AVCHD - Can you help?

[Frosted]

I've bought a JVC Everio HD camcorder.
Now, this is a whole new world for me and I haven't got a clue what to do with my recordings.

First question - what is the cheapest and best software I can get to simply play these things on my computer. I'm not interested in editing - I just want to be able to play back. I've downloaded some free stuff but it doesn't have the proper capacity for playback. Windows Media and Real Player just won't hack it either.

Secondly - If I get the software to burn onto disc, will it playback on both the computer and my playstation? (I don't have an HD computer) - or can I just play back on the playstation without getting any software. And - if it's in its HD format will it downscale for my computer automatically.

Thirdly - If I transfer the file from the camcorder to my desktop and then immediately copy it to an external hard drive for back up without doing anything to it, will these files still be ok or should I be doing anything to them before just dumping them on the external hard drive.

As you can see - I haven't got a clue about video so I hope these questions make sense.

[LincolnSnuff]

I'm not sure about the best video player... Windows Media Player usually seems to work out fine for me. If you burn the video into DVD format, your Playstation can be used for playback as the device can read DVD format. I don't think you need to do anything special when copying to your external hard drive, just save the files in a place where you can easily retrieve them.

[sgreger1]

1) Try the free media player called "VLC". It seems to support the largest amount of formats and works fine for everything I do. What format does your camcorder output to? It shouldn't be that uncommon of a format, and you can easily convert it to whatever format you prefer (mp4, WMV etc) so that it can play on any player. But getting VLC should work right out of the box.

2) Don't buy software to burn to a disk. You can easily download it for free and your computer can likely already do it unless it's an older computer (and I mean OLDER). If you burn it to a CD and choose to burn it as a movie, it will save it to a format that your playstation or any DVD player should be abl to play. There are only a few formats and most of them are supported by PS3/DVD players etc. divx, mp4 etc are supported by most devices such as PS3 and DVD players.

3) You can transfer the file to your external hard drive without the need to prep it or do anything. Just transfer it over.

4) Give up now because you are Irish and frankly that just won't cut it. I hope your family is eaten by bears (but not the cute ones with snow on their nose and stuff, I mean like vicious black bears who havn't eaten for a month)



EDIT: I'm an idiot. It's in AVCHD format. This is for High-Def audio/video and isn't supported by some players.

Try here:

Free AVCHD Players | AVCHD Player

Or fi you want it to play on Windows Media Player:

Playing AVCHD video with Windows Media Player 11 and Stream AVCHD ...

How to play it on VLC Player:

Use VLC Media Player play HD video like M2TS, AVCHD, 1080p movies ...


More AVCHD compatable players:

Top 3 AVCHD Players on Windows and Mac, the best Free AVCHD Player ...



To burn files, check out which works best for you (many are free so don't pay for one unless you'r Irish):

http://www.google.com/search?q=free+...SearchBox&sa=2

[sgreger1]

Okay so I went to the website for the JVC Everio HD camcorder, but my employer's firewall blocked it as it is under the catagory "Irish nonesense".

But I did find that your camcorder should have come with software to handle all of this:

For sharing, the Everio HD300 makes it easy to watch videos on an iPod or iPhone by exporting videos to the user’s iTunes library with the new One Touch Export function provided by bundled software for Windows. This joins the One Touch Upload function for uploading to YouTube, for 2009 a feature available on all Everio camcorders, and One Touch DVD Creation function for easy archiving and sharing by disc, a long-time Everio feature.

Not sure which model you have, but mos tof them seem to come bundled with a software package that allows you to burn DVD's or to export it to the itunes library.

Speaking of which, apparently iTunes supports the file formats used by your camera, so try playing your videos in iTunes.

Digital files created with this new Everio camera can be easily shared in a variety of popular formats with the enhanced Everio MediaBrowser software for Windows®, which now provides automatic conversion of HD videos for immediate sharing on YouTube™ at HD or SD resolution. Files also can be directly exported to iTunes® and synced with an iPod® or iPhone®, or burned to DVD, all with just a few mouse clicks using the same Everio MediaBrowser application.

EDIT: RE: PS3 playback support:


Playing back AVCHD video
Recorded AVCHD video can be played back in a variety of ways:

• Burned onto DVD disc in AVCHD format, then played on most Blu-ray Disc players[8] or on a Playstation 3 gaming console.

So apparently if you burn it to a disk in the native AVCHD format that the camcorder records in, it should play on a PS3 without the need to do anything special or convert the file to a different format. So just burn it and play.

[Frosted]

Er - thanks Sgreger, I think, and look here - If I'm Irish it's not my fault. I should be categorised as mentally disabled and therefore I do not feel that I should be bullied in this manner. I hear you're having a bit of trouble with your knee caps - I'll send someone around to fix them.

I tried VLC but playback was stuttering heavily and just stopped and Windows media player plays the video extremely well but it but doesn't play the sound.

The JVC I've got did come with software but I lost it - I think it was Cyberlink. So I tried to get cyberlink from the internet and it's only a trial. I'll check out the other suggestions.

As far as I remember, the files are MTS but I'm at work now so I can't check.

Video is a pain in the ass.

[sgreger1]

Er - thanks Sgreger, I think, and look here - If I'm Irish it's not my fault. I should be categorised as mentally disabled and therefore I do not feel that I should be bullied in this manner. I hear you're having a bit of trouble with your knee caps - I'll send someone around to fix them.

I tried VLC but playback was stuttering heavily and just stopped and Windows media player plays the video extremely well but it but doesn't play the sound.

The JVC I've got did come with software but I lost it - I think it was Cyberlink. So I tried to get cyberlink from the internet and it's only a trial. I'll check out the other suggestions.

As far as I remember, the files are MTS but I'm at work now so I can't check.

Video is a pain in the ass.

I'm just confused why this format isn't compatible with powerhouses like Windows Media player or VLC. Traditionally, the way to solve this would be to find the appropriate driverse for either of those players, and that will solve the problem. Find out what format the videos are in, and then search google for the drivers. Like if it's in MTS (never heard of that, must be some gay Irish shit) format than look for Windows Media Player MTS drivers on google.


If not, in one of my links you should be able to find a player for free relatively easy.




Lol @ you for losing your software. That is integral to making this all easy, as it allows one place where all of the fuctions you are trying to perform can be achieved. You can try getting another copy from the manufacturer, that would likely be the best solution. Sometimes they design software that is specific to your device so you can't get it anywhere else, and sometimes they just bundle commercial software from another company. If it's the later, than you can just find it on-line for free or buy it.

[Frosted]

I've found a file on my flashdrive and tried it at work. This is really odd - but Windows Media Player plays it no problems here.
Maybe I need to upgrade my Windows Media Player - and I suppose WMP will also burn it onto disc if I get it up and running.

Edit - the file on my flash drive is MPEG - 2 transport stream so that explains it. I must have converted this when I had the software. I'm learning - slowly, but I'm a video spastic.

[sgreger1]

I've found a file on my flashdrive and tried it at work. This is really odd - but Windows Media Player plays it no problems here.
Maybe I need to upgrade my Windows Media Player - and I suppose WMP will also burn it onto disc if I get it up and running.

How old is your video card? Can it normally handle HD content? Get the latest version of WMP, and if it still doesn't play properly it may be because your computer isn't fast enough (or at least the video card may not be).

[internope]

I tried VLC but playback was stuttering heavily and just stopped and Windows media player plays the video extremely well but it but doesn't play the sound.

This is a stab in the dark, but if the video is stuttering it is possible that the processor is having trouble keeping up with decoding HD video.

[Frosted]

Thanks guys. This is now becoming apparent to me thanks to you.

I think that in order to play my HD videos on my computer, I'm going to have to convert them (as it probably isn't fast enough) - but before I do that I'll back up the originals to external Hard drive then burn them on to disc in the original format to play onto PS3.

What do you think?

[sgreger1]

Thanks guys. This is now becoming apparent to me thanks to you.

I think that in order to play my HD videos on my computer, I'm going to have to convert them (as it probably isn't fast enough) - but before I do that I'll back up the originals to external Hard drive then burn them on to disc in the original format to play onto PS3.

What do you think?

Yah that sounds about right. Keep the orriginals, but convert it to something your computer may be able to decode easier. (Might have to try several formats. Lx might be able to clue you in on which formats are the least processor intensive)

[Frosted]

and from what I gather from trawling the internet for the past 3 hours - is that if my files are in fact .mod files which is exclusive to JVC apparently (just to confuse the consumer more) that all I need to do is re-name the file to .mpeg or something.

[GoVegan]

I've bought a JVC Everio HD camcorder.
Now, this is a whole new world for me and I haven't got a clue what to do with my recordings.

First question - what is the cheapest and best software I can get to simply play these things on my computer. I'm not interested in editing - I just want to be able to play back. I've downloaded some free stuff but it doesn't have the proper capacity for playback. Windows Media and Real Player just won't hack it either.

Secondly - If I get the software to burn onto disc, will it playback on both the computer and my playstation? (I don't have an HD computer) - or can I just play back on the playstation without getting any software. And - if it's in its HD format will it downscale for my computer automatically.

Thirdly - If I transfer the file from the camcorder to my desktop and then immediately copy it to an external hard drive for back up without doing anything to it, will these files still be ok or should I be doing anything to them before just dumping them on the external hard drive.

As you can see - I haven't got a clue about video so I hope these questions make sense.

You bought a new camcorder? Someone must really want that 250gram pack of Ettan. I can't wait to see the movie you make for snuson!