Convert, then edit HD in Windows Movie Maker for XP - Tutorial

Weary of posting the same info on multiple boards, I finally broke down & made a tutorial. Yes, I know there are better video editing programs available but WMM is free & good enough for me. But you can't import your HD helmet cam footage into XP's version of WMM... right? WRONG. Here's all you need to know to get started:

Links to the free, required software for my method:

Awesome converter!

HD plugins for WMM

Required codecs

To preview .mov or .mp4 files without Quicktime, vlcmedia player is free & awesome!

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

If you have crashing issues in WMM, watch this series of youtube vids to fix it:

Thank You Very Much! This should be a Sticky!

That was really GREAT!!!

What a HUGE Help! ?

Mucho appreciated, SpED66! Thank you!

Jimmie

In EDIT:

Would it be possible to get a URL link to the convertor, codec, & HD file downloads you mentioned?

In EDIT (again....? ):

Never mind. I found the links at your youtube page..... Thanks!!!!

Hmm, second link doesn't seem to work for me

I also cant seem to find my files through the convertor program. i have them saved in a folder on the desktop. Where can i find it?

Hmm, second link doesn't seem to work for meQUOTE]

Blone, either click here:

http://www.bauer-power.net/search?q=Windows+Movie+Maker+HD

Or, if that doesn't work, type in "Windows Movie Maker HD" in the little SEARCH dialg/text gizzie at the place where the link DOES take you to. Click on the magnifying glass, and that took me right to the page he shoed in his tutorial video..... Hope this is of some help.....

Jimmie

SpED66, where do you save these files? On "My Computer", on the desktop, or ???? Do you need to open up the 2nd & 3rd files when doing your editing, or will they somehow open up themselves, or "attatch" themselves to WMM?

*Edited first post to add/fix links.*

SpED66, where do you save these files? On "My Computer", on the desktop, or ????

Save the files wherever you want. I usually create a folder for all of the vids from my trip & name it appropriately. Then I point the converter to save the .avi files to the same location. Then I tell WMM to save my editing work to the same folder. Easy to keep up with individual projects that way.

Do you need to open up the 2nd & 3rd files when doing your editing, or will they somehow open up themselves, or "attatch" themselves to WMM?

I'm sorry but I don't understand this question! ?

*Edited first post to add/fix links.*

I'm sorry but I don't understand this question!

It's probably because I have a tough time understanding "files, folders, & such", and don't always have enough knowledge to even verbalize myself well...... Sorry about that; I didn't want you to have to give a complete windows course here.....

Okay, maybe this'll make more sense..... The file that gets downloaded from www.bauer-power.net ...... It allows you to work with the HD files a GoPro camera makes, in WMM, after having been converted, correct?

In your tutorial, there was point in it ( at the 8:13 point ) where you were saving your video. You used a drop down menu that contained options in it for the HD quality. Did you have to "open" that file you downloaded from bauer-power.net, or do those options just kinda "modify" WMM to allow those choices? Does that make any sense?

I'm also curious if, since my GoPro is the 960 model, will I be choosing the WMV-HD-960x720 setting? I believe that's what my camera is set to.... ?

Sorry for all the dumb questions, SpED66. And please tell Keith his acting skills for that video were incredible, hee hee!!!?

Jimmie

Did you have to "open" that file you downloaded from bauer-power.net, or do those options just kinda "modify" WMM to allow those choices?

Once you install the bauer-power files, per the instructions on that website, WMM is then modified... you'll see the HD options in the pull down window where you are asked to choose a compression method for your movie.

since my GoPro is the 960 model, will I be choosing the WMV-HD-960x720 setting?

Yes, or you can choose anything smaller if you need to compress the film more. You know, to make it a smaller file size but at the cost of reduced quality. Choosing a larger resolution will create a much bigger file size but will not create a sharper image. The best quality film you can create is to choose the same resolution that your camera outputs. Check your GoPro documentation to be sure.

I still cannot seem to find my video folder that is on my desktop through the search on the program. Where do I look for this? Thanks

NVM, got it!

OK ***!

The MP4 cam shows the video folder in my desktop that contains the videos I want to convert, but when I open it, the folders arent there .. I was able to get them to open before, but for some reason none of the videos will show up now, not even the ones that were already converted. I have not changed anything at all. Any Idea what is going on here?

Never ran into that problem before. Perhaps uninstalling/reinstalling Mp4Cam2AVI might help?

I have been frustrated trying to use Movie Maker for a month now and after watching your tutorial i was up and running in an hour. A huge thank you for taking the time to do this. STICKY!!!!!!

Finding a good converter was the hardest part for me. Glad to know my video tutorial helped some folks. Thanks. For future posters, I'll do my best to answer any questions that might pop up in here.

Well I have done what spED66 said to do in his youtube tutorial. I went to source forge and downloaded the MP4cam2AVI and then the WMM HD download and also the FFD show codec.

Now that I have these downloaded I proceeded with the rest of the instructions. I opened up the MP4cam2avi and selected my file and got the screen that says "now that its HD..... it is not supported".

Then when spED66 went to Action andselected Batch covert many I done that but on the MP4cam2avi that I downloaded doesnt have the Video button underneath the Action button on the mp4cam2avi but has the audio format button.

These three buttons I'm talking about is on the upper right hand corner on the mp4cam2avi.

Right now I'm waiting on 14 files to convert from MP4 and its on 11.

To be clear, you do not see the video option I've circled in red in this image? Or is it there but "grayed out" & not selectable?

I might suspect a possible problem with your ffdshow codecs. With MP4Cam2AVI & WMM closed, go to the START button on your pc & select Programs/ffdshow/Video decoder configuration as seen in this image:

If ffdshow isn't in your program menu, then ffdshow is not installed correctly. Reinstall ffdshow! If you do get this far you'll see this next screen. With Codecs selected in the upper left, see if the following 3 options on the right are enabled with libavcodec by default.

(**Note that in my configuration everything else is disabled by default. If anything other than the three I mentioned are enabled, you might try disabling them to see what happens.)

If not, right click on each of those 3 & select Set all stable formats to libavcodec then click on OK at the bottom of the screen. Start MP4Cam2AVI to see if the video format option is visible & selectable now.

If all else fails, I would try reinstalling MP4Cam2AVI ... & possibly the ffdshow codecs too.

Please let us know if you solve your problem.

To be clear, you do not see the video option I've circled in red in this image? Or is it there but "grayed out" & not selectable?

I might suspect a possible problem with your ffdshow codecs. With MP4Cam2AVI & WMM closed, go to the START button on your pc & select Programs/ffdshow/Video decoder configuration as seen in this image:

If ffdshow isn't in your program menu, then ffdshow is not installed correctly. Reinstall ffdshow! If you do get this far you'll see this next screen. With Codecs selected in the upper left, see if the following 3 options on the right are enabled with libavcodec by default.

(**Note that in my configuration everything else is disabled by default. If anything other than the three I mentioned are enabled, you might try disabling them to see what happens.)

If not, right click on each of those 3 & select Set all stable formats to libavcodec then click on OK at the bottom of the screen. Start MP4Cam2AVI to see if the video format option is visible & selectable now.

If all else fails, I would try reinstalling MP4Cam2AVI ... & possibly the ffdshow codecs too.

Please let us know if you solve your problem.

We got it now.....She done the other one first then the ffdshow next. We now have the video format now.

Its going to take awhile to get use to editing and all you can do with it. Putting in music and doing slow motion things is going to take time.