Camcorder that outputs .MP4 Files

[neo2600]

I just got a Canon Vixia HF200. I got it because it said it outputed MPEG4 Video. The only output format is .MTS?! files. After spending a whole day and trying a just about every program availble to remux (not re-encode) .mts files into .mp4 files without any luck. I am taking this thing back.

Before I go through this again does anyone know of a consumer level camcorder that outputs .MP4 files.

I need a camera that outputs 1920x1080 at at least 30 fps progressive.

As a side if anyone has a solution for my MTS->MP4 remuxing issues I would appreciate that as well.

Thanks in advance.

[Soopafresh]

MP4 and MTS are containers - like an envelope in which you place your audio and video. In the case of the HF200, the video is h264 and the audio is AC3. To remux into an MP4 container requires several steps because AC3 support in an MP4 container is still kind of flaky.


Step 1

[neo2600]

Yes I understand and I have tried TSMuxer. After that I end up with a .264 and a .ac3 file.

What tool do you recommend to MUX the .MP4 file?

Every one that I have tried end up outputing garbage at worst or an MP4 file without sound at best.

[Soopafresh]

Your problem is an AC3 support inside of MP4 is a new invention. Technically it's supported but it's still "fresh out of the oven". You need to convert the AC3 to WAV or MP3 or AAC then mux into MP4 using YAMB.

yamb-1.6.zip

Convert the AC3 to WAV or M4A with Audacity. See link below for the correct version and ffmpeg plugin.

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/29/audacity-1-3-6-beta-adds-support-for-editing-w...4a-audio-file/

Aiptek makes HD camcorders that output MP4 but they're not as good as your HF200. Actually, it's MOV, but remuxing to MP4 via Yamb is a breeze.


Edit - Here's an MP4 muxer that might be able to mux AC3
my%20mp4box%20gui%20v0.4.9.1.rar

[neo2600]

Awesome!! this is very helpful.

I got audacity and converted the audio to M4A. Now what I get is a video that has audio but constantly "twitches" and there are multicolored blocks all over. This was the same result I got when I remuxed the video without any audio at all.

[Soopafresh]

Weird, that should work without a hitch. Try playing the MP4 file with MPC Home Cinema or VLC.

https://www.videohelp.com/tools/Media_Player_Classic_Home_Cinema

[neo2600]

It's actually worst there. I intermittently get green screens

MP4Muxer just gives me a greeen screen with the same noise patttern.

I have uploaded the videos to youtube.

This is the original MTS file

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqRI0IOyDus

The later is the one that came out of the one with the audacity track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S9OnT_L-XI

Even after youtube processed it you can still see the twitch and youtube has dropped the audio track.

[Soopafresh]

Wow, that's pretty odd. How about trying another container, such as MKV ?

MKVmerge

[neo2600]

MKV seems to work better. The video is playing in slow motion out of sync with the Audio. But it warned me it couldn't set the framerate automatically. I believe that I could probably correct that with a combination of settings. However the MKV files aren't very useful to me.

[neo2600]

I was able to write out a good MKV file by building my own Filter Graph in GraphEdit using the Haali filters. But like I said the the MKV files aren't what I need.

[pepegot1]

You must like pain. Stay with SD, unless you do not care to edit your video and just dump it into the tv.The speed and ease with which I can make movies has no parallel in HD. At 10 feet or more, who cares? If you like to push the envelope-that's a different story.

[neo2600]

I need the HD quality, I am not using this camera for home movies.

I tried setting the Haali filters to MP4. I get a file that plays perfect, but most software says in an invalid file and when I upload to youtube chokes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVU-Pf2hh84

To be honest I am pretty amazed that playing video back on a computer is still the "wild west" after all these years.

[Soopafresh]

Try this, it'll re-encode but at a high enough bitrate that it'll be difficult to see the difference, especially once it's on Youtube

mts2mp4.zip

Copy MTS to folder, double click on .BAT file


Voila

[neo2600]

I get an MP4 that works but it seems like the video has been re-encoded.

[neo2600]

Thank you so much for your help.

By now I guess you realize my frustration, that re-muxing from MTS->MP4 is incredibly cumbersome if not practically impossible.

Which brings me back to my orginal question....

Is there a HD camera that outputs .MP4 files directly, or possibly even outputs uncompressed video (that doesn't cost $10k)? Manufacturers seem to be really evasive about this. I know it isn't impractical because those little "Flip" cameras do it.

Thanks.

[neo2600]

If anyone is interested

Apparantly Samsung camcorders output video in MP4 format.

Here is the HMX-H104 which is about the same price as the Canon VIXIA HF200

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/photography/camcorders/high-definition/HMX-H104BN/X...l&tab=features

Thanks again eveyone.

[Soopafresh]

No problem, although there must be something up with your codecs on your PC. All of the test remuxes I did worked flawlessly - no blocks or artifacts at all.

A "quality" camera that outputs h264 mov files is the $1500 Canon 7D