Powershot SD700 IS -- Major Problem

I don't know if this is typical of all Powershot cameras or just the SD700, but

in movie mode it spits out some bizzarro version of an .AVI file that causes

every transcoding program (both Mac and PC) to choke. If I get an error message

AT ALL from these programs, they're usually complaining about the audio format

inside the .AVI file.

 

The reason I'm trying to transcode these .AVI files is because none of my DVD

burning software (Mac or PC) will recognize and work with the .AVI files spat

out by this camera. I otherwise love the camera, but this is a deal-killer.

 

Hopefully someone one this board has encountered this problem with other

Powershot cameras or can point out some possible workflow to make this work. I

really want to keep this camera, but one of the reasons I got it was for video

so it needs to work...

 

Cheers,

ALF

All I can tell you is that the .avi files created by my SD200 seem perfectly standard and play just fine in the Windows Media Player.

 

So it's not all Powershot or even all SD series cameras.

It's the mjpeg compression. There are codecs out there for it. I'm not at a Windows box to check it for you. Doesn't WMP attempt to find missing codecs on the internet when you try to play something you don't have support for? Hideous interface. Don't use it myself.

 

A Google search on Canon avi mjpeg might turn up the answer for you, if the Media Player doesn't.

 

 

Good Luck,

 

Don E

Anthony,

 

Just checked on this Linux box. I've got support for Canon G3 avi. Caption reads: AVI 320X240 Motion JPEG (ffmpeg), if you need more search terms.

 

 

Good Luck

 

 

Don E

Thanks, Don. I'll look into it.

 

To follow up, both Mac and PC media players can play the files just fine. But everything breaks when you try to use ANY transcoding application (including VLC, Quicktime, Roxio, iDVD, etc., etc.).

 

Thus, I can't burn the Canon Powershot .AVI files to DVD. Nor can I CONVERT them to something like quicktime, which could then be burned to DVD. Sigh, this is terrible...

 

ALF

Anthony,

 

I just took six avi's recorded with a Canon G3 several years ago and burned them to dvd with NeroVision Express 3, which is an app that came with some dvd writer awhile back. I think it is a Lite or SE version.

 

Just click click click. Effortless.

 

I played the dvd with Windows Media Player. No problems.

 

So, maybe its your burning sw. But I can't say for certain. I don't recollect whether I might have installed a specific codec for this purpose, but I don't think so. It's possible the G3 and SD700 formats are slightly different.

 

Good Luck,

 

Don E

I'm pretty sure the sensor and software in the SD700 is different than the G3. While I haven't tried Nero, I've never had a problem with Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Express, iDVD, and Roxio software with any other movie files. And like I said, I can *PLAY* the movies with ANY of the software. They just choke when trying to transcode the movies.

 

ALF

Anthony,

 

There is nothing wrong with your camera, nor is there anything wrong with the Motion-JPG movie files that it's producing. The Motion-JPG spec hasn't changed and is used in almost every digital point and shoot out there (with the exception of some of the 2006 models starting to use MPEG-4).

 

The problem is somewhere within your transcoding methodology.

I don't believe there's a problem with my transcoding methodology (I've been using it with other cameras for years). Canon has done something different with the audio in these files. It doesn't follow the standard somehow. Unless I use a hex editor to disect the file I can't tell you what they did wrong, but this is definitely a problem coming from their new camera software.

 

If you can send me (or link me to) an .AVI file you created, I'll send it through the exact same transcoding process and see if it chokes. That should narrow down the problem fairly quickly...

 

ALF

Specs on Canon SD700 movie files:

 

(from dpreview.com)

 

� 640 x 480 @ 30 / 15fps

 

� 320 x 240 @ 60 / 30 / 15fps

 

� 160 x 120 @ 15fps

 

� AVI (Motion JPEG compression)

 

� WAVE audio

 

 

(from powershot.com)

Movie: AVI (Image: Motion JPEG; Audio: WAVE (Monaural))

 

Perhaps they have changed something, but these specs are the same as with their other cameras, including the G3

 

(G3 movie specs from powershot.com)

Movie: AVI (Image data: Motion JPEG, Audio data: WAVE [monaural])

Here's a small sample from my camera:

 

http://members.cox.net/alfarmer/TestSample.avi

 

Can your software transcode this to Quicktime or MPEG? More importantly, can your software burn the file to DVD?

 

Cheers,

ALF

b.t.w. you can get tons of sample movies from reviews on dpreview.com for testing.

Quoting specs is irrelevant. We need to look at actual files. I've posted mine and would appreciate it if someone else could post one that they've tested and works with DVD burning and transcoding software.

 

If we want to be 100% consistent with our tests, we could all use the same software. I've used VLC (both Windows and Mac), Roxio DVD Maker (Windows), Adobe Premiere & Elements (Windows), Windows Media Player, Quicktime (Windows and Mac), Final Cut Express (Mac), iMovie (Mac), iDVD (Mac), Mac The Ripper (Mac), MPEG Streamclip (Mac).

 

How can all these programs choke on the same file in the same way and the file NOT be the problem?

 

ALF

<<How can all these programs choke on the same file in the same way and the file NOT be the problem?>>

 

Maybe they're all pointing to the same codec which itself has a problem? Have you tried reinstalling your Motion-JPEG codec?

 

I'm using Nero Vision and it transcoded your AVI file and the AVI file from the dpreview.com review of the SD700 without incident. I included a third file, from my Canon A80, for comparison.

 

The DVD Nero produced is fine and plays great on my DVD player.

The motion JPEG codecs on my Mac and PC are different, so you're saying they BOTH have some sort of problem? Where do I get another one to try? And shouldn't the ones built into Windows and OS X actually work?

 

Sounds like you have purchased a third-party codec, because if you use the ones built-in like I've been doing they don't like the audio format in these .AVI files.

 

Actually, there may be than two encoders involved, since Adobe Premiere, iDVD, and Final Cut Express supposedly use their own internal codecs as well as being able to use Quicktime and Windows Media Player.

 

At least this is a ray of hope. If I can find a new codec that works better than the (apparently crappy) ones built into the OS's then I can keep the camera. :) I really like the camera...

 

ALF

Anthony,

 

Both Rob and I can burn Canon avi's to dvd using Nero software and play back the dvd. I haven't burned your avi. Not on a box, at the moment, that can do that. It is likely I'd have the same result.

 

Good Luck,

 

Don E

<<Sounds like you have purchased a third-party codec, because if you use the ones built-in like I've been doing they don't like the audio format in these .AVI files.>>

 

I have not purchased any codecs. Perhaps Nero comes with its own internal set of codecs, I'm not sure. But I've done nothing directly to the base install of Windows XP in terms of audio or video codecs.

I just downloaded this software:

 

http://www.download.com/AVI-to-MPEG-Converter/3000-2194_4-10356083.html

 

And it has the same problem. It has it's own MPEG codec, so it's not using the one in Windows. There's another one...

 

Can you try using some software besides Nero? Apparently Nero is the only software on the planet that will transcode these files...

 

ALF

Anthony,

 

Have you tried any of the sample movies from dpreview.com from other Canon cameras or even other manufacturers?

Anthony,

 

I'm playing your avi now using another freebie (Ulead dvd MovieFactory 3 SE) that came with some other hw. Perhaps that strengthens the case for a codec rather than changing the burning sw. Burned to dvd and played the dvd. Cute baby. Only sound besides the ambient is the baby's little gaspy breath.

 

First hit on google: "motion jpeg" codec

 

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Motion_JPEG_Codec.htm

 

Free version, and a "full version" for 19$.

 

That's not where I got any codecs. I haven't a clue what WMP or I might have picked it up.

 

Good Luck,

 

Don E

The "AVI to MPEG" software you linked to transcoded your sample AVI file without incident on my computer.

Correction, the audio in the MPEG file it produced is no longer in sync with the video. But I didn't receive any error messages during the transcoding process and it did complete.

I guess I didn't make it clear enough -- I can PLAY these movies fine. I just can't convert them to any other format using any other software on either Mac or Windows.

 

Perhaps it's a Quicktime issue? Do either of you have Quicktime installed on your computers? Maybe it takes over all transcoding functionality or something. That would be something common between my Windows and Mac machines.

 

Apparently my computer is the only one on the planet that won't play these files. I guess I should just kill myself and get it overwith...

 

ALF

Anthony,

 

You've made yourself perfectly clear. However, I will ask again: have you tried transcoding any of the sample movie files available on dpreview.com from either other Canon cameras or other manufacturers. If this is truly a problem with the files being produced by your SD700 IS then that should be born out with these sample files.

 

I have Quicktime 7.1 installed.

I tried the file from DP Review and it has the same problem.

 

I also tried the trial version of this other MPEG encoder (above) and that helped Adobe

Premiere (Windows) with the file. It didn't help Roxio's DVD or movie editors, though.

 

I'm beginning to suspect Quicktime more, since that and the Windows XP standard stuff

are the only codecs I've installed. Also, Premiere asked me which converter to use when it

converted to MPEG. Roxio did not, so I presume it used the default and perhaps that's

Quicktime.

 

I think the drivers for my nVidia video card contain a DVD DEcoder as well, but I wouldn't

think that'd have an effect on anything other than playback, since it's not a transcoder.

 

So at least focusing on Windows it would appear that this other MPEG encoder works. But

then why doesn't the one built into Windows XP work? Apparently it works for others, so I

can only presume my OS is using something else -- which is why I suspected Quicktime.

 

Is there some way to show all the codecs that are installed?

 

Thx,

ALF