I own a Sanyo Xacti digital camcorder which records 640 x 480 MP4 video files. The only problem is I dont know of any video editing package to cope with MP4 editing! Currently I am importing the files and converting them to uncompressed MPGs but the file sizes are increasing and some digital compression artefacts are apparent! Is this just a codec problem or are there dedicated MP4 video editing programs out there? Ive tried importing these MP4 files to Pinnacle 9 and a few other editing packages and none of them recognise the file or the extension! Any advice or help is appreciated! DJ Leekee
how did you transfer the video, id it a dv tape or a dvd ? you could use huffyuv, which is lossless, but it still compresses, so i wouldn't be as big, think bitmap and png. you said mp4 extension. i think the container is mp4, while the codec to compresses it could be anything. it could be the editing app doesn't recognize mp4 container. and most, like i do know, adobe premiere doesn't like divx/xvid (mpeg4, as in video not container) (i don't use commercial software much)
It is a pure 100% digital video camera which records the video to SD cards (secure digital) When I insert these cards into my pc Windows XP allows you to import them to your pc and are useable to play in all applications but no application will allow editing! I will upload a small sample of the MP4 file to see if you can work out what the file ACTUALLY is CLICK HERE FOR THE SAMPLE FILE :- http://homepage.ntlworld.com/leesmith/LeekeeTestMp4File.MP4 Hope someone can shed some light on the validaty of the MP4 file Thanks for looking into this for me! DJ Leekee www.djleekee.com
Hey DJ, I don't think I can help you because I seem to have a similar problem. I'm a 'newbee' at this Video Editing and recently bought a New Video Camera. It's a Miyota MV5000 and records in MPEG4 format, although when I transfer the file to my PC for editing, it's actually and .ASF file? The software bundled with the camera to edit it won't even read the format? I too need some guidance as to what to do. But it definately reads the file as an .asf file although it's supposedly an MPEG4 Camera? I tried downloading VirtualDub 1.3c to open the ASF and convert to something useable but it comes up with an error when I try to open the file? Sorry, if you find out, let me know. CHeers
@DJ leekee i have a feeling its quicktime (a guess) i'll check @rone .asf usually use for online streaming. ist a couple of byte. and it will connect your plaer to the allocated server. i don't know why your camera does that. have you searh at the manufacturer's site if any ( china brand most of the time doesn't have any tech support) _X_X_X_X_X_[small]Codec packs are evil[/small]
Thanks Shiroh! The mp4 files play on winamp, quicktime and windows media player but can not be imported into any video editing programme! Which is a shame really as the quality of them is great and converting them into uncompressed avi files does seem to create some digital artefacts in the conversion but once burnt to dvd and played on a traditional tv set doesnt detract too much from the picture quality. Its just annoying that I have to do this. Have you worked out exactly what the mp4 files that the camera creates actually are? Thanks DJ Leekee
how unfortunate, my pc, windows had some kind of registry error (tweak too much ?), won't even boot on safe mode, so i have to work from scratch. the data is safe though one thing, if you see the artifacts with uncompressed that means its already there not due to the decoding. i would suggest using huffyuv lossless codec, it will make it smaller. think bitmap and png. it is expected (the artifacts) with such a camera, ecspecially mpeg4 based, of course it can't do 2pass, so my guess its on constant bitrate.
@ shiroh.... Thanks, I'm still looking into it with the company I bought the camera from, but thanks for your advice! Technology, it's too advanced for it's own good! Rone
thanks for your help on this so far. I have emailed sanyo but to no avail So if the file does infact turn out to be a 'quicktime' mp4 file - are there any quicktime video editors out there? DJ Leekee
Most any Proper editor like Premier or Vegas Video should Import Quicktime Mpeg-4 files as Long as you have Quicktime 6 installed.... I tried to download the sample that was posted so I could try it but it wasn"t there anymore....
Typical I deleted it last night! lol Ill re-up a version for you now! Under the same URL as above! DJ Leekee
Well I was able to download the File no problem but the only Editing program that would Load it was "Sony Vegas Video 5" which had no problem Loading the File but it was recognized as a Quicktime file so i had to put the File Type to "All Files" and then select the mp4 file and then Vegas Loaded it no problem... "Sony Sound Forge 7" also had no problem loading the file... "Adobe Premier Pro 1.5" would not read the file and neither would "Ulead Media Studio Pro"... It just goes to show it is good to buy a couple different editing programs as Not all will support all files formats...... Cheers
Here is the reply I have just received back from Sanyo concerning the file format :- "Dear Mr Smith Thank you for your further e-mail regarding your Sanyo Xacti C1 digital camera. We are pleased to learn of the success you have had with it. The camera comes with Application software which can work with .MP4 files, the Ulead Videostation 7 and Apple Quicktime, for example. The extensions to the MP4 files you refer to are simply organisational tools: .mdx = dbase IV multiple Index .msh = MASH (Microsoft Agent Scripting Helper) We trust that we have been able to assist. Best regards, Peter Cannon Manager – Consumer Relations Department "
You are missing the point I dont want to convert these files to AVI to allow editing them - I want to edit the MP4 files directly! Thanks for replying anyway! DJ Leekee
djleekee, I downloaded your sample and it loads perfectly into Nero6 (chimney stack, dog barking etc?)...if you choose the "edit movie" option, you can do pretty much what you want with it, with the added bonus that Nero will convert your file to dvd format, (s)vcd, or whatever custom output your system will support. Admittedly it isn't the most glamorous of editing programs, but it'll fade and dissolve etc - and cut and join your MP4's...hope this helps, and I hope you have Nero6
Well I said in an earlier Post that both Vegas Video and Sound Forge will Load the mp4 file no problem and will edit it no problem....
Yep thanks for informing me about the applications that will allow mp4 editing! Its appreciated. Im just very annoyed that the Ulead software that was supplied with the camera doesnt allow mp4 editing! Ive informed Sanyo of this and they dont understand the problem! I only have Nero 5 and did install a mates copy of nero 6 but it crashed my pc so ive reverted back to version 5! (typical!!!) Ill try the demos of the other software packages you mentioned! Thanks again DJ Leekee www.djleekee.com
You still have to have Quicktime 6 Installed for these programs to edit mp4 files, so if Ulead is supposed to support these Files but does not and you don"t have Quicktime Installed then that is Probably why......
