfm
Now, if you need the camera in order to view the file, Firewire is the best way of viewing and editing video files from cameras attached to computers. USB 2.0 will not cut it. Most PC computers will not have that as a default (newer ones are starting to show up with those ports).
MPEG 2 is the compression used by DVD's so you may need to have a DVD playing program on your computer in order to have the decoder for that compression available to other programs that "can" play back DVD's, or the MPEG (mpg) 2 format. On my windows computer, I installed Cineplayer DVD program in order to allow the installed Windows Media Player to play back DVD's (yeah, weird, but that's how it goes). Without that codec from Cineplayer, I would always use that Windows Media Player classic. The app can be copied to a thumb drive and played from the thumbdrive in case you need it on other computers. Try it out and let me know if it worked for you.
Cheers,
U
 
Download WinAVI Video Converter, it'll let you convert to popular vid formats like avi (both divx and xvid), wmv, vob (dvd standard) and others, that you can later open with win movie maker and edit.

I've used it before for divx to multi dvd conversion.

If you need help locating a full program let me know.
 
Thanks folks! The video is actually contained in my computer, not playing off the camera. I went looking at some of these conversion programs and settled on VLC media player freeware. So far so good, it's unpacking the mpg2 into mpg1 3 or 5. Much easier to edit, and just about any media player will play it. This makes editing easier, and actually chops out the higher resolution stuff to pull the video file size down to about 30 percent of it's original size without losing much visual quality.

Expect link in the next few days to utube or google video of honduran redpoints doing the spawn with me dance....
 
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