What is the MOD file format?
.mod is a video file format used by JVC Everio and Panasonic tapeless camcorders introduced around 2003. These hard-disk and SD-card camcorders recorded standard-definition footage directly to .mod files rather than tape, storing the video as a plain MPEG-2 Program Stream - the same container as .mpg - with no proprietary wrapper beyond the extension name itself.
Each .mod file contains interleaved MPEG-2 Part 2 video and MPEG-1 Layer II or Dolby Digital AC-3 audio, encoded at standard-definition resolutions: 720×576 pixels (PAL) or 720×480 pixels (NTSC) at 8-bit, 4:2:0 color. File sizes typically range from 100 MB to several gigabytes; camcorders recording to FAT32 media automatically split clips at the 2 GB or 4 GB filesystem boundary.
Each .mod clip is paired with a small .moi sidecar file that the camcorder software reads for recording date, duration, bitrate, and thumbnail. Without the .moi file the video itself remains playable, but the camcorder's organizational index loses its metadata.
Because .mod is structurally identical to a standard MPEG-2 Program Stream, simply renaming a .mod file to .mpg is enough for most media players and editors to open it. JVC HD models recorded higher-bitrate footage as .tod files instead. The format was later superseded by AVCHD (.mts / .m2ts, H.264) on next-generation HD camcorders.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA camcorder .MOD is plain MPEG-2 video and carries no scripting or macros, so the file itself is low-risk. The only real caution: avoid sketchy "MOD converter" download sites that bundle adware - use VLC, HandBrake or ffmpeg, or just the rename-to-.mpg trick. Verify you also keep the matching .MOI files only if you rely on the camcorder's own software for dates.
Format details
in a nutshell- Amiga/ProTracker Module (tracker music) - Sequenced music module storing samples + pattern data (Ultimate Soundtracker/ProTracker); this is what the DB article text actually describes. Play with OpenMPT/VLC/XMPlay.
- 3ds Max / Wavefront geometry & misc data - Some 3D and game tools emit unrelated .mod data files (e.g. geometry or mod data); rare and application-specific.
Programs that open MOD files
Windows4 apps
macOS1 app
Linux1 app
Technical details
deep spec| Container format | MPEG-2 Program Stream (MPEG-PS) |
| Video codec | MPEG-2 Part 2 (H.262), lossy DCT block compression |
| Audio codec | MPEG-1 Layer II (MP2) or Dolby Digital AC-3 |
| Video resolution | 720×576 px (PAL) / 720×480 px (NTSC) |
| Chroma subsampling | 4:2:0 (YCbCr), 8-bit per channel |
| Audio sample rate | 48 kHz |
| Byte order | Big-endian |
| Magic bytes | 00 00 01 BA at offset 0 (MPEG-2 PS pack-start code) |
| Typical file size | 100 MB - 4 GB; clips auto-split at FAT32 boundary (2 GB or 4 GB) |
| Sidecar file | .moi - stores clip metadata: recording date, duration, bitrate, thumbnail |
| MIME type | video/mpeg |
| Encoding | Binary |
| Direct rename compatibility | Renaming .mod to .mpg allows playback in most players and NLEs without transcoding |
| HD counterpart | .tod - JVC HD camcorder format; higher bitrate, same MPEG-2 PS structure |
| Superseded by | AVCHD (.mts / .m2ts) using H.264 video on later HD camcorders |
| Released | circa 2003 (JVC Everio and Panasonic SD-card / HDD camcorders) |
| Latest version | N/A (de facto MPEG-2 PS; no versioned spec - superseded by AVCHD .MTS) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | en.wikipedia.org |
MOD conversions
Community Q&A
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