Problem opening security camera video files

[astute]

For our building we have a commission which maintains the building.
We also have a security camera system, which was installed about 6 years ago.

But I have a problem opening the video files from the system.

I can copy them as .MP4 files but no common Mac program seems to be able to play it (I tried VLC, Mplayer and Quicktime).

For Windows there is a playback application called: VSPlayer.exe
But I don't have any Windows available, and installing Bootcamp just for that seems a bit extreme.

Anyone any idea how I can find out which codec it is using and which piece of software would be able to play it?

Let me know if you want a copy of a file to check it out, drop me a DM and I will e-mail a file to you.

[Cornucopia]

Not that extreme.

But you could use MediaInfo/MediaInspector on the file and post the text output here...

Scott

[astute]

Not that extreme.

But you could use MediaInfo/MediaInspector on the file and post the text output here...

Scott

I can't, as Quicktime/VLC or what ever doesn't even recognize it as a video file.
The manufacturer which produces the DVR for the security system seems to be: http://www.hikvision.com/

[Cornucopia]

Then take the file to a PC and use MediaInfo there.

I note that on that site there is a Downloadable Directshow(?) Filter for Decoding/displaying in WMP and other players. That could come in handy (on a PC at least).

Scott

[astute]

MediaInfo doesn't seem to do much more with it either... https://www.box.com/shared/cc98f9e951134357b45c

[edDV]

The security DVR should have an export mode.

[Cornucopia]

I don't think you have MI set up right (or some other app usurped it's shellextender). Or you have a corrupted file...

Scott

later edit: encrypted could be considered a form of corruption.

[aedipuss]

The security DVR should have an export mode.

eddv is right. you can't just copy the files off the hard drive. 99% use encrypted video. the surv. program has to export a separate video to be able to view elsewhere. it prevents someone without the proper password from viewing the videos.

[funkytwig]

It's actually fairly easy, you don't even have to transcode it (as such) but you do need to rewrite the header from MPEG-PS to MPEG-4. Then PP will import.

You need to install https://www.ffmpeg.org/ and do the following

ffmpeg -filename.mp4 -flags +global_header -vcodec copy -acodec copy filename_converted.mp4

it's very quick as it copies rather than encoding.

You can even delete the original after as it is basically exactly the same video payload with a rewritten header.

This works for Hickvivion IP cameras, if DVR cameras have the same problem this should work.

Enjoy.