Free AVCHD Lite video rotation software?

[Nimby]

Hi

Is there any free software which can rotate TZ7 HD videos?

I need the vertical format for some projects but PhotoFun auto-rotates the resulting video to the horizontal format.

Or is there another workaround I've missed in the instructions?

I've tried recording in the JPEG video option but Picasa sees them as 1280 x 720 stills.

Photofun downloads and plays them as videos but won't rotate these videos either.

Thanks

[CarlinsGhost]

I'm also interested in this. Made a lot of videos like this. There's probably something, just have to find it.

[shotokan101]

Check out Movie Rotator from this discussion :-

Editing / rotating AVCHD video from TZ7

Jim

[Nimby]

Sorry, I should have done a forum search first. Roo got in first.

£77 for video rotation software?

Blimey! I could put a downpayment on a spare Panasonic battery for that much.

With the interest in the TZ7 and other AVCHD video cameras I hope there will be free rotator software out sooner rather than later.

Perhaps the 1.3 firmware will add a switchable portrait/landscape menu choice? Or even fully auto, live format rotation? Instead of taking something away. (i.e.battery choice) What next? Only genuine Panasonic smart cards and (microchipped) camera cases compatible or the camera stops working?

[shotokan101]

Originally Posted by Nimby

Sorry, I should have done a forum search first. Roo got in first.

£77 for video rotation software?

Blimey! I could put a downpayment on a spare Panasonic battery for that much.

With the interest in the TZ7 and other AVCHD video cameras I hope there will be free rotator software out sooner rather than later.

Perhaps the 1.3 firmware will add a switchable portrait/landscape menu choice? Or even fully auto, live format rotation? Instead of taking something away. (i.e.battery choice) What next? Only genuine Panasonic smart cards and (microchipped) camera cases compatible or the camera stops working?

...movie rotator is freeware

Jim

[Nimby]

Originally Posted by shotokan101

...movie rotator is freeware

Jim

That may be true, Jim, but it clearly states it rotates Quicktime MOV files and nowt else.

[shotokan101]

Originally Posted by Nimby

That may be true, Jim, but it clearly states it rotates Quicktime MOV files and nowt else.

Sorry Nimby - I Ass-U-Me'd that from Brooktops comments the files were in .MOV format from the Panny

Jim

[Nimby]

Originally Posted by shotokan101

Sorry Nimby - I Ass-U-Me'd that from Brooktops comments the files were in .MOV format from the Panny

Jim

.mts

Free Video Converter should have converted .mts to .mov for Rotator to work on but I can't find any reference to .mts or .mov now I have it installed. Once converted to MPEG4(?) I can't even open the files it saves. FVC must be one of the most user-unfriendly programs I've ever come across.

This is crackers anyway having to go to so much trouble just to show portrait format videos. Why isn't it supported by the camera or PhotoFun?

[Nimby]

Originally Posted by Nimby

.mts

Free Video Converter should have converted .mts to .mov for Rotator to work on but I can't find any reference to .mts or .mov now I have it installed. Once converted to MPEG4(?) I can't even open the files it saves. FVC must be one of the most user-unfriendly programs I've ever come across.

This is crackers anyway having to go to so much trouble just to show portrait format videos. Why isn't it supported by the camera or PhotoFun?

EDIT: Hang on a mo..

I have VLC happily running the camera's output as .mov movies.
So I don't need further conversion.
How do I drag the .mov files from VLC into Movie Rotator?
Movie Rotator won't recognise anything I try.

[shotokan101]

Not sure I understand you - wher are you getting the .mov files output from ?

Jim

[Nimby]

Originally Posted by shotokan101

Not sure I understand you - wher are you getting the .mov files output from ?

Jim

I've done it!!

You must have the free download Movie Rotator program installed first.

Make portrait format movie in the MOTION JPEG HD mode on the TZ7 instead of AVCHD.

MOTION JPEG is selectable in the menus under MENU> FILM CAMERA OPTIONS> RECORDING MODE> MOTION JPEG

Download the portrait style video from the camera Memory Card into PhotoFunStudioHD.

MARK your .mov portrait video file and Save to Pictures using EDIT> COPY> Pictures> PASTE

Open Pictures .mov file and SELECT Movie Rotator to open file as default program.

ROTATE .mov file to taste.

COPY rotated file back into Pictures. (this happens by default if you just press COPY)

Open rotated .mov movie file from Pictures in player of your choice.

Player now shows HD video in the (tall) portrait mode.

<polite applause>

The original non-rotated file also stays in Pictures so you have to make sure you select the rotated file for showing or sharing.

[shotokan101]

Cool - a guide

Jim

[Nimby]

This is crazy! I rotated a portrait format Motion JPEG .mov file and the thumbnail appears correctly in Vista Pictures. It opens correctly in Movie Rotator and plays correctly in WMPClassic.

I thought I'd put it on YouTube to show it was possible. After waiting 40 minutes for the 120mB upload it has rotated back to landscape! Grr.

Now I find it opens as a landscape file in VLC too!

[Nimby]

An update:

After searching for the Movie Rotator "staying rotated" problem I found two recommendations for Free Video Flip and Rotate software.

The newly rotated file plays correctly in portrait format in several video players.

I haven't had time to have another upload trial to YouTube to check it remains in portrait mode and of true HD quality. It was a 40minute upload for a 34 second MOV video file upload yesterday.

Ideally I need to take a much better and shorter portrait video in Motion JPEG as a test piece. I'll report back when I have uploaded something to YouTube.

[A n d r e w]

While I think I do understand what you're trying to achieve, surely the solution (at least for future efforts) is to accept the reality - that video is wider than it is tall - as one of the limitations (or features, if you prefer) of shooting video - and then stick to shooting video in the traditional manner. Or am I alone in this?