Need help converting video formats (ie MP2 to AVI)

[colossus]

I encoded some files using my ATI AIW 128. I was wondering if there are any good programs that can capture to AVI format or if there was any way to convert the .mp2 to .avi?

It seems most of the machines out there don't like handling my .mp2 files. Windows media player 7.0 runs fine on my machine with codecs installed, but doesn't want to open the .mp2 files on other people's machines running win98 and WinNT 4.0.

 

[rbV5]

Try renaming the file to *.mpg or *.m2p, I read a post somewhere where that would allow you to play the files, I use that method to import the *.mp2 files into Adobe Premiere(then you can export into a number of different formats) and it works great, but I can't confirm that it will work on machines that don't have the ATI software installed. I would like to hear from someone if that works or not.

Another easy option is to get Flaskmpg and compress it to a Divx AVI.

 

[NicColt]

>but doesn't want to open the .mp2 files on other people's machines running win98

colosus read this post it explains quite a few things. Welcome to the world of Video.

>if there was any way to convert the .mp2 to .avi?

MP2 is just ati's naming convention, it depends on the mpg codec you encoded it with.

If the MP2 is recorded with the mpg-1 codec you can load it into virdualdub for example, Adobe Premiere and others, there's even an mpg2avi.exe program out there and "render" or save it as an avi file.

If the MP2 is recorded with the mpg-2 codec that's another story. MPG2 is quite complicated and restricted in copywright. You will need an MPG-2 editor that has a license to use the mpg2 codec. Ulead studeo is an mpg-2 editor you can render the file into an avi or whatever codec you want. I'm not even sure if Premiere is an mpg-2 editor.

BTW the AIW-128 will capture in AVI format.

 

[rbV5]

You can import the mp2 video stream directly into Adobe Premiere and edit to your hearts content by changing the file extension from *.mp2 to *.mpg (or *.m2p also, from what I understand. *.mpg was what I tried first, it worked so I haven't tried *.m2p)

I am serious Nic, I'm doing it.

 

[NicColt]

rbv5 MP2 and MPG are the same I know that. but

Those MP2 or MPG files have to be encoded with either the MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 codecs.

MPG-1 is open and free. MPEG-2 is restricted and copywright and needs to be licensed. both will produce an *.MPG file but they can be very different. The radeon's can produce both MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 files with the MPG extention.

So the *.MPG or *.MP2 file that your importing into Premiere is encoded with which codec, MPEG1 or the MPGE2 codec ?

I know that Premiere is able to import MPG's with the MPEG-1 codec but what I'm not sure about is if it can import MPG's with the MPEG-2 codec?


Edit: I just checked the Adobe Premiere Datasheet and it doens't look as if it supports the MPEG-2 codec.

 

[rbV5]

Well, he asked if there was a way to convert the *.mp2 files captured with his ATI AIW 128 to AVI, my answer was just to change the file extension to *.mpg or *.m2p and import into Premiere, then use whatever codec to export into. I don't see where he even mentions mpeg2. That said, I have only captured on mpeg2 highest quality setting in ATI's digital VCR, it produces a *.mp2 file. I haven't tried the other mpeg settings, but just assumed that those settings I used produced a mpeg2 capture. Those files that I capture I change the file extension to *.mpg and now premiere will see them and allow me to import. I didn't know that mpeg1 captures produced *.mp2 files, so maybe when I set it to mpeg2 highest quality, its really capturing mpeg1?

 

[colossus]

Thanks for the help guys. I don't think the extension naming is really a source of the problem because I usually force Windows media player to "show all files" and so forth. If the program doesn't support that file type when reading the file, it will say so, right?

What I did to record the .mp2 was set the ATI to record at the highest setting which was MPEG2, which I assume is mpeg 2 compression as somebody mentioned. This is the same compression used for DVDs (or something similar to it right?)

Now I just need to get Adobe Premiere. Hmmmm, if only I could "find" my "archive copy". Somebody want to PM me Gots a crappy 56K connection through

 

[NicColt]

To my knowledge, Premiere does not support MPEG-2 check their datasheet that I posted below.

It does support MPEG-1 that I know.

 

[rbV5]

Yes it does, imported a captured mpeg-2 *.mp2 file and directly imported into Premiere by changing the file extension to *.mpg(*.m2p did not work)this morning.

You don't need Premiere however, there are plenty of freeware proggies that'll compress your *.mp2>Divx for example. Or just captue AVI and compress to whatever codec you want, then you can distribute your files to whomever you want, and they can view them.

Think of those *.mp2 files as intermedite project files, just like uncompressed files, they aren't your finished product. You produce your finished project FROM them not TO them.

 

[NicColt]

Very Interesting, thanks for the info, I must be missing something. but I'll give that a try later and let you know how it went.