JVC Everio editing?

Tenex · 28-07-2009, 10:46 AM

I've been looking at the Everio range from memory card to HD (eg.MS100/120 and MG330) and despite downloading the manuals can't work out if the recordings are editable in iMovie on a Mac. For example the 330 manual says it records in .mod and can be edited in iMovie but the 334 does not. The 630 appears not. The memory card models also appear to record in the same format but make no reference to editing at all.

Can anyone enlighten me?

*A n d r e w* · 28-07-2009, 2:04 PM

I know that some (all?) of the Everios have a docking cradle with firewire output, which means capturing in real time.

Aside from that, all I've heard is a litany of woe regarding editing .mod files on a Mac (an issue which of course doesn't arise if you import as DV over firewire).

Hooky · 29-07-2009, 8:25 AM

Tenex,

All Everio Camcorders are compatible with iMovie. It all depends on the recording format. I've tested quite a few so here are my results.

Recording Format: .MOD (Standard Def)
Software Used: iMovie 08/09 Both Work fine.
Operating System: OSX 10.4 and 10.5

Recording Format: .TOD (High Def MPEG 2) Mainly GZ-HD7 format but was used on a couple of other models.
Software Used: iMovieHD (Was a free download for iMovie08 customers) This worked fine but you can not use iMovie08 to edit .TOD. As yet iMovie09 is untested.
Operating System: OSX 10.4 and 10.5

Recording Format: .M2TS (High Def AVCHD MPEG 4 format) Used on all newer JVC HD camcorders.
Software Used: iMovie 08 Had a few issues but 09 Worked fine.
Operating System: OSX 10.4 and 10.5

This is all the formats JVC currently use on their camcorders. (as far a I know).

You do not get any software with the Everio so you must use iMovie. Just make sure you use the right version and you keep it updated.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

Hooky

Tenex · 29-07-2009, 8:35 AM

Thanks Hooky the manuals are less than helpful to say the least.

Will look into the firewire cradle connection too.

Hooky · 30-07-2009, 8:07 AM

I wouldnt use the firewire cradle connection option. First of all only a very, very limited number of models come with this cradle. If it doesnt come with it then you can not buy it as an optional extra as only the models that come with it are designed to use it. Plus Firewire is a real time conversion process, which means that one hour recording will take 1 hour to transfer from your camera and so on... Where as if you use USB its instant.

Heres another reason not to use Firewire, when you transfer the .MOD files via USB the size will remain the same from the camera to your HDD but firewire files will be a lot bigger. So unless you've got some serious free space on your mac use the USB option. Plugging in an external drive doesnt work very well either when you try to edit your footage.

I've tried all these methods and can assure you that Firewire is NOT the way to go on the JVC Everio camcorders. Best sticking with iMovie and USB.

Hooky · 04-08-2009, 10:31 AM

If you like you can check out my video on uTube

YouTube - JVC Everio to Mac Guide

it really is that simple

theronkinator · 05-08-2009, 5:15 PM

I use SDcopy:
Download link
http://zyvid.com/smf/index.php?actio...c=280.0;id=219

It has an official site but I can't find it atm, basically it batch converts/renames all the files to .mpeg so they can be edited in most things, does it really quickly aswell, use it at work with our camera.

z00k · 06-08-2009, 3:06 PM

Hi all!

I'm new to this whole video thing, so please don't hurt me

@Hooky:
After importing my videos using the way you described in your video, the quality of my imported videos is really bad. I guess this is because of the automatic conversion to some QuickTime format by iMovie.

Is there anyway to keep the original quality?

I'd love to use my videos in Adobe Premiere. For that I tried simple renaming the .mod files to .mpeg --> Worked fine.

But there is one thing I just don't get: In my original .mod files (and of course in the renamed mpeg files) are these strange horizontal lines. It's really hard to describe them. Those lines are gone after importing my videos with iMovie 09.

Does anyone know whats up with those lines?

Thanks in advance

greetings

z00k

theronkinator · 06-08-2009, 6:09 PM

Try use sdcopy that I linked to above.

z00k · 06-08-2009, 6:37 PM

Sorry, forgot to tell you: I'm using Mac OS X

But I can copy the mod files directly to my hard drive. But then I have these weird lines in the videos.

greetings

Hooky · 11-08-2009, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z00k

Hi all!

I'm new to this whole video thing, so please don't hurt me

@Hooky:
After importing my videos using the way you described in your video, the quality of my imported videos is really bad. I guess this is because of the automatic conversion to some QuickTime format by iMovie.

Is there anyway to keep the original quality?

I'd love to use my videos in Adobe Premiere. For that I tried simple renaming the .mod files to .mpeg --> Worked fine.

But there is one thing I just don't get: In my original .mod files (and of course in the renamed mpeg files) are these strange horizontal lines. It's really hard to describe them. Those lines are gone after importing my videos with iMovie 09.

Does anyone know whats up with those lines?

Thanks in advance

greetings

z00k

Not sure why you've lost quailty. I've not really noticed any loss when I've imported the video.

As for the lines I've no idea I'm afriad? are they on the footage when played on the camera or only on playback on the mac?

z00k · 11-08-2009, 11:16 AM

Hi

The videos look just fine when viewing them on my cam. Also the stripes are not visible when I import the videos using iMovie. It looks like some kind of codec error I guess.

When I use iMovie to import my videos they look "ok" but there is definitely a quality loss. Like I said, I guess that is because of the QuickTime codec, iMovie uses by default.

What software do you use to edit your videos? Just iMovie or maybe also anything else?

Thanks ins advance

greetings

Hooky · 11-08-2009, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z00k

Hi

The videos look just fine when viewing them on my cam. Also the stripes are not visible when I import the videos using iMovie. It looks like some kind of codec error I guess.

When I use iMovie to import my videos they look "ok" but there is definitely a quality loss. Like I said, I guess that is because of the QuickTime codec, iMovie uses by default.

What software do you use to edit your videos? Just iMovie or maybe also anything else?

Thanks ins advance

greetings

I just use iMovie nothing else.

z00k · 11-08-2009, 11:58 AM

Hmm I really want to use Adobe Premiere because I worked with it before.

By the way, I made a screenshot of the video with the 'stripes' so you can see what I'm talking about.

Have you ever seen anything like this before? I have no clue where to start.

I tried to google this but it's really hard to describe what the picture looks like.

Hooky · 11-08-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z00k

Hmm I really want to use Adobe Premiere because I worked with it before.

By the way, I made a screenshot of the video with the 'stripes' so you can see what I'm talking about.

Have you ever seen anything like this before? I have no clue where to start.

I tried to google this but it's really hard to describe what the picture looks like.

OK so let me get this right. The lines only seem to appear after you've renamed the files to .mpeg? Like you say I presume its a codec error.

I guess the only way around this is to use some third party converter as mentioned by someone else. This would then import into Adobe.

Although again by doing this you will still lose quailty. I suppose if its less loss than iMovie I guess its acceptable?

z00k · 11-08-2009, 12:13 PM

I tried to convert the MOD files with a couple of converters. The stripes still exist if I convert the video into some other MPEG-2 format.

They disappear when I convert them into mp4 for example. But then the quality is bad again.

Hooky · 11-08-2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z00k

I tried to convert the MOD files with a couple of converters. The stripes still exist if I convert the video into some other MPEG-2 format.

They disappear when I convert them into mp4 for example. But then the quality is bad again.

mmm sounds very odd.

What are you playing the .MOD files with? (VLC, Quicktime, Abobe etc..)

So they are ok when you import then, ok when you watch them on the camera and only appear to be strobing when?

1. When you convert the file from .MOD into an MPEG using some third party software.

2. When you rename the file to .MPEG

Then if you convert to MP4 they playback fine but you get a higher quality loss.

ok so where do we go now... mmm well tbh I've no idea.

I guess you need to find a tool that will convert the .MOD into a format that Adobe can read with as little loss as possible.

Have you tried the solution that someone gave earlier in this thread?

z00k · 12-08-2009, 8:26 AM

I'm using VLC to play the video files but I tried other players as well.

If I just copy the files from my camera to my hard drive and play them in VLC they are already "broken". And they still are when I rename them to .mpeg or convert them to some other mpeg-2 format.

I used ffmpegX to convert the .mod files into almost any possible video format.
Either I still have the stripes in my files after the conversion or the video quality gets bad.

The tool described earlier in this thread was some Windows software.

I looked at the video files again. It looks to me as when there two incomplete frames shown at once, but one is moved aside a little. But thats just my very amateur opinion

greetings

Hooky · 12-08-2009, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z00k

I'm using VLC to play the video files but I tried other players as well.

If I just copy the files from my camera to my hard drive and play them in VLC they are already "broken". And they still are when I rename them to .mpeg or convert them to some other mpeg-2 format.

I used ffmpegX to convert the .mod files into almost any possible video format.
Either I still have the stripes in my files after the conversion or the video quality gets bad.

The tool described earlier in this thread was some Windows software.

I looked at the video files again. It looks to me as when there two incomplete frames shown at once, but one is moved aside a little. But thats just my very amateur opinion

greetings

That actually sounds right to me.

You can use VLC options and maybe select de-interlace. (BOB, Blend, Weave etc..) This may clear it up for you?

z00k · 13-08-2009, 7:44 AM

You are right. If I select the different deinterlace options, some of them make the stripes disappear. But then the edges of the filmed things seem a little blurry. Almost the same effect like when I convert the video to .mp4 for example.

But is this really the best quality I can expect from my camera? I really doubt it

The settings in my camera are set to the highest quality of course.

greetings

Hooky · 13-08-2009, 8:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z00k

You are right. If I select the different deinterlace options, some of them make the stripes disappear. But then the edges of the filmed things seem a little blurry. Almost the same effect like when I convert the video to .mp4 for example.

But is this really the best quality I can expect from my camera? I really doubt it

The settings in my camera are set to the highest quality of course.

greetings

Its not your camera dude! Its the tools your using to playback the video.

You have already said that it plays fine on the camera plus it plays fine in iMovie. Its the playback in VLC or other software thats giving you a problem.

Have you tried importing it into Adobe and rendering it? Then look at the outcome?