Viewing HDV files in Quicktime at DVinfo.net

Joe Gaetani · August 29th, 2008, 12:30 PM

I recently filmed a seminar and captured all 17 hours of HDV footage in FCP. My client now wants to view all the footage, so I gave him the external that this project lives on. He hooked it up to his mac that does not have FCP and he can not watch the HDV clips. From what I have been able to gather, the only way to view these clips in quicktime is if you have FCP installed on the machine. Is this correct? Does anybody know a work-around for this? I really don't want to transcode 17 hours of footage...

If transcoding is my only option, any recommended formats?

Michael Wisniewski · August 29th, 2008, 12:57 PM

ClipWrap might work.

Joe Gaetani · August 29th, 2008, 02:45 PM

Thanks, but it didn't work. It wraps .m2t files (not sure what these are). All my HDV files are .mov.

Any other ideas?

Benjamin Hill · August 29th, 2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Gaetani

I recently filmed a seminar and captured all 17 hours of HDV footage in FCP. My client now wants to view all the footage, so I gave him the external that this project lives on. He hooked it up to his mac that does not have FCP and he can not watch the HDV clips. From what I have been able to gather, the only way to view these clips in quicktime is if you have FCP installed on the machine. Is this correct? Does anybody know a work-around for this? I really don't want to transcode 17 hours of footage...

If transcoding is my only option, any recommended formats?

Does he have an up-to-date OS and latest version of Quicktime? How old is his machine? Those are some variables to look at as well.

Joe Gaetani · August 29th, 2008, 04:21 PM

yeah, he is up to date with everything.

William Hohauser · August 29th, 2008, 09:07 PM

QuickTime Pro might have the needed codec decoders to view HDV.

Tim Dashwood · August 30th, 2008, 12:04 AM

The HDV Component (AppleHDVCodec.component) is what is missing and it is only installed with Final Cut Studio. You will find it in Macintosh HD/Library/Quicktime on any Mac with FCP5 or newer installed.

ClipWrap won't work without it.

Dylan Pank · August 30th, 2008, 05:16 AM

I got HDV .movs to open and play in VLC player which as far as I know, makes no connection to the Quicktime library at all so doesn't require anything other than its own installation.

Also, might installing Perian and MPEG streamclip work?

Joe Gaetani · September 3rd, 2008, 01:34 PM

Thanks for the advice. I ended up re-encoding all the footage. I let it run over the weekend.

I tried VLC player and it did the same thing as QT, just audio, no video.

Is it possible to copy and paste the HDV Component onto different machines?

Matthew Pugerude · September 3rd, 2008, 01:58 PM

In the future you could capture the HDV to Prores and have the Client download the newly released Decoder for machines with out FCPS it works on Windows and Mac.

I know they are bigger files but they wont tie up your machine transcoding to a codec that the client could watch.

Aric Mannion · September 4th, 2008, 09:12 AM

HDV is Mpeg 2! That's a $20 codec for QT, that's why it didn't work.

Dylan Pank · September 9th, 2008, 09:23 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm not sure, but I don't think the $20 MPEG2 component actually opens up HDV, only SD quality MPEG2.

Aric Mannion · September 9th, 2008, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan Pank

Correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm not sure, but I don't think the $20 MPEG2 component actually opens up HDV, only SD quality MPEG2.

Really, but what's the difference? And if that's true why can you watch HDV on your computer? In any case I'm not recommending he buy the plug-in I just wanted to let him know it's a normal problem.

Michael Wisniewski · September 9th, 2008, 03:01 PM

Re: ClipWrap

Unfortunately, ClipWrap uses the same scheme as FCP, which locks you into only playing back the files on a Mac with FCP installed. But, when I emailed Mike Woodworth about this, he mentioned that ClipWrap files will play on a Mac with just the FCS Render Node? installed, so that might be something to look into. Would be interested if you get it to work this way.

As was mentioned before, this might be another way to go - Apple releases ProRes decoder for Mac & Windows

Michael Wisniewski · September 9th, 2008, 03:22 PM

Or vice versa, if you have access to Cineform HDLink on a PC, transcode your HDV footage to a Cineform .mov files. This is what I use as it's compatible with anything that has the Cineform codec installed both Macs & PCs, doesn't really matter what NLE is installed.

August 29th, 2008, 12:30 PM	#1
Joe Gaetani Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Burlington, VT Posts: 33	Viewing HDV files in Quicktime I recently filmed a seminar and captured all 17 hours of HDV footage in FCP. My client now wants to view all the footage, so I gave him the external that this project lives on. He hooked it up to his mac that does not have FCP and he can not watch the HDV clips. From what I have been able to gather, the only way to view these clips in quicktime is if you have FCP installed on the machine. Is this correct? Does anybody know a work-around for this? I really don't want to transcode 17 hours of footage... If transcoding is my only option, any recommended formats?

August 29th, 2008, 12:57 PM	#2
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	ClipWrap might work. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

August 29th, 2008, 02:45 PM	#3
Joe Gaetani Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Burlington, VT Posts: 33	ClipWrap Thanks, but it didn't work. It wraps .m2t files (not sure what these are). All my HDV files are .mov. Any other ideas?

August 29th, 2008, 09:07 PM	#6
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	QuickTime Pro might have the needed codec decoders to view HDV. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

August 30th, 2008, 12:04 AM	#7
Tim Dashwood Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 3,637	The HDV Component (AppleHDVCodec.component) is what is missing and it is only installed with Final Cut Studio. You will find it in Macintosh HD/Library/Quicktime on any Mac with FCP5 or newer installed. ClipWrap won't work without it. __________________ Tim Dashwood

August 29th, 2008, 04:21 PM	#5
Joe Gaetani Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Burlington, VT Posts: 33	yeah, he is up to date with everything.

August 30th, 2008, 05:16 AM	#8
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	I got HDV .movs to open and play in VLC player which as far as I know, makes no connection to the Quicktime library at all so doesn't require anything other than its own installation. Also, might installing Perian and MPEG streamclip work?

September 3rd, 2008, 01:34 PM	#9
Joe Gaetani Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Burlington, VT Posts: 33	Thanks for the advice. I ended up re-encoding all the footage. I let it run over the weekend. I tried VLC player and it did the same thing as QT, just audio, no video. Is it possible to copy and paste the HDV Component onto different machines?

September 3rd, 2008, 01:58 PM	#10
Matthew Pugerude Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Redmond, Oregon Posts: 173	ProRes Decoder Option In the future you could capture the HDV to Prores and have the Client download the newly released Decoder for machines with out FCPS it works on Windows and Mac. I know they are bigger files but they wont tie up your machine transcoding to a codec that the client could watch.

September 4th, 2008, 09:12 AM	#11
Aric Mannion Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 616	HDV is Mpeg 2! That's a $20 codec for QT, that's why it didn't work.

September 9th, 2008, 09:23 AM	#12
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	Correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm not sure, but I don't think the $20 MPEG2 component actually opens up HDV, only SD quality MPEG2.

September 9th, 2008, 03:01 PM	#14
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	ClipWrap same as FCP HDV .mov files Re: ClipWrap Unfortunately, ClipWrap uses the same scheme as FCP, which locks you into only playing back the files on a Mac with FCP installed. But, when I emailed Mike Woodworth about this, he mentioned that ClipWrap files will play on a Mac with just the FCS Render Node? installed, so that might be something to look into. Would be interested if you get it to work this way. As was mentioned before, this might be another way to go - Apple releases ProRes decoder for Mac & Windows __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

September 9th, 2008, 03:22 PM	#15
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	Or vice versa, if you have access to Cineform HDLink on a PC, transcode your HDV footage to a Cineform .mov files. This is what I use as it's compatible with anything that has the Cineform codec installed both Macs & PCs, doesn't really matter what NLE is installed. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese