dashcam video - it is really mp4?

[RobertOZ]

David, you should be able to set your dashcam to record in any length of segment you want, I have mine set to 3 minutes, so that every 3 minutes recording stops and a new recording starts, but you could set it to 1 minute or less if required

[Davidk]

Hi Robert,
Yep, you can. But the default is 3 mins, and I haven't seen any reason to change it so far. The issue here was simply a file small enough that it wasn't a problem to upload/download for experimenting with. 3mins is a 500mb file, so any smaller will be from the time that last 3 mins expired to the end of trip - which the last upload was.

[asik1]

Well, No VS or PS22 nor... XMedia Recode as it will only convert the audio but not direct copy it. (the process took 1sec to get a usable mp4 file so you can batch convert in a jiffy)
But Shotcut and Boilde will, no sweat.

What you want to do with them files David?

**All that uses/get ffmpeg will read that file .
Audacity also open it

[canuck]

A google search tells us that NMEA files are GPS data files.

[lata]

Hi David
The problem appears to be the ADPCM audio codec, Video Studio does not seem to see that
Windows Media Player or Film & TV did not play the audio, but VCL and MPC was ok

I would report this to Corel development team.

I used Format Factory to convert the video to
MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
H.264 High Profile Video: 2563 Kbps, 16:9
44100 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 128 Kbps

That played ok using Video Studio.

[Ken Berry]

FWIW, I just converted that clip using Handbrake. The new clip has the same properties as those given by Trevor, although the bitrate Handbrake used was slightly higher than the original at 19 Mbps. The size of the new clip was slightly higher as a result at 116 MB. The conversion took exactly 35 seconds, so asik wins on that score!

I was intrigued by the slightly haunting music in the background. Was it a tape/mp3/CD? If so, what was the name of the music and singer?

[Davidk]

To answer several queries in one post
Asik - it began as a curiosity thing (I mentioned that) that in case I ever had to use the recordings after a prang (why dashcam has become so popular), I could preview the imagery with my readily available programs and - it wasn't straightforward, as you've seen. Now thanks to Trevor, we know why, so some good has come from this experimental exploration.
Robert - the dashcam can do 1 min, 3mins (default) and 5 mins. After your comment I thought about possible use of some of the footage as B-roll for projects, and decided to leave the clip time at 3 mins.
Ken - I have about 40 CD's-worth of audio clips on a usb stick that I use in-car, rather than swap CD's around. Some of them are for the Chief Operating Officer's benefit, she who on travel trips keeps adversely commenting on my preferences for classical and martial music. That track was from Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Hits" CD - which one I can't say.

Thanks to all for the help and advice.

[weaver]

You know, if you buy the cheapest dashcam - in Europe you can get one for 15 €/USD, this has absolutalely no time limitation ( every 1/25th second is recorded in HD, every 5th second are the picturers saved to SD card) the saved file is in standard AVI format and you can play the recording almost everywhere with sound or without.