Bizarre problem trying to import .MTS (AVCHD) files into PSE7 Organizer

Question

Hi
b Summary of problem:
*I recently upgraded to PSE 7 / PRE 7
*I am trying to import .MTS (AVCHD) files into the PSE7 Organizer
*I get a "...did not contain any supported file types..." error on attempted import
b HOWEVER...
*I can edit same footage in PRE7
*This footage is automatically added to the Organizer
*I can play this footage in the PSE7 organizer but generating thumbnails takes ages
*Camera: Sony HDR SR12 producing .MTS files (full 1920x1080i HD)
*PC: Intel Core i7 940 CPU, 6GB RAM, RADEON HD 4870 512MB
*OS: Vista 64 bit
b Detail:
I have recently upgraded my PRE/PSE bundle to ver 7 primarily because the new version of PRE boasts support for AVCHD.
Having installed the new software I quickly tried editing footage in PRE7 with video taken on my Sony HDR SR12 camera (footage taken in full 1920x1080i HD) and it works! Hoorah! I can now finally edit AVCHD footage in it's native format using PRE. Thank you Adobe!
But my joy was very shortlived because when I tried to import some other footage from the same batch into my PSE7 Video Catalog it wouldn't work. I got a pop up box containing the following error:
i "Nothing was imported. The file(s) or folder(s) selected to import did not contain any supported file types, or the files are already in the catalog."
Under this message is a list of the files that I tried to import. Next to each one there is a reason (it's the same reason for each clip):
i "Reason: The file is damaged or is a format that cannot be included in the Organizer."
To import files I use the following method: File / Get Photos and Videos / From Files and Folders
HOWEVER, the files that I imported directly into PRE7 in order to edit them have (surprise, surprise!) automatically been added PSE7 Organizer's Catalog. It takes a quite a while to generate a thumbnail for each clip but it does eventually do it and when it does I can play that footage in PSE7.
Just in case you're confused by this stage... If I try and manually add files to the PSE7 Organizer it doesn't work BUT if I edit that footage in PRE7 and then load the PSE7 Organizer I see the footage has been automatically added. This makes no sense whatsoever!
Am I doing something really stupid here? Why oh why will the PSE7 Organizer not import .MTS (AVCHD) files?!
NB: While searching for a solution to this problem I have, thanks to this Forum, found out about the K-Lite Codec Pack. I downloaded and installed the Basic pack v4.4.5 and now I can, at least, play my .MTS video files in Windows Media Player... I wish I had found out about that a couple of months ago because it would have saved me from buying Cyberlink PowerDVD 8!
Please someone help before I lose the plot.
Thanks
Patrick
b PC: Intel Core i7 940 CPU, 6GB RAM, RADEON HD 4870 512MB, Vista 64 bit
b Camera: Sony HDR SR12 producing .MTS files (footage in full 1920x1080i HD)

Answer 1

Hi
I'd just like to add an update to this post.
b Summary:
*K-Lite Codec Pack clashes with Sony's Picture Motion Browser (PMB) software
*Analysis of video in Sony's PMB is well worth doing!
*You can Drag and Drop clips from Sony's PMB into PRE7
b Detail:
As you've probably gathered I have now settled on using Sony's Picture Motion Browser (PMB) to Catalog all my video. Sorry Adobe to talk about someone elses product but the Adobe Organizer just can't cope with AVCHD footage no matter how you manage to import it! It's far too sluggish and my PC has an Intel Core i7 940 CPU with 6GB RAM and a 10,000 RPM HDD!
Anyway, in my first post you'll have read me raving about the K-Lite Codec Pack but sadly I've had to uninstall it because it kept on causing PMB to crash. PMB runs much smoother and quicker WITHOUT that codec pack. Something about it clashed with PMB. The once agile PMB became sluggish and unresponsive.
Having now removed the codec pack PMB is back to being agile and generaly lovely.
To view AVCHD footage outside of PMB I have reverted to using Cyberlink's PowerDVD 8 - there's always a pregnant pause between double-clicking on the clip and it playing but that's the only drawback.
If you are going to use Sony's PMB for cataloging your video collection (and I recommend you do so BUT only if you have AVCHD footage - otherwise stick to Adobe's Organiser) then I can fully recommend "Analyzing" all of your footage. This takes time and a bit of patience because it kept stopping for no apparent reason but would readily start up again (without having to do anything else) BUT once it's done it'll reward you with the following:
*Filter on any combination of Scenery, People, Smiles - e.g. with a click of a button you can isolate footage that contains smiles, etc
*Face Search - if you select some or all of the footage in the right-hand pane it will then put a small thumbnail for all of the different faces in that selected footage in the bottom "Face Search" pane. If you then click on one of those thumbnails it will jump to the clip(s) that contain that face and grey out all the other clips
*Expand Videos - This tool is brilliant! In normal viewing mode you get a thumbnail of the video whether you're in Folder view, Calender view or Detail List view. If, however, you select "Expand Videos" from the tool bar it will show you a series of frames contained within that clip. You can choose from "Highlights" or various regular intervals (5 secs, 10 sec, 30 sec, 1 min, etc). The Highlights option does a pretty good job of picking out the significant changes within the clip
Lastly, I have discovered that you can drag a clip from Sony's PMB into PRE7. It won't let you put it directly onto the Timeline but it will let you drop it into the Project file list (found under the Edit tab).
I do hope that this info has helped others like me who are trying to get to grips with editing and cataloging AVCHD footage.
Patrick