Converting Camcorder/Video

[Chuck328]

In this day and age of multiple video formats (MKV, XVID, AVI, AVCHD, MP4 I could go on forever) can someone help out with a few questions?

I have a two HD camcorders, GoPro (it records in MP4 I think)and a Sony HD Handycam. The GoPro won't then play through the TV or BluRay player (via USB dongle/ SD card). It needs to be converted and that's where I'm getting stuck. I have a few programs, Format Factory, Pinnacle Video Spin and E.M HD Converter to do the job. I don't know much (if anything about all these formats) and all I'm looking for is the best format that won't lose any of the original quality or size. So...

If I want to convert MP4, what would be the best format for TV playback?

If I want to convert AVCHD, what would be the best format?

File size isn't really a problem as I have one of these portable plug and play hard drive thingys , which I'd like to use to store and play back everything.

Is there any difference? How are H264 and AVCHD related I have no idea, even if they are? It's all too bloody confusing to me. I have read a few online articles about various formats, codecs, containers etc but nothing so far seems to answer my above questions.

Can someone help an utterly baffled 'noob' ?

Thanks in advance.

[jollysoutherner]

TsMuxer http://www.videohelp.com/tools/tsMuxeR and Handbrake http://www.handbrake.fr

All you need with zero cost.

What device will you be using to play the video on your TV?

AVCHD is just a container for the video and audio, Sony HD camcorders and also Bluray discs save the audio and video in a .m2ts file. This single file is all you need to copy to preserve the video in its original quality. On a camcorder each clip will be an individual .m2ts file in the STREAM folder. The remaining files and directory structure are what makes up the AVCHD container and you don't need to keep it. If your playback device supports .m2ts files (windows 7 or VLC Video Player is you are using vista) just press play.

A lot of bluray players won't play .m2ts files directly unless they are in the AVCHD container format. By opening the .m2ts file in TsMuxer you can select to output in AVCHD format and then burn this to a blur-ray, DVD+r, USB or SD Card.

If you want to put the video on a phone, ipad etc then open in Handbrake and select the correct preset, wait while it re-encodes it and you then sync to the device.

With HD recording the last thing you want to do is re-encode it as it takes time but with a phone / ipad it is the only option due to space constraints.

Edited by jollysoutherner on Wednesday 16th November 10:06

[Chuck328]

Excellent link, thanks. That one is bookmarked.

I recently bought a Panasonic Bluray recorder for playback.

After fiddling with it yesterday I've managed to get all the Sony media onto it without the need to convert it. Digressing slightly, the problem I had with the Sony was storage. Before I bought the panny, the Sony hard drive filled up eventually, copying files onto the PC meant they were stuck there and would not go back onto the Sony for playback through the TV. This is all sorted now.

The GoPro is the one I need to convert from MP4 as merely dragging the media onto a USB dongle or inserting the cameras SD card does not playback . I found converting it on the pc to MKV results in playback through the Panasonic. I just wasn't sure what the best format was. Anyway, thanks again for the link, plenty of reading to do there.