JVC Everio GZ-HD7AA How to Covert .Tod files

[Shawn Pinner]

Hey Sean.
Not sure if you do this already or not, but you can completely bypass using the Producer program to backup the TOD files from your JVC and just import into the Director program directly from the camera. Since the camera is a hard drive and the pc recognizes it as such, you can browse its contents and select the files you want.

I have been selecting all of the files I want at once on the camera, and importing them into director, which automatically converts the TOD files to MPG and saves them in a file that you designate for them.

Shut down director, and import the files into Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, and you are good to go.

I must also say that the Blackmagic Intensity Pro capture card has done wonders for my workflow with this camera. You can convert the files to DV, uncompressed SD and HD in real time via HDMI, S, RGB, or AV outputs.

I completely hated this camera until I figured these workarounds out and bought the Intensity Pro. Now, I think I am starting to feel better about my investment.

Shawn Pinner
GOEFILMS.COM

[Angela Bush]

Hi Gary,

I recently bought this camera and use Sony Vegas Pro 8.0 as well (but am very new to the program). I’ve tried dropping the files directly onto the time line and it says that none of file dropped onto the time line could be opened. I am having problems converting these .TOD files to their full capabilities and need some help. Is there anyway I can send you one of these files and you figure it out for me. I would be so appreciative because I’m so frustrated and desperate! I’m a student and spent all of my money buying this camera and I cannot return it because I got it on ebay. Please let me know.

Angie

[Gary Brown]

Hey Angela,

You should have access to my e-mail by now as a ‘Friend’. Trim or create a file, 2Gig or less as a .tod file and send it to me using the free trial at http://www.YouSendIt.com I’ll eagerly try to solve the riddle!

GB-)

“Better, Faster, Cheaper … Pick Two!”

Gary R. Brown, SCVE
Video Systems Engineer
Portsmouth Public Schools
Portsmouth, Virginia
23704-2135

[Gary Brown]

Ah Sorry Make that a 100Megfile for the free deal!

GB-)

“Better, Faster, Cheaper … Pick Two!”

Gary R. Brown, SCVE
Video Systems Engineer
Portsmouth Public Schools
Portsmouth, Virginia
23704-2135

[Gary Brown]

Found this on another forum:
a three-stage workflow, but only two of the stages are really essential –
Stage 1 – download all movie data (files & folders in ‘SD_VIDEO’) from HD7 via USB
Stage 2 (Optional) – Rename files – I find e.g. ‘MOV03A’ in folder ‘PRG007’ not very helpful (also the ‘hex’ suffix (e.g. 03A) tends to confuse some sorting processes). Therefore I bulk rename using PFRANK (from https://www3.telus.net/pfrank/) this is all amatter of choice, but as an example I include Project name, shooting date & time (actually file date/time), and the original ‘hex suffix’ (just to allow any back-track) in the new name.
Stage 3 – De-mux TOD file – the TOD file is an MPEG video file wrapped up in Transport Stream (TS) packet data. To remove the TS packet data I use MPEGStreamClip (from https://www.videohelp.com/tools/MPEG_StreamClip) & QuickTime Alternative (needed by MPEGStreamClip) (from https://www.filehippo.com/download_quicktime_alternative/?2615).
Startup MPEGStreamClip and load the TOD files via List/BatchList and then select the ‘Convert to MPEG with MP2 Audio’ option, select the destination, and hey presto! – full-quality mpeg2 file(s).
Since all that is happening is basic data transfer, there is no real CPU overhead and the speed of the process is limited only by the performance of your hard disk(s). I use 2 x SATA2 drives, one to contain the download from the HD7, and the other to receive the MPEGStreamClip output – and a very quick process as a result.

“Better, Faster, Cheaper … Pick Two!”

Gary R. Brown, SCVE
Video Systems Engineer
Portsmouth Public Schools
Portsmouth, Virginia
23704-2135

[Gary Brown]

For all you Vegas users out there, prepare for an a-duh moment concerning .TOD files. Angie Bush sent me a .TOD file from her Everio, it was a direct transfer from her camera to disk. I was trying everything (see previous posts) to convert or open or … and then I moved it to my second editor on which, during my last project, I had been forced to harvest some .VOD files from a DVD I had made before and lost the original footage.

To ‘see’ the .VOB files in Vegas’ Explorer I had clicked the little file button in the upper right corner of the explorer tab within Vegas, and selected ‘all files’. Viola the .VOBs magically became viewable, and usable. Well low and behold so were the .TOD files. I simply dropped them on the timeline and I was off! So … it is true that they work natively in Vegas, once you can ‘see’ them. They are ideed MPEG files without the Lic fees, hence the different file extention.

The workflow is then: copy .TOD files to PC harddrive, launch vegas, (ensure ‘all files’ is on) and navigate to the TOD directory, load & edit!

GB-)

Thanks Angie!

“Better, Faster, Cheaper … Pick Two!”

Gary R. Brown, SCVE
Video Systems Engineer
Portsmouth Public Schools
Portsmouth, Virginia
23704-2135

[Casey Van liefde]

Hi,

I have read through all these posts but I am still having difficulty with this camera and it’s .TOD files. Unfortunately i can’t go back in time and not buy the the horrible thing, so i have to work with i’ve got! I have been using MPEG Streamclip to convert my TOD files which has been working ok. I work on a mac computer and am using the production premium software. So primarily editing in premiere pro. Once i convert my TOD files in streamclip i am able to import them into premiere but they always appear far to small in the preview window and by enlarging them to fit it seems to ruin the quality.

All i want is to be able to import my files into premiere at the correct size and quality and be away editing! I would have never bought this camera if i knew the issues that came with it. I have been living with this for over a year now and I’m just sick of not utilizing my footage to it’s full potential.

Any advise or recommendations would be greatly appreciated as i have a lot of footage that needs to be edited so that i can start making some money.

Thanks heaps!
Casey

[Stefan Wolf]

Hi Kate, I found an easy way of doing this. Open your downloaded .tod files in the Everio Director programme. Then choose the ‘produce movie’ option. This will automatically convert the file into an .avi … I’ve been getting some nice results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBpNEu_qx5c
Best regards, Stefan

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