[pakus@itexas.net]

I just purchased EMC 8 and a JVC HD digital camcorder. The Roxio software will not recognize the video files because thay are in .MOD file name. I have found that I can go in and manually rename the files to .mpg and it will work but is there an easier way. Also this is the slowest software I have ever seen at encoding and making a disc. Is it just me or what??

[grandpabruce]

pakus@itexas.net, on Feb 23 2006, 03:37 PM, said:

I just purchased EMC 8 and a JVC HD digital camcorder. The Roxio software will not recognize the video files because thay are in .MOD file name. I have found that I can go in and manually rename the files to .mpg and it will work but is there an easier way. Also this is the slowest software I have ever seen at encoding and making a disc. Is it just me or what??

Can't you capture as an .avi file?

[pakus@itexas.net]

Thanks for the reply. My JVC camera has a built in 20 gig hard drive to capture the video on. There are no setting on the camera to change the files to anything but .mod. I have to use the Nero software that came with the camera in order to get it on my computers hard drive. Once there, EMC 8 will not recognize the .mod file name. I have contacted Roxio and they told me that .mod was not supported and left it at that. A friend told me how to change the file name extension to .mpg. However it is very time consuming to do this. Each time you start and stop recording on the camcorder it creates a new file so you can see how they could add up. I am brand new at this video stuff. I am used to the old tape method but am really excited about learning to store my families memories to a more durable media such as DVD. I know nothing about the different extensions such as .mod, .mpg or the one that you mentioned or the effect that it will have on the final outcome of my recordings when viewed on DVD. So as you can see you are dealing with a true beginner here but I do thank you for taking whatever time you can to steer me in the right direction. I do not plan on doing anything fancy with the video but I would like to have what I think are called chapters on the DVD. The one that I made last night ended up being one long movie of three basketball games. I would like each quarter of the game in its own chapter like they are on the camcorder as I stop at the end of each quarter which creates a new file. I thought that is what I was doing in video wave but it turned out as one long movie. Thanks again.

[ggrussell]

Which model is it? I thought the new one that records to a HD used MPEG 4. NOT MPEG2. .MOD may be a proprietary file format that needs to be converted. When you import using the program included, is the resulting file still a .MOD?

To create separate 'chapters', that is done in MyDVD. Don't confuse 'scenes' in Videowave with 'chapters' which is in MyDVD.

This post has been edited by ggrussell: 23 February 2006 - 07:19 PM

[pakus@itexas.net]

Thanks for the replies. The models is GZ-MG40 and yes it records in mpeg2 but with the .mod extension, what ever that means. It even states that in the manual. When you pull up the properties of the clip after you save it to the computer, the file type is listed as mod. I will try the chapter thing again in My DVD. I think the last time I tried, it woul only let me put in 6 clips no matter what size they were and then it wanted to start a new project if I tried to add more.

[cdanteek]

pakus@itexas.net, on Feb 23 2006, 09:37 PM, said:

I just purchased EMC 8 and a JVC HD digital camcorder. The Roxio software will not recognize the video files because thay are in .MOD file name. I have found that I can go in and manually rename the files to .mpg and it will work but is there an easier way. Also this is the slowest software I have ever seen at encoding and making a disc. Is it just me or what??

You could try this at cnet free to try 7 days $5.00 to buy
Renamer 5.0

Dario Doko (WeltSoft)
Renamer is a utility, which allows you to rename single or multiple files or file extension. Specify the 'path' to source folder, enter the 'new master name' and click 'rename files'. And large group of files inside a source folder are renamed instantaneously getting an uniformed name with number extensions.
Trying to rename dozens of files to mpeg (which is what I am using to view and edit them). I finally found weltsoft.com 's Renamer program, which works great. The interface is a little screwy & counterintuitive (to select files to rename, you have to do what looks like DESELECT them), but after playing with it for a couple of minutes it works great.
http://www.download.com/3000-2248-10285377...page&tag=button

It seems Panasonic uses the mod file extension like your JVC. The Panasonic owners are having the same problem, thats where I ran into this.

cdanteek

[pakus@itexas.net]

Sounds like it may be worth the $5. I will give it a try.

[ggrussell]

pakus@itexas.net, on Feb 24 2006, 07:14 AM, said:

I will try the chapter thing again in My DVD. I think the last time I tried, it woul only let me put in 6 clips no matter what size they were and then it wanted to start a new project if I tried to add more.

Odd that they would use a different extension than what has been established for years. If you want to put these clips together in sequence as a single movie, it would be easier to use Videowave. Save the Videowave project and then add that Videowave project to a MyDVD project to create the DVD menus.

In Videowave, you can then add transitions between clips, add text titles, etc.

[pakus@itexas.net]

Okay, I think I am confused now. What is the difference between a scene and a chapter. You know how on a regular store bought dvd movie you can hit the skip button on your remote and it will fast forward to the next "chapter or scene" in the movie?, that is what I want my dvd to do. I want to be able to list each game on the menu so that I can say watch game two and while watching this game if I want, I can skip to the 3rd quarter by hitting the skip button on the remote. I record my kids games by starting the recording at the beginning of the quarter and stopping at the end and so on and so on. So each of the video files that I am adding are already devided up and all I have to due is put them in the correct order but the way I did it, if I hit the skip button on the remote, it skips all the way to the end. This leads me to believe that I did not do the step that adds chapters or scenes. It sure sucks trying to learn something new and I would think it would be nearly impossible without this forum and the people that take the time to reply. Obviously you already know how to use this difficult software and do not have to be on this site so my hat is off to you for taking the time to help us newbies!!!!

[ggrussell]

pakus@itexas.net, on Feb 24 2006, 11:31 AM, said:

it skips all the way to the end. This leads me to believe that I did not do the step that adds chapters or scenes.

Sounds like that is the problem. On a commercial DVD, they do use the term 'scenes' for what MyDVD refers to as 'chapters. This can be confusing.

Since you are working in MyDVD, let's forget about Videowave fro the moment. In MyDVD, you add 'a file'. On the main menu, this is called a 'title' and you should have a thumbnail.

If you add the files individually, you should have more than one title and each will return to the main menu after playing. If you want them to play as one title, you have several choices: create a single Videowave project with those files and add it as a title OR you can add several files at time time which will create a single title.

To create 'chapters', right click on a thumbnail on the main menu and select 'edit chapters'. It will automatically create chapter marks at the beginning of each file or you can add them manually. You also have a choice of creating a submenu or not where you can jump to an individual chapter.

Keep at it. Eventually, it will all make some sense.

[pakus@itexas.net]

Very good explanation!! I think that I have worked with it just enough that what you said actually makes since. I post on the forum while at work and I have been wrestling with the video stuff until midnight all this week it seems. I sure was disappointed in the tech support or total lack of it from Roxio. It may be that the EMC 8 is not bad software but without the tech support it sure seems that it is getting a bad reputation. It might be a good idea for Roxio to put some of the experts here on the payroll to help increase customer satisfaction and generate more sales.

I have another game to film tonight and I will give it another try. If I understand you correctly, I could for instance, put each of the 3 games on the menu by selecting all of the files for each game at one time and adding them to My DVD. Then go in and add the chapters at each quarter of the game. I will let you know if it works out. Thanks again.

[ggrussell]

Sounds like you got the idea. If you know how to select multiple files in Explorer, it works the same way in MyDVD. You can hold down the Control key while clicking (once) on different files. Then click ADD. This will add them to ONE thumbnail. RIGHT click on that thumbnail to 'edit chapters'.

If the files get added in the wrong order, click on the thumbnail and select 'edit movie' under TOOLS. You can then drag the files to the correct order. This should not affect smart render unless you do cuts or transitions, etc.


As long as you are not doing any editing AND the files will fit on one disc, MyDVD should not re-render. If 'smart render' does work, you will see a grey box with circles with the word MPEG in the rendering preview window. And of course, any menu you created will need to be rendered.

This post has been edited by ggrussell: 24 February 2006 - 01:26 PM

[pakus@itexas.net]

Okay, I found a program that works thanks to the well informed folks on this site. It is called Renamer 5.0. I was able to select all of my video files that I had downloaded from my camera and change the extension to mpg all at once. I was able to make a movie to DVD but it still takes forever. I may resort to just using my DVD recorder with the camera and TV to make my DVDs. The picturte quality is sure not what I thought it would be with such an expensive camera but oh well. Thanks for the help.

[ggrussell]

One of the things about editing MPEG files, the quality can drop if you do any editing. This can force MyDVD to re-render the files. I've been through this , too. I sometimes use a set top recorder and then capture those files to the hard drive.

When you used those files in MyDVD, did you see the gray MPEG box during render? That lets you know that it is using smart render.

[pakus@itexas.net]

I saw my videos part of the time and the grey circles part of the time. The only editing that I do is to as transitions between the clips and I ad some titles. Maybe I should cut that out and maybe I would not loose so much quality. Did I understand you correctly to say that you use a regular DVD recorder to record you video then put it on the hard drive? Are you doing this because you have a tape style camcorder or is yours the camcorder that has the built in hard drive?

[ggrussell]

If you saw it part of time, then it is working correctly. ONly the parts where you added text and transitions are then re-rendered.

I bought a Liteon set top recorder mostly for fun and a huge rebate. LOL But I use it sometimes to record a TV broadcast. Recently, my nephew asked me to convert 20 of his home tapes to DVD. I was trying to find away to make things go faster so it wouldn't take too long. Using the Liteon, cuts down how many times I have to go through the entire tape in real time. The originals are 8mm analog. I could capture using my 8mm digital camcorder which will convert on the fly, but rendering DV AVI files can be slow although very good quality. Using the Liteon, I record once to disc in real time, capture to hard drive (quick) and then MyDVD which does not render the files. This cuts out the long rendering times and the quality from the Liteon is very impressive even with 2hrs on a disc.

[pakus@itexas.net]

Is there something special about the"Liteon", or will you get the same results with any recorder? I thought that maybe there is something special to look for to make sure you are getting one with the latest technology in it if you know what I mean.

[ggrussell]

I got the Liteon with a $100 rebate. LOL That was my incentive. Like software, there are many different companies that make hardware MPG encoders. I haven't done any comparisons, but I'm sure the 'quality' varies amoung the hardware encoders just like the software. Just by comparing my recordings on the Liteon in the 1hr and 2hr modes, the quality is much better than any software that I own.

I did notice on other models / other brands, that the recorders may offer severeal different recording times. Like a Cyberhome model had an 8hr mode, but my Liteon only goes to 6 hr. Personally, I wouldn't use those much. Also the Cyberhome discs had to be finalized at the end of each recording which took some time (like 30min). Somehow the Liteon does that when it 'prepares' the disc. When I hit the stop record button, it only takes a few minutes before I can view it on any machine.

Another neat thing on the Liteon, it has something Liteon calls AllWrite. It will even record VCD and SVCD from broadcast or tapes. It works fine, too. It also supports all DVD formats (DVD-/+R and RW).

Oops... starting to sound like a commercial and we changed the thread topic.

This post has been edited by ggrussell: 28 February 2006 - 07:25 AM