Hi all, I have searched the main thread for news as to whether the player can handle HDV files (as advertised) but can't seem to find a definitive answer.

Basically I am editing footage from a Sony HDV camcorder in Apple's Final Cut Pro and wish to view the HD footage via the 5100. Some of the posts in the main thread state that the player can handle it but I might be doing something wrong as HDV footage (both edited and straight from the camcorder) refuses to play! These files have a .mov extension to them.

Any tips as to what is wrong here? Should the footage be converted using a particular codec for it to work? Tried Divx and a H264 export but the quality was horrible - far too compressed with lots of pixelation.

Many thanks in advance

Mike

Any tips as to what is wrong here? Should the footage be converted using a particular codec for it to work? Tried Divx and a H264 export but the quality was horrible - far too compressed with lots of pixelation.

Many thanks in advance

Mike

set lower compression?

These files have a .mov extension to them.


That's your problem. Export them as .ts (transport stream) or .mpg/.mpeg files. Not as .mov files.

I'm capturing video from an HV20 to .m2t files, which play without any problems on the 4100.

After editing, I render the files into .m2t again, and they also play without any problems.

That's your problem. Export them as .ts (transport stream) or .mpg/.mpeg files. Not as .mov files.

Sounds good - any Mac users out there who know of any software that can do this? I use FCP Studio which has Compressor for this type of thing but can't see any options for .ts.

Tried a Google too without any luck - must be there somewhere!

Thanks again, Mike

I'm not using Compressor, but if there's an HDV output option, MPEG option, etc. that will suffice. Just don't use a .mov extension.

And the TVIX easily handles my 25mbps Sony HDR-FX1 files.

Yep - sounds like it is the Quicktime .mov wrapper that the TiVX doesn't like - though in the land of Apple it might be trickier to save in a different container. (If there is an Export Movie option then it may have suitable options?)

I'm not sure if FCP keeps HDV material as HDV native or transcodes it to an internal HD codec for editing (ISTR that iMovie, FCE and FCP differed in how HDV was treated?) HDV is effectively an MPEG2 HD stream - and AIUI the TViX will happily play this - though it may need to be saved in a transport stream or programme stream rather than in other file containers (like the Quicktime/Apple .mov type)

The confusion is exacerbated these days by codecs and containers not being the same thing - .AVI, .MOV, .MKV, .TS are all containers that can carry video in various different codecs (DV, HDV MPEG2, H264 etc.), and it is possible to re-package material between them in some cases without decoding and recoding.

I can record BBC HD material off air as a .TS (transport stream) with H264 video and DD5.1 audio, I can re-package this to an .M2TS format for replay on my PS3 (without touching the actual video and audio encoding), but in theory I could also re-package this as an .MP4 or a .MOV file as well. (I've re-packaged H264 .MOVs into H264 .MP4s)

I'm not sure if FCP keeps HDV material as HDV native or transcodes it to an internal HD codec for editing (ISTR that iMovie, FCE and FCP differed in how HDV was treated?)


Only FCP keeps HDV native. FCE and iMovie transcode.

But if he's using Compressor, there is an MPEG2 option, but I don't know what the settings are.

Sounds good - any Mac users out there who know of any software that can do this? I use FCP Studio which has Compressor for this type of thing but can't see any options for .ts.

Tried a Google too without any luck - must be there somewhere!

Thanks again, Mike

I have your exact same problem with exporting HDV to one of these HD players. I have tried lots of different settings with no luck. I dont use FCP but FCE. The only conversion that I know that works if if you save the file as MPEG 4 with H264.

I hate to say it, but these are the kinds of things that keep me away from apple products-limited 3rd party apps. Apple has great equipment but doesn't like to play nice with the other guys much of the time (apple's tv streamer for example).