Upload AVIs to PowerShot

[Wiggel]

I have the PowerShot G2, a microdrive (1 GB) and a CF-CardReader. Everything works right. Now, if would like to use the Camera as a Movie-Player: The G2 can play AVIs and using the right codec and knowing the exact parameters (framerate, etc.) it should possible to encode a AVI-Movie (eg. captured with VirtualDub), save it to the MicroDirve and play it back with the PowerSoht G2.

I tried this out, but didn't succeed: The Canon used codec is MJPEG, but I only found a MJPEG-Encoder at www.morgan-multimedia.com, which doesn't produce the exact same data-format. Appending a Video to a Video which was take with the PowerShot G2 didn't succeed either (I used AVIEdit). I just don't know enough of the neccessary parameters (framerate, sound, etc.).

Has anyone more information or even got out the way how to upload AVIs to the camera?

(It would be a real cool thing, to use the PowerShot as a mobile Movie-Player - Canon should think about that as a new market-feature...)

[Rustle]

It would really depend on the specs that the firmware player can handle, which I assume are tuned only for the images it can capture.

I checked the properties of one of my captures, and it has the following data:

320x240 pixels
15 fps video
135 kbps video bitrate
88 kbps audio bitrate
8 bit mono audio

It's an S30, but since the internals are similar it should be the same. Or just check the properties on one of your captures.

With that in mind, you might want to check that the camera is at all able to handle uploaded videos. By that, I'm wondering what happens if you download a video taken with the camera, then upload it back to the camera. Will it recognize the video? If not, then that's your problem.

As for using the camera as a movie player, I disagree. I'd rather see Canon focus on improved picture-taking than viewing. After all, the newer PocketPC and PalmOS handhelds will do what you're looking for on a bigger screen. Sony has a handheld with a built-in camera, but I'm not quite ready for the all in one cellphone/PDA/camera/pager/mediaplayer/caralarm device.

How would you power that? :)

Russ

[Wiggel]

Yes, of course you are right - a PDA is much better suited for that kind of stuff ... and movies are no problem on that kind of devices.

But my intention was just to enhance the abilities of the camera with an easy software-trick. Wouldn't it be an nice thing - or better - a nice add-on to watch a movie on your camera, while your are travelling or during holiday?

Of course, instead spending extra money for that feature, it is wiser to invest in a PDA. But if it is possible without extra hardware (and therefore without extra money), it could be a really nice add-on for free.

And, at least, usually PDA do not have as much memory as cameras have, since images require more memory than programs do. (But of course, I could also use my microdrive as an extension for a PDA.)


Thanks for your parameters ... I'll keep on working on that idea. If I succeed, I'll send you my "camera-movie-uploader" ... :-)

[stus]

Hooray!! I've been scouring the net for ages now asking this question, & mostly getting "why do you want to do that" type responses.

Did you guys get anywhere with this? Below are my findings so far:

- VDub(mod) has a "Direct Stream Copy" mode, that saves basic edits from multiple sources to one file without de/re-compression. This is fine in concept, but still ends up changing *something* in the formatting that my Powershot S45 doesn't like. VDubs "File Information" option reports that they're practically (totally?) the same - must be some other wierd-stuff going on in the header (or similar) that the S45 doesn't like. These results also occur even when doing ZERO edits before saving - just load -> DSC mode -> save.

- Canon suggested (via their FAQ) that the MainConcept codec should be used to decode the S45 avi's. I was HOPING this meant that it would also encode in a compatible manner, but it doesn't seem to, unless I've not toyed with the codec encoder options enough.

- Yes, S45/G3 can handle uploaded AVI's. I'm able to pull any avi's from my S45 collection and put them back onto the camera, with dummy thumbnail files, and re-jigged filename sequence numbers. Originals work, others don't.

- As for using the camera as a movie player - I want to do this - not using the LCD, but the video-out to a TV. Much more flexible than burning to DVD/VCD etc...

Do any Canon bods frequent these forums? I fear that calling Canon support will be fruitless since they'll have had so few people asking about this.

sTu.

[stus]

bumpity bump...

[stduc]

I have been trying to do this for some time - so far without success - so best of luck and please let me know when you succeed - as I 'm sure you will.