When I download videos from my camcorder, they show a grey image and have green exe. written in the box. The only way I can view the content is to open it in VLC, but then I can't find VLC from the finder. Also there are tiny horizontal black lines all through the video. I can play the videos on Windows and no black lines appear. How can I view the thumbnail and get rid of the black lines?
Mac Pro
Open the Info window for one of the files. What is its filename extension, if any?
Hi Linc,
The file exptension is .MOD which is how it comes direct from the camcorder. If I convert it to mp4 through the Handbrake program, I can then view the thumbnail ok. But as you can imagine that's a bit of a process when you can't see first what you are converting. Can I just maunually change the extension to something else viewable?
Also, once it is converted, it is substandard and has tine horizontal black lines running through the video (they seem to be as the camera moves and it's trying to rationalise the image. However, the same videos do not do this in Windows so I have eliminated the camera as the problem. Even when they are converted to mp4 and played in Windows there is no quality loss.
Open to any suggestions as it's hampering a very important project.
Thanks so much for responding,
Kerryn
Changing the extension to "mpg" should cause the files to be handled in the way you expect. I can't help you with the quality issue. Try playing them in VLC.
Thanks Level 7,
I read the page you offered. I changed the extenstion to .mpg as suggested but only got the quicktime logo and no visible thumbnail of the footage. Also Quicktime wouldn't open it and recommended a troubleshooting page which lists all the extensions QT supports. I tried also .avi and .mov and I am getting the same result for each.
The link is:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3775?viewlocale=en_US
It also provides downloads for 2 converters VLC media player and AVCHD video converter. I have already got VLC because the guy in the Apple shop said I needed it, BUT I can't seem to access the VLC library from the finder.
Any ideas also about the black lines?
Thanks,
Kerryn
Any ideas also about the black lines?
The camera is outputting video in a format that QuickTime doesn't fully support. Though it's unlikely, the manufacturer might provide a QuickTime component or some other kind of software to convert the files.
According to the link I provided earlier it seems the video is provided in mpeg-2 format. I don't recall your providing information as to camera model for us to check on the formats provided. Anyway, I use an older Mac so I can only reference things to it and what I have read here. mpeg-2 format is not supported by Quicktime and in fact you used to (and maybe still do) have to buy the mpeg-2 playback component from Apple in order for Quicktime to play it or to enable decoding in some popular applications such as MPEGStreamclip. VLC apparently has the codec built in but unless an application is built to borrow the codec from VLC then only VLC can use it.
Just changing extensions doesn't enable playback if the application cannot do it. Changing extensions just gets some applications that can play mpeg-2 to have a look at the video even though they don't think they can if all they see is .MOD.
On the black lines, again I don't know your model camera (it really would help to have more information) but it could possibly be interlacing. This is an older format from the tube style TV era but who knows what settings you have on your camera. Do a web search for what interlacing is about, but it is particularly noticeable on action shots, especially with horizontal panning. Most video encoding applications have a place where you can de-interlace the video while encoding, turning it into progressive.
Thanks Limnos.
I just loaded all my camera software again but to no evail. It is a Canon Legria FS21.
I am just about to purchase the Mpeg-2 playback component from Apple so that may help with viewing the videos. You're right about VLC, while I can see the movies, I can't move them anywhere else which really defeats the purpose.
With regard to the black lines, your comment:
"Most video encoding applications have a place where you can de-interlace the video while encoding, turning it into progressive."
makes sense to me and I will do it, but while I might sound computer illiterate I will ask the question. Can you explain 'video encoding applications' in laymans terms or give an example of an application so I know where to start searching?
Thanks,
Kerryn
I am just about to purchase the Mpeg-2 playback component from Apple...
If you're running Lion, that component isn't needed and won't work.
Bugger... Almost clicked 'buy'.
This is rediculous. Any other suggestions?
OK so at the moment the best I can do is convert every video to mp4. It is a lengthy process but at least it works.
If I can get some more help on the 'video encoding applicaitons' I may just be able to get the job done, but alas too slowly.
Keeping my fingers crossed!
I am a bit frustrated because I switched to a Mac as the Windows video programs weren't great. I am now starting to think I spent all this money just to have Garage Band! 😟
Thanks Linc Davis, I warned the OP I'm still running Tiger. 😉
By applications I mean what you are using already. For example, Handbrake has an option to de-interlace when you convert the format from mpeg-2 to mp4. So does mpegStreamclip.
Oh, if you're playing back with VLC there is a deinterlace feature in the video menu (at least on my older version 🙂 )
OK so that makes sense. But, I just went into Handbrake and looked through all the options and can't find 'de-interlace'. Is it under a special code or numbers???
Again, I can only reference with an older version of HB. In my version there's a "Picture settings" button and that takes you to a window with deinterlace on the right panel. Which option you select is up to you. I think maybe the next to fastest one is okay.
Note my earlier edit about deinterlace in VLC.
Ah!!!!! Thank you so much Limnos. We have resolved the black line issue. This will be added to my '3 good things that happened today' list. Thanks.
If you have any further thoughts on the mpeg2 codec please let me know, as it is still a huge time waster. But at least now I can keep working on my project. By the way it's a music film clip for Rage so you've helped a lot.
Thanks!
I have no real Lion experience so I don't know what it can or cannot do as regards to mpeg-2. I know mpeg-2's the format used with DVDs so I guess Canon are trying to produce something fairly high-end without the horribly memory hungry RAW format.
What are you doing with all this? Your final product? I mean, if you're targeting an online distribution product then at some stage you're going to have to take it to mp4 anyway. If you're doing DVD then obviously you don't want to re-code it too many times or else you're just losing quality each time. On the other hand, it may be tricky trying to edit in mpeg-2. You'd need to post on a high-end editing forum such as final Cut, and browsing the web looking for information about your camera I kept on coming across posts where people were asking about how to use the thing with a Mac.
There was an interesting post on codecs here in case you're doing editing: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3928936?tstart=0
Can't view video thumbnails. Grey with exe. type in box
