Panasonic TZ7 AVCHD Video Problem

MorningGlory90 · 11-06-2009, 4:47 PM

Firstly this might seem like a thread bashing the AVCHD Lite format, well it is not really a complaint as I think the whole camera and video are fantastic, I don't plan to edit my videos when putting them up on YouTube anyway, I just want to play them really.

Anyway, here's the problem I have which I hope isn't bad to the point where I may have lost some important files.

Yesterday I went to a concert to try out this fantastic camera and I got some great stuff I was happy with.

Now today I've been finding a way to play my video files, so I downloaded VLC Media Player and hooray it played them.

Here's where the problem comes in though, out of the 18 full length videos I got, 4 of them oddly don't play on the VLC Player, all it does is open then shows nothing, with no sound or anything with the little length bar lasting about half a minute (what I filmed is longer than that). These videos also played on it fine a bit ago too.

What is even more odd is that these 4 videos when going into my camera gallery part on the actual camera itself to playback, they play fine, no sound issues or anything. The file sizes still show as being the full thing, but now they just don't play for some reason on the VLC player. They'll probably play on YouTube, but just not there.

I hope this problem is not too serious and any ideas and pointers would really help as I really am stumped at the moment.

Thanks.

dave_bass5 · 12-06-2009, 9:59 AM

Hi mate.
Try downloading CCCP Combined Community Codec Pack, I find this is better for .mts files than VLC although both should play them fine.
CCCP includes media player classic and this is my preferred playback software when not using Windows 7.
I would also re import those 4 files or at least re boot your computer.
Im pretty sure you will need to convert these files before uploading to youtube.
What was the concert?

MorningGlory90 · 12-06-2009, 12:29 PM

Thanks mate! Your a star! The codec works and plays them fine with the extensions on Windows Media Player. However I am re-copying and pasting them all from the camera just to make sure.

As for uploading to YouTube, it does actually accept .MTS files as I uploaded one of the vids last night without problem, however the rest I've tried don't but again might be different once I have transferred them all again. I've not tried the Photofunstudio software that came with the camera either so I might try uploading them using that. Even so, converting might be better. Can you recommened any good converting program that basically retains all of the videos HD quality (sound, size, frame rate etc) please?

As for the concert, it was an Oasis concert in Sunderland with support acts on Wednesday 10th June. I got one video of one of the support groups I like Kasabian doing Fire in full length HD, this was the one that uploaded to YouTube fine as a .MTS file which you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGltuIbZTL0

I might give the re-uploaded Oasis videos one more try by testing a file of one of the many songs I got, and if YouTube has an error with that then best thing to do would be to convert from the looks of it.

I might upload some pictures I got here as well, it would be good since it would show how diverse the TZ7 is too, you can pretty much do anything with this camera in my opinion.

MorningGlory90 · 15-06-2009, 4:13 PM

Just an update I managed to solve my problem without converting. I tried again today uploading in the raw .MTS format again and the first Oasis video uploaded successfully. I'm now beginning to think you just have to keep trying and hope it uploads. Because the files are so big I reckon it's probably just the connection/server sometimes going off a bit so now I just have to hope when uploading there are no interruptions.

Thanks anyway for recommending the CCCP, I can now watch all of them fine on my computer and slowly but surely get them all uploaded to YouTube now.

dave_bass5 · 15-06-2009, 4:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorningGlory90

Just an update I managed to solve my problem without converting. I tried again today uploading in the raw .MTS format again and the first Oasis video uploaded successfully. I'm now beginning to think you just have to keep trying and hope it uploads. Because the files are so big I reckon it's probably just the connection/server sometimes going off a bit so now I just have to hope when uploading there are no interruptions.

Thanks anyway for recommending the CCCP, I can now watch all of them fine on my computer and slowly but surely get them all uploaded to YouTube now.

It looks like it was a good gig.
I find YT a bit hit or miss sometimes but glad you got it working. Ill have a look when they are all uploaded.

While CCCP is good using CoreAVC is even smoother although it costs about £14 i think.
I run this on both my PC and Netbook (both with Windows 7) and even on the netbook my TZ7 files are quite smooth. Windows 7 actually supports .mts in WMP12 now but using coreAVC i see an improvement. Not a lot but enough to make the files watchable.

MorningGlory90 · 15-06-2009, 4:48 PM

Thanks for that, I did actually buy CoreAVC but it was the cheaper standard edition, looks like I should have purchased the Professional Edition for £14, doh! Oh well, I might consider upgrading to that anyway because as you said it really does play the AVCHD format very nicely from what I've read.

It's interesting you mentioned Windows 7 and Media Player 12 being able to play them too, as when my new Laptop comes soon (my previous one just broke down and also I don't want Vista again, I'm using the Deskop with XP at present), it has Windows 7 which I'll be using from then on, so it should be interesting, I might do some playing around, although from the looks of it CoreAVC again seems to do the best job at playing them.

I'll update this thread when all the videos are successfully uploaded.

EDIT: Videos are uploading nicely now. I've fully worked out the problem and it's become obviously embarassing now that I look at it. It stopped uploading because the computer had previously been set to go on standby after 15 minutes of non use which kept happening a lot, so when I re-enter my log back into Windows password it stops uploading. I've changed that now so uploading shall now be quicker and easier!

MorningGlory90 · 21-06-2009, 8:42 PM

Right, I've managed to get all the videos up now after all that time. Took a while but given the quality worth the wait. The last/latest video of Champagne Supernova won't show in HD yet at the time of this post as it has not been long since I uploaded it.

Anyway, here a link to one of them and then I'll just give a link to my profile to see the rest of the Oasis Sunderland videos I got.

YouTube - Oasis My Big Mouth Live Sunderland Stadium Of Light 10/06/2009 HD

YouTube - MorningGlory1995's Channel

Phew! Glad all that is finished now, and hopefully this will help people show what the video mode is like on the TZ7 in AVCHD Lite set on SuperHigh.

dave_bass5 · 22-06-2009, 2:38 PM

Great footage, thanks for posting them. Just working my way through them now.
I really need to go and see a big band and shoot some footage.