New camcorder stores stuff on/in API file - help!

[FoJo]

We are off to Florida in 4 days time. Bought a cheap(ish) waterproof camcorder and have only just decided to open it and suss out how it works. DH had a bash last night but cant view what he has recorded on laptop as it is in 'API' format and we cant suss out how to convert it/access it. He's been on 'ask jeeves' etc and apparantly it suggests that you download something from a website that he;s not too sure about. ANy ideas/help appreciated. THnaks

None.......I would join a techy forum.....how about the CUK guys that invaded the other day?

API not AVI?
Did the camera come with any software?

What camera, make and model?

VLC player will play lots of formats that Windows media player won't, we use it a lot at school.

Agree with RustyBear. VLC will try to open anything.

The file extension may purely be a wrapper for something else. I would expect the file to be fairly raw video, so not encoded to a great extent as that would require processing power which a cheap camcorder may not have. So it could well be an AVI insider the API wrapper.

Trying to think of low cost waterproof video cameras. Something like the Oregon Scientific ATC5K (or one of the earlier versions) is all I can think of as being low cost. I have one of those and it produces AVI files - which can be opened with Windows Media Player or VLC and can be imported into Windows Movie Maker.

One thing to try, make a copy of the file.
Then rename the copy, so it has an AVI extension. Then it may open in a player/editor.

thanks as ever folks