Video converter for 7D/5Dmk2
 

Hi,
I'm DIT'ing next week and ive just been told that the laptop we're using can't playback 7D/5D footage smoothly. Does anyone know of a cheap/free video converter so we can playback low res rushes?

Thanks guys!

Darren

Just hook up an HDMI monitor & play back direct off the camera. You need a mini-HDMI->regular HDMI cable

Everyones, and sometimes every projects workflow is different. I just finished a project with a similar problem, we used multiple cards and I backed up and converted the clips to ProRes, we used an iMac [which was a first for me and I was skeptical], although it wouldn't play the H264's directly off the card smoothly it had no issues playing back the ProRes clips.

If we wanted to check something immediately we did as Nigel suggested and viewed them on the small confidence monitor directly from the camera.

I was able to backup and convert to ProRes much faster than they were able to shoot.

Unless your laptop is quite old it should be able to playback the native h.264 QuickTimes. The problem may lie in trying to play back directly off the card. The workflow that I use in the field is to transfer the files from the full card directly to a usb drive - the files copy in about 1/3 of real time, so 45 minutes of footage transfers in 15 minutes. I'm working on a MacBook Pro 15" (the last model before the re-design of the case) and have no problem playing the QuickTimes - editing h.264s is another matter... I convert everything to ProRes after the shoot.

Good luck with your shoot!

A Firewire CF reader like the Lexar - Flash memory card readers - Pro CF Reader will allow you to copy the cards much faster than that.

Cheapest option is borrow a Macbook Pro. Second cheapest option is to hire one.

Hi Darren, Read my reply concerning IKAN V8000 monitor here http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eo...d-monitor.html

I've been running it for last couple of weeks and with the bugs mentioned in my post it seems to work. You don't need power since it draws current from the hdmi port in the camera. It didn't harm my 7D and except for few things I'm trying to solve this could be the answer to video village conundrums we are facing.

Darren, just use MPEG streamclip, and choose whichever format you need to convert to. You can in the same process go down to 720p, you want even loose any actual (resolved) detail by doing so.