EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: Simon on June 27, 2014, 10:54:36 am
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I bought a camcorder and it records in MP4 but I can't get any editing software to open it except maybe the one that I got a demo of and they want 80 us bucks for. Any suggestions ?
I don't want to do anything fancy, mainly edit out a few bits or speed them up and increase the volume.
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if you have Win7 or later you can download Windows Live Movie for free
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/movie-maker#t1=overview (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/movie-maker#t1=overview)
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There are several flavors of "MP4", but most video editing suites should handle it no problem.
What ones have you tried?
A simple (Aussie!) one to try is http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/ (http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/)
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Well nothing yet, I was going to use virtualdub as i just needed essentially to increase volume a bit and compress it a bit more.
I'm playing with wondershare video editor at the moment but it will put a watermark on until I pay I got a trial version of video delux mx that has run out anyway before i used it.
I need to do a few videos for my course I'm doing and was going to do a few bits for youtube.
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If you don't mind Linux kdenlive is quite good, as is OpenShot
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uh don't talk to me about linux ;) I want a user friendly OS not something that needs making into a user friendly OS and requires secret commands and codes to do anything useful
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I want a user friendly OS not something that needs making into a user friendly OS and requires secret commands and codes to do anything useful
You can't possibly want Windows then :)
MacOS perhaps.... >:D
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uh, last time i used linux it dissabled parts of my laptop it did not like (even for windows) and i had nothing but trouble. never again
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So, when was that?
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less than a year ago, Ubuntu
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Theres plenty of free software, try MP4Cam2AVI and Video to Video Converter, i use the portable version. If you dont mind paying i`d recommend VSO Video Converter , it costs £35 .
http://www.videotovideo.org/ (http://www.videotovideo.org/)
http://mp4cam2avi.sourceforge.net/ (http://mp4cam2avi.sourceforge.net/)
http://www.vso-software.fr/products/video-converter/vso-video-converter.php (http://www.vso-software.fr/products/video-converter/vso-video-converter.php)
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Well I need to do some editing as well so rather than just transcosding from one format to another I need a basic editor too.
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MP4 is a "container" or "wrapper" file that contains video (or even other kinds of information). The information inside is encoded with some particular codec. Since you did not identify your camcorder, we don't know which codec it is recording. And since you did not identify what you are talking about: "can't get any editing software to open it", we are rather shooting in the dark. It is always to your advantage to disclose all the pertinent details.
There are over 100 registered codecs for MP4, and who knows how many others that aren't officially registered.
http://www.mp4ra.org/atoms.html (http://www.mp4ra.org/atoms.html)
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try vso video converter, it can edit mp4`s and save the file as mp4 ,you dont have to convert to another format. Its a 30 day trial ,if you like it buy it.
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Yes i'm aware of the container structure and I have no idea what the actual video format is, the audio was ACC so that went straight to 64kbps MP3 as it's just me waffling. The camcorder is a toshiba camileo x450
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Let's clear some things out.
Like a previous poster said, MP4 is just a container like AVI or MKV (Matroska video). Unlike AVI or MKV however, MP4 restricts video and audio codecs to just a few, so your video is probably encoded with h264 codec and your audio is probably uncompressed (PCM audio), MPEG2 (mpeg 1 layer 2 audio) or AAC.
Virtualdub is a very good software but it was designed using a Windows multimedia framework called "Video For Windows".
Virtualdub only supports by default AVI files as inputs but you can add "plugins" to Virtualdub which allow it to open other containers (MOV, MP4, MPG, VOB etc) but to Virtualdub, those videos appear as completely uncompressed (uncompressed video, uncompressed audio) and no matter what operation you would do, the video and audio would both be recompressed by Virtualdub losing quality.
Virtualdub won't save to MP4 or other containers different than AVI because the "Video For Windows" framework it uses in the background is not really suited for that, it doesn't understand some concepts used by modern codecs like predicted video frames, frames composed from previous frames and predicted frames etc etc. Even older video codecs like xvid had to use some "hacks" to make it possible for programs using "Video For Windows" to store that xvid compressed video into an AVI file.
If you want to just do some operations on audio of your video, the best course of action would be to use a software that splits (demux) the MP4 file into its video and audio parts, edit the audio part using some freeware or shareware editor and then use some software to recombine the video and audio parts (mux) into another MP4 file (or another container, MKV for example).
A good tool to demux and mux mp4 files is My MP4Box GUI (google it, you'll find the software easily). It can demux and mux mp4 files easily, so you can extract a .h264 file and maybe an .aac file from the .mp4 file, edit the aac file with Goldwave or some other audio editor and then mux it back.
If you want to recombine the audio and video together into a mkv container, you can use mkvtoolnix : http://www.bunkus.org/videotools/mkvtoolnix/ (http://www.bunkus.org/videotools/mkvtoolnix/)
Once you get more experienced with this, my advice would be to learn how to use Avisynth. Avisynth is a frameserver, basically you write a small text script in which you tell avisynth commands and then when you load that script into any video editor the video editor thinks that script is actually an avi file that has uncompressed video and audio. You can write a script that imports several videos, cuts segments or joins videos together, you can do gamma corrections or other effects just by writing some text in that script and then the video editor sees that script as a single uncompressed video. For example, here's a script that would load the first 1000 frames out of a mp4 video :
video_full = DirectShowSource("c:\video.mp4")
video_segment = video_full.trim(0,1000)
video_segment
It's as simple as that.. save this with a .avs extension, once avisynth is installed open the .avs file with virtualdub and virtualdub sees an uncompressed video with 1000 frames.
later edit
Yes i'm aware of the container structure and I have no idea what the actual video format is, the audio was ACC so that went straight to 64kbps MP3 as it's just me waffling. The camcorder is a toshiba camileo x450
Virtualdub uses the built in audio codecs that come with windows or are installed by other programs. By default, Windows comes with a mp3 codec which can decode pretty much anything but is restricted, it can only encode audio up to some quality. That may be the reason why you get only 64kbps. Another possibility would be that the camera records in MONO, so you get 64 kbps 44100-48000 Hz mp3.
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http://filehippo.com/download_mediainfo/57252/ (http://filehippo.com/download_mediainfo/57252/)
Install mediainfo and open the video file, it will show a full report of the codec ,framerate,size .
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Google suggests that your camcorder is recording H.264 codec. That is a pretty common codec in modern times, so looking for a more modern solution will probably be more successful. Assuming you are running PC/Wiindows?
My preference would be Adobe Premiere Elements which supports H.264 directly.
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If you're just looking to re-encode, VLC can do that. FFMPEG can do that even more easily. You specifically mention increasing the volume and compressing a bit more, FFMPEG is where it's at there.
If you want to edit, and given the topic text I think this is safe bet, one free option is to use YouTube's built-in video editor. You have to upload everything first, but you can edit, join, crop, trim, and even do things like tweak the color and contrast and all that biz once they're uploaded. you can do the editing between uploading and publishing.
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assuming you're using windows start with winFF convert to avi format. then edit to your hearts content using virtualdub. it outputs avi but if you need a different format re-convert with winFF
virtualdub can be a little tricky to use at first, but once you get used to it the thing's a breeze.
http://winff.org/html_new/ (http://winff.org/html_new/)
http://www.virtualdub.org/ (http://www.virtualdub.org/)
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Let me try to summarise my experiences in using video editing software. I'll skip the details and change the chronological order a little to try to save you from all the pointless messing about and potentially dodgy 'free' apps that are out there.
Step 1:
Download the 30 day free trial of Sony Movie Studio.
If you get stuck there are loads of blog posts and YouTube videos to point you in the right direction.
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winFF and virtualdub aren't dodgy programs. they've been used forever, are rock stable, and work like a charm. WinFF is pretty much a standard for format conversion. I'd lay odds it's what google uses on youtube.
Another option that I didn't see mentioned is Camtasia. It isn't free but it works well and a and functions a lot like moviemaker with quite a few more options. it's not very expensive, or at least it wasn't when I got my copy several years ago. It's a bit more directed towards presentation videos, screencasting, etc
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winFF and virtualdub aren't dodgy programs. they've been used forever, are rock stable, and work like a charm. WinFF is pretty much a standard for format conversion. I'd lay odds it's what google uses on youtube.
I somehow doubt that, given that WinFF is a GUI program. If you're thinking of FFMPEG, then I'd say chances are higher for that, but I would have to believe that they've put a lot of effort into their own software in order to minimize encoding time while keeping quality where they want it. Google is big. They can afford to hire a video encoder developer or two, to get exactly what they want out of their encoding software. FFMPEG doesn't properly handle audio on 5.1 audio, anyway, and youtube supports 5.1 audio. FFMPEG mixes up the channels and puts them in the wrong order.
Another option that I didn't see mentioned is Camtasia. It isn't free but it works well and a and functions a lot like moviemaker with quite a few more options. it's not very expensive, or at least it wasn't when I got my copy several years ago. It's a bit more directed towards presentation videos, screencasting, etc.
Adobe offers Premiere Pro CS2 for download free, and they even give you a key.
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I fear those old (free) versions of Premiere are too old to handle modern codecs like H.264
But Premiere Elements is cheap (and the bundle with Photoshop Elements is even a better bargain).
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winFF and virtualdub aren't dodgy programs. they've been used forever, are rock stable, and work like a charm. WinFF is pretty much a standard for format conversion. I'd lay odds it's what google uses on youtube.
Another option that I didn't see mentioned is Camtasia. It isn't free but it works well and a and functions a lot like moviemaker with quite a few more options. it's not very expensive, or at least it wasn't when I got my copy several years ago. It's a bit more directed towards presentation videos, screencasting, etc
Apologies.
It was not my intention to suggest any of the software mentioned in this thread was of a dodgy nature. Virtualdub deserves special mention as I've had one version or another installed since the start of the century.
However, a year or so ago when I was looking for something more up to date, flexible and preferably free the selection topping the Google lists did contain some highly doubtful offerings. I eventually found Movie Studio and even though it's not free after the trial, that's where my search stopped.
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I would avoid demuxing raw elementary streams (the h264 stream from a .MP4 file, for e.g.) because you may lose the metadata that defines stuff like framerate, aspect ratio, etc. This is particularly important when the encoder uses variable frame rate. There's no chance of ever maintaining A/V sync again if that timing info is lost. If your video is encoded in a very common or predictable way, whatever you use to re-mux the stream might get be intelligent enough to figure everything out, but don't place any bets on that until you've tried it.
Either use an editor that can operate directly on the container format, transcode to an intermediate format (like h264 lossless at a fixed frame rate) before frame-serving, or at least make sure you know what you're doing first.
AVISynth is a champ, but if what you want to do is non-trivial, it gets cumbersome in a real hurry. The OP isn't interested in secret codes he says. ;) It's also particularly inefficient when you're combining multiple clips, as is often the case when editing. Every input file instantiates a new decoder chain. Hope you have a lot of memory...
All of the free video editors I've used (to include VirtualDub) are either limited in their abilities, require a ton of workarounds to do what you want, or are flaky and crash at every turn. Now, VDub is great for what it is, but you really have to be willing to work within its scope.
If you want a powerful, intuitive video editor made for modern media formats, you're going to need to spend money. It's just not a trivial task. Expect $100 as your entry fee to even get started, and go up from there.
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@Simon : I've used Sony Movie Studio in the past, and it works quite well. Has a lot in common with Sony Vegas which is quite expensive.
The plain Sony Movie Studio is only about $40 (or less) but the "platinum" version has some extra features that makes it worth the extra 30$ over the plain version.
BUT, you can go on Amazon or other stores and get the previous version (Sony Movie Studio Platinum 12, 13 is the current one) in retail packaging for 40$ or you get the download version of 13 Platinum for about the same price: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Movie-Studio-Platinum-Download/dp/B00I3MSBC6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1403902849&sr=8-3&keywords=sony+movie+studio (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Movie-Studio-Platinum-Download/dp/B00I3MSBC6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1403902849&sr=8-3&keywords=sony+movie+studio) (just find someone in US to buy it for you and give you the serial and everything)
They're also available on Amazon UK but of course a bit more expensive:
movie studio 12: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sony+movie+studio+12&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asony+movie+studio+12 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sony+movie+studio+12&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asony+movie+studio+12)
movie studio 13: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sony+movie+studio+13&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asony+movie+studio+13 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sony+movie+studio+13&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asony+movie+studio+13)
And there's trial versions on sony's website: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/homestudio (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/homestudio)
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+1 for Avisynth in frameserver mode. Used tons of it years ago, i guess by now it only got better.
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if you just want to increase the volume, and increase the compression, i recommend handbrake, using the constant quality slider for compression ends up with a much nicer looking result than just trying to drag down the bit rate,
only mild downside is it can only export as mkv or mp4.
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This topic is 1½ year old? :-//
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it is. I never did sort it out. I do want to make a few videos and now have a Cannon camcorder. Bit busy right now to do much.
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I use ffmpeg (command line) and Handbrake for most editing. You can easily boost audio only and copy video to avoid Re-encoding. Simple cuts and joins are also easy. Everything from DOS prompt.
For more special effects, transitions, etc. I use Womble MPEG Video Wizard. My old version from 2007 is still the smallest quickest editor I have ever used (and I've used Adobe and others). It is lossless in that it doesn't try to re-encode video if you are using same input/output format and bitrates. It will take MP4 inputs but output MPEG 1/2. So I usually convert my MP4 with ffmpeg to MPEG with high bit rate, edit in Womble, then recode back to MP4 with ffmpeg from the command line or Handbrake (GUI). The newer version handles MP4 no problem.
Edit:
I've added the link here to a 30-day fully functional trial of Womble DVD 5.0. It is a well kept secret but this software has done me wonders for many years:
http://www.womble.com/download/index.html (http://www.womble.com/download/index.html)
Like I said, it is one of the best editors I have used yet takes up only 13 MB space and has more than enough power to do everything. It is a bit pricey at $99, but that is a heck of a lot cheaper than some of the other video editors out there, and well worth the cost. Like I said, my version from 2007 is still working beautifully with a small footprint yet powerful.
If you want an even cheaper option from Womble, try MPEG-VCR for $19:
http://www.womble.com/purchase/vcr.html (http://www.womble.com/purchase/vcr.html)
Here is an example of one of my music videos that I created with it (in HD) using various stock footage downloaded from NASA/Hubble. I added my music and graphics, and uploaded it to YouTube. It was able to handle all of this no problem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6fmGGEBz-I (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6fmGGEBz-I)
Handbrake is found here: https://handbrake.fr/ (https://handbrake.fr/)
Personally, I use version 0.9.8 and have on purpose not upgraded. I remember going to a new version at one point and it stopped letting me do certain things, either they removed a codec or perhaps for legal reasons enabled or disabled something.... I don't remember what it was, but I stuck to the older version.
Finally, I am on an old ffmpeg command-line version that I also installed with WinFF. Looks like ffmpeg version "N-48886-g5ce023b" (built Jan 14 2013 with gcc 4.7.2).
But I am using ffmpeg mostly from the DOS prompt and have made a FAQ for myself that gives me all the format and syntax for doing various things (like cropping video, rotating video, resizing, slowing or speeding up, joining and separating, removing audio, changing audio volume, changing bitrates and format, adding different audio, joining images to make a time-lapse, etc.).
The hardest part with using ffmpeg is that you need to find out how to use it from the command-line to get the full power, because WinFF and other GUI's don't have the flexibility.
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I haven't seen AVIdemux suggested. I think it will do what the OP wants. I have used it to split the video and audio of an H.264/AC3 .m2ts stream, edit the audio in Audacity, and remux to an H.264/AAC stream in an MP4 wrapper.