Old Drone, New Computer

ADWONE · Mar 24, 2025

Hey all! I am new to this whole drone thing, but it seems the one I inherited is from 2014. It is the Typhoon Q500.

It looks like there are some .avc files on the sd card that was in the machine, but I can not seem to open them in any software on my 2024 Mac mini.

Am I going to be able to view the videos I shoot with this drone, or is there something I need to download to do so? I am planning to try it out when the weather is nicer, and just want to get any information I can beforehand.

I am an experienced video editor with Davinci resolve, but am inexperienced when it comes to file conversion/compatibility. Any insight here would be greatly appreciated!

h-elsner · Mar 24, 2025

The .avc files are only for the copy from the video downstream with very low resolution. You can have a look on it if you had a crash and the camera or drone is lost.
The MPC-HC video player can play this video container format. But it is not available for MacOS, only Windows and LINUX.
However, useful are only the full resolution videos on SD-card in the camera.

Edit: MPV player is available for MacOS, maybe it can play .avc - not tested, but it's worth a try.

DoomMeister · Mar 24, 2025

Adding to info from @h-elsner:

SD card under battery in controller must be 32GB or less and formatted FAT32. It records FlightLog data, and is a great resource for analyzing aircraft issues.

The SD card used in the camera can be 128GB or less. It should have a U3 speed rating (3 inside the capital U) so it can handle recording 4K video. Format FAT32 for cards 32GB and less, and ExFAT for 64GB or 128GB cards.

Look forward to you sharing video from your efforts.

Maddog bill · Mar 24, 2025

Hi need help looking for a wire diagram for my Q 500 drone three wires broke off and I don’t know where the wires go to. Is there a wire gram or can someone tell me what wire goes where