How to convert Xaomi's .XEM (MJPEG) to .mpg, etc?

bill-kranz wrote on 4/30/2016, 10:40 AM
I have a new camera security software called "Xaomi". (From the Russians...)
It's working great but stores the camera's archive footage in a .XEM format.
Well, guess what who has even heard of this format? Not I...

I have a post on their forum but out of 17 views no one can answer basic details about this format and how they view their files. I have done other web searches. I have searched our posts by .XEM and another typical sentence. Pro 13 will not open the file.

I did find it is a variant of MPEG.

However under Wikipedia here is their take:

...Did you mean: xem film?
The page ".XEM file" does not exist. You can ask for it to be created, but consider checking the search results below to see whether the topic is already covered.

So I have come here for your wisdom.

Thanks,
Bill

Comments

john_dennis wrote on 4/30/2016, 12:36 PM
Download and install Mediainfo. (Uncheck and do not install any crapware that might be offered.) Post the video properties from the Text view in Mediainfo and someone will help you determine how to find the codec and / or re-wrap the video to something Vegas Pro accepts.

I've found the program so useful that I dropped a dime on the author.

Example Mediainfo Output:
General
Complete name : D:\_Photos\2016\2016-03-27 Easter Sunday\MVI_0548.MOV
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : QuickTime
Codec ID : qt 2007.09 (qt /CAEP)
File size : 44.5 MiB
Duration : 10s 302ms
Overall bit rate : 36.3 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2016-03-27 19:04:48
Tagged date : UTC 2016-03-27 19:04:48
Copyright : 2014
com.apple.quicktime.make : Canon
com.apple.quicktime.model : Canon PowerShot G15
com.apple.quicktime.author : John Dennis

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Baseline@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=12
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 10s 302ms
Bit rate : 34.7 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.697
Stream size : 42.6 MiB (96%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2016-03-27 19:04:48
Tagged date : UTC 2016-03-27 19:04:48
Color range : Full
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

Audio
ID : 2
Format : PCM
Format settings, Endianness : Little
Format settings, Sign : Signed
Codec ID : sowt
Duration : 10s 302ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 536 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Stream size : 1.89 MiB (4%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2016-03-27 19:04:48
Tagged date : UTC 2016-03-27 19:04:48
musicvid10 wrote on 4/30/2016, 1:18 PM
Bill,
MJPEG and MPEG are two entirely different file formats.
Which is it?

Please don;t install any codec "packs" until you hear from members of this forum.

Former user wrote on 4/30/2016, 1:29 PM
Is this what you have?

[url=http://felenasoft.com/xeoma/en/]


6. Q: With what can I view .xem files in the archive?
A: You can view recordings straight in the archive with the help of built-in media player. But if you need to watch the files outside Xeoma, you can use, for example, VLC player (specify fps of the video in the command line so that it would look like "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --mjpeg-fps=30 1077.xem where 1077.xem is your file's name and "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" is the path to your VLC player). Moreover, with sufficient codecs other popular players can play the .xem files, too. But the easiest way is to export the needed extract in the desired format straight from the built-in player.


From online manual

Export allows to save a certain extract from the archive in the format of your choice. This will come in handy if you usually store in MJPEG (.xem) and need to show an extract from the authorities and need it to be playable in most players. Or, you need to save just a screenshot from the archive. This all is done via the Export option. Click it once to get the white little triangles shown over the timeline. Move them to enframe the needed extract. Go to the menu and click Export once again. A prompt will be shown asking where to save this extract to and what format it should be converted to.
bill-kranz wrote on 4/30/2016, 5:05 PM
Hello. I have MediaInfo installed now (thanks John Dennis) and here is the text result of a exported file from the active timeline of Xeoma.
Note that Vegas 13 Pro could not open this file. Windows Media Player would open it but every 1/2 second there is a brief stutter. Otherwise looks good from a Logitech C920 USB 2.0 webcam.

Thanks DonaldT I was able to figure out the export range set but cannot find the built in player or how to bulk convert the archives in the Explorer view.

FROM MEDIAINFO:

General
Complete name : C:\Users\Preview+Archive.12 2016-04-30 16_30_30-2016-04-30 16_32_02.avi
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 5.65 MiB
Duration : 1mn 36s
Overall bit rate : 489 Kbps
Writing application : Lavf55.19.104

Video
ID : 0
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile : Simple@L1
Format settings, BVOP : No
Format settings, QPel : No
Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Default (H.263)
Codec ID : FMP4
Duration : 1mn 36s
Bit rate : 485 Kbps
Width : 2 304 pixels
Height : 1 536 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 3:2
Frame rate : 20.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.007
Stream size : 5.60 MiB (99%)
Writing library : Lavc55.39.101
musicvid10 wrote on 4/30/2016, 5:22 PM
Bill, that's older h.263 in an AVI container.
You'll have to convert it first, I think.
bill-kranz wrote on 4/30/2016, 7:00 PM
Okay, I can work on that.

Thx,
Bill
musicvid10 wrote on 5/1/2016, 9:37 AM
Here's a free h263 vfw codec I found. It would show up in Vegas as an AVI Custom render option.
Not an endorsement because I haven't tried it. Don't let the installer give you any unwanted "gifts."

http://www.leadtools.com/help/leadtools/v19/multimedia/filters/leadh263encoder(vfw)(2.0).html

bill-kranz wrote on 5/2/2016, 9:38 PM
Hello MusicVid10:

That software looks great!!
Thanks for the link!

Bill
musicvid10 wrote on 5/2/2016, 9:43 PM
Read carefully when installing.
I know nothing about them.
Let us know how well it works.

fridgitator wrote on 3/28/2017, 12:24 AM
I have a new camera security software called "Xaomi". (From the Russians...)
It's working great but stores the camera's archive footage in a .XEM format.
Well, guess what who has even heard of this format? Not I...

I have a post on their forum but out of 17 views no one can answer basic details about this format and how they view their files. I have done other web searches. I have searched our posts by .XEM and another typical sentence. Pro 13 will not open the file.

I did find it is a variant of MPEG.

However under Wikipedia here is their take:

...Did you mean: xem film?
The page ".XEM file" does not exist. You can ask for it to be created, but consider checking the search results below to see whether the topic is already covered.

So I have come here for your wisdom.

Thanks,
Bill

I also have Xeoma. My install is on a Linux machine. I didn't catch a mention of your O.S. , so forgive me if this is out of place. I'm new to Linux, and feeling my way around with some difficulty. When I first tried to open the .XEM files, I ran into the same thing. At least in Linux, right click on the file, and quite similar to Windows, you will be offered the option "open with". Click on whatever software you use to view videos. If you are satisfied with the results, tick the box that says "Always use this...."