Xfce Forum

Mellowbob

Member

Registered: 2011-10-16

Posts: 286

OT: Mounting video camera card

A friend brought over a SD card from a Panasonic Video Camera earlier (sorry, I don't have the model # just now ... but it looks like this: https://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-and- … camcorders ). Anyway, plugging the card into my computer and using the file viewer works great: it shows all the pictures in a DCMI folder. But, the videos don't seem to be there at all.

She is dropping by again later this week and I can try again ... but am I missing something obvious? It's not a matter of not being able to play the files ... they just don't show up at all.

eriefisher

Member

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 529

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

It says "Records Full-HD (1920 x 1080) at 120 fps" but not what format. It's possible you don't have the codec needed to view these videos? Are you sure there is video on the card. If there was it would be a big file at that resolution and recorded for any length of time. Compare the size of what you can see with df -h.

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Xfce 4.18

Mellowbob

Member

Registered: 2011-10-16

Posts: 286

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

Thanks for the reply. Just checked and the camera is a V180.

I don't think the issue with with the kind of video. The file just doesn't show up. And, if I plug the camera in directly via the USB, the same thing happens. She had no problems on her windows PC. I will look again later, may copy the entire card onto my box or something.

alcornoqui

Member

Registered: 2014-07-28

Posts: 832

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

Here's a manual for the Panasonic HC-V180. Relevant sections seem to be at least "Copying/playing back with a USB HDD" (p. 95) and "With a PC" (pp. 107-118).

Specially interesting is p. 116 "About the PC display":

It shows the folder structure, and has specific instructions for "Copying your still pictures to your PC", but no mention there of copying videos (called "motion pictures" al along the doc).

Same hint in p. 118: Copying still pictures on a Mac. No mention of video.

There's lot of restrictions and wizardry involved all around.

All operations with video seem to be through some "HD Writer LE 3.0" Windows software.

Additional searches provided some hints from forum posts, etc, but no definitive answer. I combined the keywords linux, panasonic, camcorder, avchd (and others).

If that is indeed the model and manual, or if you can get the right one, I'd start there to rule out any violation of the proper Panasonic wizardry, then refine the searches.

I'm sure there is a way. Good luck and keep reporting!

Mellowbob

Member

Registered: 2011-10-16

Posts: 286

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

From memory, the card directory layout looked very much like that. And manual pages I read were very similar to what you posted.

My guess is that they are "hiding" the video on the card "somewhere". Perhaps doing a raw write for increased speed? Or, more likely just to be jerks

The easy solution might be to run their software in Virtual Box and see if that works ... but I hate to do that just because

Will let you guys know.

eriefisher

Member

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 529

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

There must be a native Linux application to read raw video??? If that's what it is.

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Debian Sid
Xfce 4.18

alcornoqui

Member

Registered: 2014-07-28

Posts: 832

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

There must be a native Linux application to read raw video??? If that's what it is.

Some threads mentioned Kino: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kino_(software)

Mellowbob

Member

Registered: 2011-10-16

Posts: 286

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

Again, I'm no where close to decoding a raw video. I first have to FIND the video on the card ... and that's where I suspect the camera is writing "raw" and avoiding the file system on the card completely. I could be 100% wrong.

alcornoqui

Member

Registered: 2014-07-28

Posts: 832

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

I first have to FIND the video on the card

So, what is the file structure of the SD card that you can see?

Is there a PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV folder? Are there any .MTS files anywhere?

According to the spec, they should be there:

but maybe there's a permissions/formatting/mounting problem? Another user got this output as superuser:

user@t440s /run/media/user/7858-8326/PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV $ ls
ls: cannot access 'STREAM': Input/output error
CLIPINF INDEX.BDM MOVIEOBJ.BDM PLAYLIST STREAM

The easy solution might be to run their software in Virtual Box and see if that works ... but I hate to do that just because

I share your feelings, but if you can do that you might save you some headaches!

Good luck!

Mellowbob

Member

Registered: 2011-10-16

Posts: 286

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

Well, don't I feel silly now. Plugged the camera in today and mounted the camera. Copied the entire PRIVATE directory to my hard drive ... and the files are all there in PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM

The files have an MTS extension. According to  ffprobe they are H264 encodings and play perfectly with vlc ... I now have to take back the bad things I said about Panasonic.

Thanks all for putting up with this!

BTW, the linux "file" command shows these files as "data". Maybe I need an update for it? Looking at /etc/magic there is only a file "magic" with a header, no incantations. Oh, digging deeper there is a "/usr/lib/file/magic.mgc" file. Not up-to-date?

alcornoqui

Member

Registered: 2014-07-28

Posts: 832

Re: OT: Mounting video camera card

Yay!

BTW, the linux "file" command shows these files as "data". Maybe I need an update for it? Looking at /etc/magic there is only a file "magic" with a header, no incantations. Oh, digging deeper there is a "/usr/lib/file/magic.mgc" file. Not up-to-date?

No idea, but in my Xubuntu 18.04 I get similar stuff:

$ file -v
file-5.32
magic file from /etc/magic:/usr/share/misc/magic

And, from 'man magic':

The database of these “magic patterns” is usually located in a binary file in /usr/share/misc/magic.mgc or a directory of source text magic pattern fragment files in /usr/share/misc/magic.

It's been a nice rabbit hole, now I'm ready to fight any nasty camcorder or Blu-Ray I meet!