Video Studio 8 - Capture from JVC MC500 Microdrive Camcorder

wywso0 · Post by **wywso0** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:30 pm

I am using a JVC MC500 camcorder which records onto a 4GB microdrive. I'd like to edit my movies (PAL format) in VS8. I don't have a firewire or capture card on my PC but can copy files across using the USB port (either using a CF card reader or by connecting the USB port on the camera to the PC). For each video clip, two files come across: one which seems to have all the data has a *.MOI file extension, but there is also a *.MOD file too.

The *.MOI files play OK and with sound in Windows media player when told to try to open the files regardless of the file extension; I am running Windows XP.

When I try to open the files in VS8, they are not recognised. I can get them to open if I copy the file and then rename it with a *.mpg extension (I understand the files to be in MPEG 2 format); however, although the picture is fine and can be edited there is no sound. This is the first time I have used VS8 for video editing, up until now I have used it to create slideshows and the program seems to be properly installed and working OK.

I'd be grateful for help with two things:
a) can I get the files into VS8 without having to rename them, and
b) how can I get the sound to work?

Grateful for your help.

Bill S

jchunter · Post by **jchunter** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:12 pm

Bill,
Here is a link to a thread that contains a llink to a program that converts MOD files to mpeg2. http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... hlight=mod

I would also recommend that you upgrade your Video Studio from version 8 because that version had chronic Audio/Video sync problems. BTW, version 10+ is supposed to be able to process MOD files.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:16 pm

wywso0 · Post by **wywso0** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:49 pm

All,

Thanks for the file converter - that's one problem solved but still no sound (nothing at all, not even with a sync problem!!).

Any help on this issue gratefull appreciated.

Sektionschef · Post by **Sektionschef** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:38 am

Hi
I assume that your cam delivers the sound in AC3 format but VS8 does not support this. Try VS10 it supports AC3 now.
If you don't want to upgrade to VS10 then you could also convert the AC3 to mpeg2 audio using the freeware tool besweet.exe.
This requires that you first need to demux(split audio and video) the mpeg2 file before you can convert the audio part, don't know whether you like to spend these effords.
Regards
Sektionschef

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:42 am

There is also a free AC-3 filter here http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=AC3_Filter which works with VS8 and will at least let you import AC-3. But you then have to convert it to another audio format as it will not encode AC-3 back out.

Sektionschef · Post by **Sektionschef** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:31 am

Hi Ken,
What will happen if someone uses this filter with VS8?
Will VS8 do a AC3->mpeg2 stereo conversion with this filter?
With other words, when encoding to mpeg2 will the resulting mepg2 file have mpeg1 layer2 stereo in it instead of AC3?
This would be OK because so far I know this camcorder generates a mpeg2 file with AC3 inside but the AC3 is just stereo, not true dolby5.1.
In this case just using the filter would solve the problem.
Regards
Sektionschef

wywso0 · Post by **wywso0** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:32 am

All,

Thanks for your help on this.

Sorry if this is a daft question, but to use this filter do I need to "apply" it as per the "Applying Audio Filters" section of the VS8 manual? If so, do I need to locate it in a particular directory etc?

Thanks

Bill S

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:53 pm

wywso0 -- I am going back about three years to when I last used that filter, but you simply install it, and in effect it installs a codec (though 'only' a decoder, not an encoder) which Video Studio accesses as it can access any other codec on your computer.

Sektionschef -- as far as I can recall, you choose the format it will decode the original AC-3 into -- either LPCM or mpeg layer 2 using Video Studio Project Properties.