HD Camcorder output format problem

[Charles L. Cotton]

I have a Canon Vixia HF M31 camcorder. The raw video format is AVCHD (.mts) and the person that does my editing is using Final Cut editing software. I also have a demo version of Adobe Premiere Elements 9.

I used the software that came with the camcorder to load the video clips onto my computer. However, neither Final Cut nor Premiere Elements 9 can import those video files for editing. (The camcorder also outputs a .cpi file that appears to be empty.) Am I going to have to capture the video from the camcorder by using the USB cable and playing each video clip? I certainly hope not! We shot about 50 clips and that would be a lot of trouble.

Anyone have suggestions?

Thanks,
Chas.

[pbwalker]

A friend of mine had the same issue and used Mac Video Converter.

http://www.iskysoft.com/topic-avchd/pla ... n-mac.html
Download Here

There is a Windows version as well...There is a free trial. You might be able to convert what you have so far without having to buy it just yet.

[flintknapper]

"Final cut reads clips in order of their information, not the .mts files. Therefore when entering your card files you should have, AVCHD > BDMV > Backup, Clipinf, playlist, stream.
In the clipinf you should have the same amount of files as stream. Your clipinf files (.cpi) should follow the same title number as the .mts"

If still having problems you can try using Toast10 (or similar) to convert .mts files to .mov

[philip964]

Adobe Premier 9 or 8 for that matter, accepts AVCHD files. It is a very simple and quick program to learn if your are just taking the video files you have and burning a DVD. So far I have been unable to successfully burn a Blue Ray Disk with HD video using Premier 8. I just got Premier 9 and I'm hoping the next time it works. Premier 8 does fine with taking HD video and putting it on a DVD at a lower resolution.

Once you have them off the camera and the files are on your computer, you just drag and drop them in the order you want. Add titles and menu bar for the beginning from their premade samples they have made for you and burn the DVD's. Thats all there is to it.

If your editing each file for length that gets harder.

Pinnacle Studio HD seems easier to do fancier things like editing adding still photos etc.

However Sony Movie Studio HD seems to be the best if your being Cecil B. Demille. One thing I really like about it, is you can make an ordinary DVD play HD on a blue ray player. You don't get 2 hours worth, but you avoid the cost of the blue ray disk and the blue ray burner as it all occurs on your DVD burner.

I have only tried AVCHD on Premier, I assume it works on the two others, but I haven't got that far with those two programs as they are much more complicated. Premier is the easiest to learn fast, as it is so simple, thus it has been getting the most work from me.

It takes a really fast computer to do all this in HD. I'm using a new 64 bit machine and it is still choking it with data trying to render all the frames in real time.

Have fun. It still amazing to me that we can have all this technology at home on a desk for a relatively small price.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Thanks for the information folks. I just need to either get something that will convert AVCHD's .mts files to something that Final Cut can use, or see of Premiere Elements 9 will work for converting the files prior to any editing. I need Premiere Elements 9 anyway and it would be nice if it will handle the pre-editing without having to do it one file at a time.

Toast 10 Titanium will convert several files at once, but it is for MAC only. Creater 2011 is the PC version, but I'd rather not have to buy it too, if Premiere Elements 9 will do the conversion in bulk.

Chas.

[flintknapper]

Thanks for the information folks. I just need to either get something that will convert AVCHD's .mts files to something that Final Cut can use, or see of Premiere Elements 9 will work for converting the files prior to any editing. I need Premiere Elements 9 anyway and it would be nice if it will handle the pre-editing without having to do it one file at a time.

Toast 10 Titanium will convert several files at once, but it is for MAC only. Creater 2011 is the PC version, but I'd rather not have to buy it too, if Premiere Elements 9 will do the conversion in bulk.

Chas.

Well....thats the easiest way. Sorry for the Toast10 suggestion the "MAC" thing stuck in my mind from someone's post below yours, my bad.

Another thing that can lead to problems is "in camera/camcorder" editing. Just T&L everything and edit on computer.

[Keith B]

Premiere Elements 9 will import AVCHD video files and you can export to:
3GPP (.3gp, .3g2)
Adobe Flash Video (.flv)
Audio Video Interleave (.avi) - Windows only
H.264 (.mp4)
H.264-encoded QuickTime (.mov, .mp4)
MPEG-1 (.mpeg)
MPEG-2 (.mpg)
MPEG-2 Transport Stream (.m2t)
QuickTime (.mov)
Video Object (DVD video) (.vob)
Windows Media (.wmv) - Windows only

[gwashorn]

Charles, did you resolve your video file needs? I still run my video production company and may be able to help. Just been tied up a lot lately. If you can get me a file to copy I can probably help you out.

Gary

[Charles L. Cotton]

Charles, did you resolve your video file needs? I still run my video production company and may be able to help. Just been tied up a lot lately. If you can get me a file to copy I can probably help you out.

Gary

Thanks for asking Gary. I got Creater 2011 do convert files in bulk and it works fine.

Thanks again,
Chas.