No more Windows XP

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Tue, 06/17/2008 - 12:21am

After June 30, 2008, Windows XP will no longer be offered by large PC makers, forcing users to downgrade to Vista. The other, likely option is that we see further movement towards OSX, and hopefully more movement towards the widespread use of linux(you can always easily give linux a shot, and keep your Windows by downloading an easy installer here ).

"Despite a brief "Save XP" movement (and continued criticism of Windows Vista from many corners), it appears that Microsoft is not going to change the deadline, which is now just two weeks away.

Although XP will disappear as an option for most computer buyers, the operating system will live on in several key ways.

• XP will be available on PCs from smaller computer makers known as "system builders" until January 31, 2009.

• XP will be available for so-called ultra-low-cost-PCs until June 30, 2010.

• The low-end Windows XP Starter Edition will continue to be available in emerging markets until June 30, 2010."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9968449-56.html
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AP says it will set its own, "clear," fair use standards

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Tue, 06/17/2008 - 12:04am

The AP has sent an overreaching letter asking the Drudge Retort to take down quotations of its content, backpedaled, then announced it will propound its own version of fair use on all of us. We'll see what they come up with, but the chances are it will be a similarly overreaching.

"Last week, The A.P. took an unusually strict position against quotation of its work, sending a letter to the Drudge Retort asking it to remove seven items that contained quotations from A.P. articles ranging from 39 to 79 words.

On Saturday, The A.P. retreated. Jim Kennedy, vice president and strategy director of The A.P., said in an interview that the news organization had decided that its letter to the Drudge Retort was "heavy-handed" and that The A.P. was going to rethink its policies toward bloggers."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/business/media/16ap.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserl...
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Canadians flocking to anti-DMCA Facebook group; what you can do

How pissed are Canadians about the new copyright bill, Bill C61, which was introduced without any consultation and which makes it a crime to upload clips to YouTube or use a region-free DVD player? Way pissed.

Ten thousand more Canadians signed up for the Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook group in the day following the Bill's introduction, bringing the grand total up to 50,000. Michael Geist has more ways you can show the government what you think of these shenanigans.

  1. 1. Write to your MP, the Industry Minister, the Canadian Heritage Minister, and the Prime Minister.  If you send an email, be sure to print it out and drop a copy in the mail (no stamp is needed - c/o House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A0A6).  If you are looking for a sample letter, visit Copyright for Canadians.

  2. 2. Take 30 minutes from your summer, to meet directly with your MP.  From late June through much of the summer, your MP will be back in your local community attending local events and making themselves available to meet with constituents.  Give them a call and ask for a meeting.  Every MP in the country should return to Ottawa in the fall having heard from their constituents on this issue.

  3. 3. If you are not a member of the Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook group, join.  If you are, consider joining or starting a local chapter and be sure to educate your friends and colleagues about the issue and starting working through the list of 30 things you can do.
Link

Submitted by New Media Rights on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 11:36pm

Interview with Joseph Rykwert, architectural historian

Joseph Rykwert is an architectural historian who has spent more than four decades studying how we relate to our cities, and how our cities change our relationships to each other. He's written nearly a dozen books exploring urban life and how cities develop, most recently The Seduction of Place: The History and Future of Cities (2000). CNN just conducted a fascinating interview with Rykwert. From CNN.com:
CNN: What is your assessment of the increasing prevalence of barriers and CCTV in public buildings and spaces today?

JR: I think it is a tragic development. I think it cuts a swathe out of public space. In a way, I think the American Embassy in London led the way but other institutions have followed. It has blocked off a bit of London.

Whether embassies are entitled to do that or not, I don't know. But it certainly presents itself as a fort or a castle. That's the metaphor that occurs to one going past it.

In a way, it suggests foreign domination in a way that embassies never did before. There are other embassies on the square and they are very modest by comparison.

The growth of security areas is something which is a reflection on our society. We are a frightened lot in a way that the people of the 1920's and 1930's were not.

This is not a British phenomenon, it is worldwide. You find gated communities in India and China perhaps even more than you do in England. Partly, of course, it's a feature of the unadvertised growing inequality in our society. But obviously it is a symptom of fear. It's also paralleled by the growth of the great commercial shopping centers which also cut up public space. Behavior has to be conformable, conforming to. Everybody has seen The Truman Papers. I think that kind of conformity is something that is imposed by turning the citizen into a customer.
Link to CNN interview, Link to buy The Seduction of Place

Submitted by New Media Rights on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 10:10pm

Field Guide to Firefox 3

We're done. Firefox 3 is going to be launched very soon. In anticipation of this long-awaited event, the folks in the Mozilla community have been writing extensively about the new and improved features you'll see in the browser. The new features cover the full range from huge and game-changing to ones so subtle you may not notice them until you realize that using Firefox is just somehow easier and better. The range of improved features is similar - whole back-end systems have been rebuilt from scratch, while other features have been tweaked slightly or redesigned in small ways. Overall the result is the fastest, safest, slimmest, and easiest to use version of Firefox yet. We hope you like it.

Here's a list of the features covered in this Guide. - dria.org - intrepid girl reporter

Submitted by New Media Rights on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 9:28am

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Metallica's Management Suppresses Reviews, Metallica Puts Them Back Up

In an interesting counterpoint to Prince’s latest takedown exploits – see Sam’s recent posts – rock band Metallica recently “ear spanked” its management for demanding that websites take down reviews of unreleased Metallica songs. While the reviews are back online after the short downtime, the dispute raises copyright issues worth further discussion.

Last Wednesday, June 4, Metallica representatives hosted an invitation-only listening party in London for U.K. music writers, previewing six of the band’s new songs. Several attendees promptly posted their impressions about the new songs online. QPrime, Metallica’s management company, just as promptly told at least four sites – Metal Hammer, Rock Sound, Classic Rock, and The Quietus – to remove the reviews. The sites complied.

At first glance, it seems the reviewers shouldn't have had anything to be afraid of. The most obvious claim against the reviewers would have been breach of a non-disclosure agreement, a standard procedure for leaks coming from such clandestine screenings. However, The Quietus editor Luke Turner said the band's representatives didn’t ask attendees to sign any such agreement, negating any contract claims.

Criticism of the songs typically would have posed no copyright issues either. Because the reviewers quoted lyrics from the unpublished songs, however, they may have opened themselves up to a copyright infringement claim. U.S. and U.K. law protect quotes used in the course of criticism under the doctrines of fair use and fair dealing, respectively, but both condition this protection to some extent on whether the content had already been made available to the public.

Absent the public availability issue, the reviewers would have had a relatively straightforward fair use defense under U.S. copyright law. In fair use cases involving criticism, the purpose of the use – the first factor in the fair use balancing test – tends to weigh in favor of fair use. Criticism is a core First Amendment pursuit and is well-protected by the law, so this factor outweighs most concerns raised by the other three factors involved in a fair use analysis.

Because the copyrighted work here was not yet available to the public, the fourth factor – the effect on the market for the original work – takes on a larger role in the analysis. Courts in some cases restrain uses of copyrighted content that otherwise would constitute fair use on the theory that advance availability of the content could effect the market for the original. See Publaw’s discussion of Harper & Row v. Nation Enterprises. Metallica could argue that the reviewers’ advance use of the lyrics would harm the market for the album by weakening the "new-ness" of the experience. Still, this is a weak argument under U.S. law given that this aspect of a fair use analysis primarily is concerned with uses that could “take over” the market for the original work, and a critique of an album is hardly a replacement for the album itself.

The outlook in the U.K. is bleaker, and since the situation has so many U.K. ties it's possible Metallica would have pursued claims under U.K. law. While fair dealing is similar to U.S. fair use in its favored treatment of criticism, it explicitly denies any protection to copying of works that have not yet “been made available to the public.” For more on U.K. copyright law and fair dealing, see JISC Legal and Wikipedia.

It isn’t clear what satisfies the “made available” standard – the requirement did not exist until a 2003 amendment – but it’s unlikely that Metallica's invitation-only event would cut it. The reviewers could say Metallica made the content available by screening it for music writers without having them sign non-disclosure agreements – basically, that “made available to the public” fairly should imply “made available to someone you know is going to make it available to the public.” Alternatively, the reviewers could argue that the private screening constituted a “public performance,” but this would be a difficult argument given the restricted, invitation-only access to the event.

To add one more wrinkle to the analysis, U.S. and U.K. cases involving prepublication use tend to involve cases where the user didn’t have permission to access the unreleased material. Permission to access isn’t the same as permission to copy, but it’d be interesting to see if Metallica’s screening of the songs would affect the analysis.

Taking all of that into consideration, my intuition is that the reviewers would have a strong fair use argument under U.S. law but probably would not under U.K. law. Either way, they would have had plenty of cause for concern if Metallica had filed a copyright infringement lawsuit.

To follow further developments in this matter, see the legal threat entry Metallica v. The Quietus in our database.

(Matt Sanchez is a second-year law student at Harvard Law School and the CMLP's Legal Threats Editor.)

Submitted by New Media Rights on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 7:07am

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The Ideal Camcorder For Small Independent Video-Makers: The Canon FS and HF Series - Wow!

Independent videomakers rejoice! The new Canon FS-100 camcorder is here and this is a great, highly portable and inexpensive video camera for anyone seriously interested in producing quality video with the minimum hassle. Key features include the camcorder ability to record directly on solid state memory, an external microphone jack, a powerful night light, manual control for focus and exposure, white balance control, fast start and immediate clip replay. Canon-FS-100-series-camcorder-Robin-Good-2.jpg The new Canon FS-100 camcorder Though the new Canon FS and HF series camcorders have been announced since a few months already, at least in Europe, they have just become available on the distributors shelves only since the beginning of June. I have bought mine from Amazon UK, but you can find domestic distributors carrying this product in just about any major country in the western emisphere (Asian friends please update me on what is available out there in this class). The price for the FS series, which differs only for not delivering standard HD video quality, is really within reach for most, with prices ranging from just above €300 (in the US $ 320 on Amazon) to over 350 depending on the specific model and configuration. Both the FS and the HF series consist of three models, but the only difference among them is the amount of built-in recording memory available. The HF-10 and FS-10 as well as the HF-11 and FS-11 carry respectively 8GB and 16GB of internal memory while sporting an empty SD-HC slot for you to add whatever additional memory you want. Both the FS-100 and HF-100 have no built-in memory and you just add in the SD memory card of your choice. Here the details:


Canon FS-100 Overview - Key Features

Canon-FS-100-series-camcorder-00166_canon-fs100-camcorder-335.jpg The new Canon FS-100 camcorder is in many respects the ideal camcorder I have been long waiting for. I say so because this small technology jewel integrates some of my most wanted features in a form that is very compact, ergonomic and lightweight. One of the key characterizing traits of the Canon FS series is that it records fully on solid-state, Flash-memory cards doing completely away with tape or disc motors, and the associated noise, weight and extra power required. You are now free to select your SD memory card size of preference, much like you used to do with Mini-DV tapes. All SD-type memory cards from 1GB to 16GB and above are highly welcome inside this new camcorder. All the camcorders in the Canon FS series include a 37X optical zoom lens that extends to 48X with the Advanced Zoom turned on or to a stunning 2000x (you must see this) if you set it to Digital Zoom inside the camcorder settings, as well as a single 1.07MP CCD sensor, a Digic DV II image processors and 2.7-inch color widescreen LCD. The video recording format maybe one of Canon FS-series very few weak points, as non-technical users will be very frustrated to deal with the non-popular .MOD video file format (MPG2 + AC3 audio) utilized by Canon here. There are several ways around this issue and I have just published a specific article just about this. When it comes to the power supply, the Canon FS utilizes an "Intelligent Lithium-ion" battery that is claimed to provide up to three hours of power while letting the camcorder tell you in real-time how much juice you have left (expressed in remaining recording time - and down to the minute). The Canon FS-100 camcorder comes also equipped with an electrical power adapter that plugs right into the video-camera allowing extended use even when all of your batteries have run out. The power adapter acts also as a re-charger for whatever internal battery is inside the camcorder and a full recharging cycle takes about 2-3 hours. Here an overview of the most important key features, from my personal viewpoint:

Camera Controls

Canon-FS-100-LCD-screen-controls-235.jpg All on the on-board controls are extremely simplified, offering at first glance only one main switch with four possible positions on the back of the camcorder (video-recording, video-playback, photo-shooting, photo-playback), and two small buttons in the compartment where the LCD screen normally rests (one is to activate the "all automatic" mode (labeled "Easy") and the other one is to display camcorder info on screen including remaining battery time. All remaining controls are easily accessible via a series of soft-touch buttons on the LCD screen itself, which on one hand replicate the basic casette deck typical functions and on the other double up as extra feature controls. On the left side of the 2.7" LCD screen rests also a small joystick that allows you to navigate through the different menu choices and, when pressed, to act as an OK - confirmation button. With these manual controls it is also possible to manually control the focus as well as the exposure of the camcorder. White balance control is available alongside a series of pre-sets for different lit scenes.

Focal Length - Zoom

Canon-FS-100-series-camcorder-72869_1_250_250.jpg The Canon FS-100 camera lens is a standard Canon zoom lens with a 2.6 - 96.2mm range. The wide angle aperture is relatively low, as in most cameras, and the angle at which the lens captures video, requires you to be somewhat undershooting your subject if you are not monitoring the LCD screen. That is: if shooting with a closed LCD screen (to be less visible) due to the low aperture of the wide angle and the vertical angle of shooting of the camcorder that you will need to point your camera a little lower than you would think appropriate. The Canon FS-100 optical zoom lens has an aperture range of f/2.0 - f/5.2 and is capable of the following 35mm equivalent focal lengths: - 41.7mm - 2,002mm (16:9 Movies, 48x Advanced Zoom) - 47.1mm - 1,743mm (16:9 Movies, 37x Optical Zoom) - 44.4mm - 2,453mm (4:3 Movies, 55x Advanced Zoom) - 44.6mm - 1,650mm (4:3 Movies, 37x Optical Zoom) - 45.2mm - 1,672mm (16:9 Still Images) - 41.5mm - 1,536mm (4:3 Still Images) One of the notable items relative to the zoom lens is the unique 2000x digital zoom capability that can be switched on inside the Canon FS-100. I have tried it and it is indeed quite impressive indeed. Obviously you need a tripod to make any good use of it, but the zoom range of this lens, in digital mode, is quite impressive.

Ergonomics - Ease of Use

Canon-FS-100-series-camcorder-260w_FS11_tcm80-489339-260.jpg The Canon FS-100 is very compact and can be firmly grabbed with one hand without any problems. The camcorder is also very light and simple to operate. Controls are reduced to a minimum, and there is even a "Easy" button that sets everything on full-automatic mode, leaving you to worry only about the framing of your subject. Ergonomically, the camera fits the hand fine. The angle at which you hold the camera in the strap takes a little getting used to as I have mentioned above, but this only if you are not looking into the LCD screen, which is something quite uncommon.. The FS-series Canon camcorders weighs in at 260 grams.

Built-in Video Light

Canon_FS100_Front-light-115.jpg An outstanding feature, at least in my experience with these high-level consumer camcorders, is the integrated flash-light capable of continuous lighting during a video night shot. Nonetheless the light component on the front of the camera appears to be very small, it shines a very strong and bright light allowing you to get good lit shots even when there is absolute darkness. Obviously the quality of such night shots will be quite grainy compared to standard daylight recordings, but in my opinion they are quite good for many semi-professional uses.

Video Quality

Canon-FS-100-LCD-image-quality-245.jpg The Canon FS-100 is an SD camcorder, meaning that it is classified as a "standard definition" (and not HD) quality level video recorder. The quality of the images is very good, crisp, and with vivid colors. This is just a personal subjective impression, but having used camcorders of all kinds for over twenty years now, I have developed some sensitivity to what good quality is. The Canon FS-100 "True Wide High Resolution" 16:9 recording system captures video in panoramic detail – and it is also well suited for playback on widescreen TVs. If you are looking to produce good quality video for the web, this camcorder does deliver more than sufficient video quality to impress anyone. The video resolution is good and the final results speak by themselves. Here is an example of a video clip recorded indoor yesterday with my Canon FS-100: 2.1 Mbps - 20.5 MB 768Kbps - 7.5 MB

Recording Times and Modes

There are three recording speeds: SP (highest quality; 9 mbps MPEG-2 compression), XP (middle quality; 6 mbps MPEG-2 compression), LP (low quality; 3 mbps MPEG-2 compression). At the lowest you can see a bit of aliasing and quality reduction, but XP and SP are both quite good in my humble opinion. The superior and more expensive ($ 900) HF-series has four recording quality modes that include FXP, XP+, SP and LP. According to Canon, it is possible to record up to 6hrs 05mins in HD video quality on a 16GB SD-HC card if recording in LP mode. Canon-FS-100-memory-recording-times.gif

Video Effects

A few video effects are integrated in the Canon FS-100 including a very handy fade-in and fade-out feature. This is one of the most useful effects a videomaker can ask for and I highly appreciate Canon having selected this among the few available (sepia, mosaic, etc.).

Bundled Software

The Canon FS series comes equipped with Pixela ImageMixer which lets you convert video files as well providing DVD creation features. The software is nothing to go tell your friends about, but for one, it does save the day for those having problems in using the .MOD files by renaming and converting them to one of either three popular formats. You may also encounter problems when trying to register the bundled software which requires you to input the serial number to be found underneath your Canon camcorder. If you are typing it right and you keep getting an error, it is likely you have bought a red or blue Canon FS-series camcorder. To solve this issue simply use as the first three digits of your serial number 808. Other buyers report to simply replace the first 2 digits with the number 80.

Data Transfer After Recording

The Canon FS camcorder series integrates a high-speed USB 2.0 port which can be used to easily transfer any recorded clip onto your computer or other mass storage device. The camcorder acts as a fully "standard" external device and can be accessed just like you would do with a pen or USB stick memory drive. A few things you should make sure when you want to transfer your recorded video clips to your computer. 1) Your Canon camcorder must be plugged in to the electrical socket. 2) The camcorder main switch must be set to "Play Video". 3) You must select, when prompted, the "Printer/PC" option on the camcorder LCD screen.

Recording Video File Format and .MOD Files Conversion Issues

The Canon FS series creates video files with a .MOD extension. As I have tested this out personally, I can confirm that .MOD files can be easily renamed into .MPG files and can then be read easily by most video editing or playback tools. Many users though, at least from what I can see in public forums, are quite confused and bewildered by the results obtained when they try to open or import their .MOD or .MPG renamed video clips into standard video apps. Many of them report low video quality, aliasing (the appearance of horizontal lines along the edges of moving objects) and a wrong aspect ratio. All of these issues can be easily resolved by taking a few simple extra steps. Since I had to do it for me I have taken the time to illustrate and explain in detail how to best manage these .MOD files in a separate short article. Canon FS-100 recorded video clips are also very large in size. When recording at the best quality level, with a recording data rate of 9Mbps, the .MOD files generated are about 1MB in size per second recorded. That means very large files and less recording capacity on your SD cards.

The HF Series - Hi-Definition Video - Differences with FS-series

Canon-Vixia-HF-100-240.jpg The HF series, which is almost identical to the FS series, has one major distinct characteristic: video quality. The HF series records in HD high-definition video at 1920x1080 and sports a Canon HD Video Lens with 12x optical zoom as well as a 3.3 MP Canon Full HD CMOS sensor (versus the 1.07MP standard CCD sensor of the FS series). The HF series shoots video at effectively 2.07 megapixels while the FS series has a max resolution of 710,000 pixels. That is about, three times the quality. Quality recording levels: 9, 6 and 3Mbps. Another cool extra for the pros is the manual audio control facility not available in the FS series. The HF-series features 24p and Cinema setting modes. This feature enables you to achieve a professional "film-look." You can change the camcorder's frame capture rate to 24p (recorded at 60i), which provides the appearance of the same frame rate as movie film. The CINEMA setting instead changes the color and tonal characteristics of your video clip, evoking the look and feel of a movie shown in a theater. These settings can be used together or independently. Other nice extras to justify the more than double price of the HF series are a predisposition for a high-capacity battery pack, a 2.7" multiangle Vivid LCD screen with a 135-degree viewing angle, and, next to the USB 2.0 port a mini-HDMI terminal and mini advanced accessory shoe. Finally the HF-series also allows the addition of an optional wide-angle lens adapter, something which I would consider a requirement for any serious videomaker. The HF-series weighs in at 380g, about 120 grams more than the FS series. For more info, see this interactive product tour of Canon Vixia HF-Series.

Direct Video Recording / Mastering To DVD

Both series are directly compatible with the Canon’s DW-100 DVD portable recording unit, making it extremely easy to master HD movies from the Canon camcorder straight to disc. Discs are compatible with ordinary home DVD players.


In Summary

Pros

  • Records directly on flash-memory SD or SD-HC cards
  • External microphone input jack
  • Fast to start - always ready to record and playback
  • Three hours of video recording battery power
  • Noiseless
  • Light and very compact
  • Good quality integrated mike
  • Powerful night-light
  • 2000x digital zoom
  • Super stabilization features
  • Widescreen 16:9 video recording
  • Cool price: $ 320

Cons

  • No possibility to add a wide-lens adapter (no need for a tele on this one) - (available on more expensive HF series)
  • .MOD files compatibility and conversion issues. Unless one knows what to do, the first experiences with the Canon FS-100 may be quite frustrating as the .MOD video file recording format may not be properly read by other video software tools. Users may also be lead to think that the camcorder records low quality video as, unless properly executed the conversion into other tools can generate files that are truly terrible in quality, full of aliasing issues and squashed due to the wrong spect ratio settings. All of these issues can be easily solved but Canon didn't do a good job of making this easy and transparent to the expected target user.
  • Power adapter will recharge batteries only when they are inside the camcorder. No way to recharge battery without holding hostage the camcorder.
  • No audio volume controls - (available on HF series)
  • High capacity memory cards will not be easily read by many pre-installed laptop card readers. You may need, as I have, to go out and buy a dedicated new one.
  • Low-quality bundled software - ImageMixer does the very minimum required without throwing in any extra.
  • There is no electronic viewfinder, you have to use the LCD screen. Probably this isn't really a handicap, but just in case you were expecting one, you won't find it.
  • No hot shoe to attach external microphone or lights (available in HS series) - (you can use this one I have found alternatively)
  • No USB-based webcam functionality


Editor's Recommendations

The Canon FS-100 and its two brothers (FS-10 and FS-11) are intended for non technical users that are very passionate about extracting the possible video and audio quality from their clips, without having to invest in an expensive semi-professional setup. I would personally recommend the Canon FS-100 series to all buddying video bloggers and specifically to those who want to create quality video clips (with great audio) while utilizing a small, undistracting, compact camcorder that is extremely easy to use. I have been personally waiting for this type of camcorder for a long time, and previous experiences with other Flash-based compact camcorders, like the Sanyo Xacti, had not left me completely satisfied. But these new Canon camcorders do really offer a lot of bang for the buck. They are easy to use, small, light, stylish, and they do record good video, especially if your end product is going to be uploaded to the web. Yes, the HF series is A LOT better, and for someone as passionate and experienced as me, it is very tempting to pass my brand new FS-100 to someone in my team and take up the HF-100 which has HD video, three times the video quality, a better lens, manual control of audio, an optional wide-angle adaptor. But considering the price tag of about €750 ($ 1,160) versus the €285 ($ ) I paid from Amazon UK, I am still quite happy with my more humble investment. No doubt, the HF-100 is a dream camcorder, but it is definitely not the best investment in a video camera if you are just starting out, have a limited budget and plan to publish mostly on the web. Let's wait for the competition to wake-up, prices to come down, and for versions 2.0 to give us some extra features too.


Originally written by Robin Good for Master New Media and first published on June 11th 2008 as "The Ideal Camcorder For Small Independent Video-Makers: The Canon FS and HF Series - Wow!"

Submitted by New Media Rights on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 2:33am

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How To Convert .MOD Video Files To MPEG-2 On Mac And PCs

Need to play back and edit .MOD video files? If you have just got a new camcorder and are killing yourself to understand how to read, convert and import properly those damn .MOD video files, I think have got some solutions for you. MOD-video-files-Canon_FS100_Front.jpg I myself have just bought a small little jewel of a camcorder, the Canon FS-100, (for which I have just written an in-depth review that I am going to publish shortly). This is a truly dream video-camera for the buddying video blogger and grassroot video reporter. Nonetheless its many great features and its super-affordable price, the Canon FS and HF series, alongside some other existing video cameras, such as the JVC Everio, and the Panasonic D-Snap SD-card camcorders, suffer from a frustrating disease: difficult to manage and incompatible .MOD files. The Canon FS series creates video files with a .MOD extension. MOD video files are nothing but MPEG-2 files with AC3 audio. Apparently, and I have tested this out personally, .MOD files can be easily renamed into .AVI or .MPG files and can then be read easily by most video editing or playback tools. There are also several other ways to convert and easily make these video files usable, but for the novice or the non-technical user, this type of issues may just become a nightmare. As a matter of fact I have discovered that when you try to playback, import or edit such renamede .MOD video files, these may look horrible, with aliasing effects, distortion and images squeezed due to a wrong aspect ratio setup. Indeed, though apparently simple, you need to know a few things for the whole process to work smoothly. This is why I have taken the time to put together this simple mini-guide on how to convert .MOD files and turn them into standard compatible video files that can be read and edited by most any popular video software. To resolve this situation, here is what you need to do:

.MOD Video Files Conversion Issues


How To Make the .MOD Files Read By Any Software

a) Basic solution: the most basic solution is to rename the .MOD files manually into .MPG files and then to make sure that the video program you import these files into is set properly relative to the video standard used (PAL or NTSC), the aspect ratio used, and the interlacing. b) If your .MOD files were recorded in 4:3 format then just rename them to .MPG. If they are 16:9 widescreen then you could use sdcopy.exe to convert them. c) To correctly edit .MPG video files it is recommended that you utilize software that supports "smart-rendering" otherwise the resulting video quality may degrade too much. d) Recommended MPEG-2 video editing tools I have seen posted online are Magix, Womble Video Wizard or Ulead Videostudio. e) SDCopy converts your .MOD files, renames them to .MPG and fixes the widescreen tags issue. f) The problem with these these tags stems from the fact that they are being stored in associated small text files with the extension .MOI. Once you separate the .MOD file from its companion .MOI file the video software you use to open the video file doesn't know anymore what aspect ratio and video file format is being used and tries to guess automatically. g) Another solution is to utilize DVD Patcher (which is free) to fix the file header and read 16:9 and 720x480. Also keep in mind that most new camcorders come equipped with some software which generally provides the capability to convert .MOD files into other formats in a simple way. Canon provides ImageMixer which can do this, and JVC camcorders owners can use for example Cyberlink PowerDirector which comes free with their video-cameras.
VLC When using VLC, you can change a few settings and get the best results. Check these: Video -> Aspect Ratio -> 16:9 (or 4:3 depending on the clip) Video -> Deinterlace -> Blend
Adobe Premiere If you are using Premiere and are having problems seeing the clips in the correct aspect ratio, use mpeg streamclip or a similar tool to transcode the clips into another video format and then import them into Premiere. Also I have read somebody saying that whenever you import the clip into Premiere, by default the widescreen flag is not correct. The sugestion is simply to right-click on the imported video file, and to select "Reinterpret Footage" and make the selection from there. It should work fine. Check also DIY guide on how to use .MOD files with Adobe Premiere Pro.

Platform Specific Solutions

1) Windows PCs - Windows Movie Maker

a) Launch Windows Movie Maker b) Go inside Tools -> Options menu c) Make sure that the encoding setting is set appropriately. If you are in tjhe US or Japan it should be NTSC, but everywhere else it should be set to PAL. d) Set the aspect ratio to 16:9 because if that is the format you have been recording in. e) Click OK and you are set. f) Select "Import..." and bring in your original Canon video file (renamed in .mpg) and the video file will look great. If missing you may want also to download and install an updated AC3 Codec.

2) Mac - iMovie

If you just want to play back .MOD video files on your Mac simply rename them as .MPG or .MV2 and you should have no problem in opening and viewing your video clips in VLC or Quicktime. Unfortunately it appears that to edit or work with these files Mac users have a little more trouble to go through to get their MOD files into their favorite video player. The .MOD video files are modified MPEG-2 files with audio in a non-standard Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound setup which Final Cut Pro, iMovie and most other Mac video editors cannot import natively.
"...the .mod files produced by the camera are muxed MPEG-2 files with the audio mixed in a non-standard Dolby Digital Stereo setup. This causes the video to be played (when renamed to .mpg) correctly in QT (and QT Pro) but no audio is played (although present.) The video has to be converted into a format FinalCutPro (or iMovie) can use natively. The ideal solution would be to edit the native mpeg-2 file without conversion- but this isn't possible with the present form of Quicktime (this may change in the future.)" Source: CamcorderInfo
For these reasons, Mac users will need in fact to purchase, albeit at a small price, something that will allow them to read properly native MPEG-2 video files. I have found several alternative solutions on this front. First, Mac users can take advantage of Streamclip software which will convert the original .MOD files to just about any video file format you may want (but for MPEG-2 support you may be in need to buy the $20 MPEG-2 plug-in for Quicktime from Apple). alternatively you can try: Pixela Capty MPEG Edit or VisualHub or ISky Video Converter for Mac Whichever solution you select, you need then to: a) Change .mod file extensions to .mpg (and you can delete the .moi files) (and maybe use xiafunge to batch this process for many files) b) Get MpegStreamclip (free on the net) or equivalent software and open the .MOD files. c) Output to DV format for hassle free iMovie and FCP editing. For top video quality, try using the DVCPRO codec. d) Import files in DV format to iMovie for editing... By converting the files using Streamclip you'll end up with a 100% DV conversion at the cost of a slight quality loss- nothing too bad maybe 3-5% quality loss. Another approach I have found goes like this: a) Convert all the .MOD files in .DV format and save them somewhere.) b) Open iMovie, create a new DV project, pay attention to choose 4:3 or 16:19 then save it and close iMovie. c) Go into the saved project folder and open it (see contents). Inside you'll find a folder called media, just drop in all your converted files, close all and reopen iMovie. You'll see that iMovie prompts you that in your recycle bin there are some files... d) Just recover them and .. it's done. You can now edit and use your files on your Mac with iMovie. For those more technically skilled there is also another free road: FFMPEGX. Not intuitive, but positively workable if you know where to put your fingers. FFMPEGX is great for transcoding the original .MOD /MPEG-2 video clips into other video formats. Those having access to mastering software Toast Titanium can also easily convert .MOD files to just about any video format they want.
On a positive note, for those wanting to simply upload their .MOD video files to a video sharing site, Google Video accepts .MOD files directly for upload and publication, without the need to convert the files into any other format.
By the way... this is a great market opportunity right now, as the number of camcorders and users generating .MOD files will probably increase rapidly, until camcorder producers will decide to standardize on an easier to use video format. Therefore video conversion and encoding services like HeyWatch or video-sharing and uploading tools like TubeMogul have an interesting window of opportunity in integrating support for .MOD files into their services sooner rather than later and make it another strong marketing point and an opportunity for extra visibility on major search engines.
If you know of other solutions, please suggests them here below in the comments section.
Originally written by Robin God for Master New Media and first published as "How To Convert .MOD Video Files To MPEG-2 On Mac And PCs" on June 12th 2008.

Submitted by New Media Rights on Thu, 06/12/2008 - 4:57pm

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