Converting .TOD files for use in XBMC using FFMpeg

[duckredbeard]

This is my first post, go easy on me. I searched and was overwhelmed with all the stuff I found, but couldn't find one post that answered my questions completely. I'd have to piece it all together and I'm not quite comfortable with self navigation into projects such as this. Here's what's going on...

I salvaged a PC and got it up and running great. An older Dell with a P4 processor, 4GB RAM, running Vista 32 bit. The intention of this project was to build a PC for use as a Home Theater PC (HTPC) where I could connect to an HDTV and watch home videos. Home videos that were made with a JVC GZ-HD3U full HD camcorder. It records files in .TOD format. I got the PC all built up, connected to the TV just fine. As this PC was being revived, a neighbor turned me on to XBMC and I'm loving it for movies. Problem is that it doesn't recognize the .TOD files that the camcorder makes. Aaarrrrgggghhhhh. Just when I was loving the XBMC interface.

I have tried a few file conversion softwares, but they aren't very good. They strip much of the quality (remember, this is HD video) and I end up with a larger file that when I started. Changing the file name extensions made for some zigzaggy horizontal lines on moving subjects. I tried producing the video in Sony Vegas, but it made a 140MB file into a 5GB file. I certainly don't want to fill up a few hard drives with post produced files. I already have about 120GB of .TOD files.

It didn't take long to find this FFMpeg and that it would convert the .TOD to another file type. I even saw one claim that it would do nothing to degrade the quality, and actually reduce the file size (by just a little). I don't have that article bookmarked on this PC, I'll post it later if this is challenged.

So what I need is some simple assurance that this FFMpeg process is what I really need and that it isn't that hard to do. Can someone please point me in the right direction, where I can get what I need and what to do with "command lines" that everyone is talking about?

This would be soooo much easier if XBMC would accept .TOD files!

Thanks for your time

[Bjs]

Welcome duckredbeard

You mean this wiki sticky - claims no changes

"command: ffmpeg -i myclip.TOD -acodec copy -vcodec copy myclip.mpg"

[duckredbeard]

Yes...now how do I do that? Can this FFMpeg be used to bulk convert from various folders?

[poisondeathray]

Yes...now how do I do that? Can this FFMpeg be used to bulk convert from various folders?

You use it by opening the command line. Windows start menu => run => type "cmd" (without quotes) , and navigate to where ffmpeg.exe is by using "cd" for change directory . It's easier if ffmpeg.exe is in same directory as the files

I think you can do it per folder with a batch file e.g.

In notepad you can type:

for %%a in ("*.TOD") do ffmpeg -i %%a -vcodec copy -acodec copy %%~na.mpg

save as tod2mpg.bat in the same folder and just double click


This assumes that xbmc supports MPEG2 in MPEG-PS (ie. file.mpg) - (I have no idea if it does, I would test on 1 file before you waste a lot of time)

[duckredbeard]

Maybe I'm not spotting the obvious, but I can't even find a usable download link to install this FFMpeg. I see a few links at FFMpeg.com called tarball, but they don't open and install anything. I just need a .exe for windows. Somebody got an installation file?

[poisondeathray]

You don't "install" it. It's a binary (it's an .exe file). You can download pre-compile builds from below. (otherwise you have to compile it yourself from the sources)

http://ffmpeg.arrozcru.org/autobuilds/

[Bjs]

1: Go to here
2: Click on the down arrow for revision 24623
3: Click on FFmpeg-svn-24623.7z
4: Save to system
5: extract ffmpeg.exe ... save to desktop (it'll make finding it easy) ... use winzip or other compressed archive unpacker
6: Copy to directory where tod file is
7: Follow poisondeathray's advice

[duckredbeard]

I did all that and I did achieve a conversion. The video quality isn't good though. I ended up with a slightly smaller .mpg file that does play on XBMC. Any movement (such as my daughter running) gives me horizontal lines protruding from the subject. Kind of like the horizontal lines aren't synchronized (or stacked) vertically. Imagine a deck of cards that isn't stacked straight up.

Anyone else got an alternative?

[poisondeathray]

I did all that and I did achieve a conversion. The video quality isn't good though. I ended up with a slightly smaller .mpg file that does play on XBMC. Any movement (such as my daughter running) gives me horizontal lines protruding from the subject. Kind of like the horizontal lines aren't synchronized (or stacked) vertically. Imagine a deck of cards that isn't stacked straight up.

Anyone else got an alternative?

Do you mean interlaced ? It just copies the original video, so your original video was interlaced.

The original video stream or quality isn't altered - think of it as putting a video in 1 box, then taking it out and putting it into another box. There is no deterioration in quality, because it's not re-encoded

If you want to deinterlaced permanently, you have to re-encode

Or you can activate a deinterlacer during playback

[Kaizen 32]

I don't know anything about XBMC, but you can simply change the .TOD file extension to .m2ts and that will play in any media player I know of with the proper codec.