UKC

I have a Panasonic Lumix tz20. I can take videos and replay them, but I can't see them on the SD card and therefore can't download them. They might be on the camera's internal memory but I don't know how to access that. The instructions I got came in many obscure languages but not English. Can anyone help?

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

They are very unlikely to be stored on the cameras internal memory if it actually has any. Videos are normally stored in a different folder to stills, click on the image of the disc on your desktop and check all the different folders out,

Chris

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

Hi Andy, looks like it uses .MTS files which might be why you couldn't find them.

I never bother installing anything the manufacturers give you but did the camera come with anything to do a conversion?

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Chris, yes I've clicked on all the potential folders shown and it says they are empty. That's both with the camera plugged in with its lead and with the SD card inserted into the PC. Yet I can still play the video. The only clue is that there is a little usage of the SD card, so maybe something is there but not shown?

In reply to prog99:



No, it came with loads on versions of instructions in various languages (but not English) and a CD which again had instructions and a download of PhotoFunStudio 6.1 which won't run. I'll google .MTS files in the morning. Thanks.

In reply to prog99:

Did anyone else buy the same model, and did it comes with the correct software. Mine did look like they had put together odd bits of whatever they had, and wasn't the proper manufacturer's version. Teach me for googling and buying the cheapest.

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

Downloading to a PC or Mac?

And what Operating System version?

In reply to Mudflap:



To a PC.
Windows 7, 64 bit

In reply to Andy Nisbet:
as others have said the files will be there just not obviosuly movie files

a quick google suggests your camera uses a version of avchd format called mts

my suggestion would be
insert the SD card in your computer. (assuming you have a card reader, otherwise plug the camera into the PC using the cable that came with the camera)
open "my computer" and locate the disk. copy everything on the disk into the videos library on your PC (or somewhere else that you might prefer)
now go to the folder you've copied the files into and select it so it's highlighted.
top right of your explorer window, there's a search box.
type *.mts and hopefully some files will appear in the main window
if you have no program installed that will play these files then it'll complain when you double click on one.
if that's the case then the advice above about installing VLC is what i'd also recomend.
be warned there are iffy copies of vlc doing the rounds
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.en_GB.html
is the correct home page for the program
install it (you don't need to agree to any additional programs it might offer)

In reply to Andy Nisbet:
Try this:

- Boot PC. Turn on the camera. Connect the camera to PC with USB cable

- On the camera check that USB Mode is set to PC:
MENU > USB Mode > PC

- On the PC open "My Computer" and navigate to the camera/card

- If you've been shooting in AVCHD the videos should be saved on the card as .MTS files within:
PRIVATE > AVCHD > BDMV > STREAM

- Try playing them with Windows Media Player or else VLC

- If you're going to import the videos into a video NLE then import the whole PRIVATE folder, not just the individual .MTS files

In reply to Mudflap:

Thanks guys; I'll try both

In reply to Mudflap:

Mark,

Brilliant. That worked. Pity I may have lost the videos from our recent expedition, as I deleted everything on the camera. But I know now, and thanks very much.

Thanks Rallymania - I didn't try your solution as Mark's worked.

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

no worries, mine was"general" advice however marks was much more "focused" on your exact issue the important thing is you now have access to your videos!

the only thing i would say is do still copy the files onto your computer before editing them. (evenplaying them)

you'll get much better performance doing things that way