Convert Transport Stream files from a Canon HG21 into AVI

1 Goal

These new HD cameras are fantastic products. Windows users need tu buy some tools to do the cutting and the editing, but Linux users have some fantastic tools for converting between formats.

Yet, it is sometimes important to know some things about the formats in use or how to convert them into more known video formats.

The following page will show what's necessary.

2 References

• http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=789775 Fantastic thread with all information whatsoever.
• http://www.catswhocode.com/blog/19-ffmpeg-commands-for-all-needs fantastic ffmpeg commands
• http://www.fsckin.com/2008/01/03/transcoding-mtsm2ts-avchd-video-files-with-free-software/ also very good information
• http://iphome.hhi.de/suehring/tml/download/ Where to get all these fantastic H264 tools
• http://www.ffmpeg.org/faq.html ffmpeg FAQ

3 Ubuntu Requirements

Install the following:

sudo apt-get install uild-essential libxvidcore4-dev libfaad-dev libfaac-dev libmp3lame-dev \
subversion ctags  mplayer ffmpeg x264 faad2 faac a52dec mencoder faad libfaad2-0 libfaad2-dev csh

Then download the jm17.2.zip file from http://iphome.hhi.de/suehring/tml/download/ and extract the zip file. Then cd into that directory and execute the install with sudo.

It will generate and install the according tools.

Note: The script didn't work that fine for me, so I modified it a little. See below.

4 Code

Since there might have been some errors in the script, here is the script that works fine for me:

#!/bin/csh

if ( $#argv == "0" ) then
   echo usage: $0 filename.m2ts ...
   exit
else
   set files=($*)
endif

set path = ( . $path )

echo using:
which xporthdmv || exit
which ldecod || exit
which ffmpeg || exit

echo $0 Starting.
echo " "
foreach file ($files)
       if ( ! -f $file ) then
               echo file $file not found
               exit
       endif
  
       set filebase=`basename $file | sed s/\.m2ts// | sed s/\.MTS//`
       set audiofile=/tmp/$filebase".ac3"
       set videofifo=/tmp/$filebase".yuv"
       set outputfile=$filebase".avi"
  
       if ( ! -f $audiofile ) then
               echo xporthdmv -nh $file 1 1 1
               xporthdmv -nh $file 1 1 1
       else
               echo $audiofile already exists, not creating it.
       endif
 
       if ( ! -f $videofifo ) then
               echo ldecod -i bits0001.mpv -o $videofifo
               ldecod -i bits0001.mpv -o $videofifo
       else
               echo $videofifo already exists, not creating it.
       endif
 
       mv bits0001.mpa /tmp/samplevideo.ac3
 
       echo " "
       echo --- INPUT FILE HAS THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES ---
       echo " "
       ffmpeg -i $file
       echo --- END OF INPUT FILE            PROPERTIES ---
       echo " "
       if ( ! -f $outputfile ) then
  
               ffmpeg -r 25 -s 1440x1080 -i $file \
                       -acodec ac3 -ab 256k -ac 2 \
                       -vcodec mpeg4 -sameq \
                       -aspect 16:9 -b 15000k -deinterlace -copyts $outputfile

           if ( -f $outputfile ) then
               echo " "
               echo --- OUTPUT FILE HAS FOLLOWING PROPERTIES ---
               ffmpeg -i $outputfile
               echo --- END OF OUTPUT FILE        PROPERTIES ---
               echo " "
       else
               echo $outputfile exists, not creating it.
       endif
   #echo To remove temporary files: rm -f /tmp/*.ac3 /tmp/*.yuv
   rm -f ./dataDec.txt ./log.dec bits0001.mpv $videofifo $audiofile
   rm /tmp/samplevideo.ac3
end

echo $0 complete.