tarsus

I just bought a Canon FS100 Flash memory digital camcorder, and I can't find a reliable way to get the video from it!

The software that came with the cam is ImageMixer, and is garbage. When I connect the camcorder via USB and use ImageMixer to save the files (as MPEGs), it saves 16:9 ratio video as 4:3, and the files don't even work properly! They stop halfway through playback.

I'm currently using a trial version of Nero 9. If I copy the camcorder's files (in MOD and MOI format) to my computer, import them into Nero Vision, and then export them as WMVs or MPEGs, the resulting video plays with a thin white stripe at the bottom.

I've read elsewhere on the web that the extension of MOD files can simply be changed to MPG. This doesn't work. Without the accompanying MOI file, there is no sound on playback.

I'm at a loss here! Someone please help! My trial of Nero will expire in a few days, after which I won't be able to test out in Nero, and by the time I get the full version, my window for returning the camcorder will be running out.

zuluclayman

Bearing in mind I don't have ImageMixer on my computer I can only suggest a couple of settings to check:
1. when you say the files converted by ImageMixer are in the wrong pixel aspect ratio - there should somewhere be a setting that has the words "preserve (or "keep") pixel aspect ratio" or something similar - make sure it is ticked or OK'ed. If ImageMixer is project based there would also be a "settings" or "preferences" setting somewhere (usually in the Edit menu) that allows you to set up your project. Mostly that will also have a setting that in some words describes the pixel ratio setting as being "same as source"
2. In Nero make sure that the pixel size output is the same as your input - there may be a discrepancy between the region format, PAL vs NTSC as they use different default DVD pixel sizes. In other words if you are recording in NTSC then make sure your output is set to NTSC.
I have a JVC Everio camcorder that outputs MOD files - they contain sound as well as video, the MOI files aren't needed for audio to work. I use Adobe Premiere Elements for video editing and it accepts MOD files no problem. Sony's Vegas range also accepts MOD files.

tarsus

ImageMixer is absolutely bare bones. I can't find any settings whatsoever to change when I'm in "save to computer" mode. It turns out, videos do save properly when they are opened from ImageMixer's library in "edit" mode. But that requires grabbing all the files to the computer in the first place, then "editing" each one, saving it, and deleting it from the ImageMixer library. You can imagine how I feel about that process.

I was exporting properly in NTSC in Nero. I did, however, find the apparent problem. I turned off the options for "motion-adaptive" and "motion-adaptive deinterlacing" and voila, no white stripe!

That leads me to another small problem, though. When I export from Nero with MPEG-1 encoding, I always get skips and artifacts in the video file. (This may or may not have something to do with it: While MPEG-2 offers "1-pass" or "2-pass," MPEG-1 only offers "1-pass" fast encoding.)

However, while MPEG-2 files seem to play fine in Windows Media Player, there is also a "can't find one of the codecs" error that makes me nervous. In fact, I've exported other MOD files from a different source with MPEG-2 encoding before, and the video wouldn't even play in WMP. Any thoughts on this peculiarity? (I'm running WMP 11 on a pretty new machine. If I truly am missing one of the codecs for an MPG file, I'm not confident that other typical users will be able to play it.)

zuluclayman

Try downloading and installing the K-Lite codec pack (link in my signature area) - this should allow you to view the files properly on your computer.
MPEG2 is preferable quality wise to MPEG1 - just that you and other users may need to download codecs to suit. Probably a good idea anyways as there are many videos out in cyberspace that use a variety of codecs and having the codec pack allows watching these.
K-Lite if you download the full version, comes with two excellent additions:
1. Media Player Classic - this is an excellent player that will allow you to view many different sources (.flv, .mov plus many others)
2. GSpot - a codec analysis tool that you can open files in that you may be having trouble with and it will give you information about codec status, container status and allow you to perform analytical testing to see how to fix the problem.