M2V Video Help

[beforethedawn]

I'm using a MacBook and I'm trying to create a DVD. I've downloaded files that have the extention .m2v at the end of them. Since I'm trying to make a movie, I tried to make the movie with iMovie, however it wouldn't accept the file. I tried using programs like DiVA but I only get the video from that. Is there a program that's able to convert .m2v files to .mov files without taking out the sound? A program that's non-chargeable and works from Mac computer.

[Baldrick]

Please post in our mac forum section. Moving you.

[Baldrick]

m2v is usually just video(mpeg2 video). Do you hear any audio if you play it?

And maybe you just need to rename it mpg and it you can open in imovie.

You can use mpeg streamclip to convert to mov but I wouldn't recommend it, it's best to just convert once to avoid losing video quality. And the m2v could already be dvd compliant so you don't need to convert at all.

[Frobozz]

As Baldrick points out there is no audio in a .m2v file. It is the video portion of what are called elementary streams. There needs to be a matching audio file.

MPEG Streamclip can export your .m2v to DV or full-quality QuickTime Movie for import to iMovie. Baldrick is incorrect that changing the extension of the file may allow it to be imported to iMovie.

[beforethedawn]

I've tried using all these programs but they won't play because they said that m2v wasn't a movie file. I downloaded VLC which is like a video player for any videos, and it plays full, will the audio and everything. I just need to convert it to something like .mov or .m4v so that I can import it into iMovie WITH the sound. I also do have the MPEG Streamclip program in my computer, but I don't know how to make it work.

[Frobozz]

If it has audio then it isn't an .m2v file. It is an .mpg file. Or else there is a matching audio file accompanying the .m2v.

To convert the file to a format acceptable to iMovie open it with MPEG Streamclip and choose the convert option you want from the File menu.

If you have Toast you can add it to the Video window, select it and choose Export. There you'll see your export options such as DV.

[beforethedawn]

I downloaded videos from here. http://everythingintime.com/video-frc.php I downloaded the video which saved as m2v. I needed the VLC player because it wouldn't open in iMovie. Can someone give me a step by steo guide in how to switch the .m2v to a .mov or a iMovie friendly video? Sorry if I'm asking for a lot.

[havema-1]

MPEG Streamclip reports the following info for one file on that site:

Stream: No Doubt - Live at Front Row Center, 2001 - 05 Hey Baby.m2v
Path: ~/Desktop/No Doubt - Live at Front Row Center, 2001 - 05 Hey Baby.m2v
Type: MPEG program stream

Duration: 0:03:32
Data Size: 70.56 MB
Bit Rate: 2.79 Mbps

Video Tracks:
224 MPEG-2, 480 × 480, 4:3, 29.97 fps, 2.52 Mbps, progressive

Audio Tracks:
192 MP2 stereo, 44.1 kHz, 224 kbps

Stream Files:
No Doubt - Live at Front Row Center, 2001 - 05 Hey Baby.m2v (70.56 MB)

...so the .m2v suffix should, in fact, be .mpg. It seems to be a SVCD NTSC file. MPEG Streamclip can readily convert it to an iMovie compatible .dv via "File/Export to DV.../Compression: DV (DV25)" -- in the same dialog box you should also tell MPEG Streamclip to resample audio to 48 kHz which DV (and DVD) use. You must buy the $20 MPEG2 Playback component from Apple because MPEG Streamclip needs it for MPEG2 support.

See also:

http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCD_on_a_Macintosh.html#edit_convert_MPEG

[beforethedawn]

Is there anything that I can use that won't cost? This computer isn't supposed to be used to purchase any software.

[havema-1]

If $20 is too much, then you must be prepared to some rough edges...

At the bottom of the previous link's chapter there are instructions how to convert .mpg to .dv with DiVA and handle the audio with some free tools.

Another option would be to use HandBrake to convert to .mp4 and feed that to iMovie (the detour to .mp4 will cost some quality).

Or use the CLI tools.

[tomlee59]

Here are some additional possibilities:

1) Use VLC to transcode that file into a DVD-compliant one. VLC is more than just a player; it can convert video from many formats into many other formats. It's free. Read VLCs documentation to learn more about its transcoding options.

2) Burn that file directly as SVCD (I would recommend changing the filename extension from m2v to mpg, however). A great many standalone DVD players can play SVCDs. This approach doesn't require any re-encoding of the clip, so no quality degradation will occur. You can use the freeware MissingMpegTools http://www.angelfire.com/mac/rnc/files/MMT.html to produce a burnable image. Btw, this tool can also take the output of option 1) above to create a burnable DVD image, if you go that route.

Both of these options cost nothing. The software is totally free (not even shareware or trialware). Just read the associated documentation, and you should be good to go.

[dnix71]

Tele2DVD did it in 10 seconds!!! It made a dmg file, which ctrl-click mounted as a disc with all the parts needed to burn as a standard dvd.

Get it here for free: http://homepage.mac.com/andreaepicoco/software_en.html

I downloaded the 90.1 mb file "Don't Speak" and nothing that comes with Tiger wanted this file because I don't have the mp2 components for Quicktime (they cost money).

I renamed the file .mpg first, I don't know if that matters.

[Frobozz]

Fine, but the question is how to import it to iMovie. For that it stills needs to be converted from MPEG 2 to DV, Quicktime Movie or MPEG 4.

[tomlee59]

Fine, but the question is how to import it to iMovie. For that it stills needs to be converted from MPEG 2 to DV, Quicktime Movie or MPEG 4.

Well, it's not entirely obvious that this is true. The OP stated the desire to make a DVD out of the downloaded SVCD file. It sounded to me as if iMovie was just one path to that end goal, not a goal in itself. Perhaps the OP could clarify whether this is in fact the case.

[Frobozz]

Well, it's not entirely obvious that this is true. The OP stated the desire to make a DVD out of the downloaded SVCD file. It sounded to me as if iMovie was just one path to that end goal, not a goal in itself. Perhaps the OP could clarify whether this is in fact the case.

Ahhh, I bet you're right. I never could figure out why the OP wanted to put this in iMovie but I figured it was going to be edited into some home movie project. If the goal is just to get it on a video DVD then you've found a good solution to the problem.

[beforethedawn]

Thanks for your help but I'm not getting any luck, okay. I tried using Tele2DVD to make a .dmg however it wasn't able to import into iMovie. I changed it from m2v to mpg which hasn't had any effect on the files whatsoever. And I didn't have any luck with VLC. I tried to change it to a M4V but it wouldn't play afterwards. Sorry guys. Oh, the MissingMPEGTools thing didn't really work. I didn't have Terminal.app. Any more help?

[tomlee59]

For us to help you, you have to help us by clarifying what your actual objective is. Is your end goal to burn a disc playable in a DVD player? Do you need to do any editing, or just a straightforward burn to disc? Is your persistent mention of iMovie a reflection of a real need for iMovie, or do you just feel it is a convenient intermediate step on your way to the ultimate goal? From comments posted by others, you can see that we are not at all sure what you're really trying to do.

And when you say "I tried x, but it didn't work," that's useless to us. If you really want help, you're going to have to provide more information, such as "When I tried x, it produced a file with out of sync sound, but ok video." Just saying "it didn't work" helps us not a whit.

[dnix71]

If you give Tele2DVD the original downloaded clip, just have it make an image from the file. Rename the clip beforehand as an .mpg if you need to. Under Prefs choose NTSC or PAL, where you want the image saved and the target media.

The resulting dmg is a UDF dvd data image that can be burned from the OS X Disk Utility as an image file.

It will have the correct structure to be played on a tabletop dvd.

The file on the right is the original, the middle is Tele2DVD's dmg, the right disc is the dmg mounted, below show Disk Utility, bottom right is the content of the mounted disk.

[beforethedawn]

Okay my goal is to change the video from .mpg to an .m4v or an iMovie friendly file. I wanna try to crop it and to export it into iDVD so I can burn it to a DVD-RW disk.

[dnix71]

You mean like this? I converted the file to an mp4 using VLC first, note the sample settings. I then offered the file to iMovie and it happily imported it.