User:Bjordan/1CC Camera

Using the Canon FS100 A under Mac OS X (and Linux)

This wiki page contains information on converting the .MOD files used by many SD-based video devices (such as Canon and JVC camcorders) to any format supported by ffmpeg. I am planning to expand this to include a console/shell (python?) script that will automate import/copying and ffmpeg converting of these files.

I would especially appreciate (on this or the discussion page):

• Suggestions of video formats to use for iMovie / Final Cut Pro editing
• Your experiences with .MOD files
• Suggestions of SD-based cameras with out of the box iMovie/QT/FCP support

/Audio /Formatting

The 1CC video camera is a Canon FS100 A. A few well thought-out reviews

Quote from reviews:

Too bad because shallow lens setting makes it susceptible to glare.

The Mac, with iMovie '08 running, Will Import your files - but Only If:
* Only if the camera is plugged in and charging (Genius, Canon! Genius. Binding us to a power-supply. Genius, thoughtful, pure, pure genius.)
* Only if you turn the camera to the "video Play" mode, once attached via USB umbilical to the computer...
* And then, Only if you select the correct "output" source - You'll be asked - on the camera's fold-out viewer,
to choose the "output" source: DVD or Printer/PC. 

The best way to do this is just go to Apple downloads and get MPEG2 WORKS 4 it is shareware and cost 25.00 to buy .You can play your videos instantly without converting ,your videos will have sound and you can convert to any format and even send to QT. I had already used all these other work arounds ,but this one makes them all irrelevant .Try it you’ll like it.

I noticed some serious light glare when we were at MNN, using their studio lights. I physically moved/angled the camera until there were no glaring lights causing vertical lines on the picture. TODO: make glare reducing ring around camera's lens.

Positives: Small, records onto SD (which the XO has a slot for), and has a USB port that makes the camera act as an SD card reader

Negatives: Camera wants you to use its proprietary (Windows) movie editor, naming its video files .MOD.

Instructions on using these .MOD files on a Mac are available here. This suggests using ffmpegX

Steps for Scripting

# Step 1 - get DarwinPorts 
sudo su
port install ffmpeg
# Crap, encountered DarwinPorts Bug 14960
# Old version of ffmpeg?
port -d sync
port clean ffmpeg
port install ffmpeg

ffmpeg -i MOV001.MOD -target ntsc-dv video.dv
$ ls -alh
-rwxr-xr-x    1 olpcgues  olpcgues       100M Jun 16 20:49 MOV001.MOD # Original mpeg2
-rw-r--r--    1 olpcgues  olpcgues       386M Jun 16 20:49 video.dv # Converted to RAW
# RAW Tested as playable in OS X Finder preview, Quicktime, iMovie

# Recorded ~20 minute long clip... was placed in only one .MOD file (GOOD!)
cp /Volumes/NO\ NAME/SD_VIDEO/PRG001/*.MOD . # About 45 seconds to copy w/ card reader
ffmpeg -i MOV001.MOD -target ntsc-dv clip.dv # Started at 9:16 PM
# 9:24 PM... done (but missed end)
ls -alh
-rwxr-xr-x   1 olpcgues  olpcgues        503M Jun 16 21:16 MOV001.MOD # Note: small because image was static
-rw-r--r--   1 olpcgues  olpcgues          3G Jun 16 21:24 clip.dv # .dv is huge

MOD file analysis

.MOD file console output (via mplayer):

MPlayer dev-SVN-r21482-4.0.1 (C) 2000-2006 MPlayer Team
CPU: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU            5150  @ 2.66GHz (Family: 6, Model: 15, Stepping: 6)
CPUflags:  MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled for x86 CPU with extensions: MMX MMX2 SSE SSE2
Terminal type `unknown' is not defined.
Playing /Users/olpcguest/Movies/2008 Summer/SD_VIDEO/PRG001/MOV001.MOD.
VIDEO:  MPEG2  720x480  (aspect 2)  29.970 fps  9600.0 kbps (1200.0 kbyte/s)
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Mpeg PES)
Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vf scale...
O pening video filter: [scale]
VDecoder init failed :(
Opening video decoder: [libmpeg2] MPEG 1/2 Video decoder libmpeg2-v0.4.0b
Selected video codec: [mpeg12] vfm: libmpeg2 (MPEG-1 or 2 (libmpeg2))
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [liba52] AC3 decoding with liba52
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 256.0 kbit/16.67% (ratio: 32000->192000)
Selected audio codec: [a52] afm: liba52 (AC3-liba52)
==========================================================================
AO: [macosx] 48000Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
Starting playback...
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vf scale...
Opening video filter: [scale]
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [macosx] 720x480 => 720x540 Packed YUY2 
  =====  PAUSE  =====

VLC info: