I have iMovie '11, and I'm trying to import previously downloaded AVCHD files..we just got this iMac.

Question

So I know how to directly import from the camera, but I've got all these .mts files I need to import from a hard drive. Each clip has two files it seems..the .mts and a .modd maybe? I gather from a google search this is a recurring problem, but I haven't found a real answer. Do I need to create an archive file for each? I am fairly tech savvy but by no means a computer genius nor super familiar with Macs. We've got iMovie '11 on an iMac, if that matters. Any help would be great! I had my first baby in August and now I've got all these videos and nowhere for them to go...sad.

Answer 1

Will the VoltaicHD convert into an iMovie usable format that takes up less space (so I should always use it?) or is it just useful in converting .mts files that I already have (...asked differently I guess, does Voltaic convert into that AIC format or something else more compact?)
It can convert into other formats, but it's really big strength is just being able to open and manipulate the AVCHD formats (as there are slight variations in the different HD formats, this can be a bit of a minefield). However while iMovie can import smaller size video in more compact formats, it's not going to be as compact as the AVC/HD files. It has to reassemble 'missing pieces' that AVC/HD estimates/guesses at playing back. iMovie needs all the frames in the video to exist as discreet real video frames. AVC/HD creates one key frame, then judges the differences between the key frame and a number of frames that follow it, estimates what's changed and then saves that into the file. This saves a ton of space but is a real hazardous way to try to edit that in a typical video editing program. That's why the video clips get big once they are imported into iMovie.
Then - how do I create archives as I import? I see how to import archives already made, but not how to create.
Make sure you have the camera attached to the Mac, but also make sure you have the camera running off of the power adapter that came with it. Don't Use Battery Power. Put the camera into VCR/Playback mode. Then launch iMovie. Also make sure iPhoto doesn't try to intercept your camera when it first detects it has been connected. Quit out of iPhoto if you see it launch, then launch iMovie just to be safe. Then go to the File Menu > Import from Camera. Then choose Camera Archive option then let it copy everything itself. Otherwise you can do this manually outside of iMovie by dragging the memory card icon when it appears on your desktop. Drag it into a folder on the Mac and that will essentially create a duplicate of the card, which is in a sense all the iMovie does when it creates a camera archive. Just make sure that you erase the card after you make the duplicate on the Mac. And that's where an external hard drive would be handy that way you won't fill up your internal Mac HD too quickly.