Free AVCHD Lite video rotation software?

Nimby · 30-09-2009, 10:06 AM

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 · 30-09-2009, 1:11 PM

I'm also interested in this. Made a lot of videos like this.

There's probably something, just have to find it.

shotokan101 · 30-09-2009, 1:17 PM

Check out Movie Rotator from this discussion :-

http://www.avforums.com/forums/digit...video-tz7.html

Jim

Nimby · 30-09-2009, 3:52 PM

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 · 30-09-2009, 3:57 PM

Quote:

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 · 30-09-2009, 4:13 PM

Quote:

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 · 30-09-2009, 4:18 PM

Quote:

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 · 30-09-2009, 5:34 PM

Quote:

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 · 30-09-2009, 6:03 PM

Quote:

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 · 30-09-2009, 11:15 PM

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

Jim

Nimby · 01-10-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

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.

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 · 01-10-2009, 12:13 PM

Cool - a guide

Jim

Nimby · 01-10-2009, 4:15 PM

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 · 02-10-2009, 9:40 AM

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* · 02-10-2009, 11:58 AM

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?

shotokan101 · 02-10-2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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?

I think it's called "creativity"

- surely you've taken some "Landscape" shots in "Portrait" format ?

Jim

**senu** · 02-10-2009, 12:33 PM

Not in video...

Saying that you can crop video in software to alter its " orientation " but doing it by turning the camera ( as you would with stills) is say, a little complicating

shotokan101 · 02-10-2009, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by senu

Not in video...

Saying that you can crop video in software to alter its " orientation " but doing it by turning the camera ( as you would with stills) is say, a little complicating

Ah - but as a wise man once said - even just today on another discussion here - "it's all about composition"

....but having said that I've never done so myself either but now that it's been brought to my attention I can think of situations where it might have "worked".

Jim

**senu** · 02-10-2009, 12:45 PM

Video is funny in that. Many of the creative things we do with stills simply look really odd in motion pictures
What is true is that even with movies composition is very essential but I have used camcorders now for 13 years ( from the 8mm oldies) to current day and find that even diagonal shots ( which I dont like in stills), let alone vertical ) are prone to giving one a headache while trying to watch them and people generally dont twist thier heads trying to view things in real life, do they?

Somehow we get away with it in photography quite well

shotokan101 · 02-10-2009, 12:56 PM

I get your points - I certainly couldn't imagine sitting through a feature length movie in that format - I guess the proof of the pudding will be when Nimby posts the link to his masterpiece

Jim

Nimby · 02-10-2009, 1:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotokan101

I get your points - I certainly couldn't imagine sitting through a feature length movie in that format - I guess the proof of the pudding will be when Nimby posts the link to his masterpiece

Jim

I take tall videos of very tall clocks.
I take tall videos of tall astronomical telescopes on even taller piers.
I take tall videos of very tall subwoofers and slightly shorter loudspeakers.
I take tall videos of tall trees.
People are tall and thin too.
It would make perfect sense to make tall videos of only one person.
Next question?

**senu** · 02-10-2009, 1:14 PM

Move backwards or get a wide angle lens then crop the video in software

Saying that you can combine vertical stills with "normal" video to make the point

PS>> What is a tall subwoofer?

does it give you a " high" low frequency sound

?
Short speaker... low and mid high sound?
Im a liitle confused!

Nimby · 02-10-2009, 1:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by senu

Move backwards or get a wide angle lens then crop the video in software

A seven feet tall clock filmed from 4 feet away indoors?

Quote:

Saying that you can combine vertical stills with "normal" video to make the point

Today I am a film director.

Not a photographer.

Quote:

PS>> What is a tall subwoofer?

does it give you a " high" low frequency sound

?
Short speaker... low and mid high sound?
I'm a little confused!

Yes. I noticed.

Here's a clue:

A True Infinite Baffle Subwoofer: The big lift

'Nuff said?

**senu** · 02-10-2009, 1:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimby

A seven feet tall clock filmed from 4 feet away indoors?

Yep with a wide angle lens...

Quote:

Today I am a film director.

Not a photographer.

Skills can be transferred , you know

Quote:

Yes. I noticed.

Here's a clue:

A True Infinite Baffle Subwoofer: The big lift

'Nuff said?

Thanks
It isnt wife friendly though, ( and that counts in my household) and I wonder what the niegbours would say when that goes off on full blast!

You dont use those in flats , though do you?

!

Nimby · 02-10-2009, 5:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by senu

Yep with a wide angle lens...

And thirty minutes to cover the entire clock in thin vertical slices? Nice.

Quote:

Skills can be transferred , you know

My skills are happy where they are, thankyou very much.

Quote:

It isn't wife friendly though, (and that counts in my household) and I wonder what the neighbours would say when that goes off on full blast!

You don't use those in flats , though do you?

!

Only in the sense that my wife wishes it were louder than a live rock concert.

We live rural detached and all our neighbours smell of sulphur and have glowing red eyes.

**senu** · 02-10-2009, 7:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimby

And thirty minutes to cover the entire clock in thin vertical slices?

Really TALL clock!

!

Quote:

My skills are happy where they are, thankyou very much.

Yeah man

Quote:

Only in the sense that my wife wishes it were louder than a live rock concert.

We live rural detached and all our neighbours smell of sulphur and have glowing red eyes.

Nice....

!

Nimby · 03-10-2009, 2:44 PM

A test upload from the TZ7 using Motion JPEG then rotated in "Free Video Flip and Rotate" from DVDVideosoft's range.

It still looks fairly sharp in full screen. (in HD)

YouTube - TZ7 indoor video of PO36 master clock.