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the lemming

Any ideas how to read and convert .264 files

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I've just bought a Cnm Secure H.264 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder with 4 cameras from a local store in Preston.

 

http://cpc.farnell.com/cnm-secure/cnm4camh-264/dvr-h264-500gb-2-cameras/dp/SR07775

http://www.cnmlifestyle.com/

 

My problem is the format that the DVR records footage. The box and sales rep explained how good H.264 was and having converted many a DVD to H.264 and AVI I was happy to choose this setup.

 

My problem is that the DVR setup records footage in a propriety .264 format which can only be viewed on the DVR player. As you can agree this isn't exactly a good idea especially if I want to backup footage and give it to the police.

 

I have tried unsuccessfully to hunt the internet to find a way to convert the .264 data to MP4, H.264, AVI or even WMP formats but no joy.

 

The software that comes with the Security system will not not work on my PC. When I install the software I get an error message stating that it can not find a hard drive of the DVR setup and promptly shuts down the viewing feature of the software.

 

What's the point of providing software for your data if it won't allow the feature to work on a PC.

 

 

I would very much appreciate help or advice on converting .264 files into something more productive.

 

Cheers

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Would you be willing to supply a backed up file (something around 1-5mb) doesn't have to have video or anything just so I and anyone else can have some hands on with this.

Thanks

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When you backup a file directly from the DVR to a USB stick, does it include the player or some .exe file or just the .264 file?

 

You could also explore the contents of the CD and look for the codec, sometimes it can be manually installed into the PC and allow it to recognize the proprietary format without actually installing the full software.

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I have a programs to play and convert .264 files to .avi. It's very generic and it came with a 4ch tiny DVR recorder but worked great for me. If you want it emailed, send me request to wlodziu@gmail.com. The packed software is 9MB, I put all files on disc together. Tested on Windows XP and Windows 7 64 bit.

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Most DVR software packages record in somewhat proprietary formats so they can't be tampered with. Makes them more legitimate to use in court.

 

Your options are to use the software package to export an incident and it should give the option to include a player, or to convert it to a different format using a converter included with the software package or directly from the manufacturer.

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I know this thread is rather old, but I didn't see anyone answering it, at least anyone giving the correct answer...

I searched around some and found the answer:

You need a program called R6Viewer to view and convert to .avi

It's a somewhat screwy program (you have to save your avi while the file is playing otherwise you get a nice long still shot)

You can download it here http://www.defender-usa.com/downloads/?cat=6 I clicked "software" under SN501 but it might be in other links on that site.

 

FWIW, I can watch and convert files on XP 32-bit, but the resulting avi's won't play with "the cone". They play just fine on winders 7 x64 media player.

 

If anyone needs help making this buggy software work my nick @ halebobb.com

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I too had a video that I needed to share with the police. After an extensive search, I found an absolutely wonderful website that will convert the files from a security system that end in ".264"

The website is

www.zencoder.com

You can even upload a test video to check that they really can convert before purchasing a plan. I hope that didn't scare you off, though. I had two 15 minute videos to convert (2 different camera views of the same criminals). And the total cost was only $1.50. That's WAY cheaper than buying a software package that may or may not convert my files. AND their computers convert the video files MUCH quicker than my aging computer can. They offer many options on what type of file to convert your video into (see below from 3g2 thru wmv). After using their site, I was able to burn DVDs, and upload these videos to youtube!

 

I did try the R6viewer that uhclem mentioned, but it just seemed too confusing for me (a noob) to figure out.

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