I've seen quite a few posts about poor video quality on the computer and not being able to hear the audio. Here are some tips to make sure your videos look, and sound, just as good on your computer as they do on DVD.

As most of you know, the .MOD files are actually mpeg 2 video. To play the videos, you really need to rename the .MOD extension to .MPG so your computer can understand what it is. Renaming is also necessary because the camera starts back at MOV001.MOD when videos are erased. I use this handy, and free, renaming utility so I can rename many files at once.

File Renamer

To view the files properly, you need a good mpeg 2 codec. If you have a software DVD player, such as PowerDVD 5 NE (included with camera), then you have an mpeg 2 codec installed. If you don't have a software DVD player, then I suggest you install one. This is handy to test your authored and burnt DVDs without having to use a stand-alone DVD player. If you don't like PowerDVD 5 NE, check to see if your DVD burner came with another software player. Here are some links to commercial software DVD players.

CyberLink PowerDVD
Intervideo WinDVD
DVD X Player

You also have the option to download a free mpeg 2 codec but your results will very. If you simply don't want to install a software DVD player, then you will have to spend the time searching for free codecs and trying them out. Some are good and others horrible, so you may have to try a few.

Next you need an AC3 audio codec. Everio cameras record audio in Dolby AC3 format. Just download and install this great, and free, AC3 codec.

AC3Filter

Now on to viewing the video files. You can view mpeg 2 files from the software DVD players but this is a pain. DO NOT use Windows Media Player. It renders the video with skips and jaggy lines when there is motion. The best player for quickly viewing your files is Media Player Classic. It's fast, easy on system resources and doesn't have a bunch of crappy "features" you don't need. Oh, it's also free.

Media Player Classic
NOTE: Media Player Classic plays mpeg 2 and AC3 natively so you don't need to install either codec unless you wish to view files with other players.

This should get you up and running. If you have any problems, just post in this thread and I'll try to help you out.