Transcode dashcam video

Dashcams record a raw MPEG-2 stream. This isn't typically playable using usual multimedia software. Transcoding down to a regular compressed h264 file also saves a massive amount of storage space.

Install ffmpeg tools

First, make sure ffmpeg is installed:

sudo apt install ffmpeg

sudo yay -S ffmpeg

Mount the card

The memory card from the dashcam should be mounted:

sudo mount /dev/mmc0 /mnt/mmc

Transcode the video

To transcode to a standard H.264 encoded MPEG-4 file, use ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -i ./input_file.TS -c:v libx264 -c:a copy ./output_file.mp4

The resulting file will work fine with VLC or any other regular video player.

Transcode and trim video

• START is the timestamp in the video to begin the clip, example 1:23
• DURATION is the amount of time to clip, example 0:45

This will transcode the video from MPEG-2 to mp4 while trimming:

ffmpeg -ss START -i ./input_file.TS -t DURATION -c:v libx264 -c:a copy ./output_file.mp4