AVCHD and iMovie

Do you know any, if iMovie support new AVCHD video format ? I am would like buy new camera Sony HDR-SR7E with High resolution AVCHD and with USB2 cable ,but until now I don't know, if iMovie support format AVCHD and if is possible import and edit movies to iMovie the same simple as with others MiniDV camcorders with FireWire .Until now I have Sony PC1000 and I am would like change this for better....

Advanced High Definition (AVCHD) isn't supported by Apple.
So the answer is "no". You can't really edit AVCHD anyway, and you need a firewire to import to iMovie.
The cameras are awesome, I agree, but not suited for imovie.
:)Sue

Similar Messages

AVCHD and iMovie 08

Ok, I tried to do a search as to not clutter the discussion forums any more than they are.
I am considering purchasing the new Canon HG10. It uses AVCHD. Now I know that there is a lot of dicussion on this. So .. here is my question.
I understand the iMovie 08 imports it in and converts it to a Quicktime format of some sort. How does this effect it being "HD Quality"? Does it stay in the same size and quality? I know that AVCHD is a complicated compression but I just want to know if it impairs the quality a lot by this process.
Also when burning these files do they burn in HD? IE: Do I still need to play them on a particular player or use specific media to burn them?
I am sorry for the N00BIE questions but I am a Noobie when it comes to this stuff.
Thanks for any information you can provide to me.

Winston Churchill wrote:
This couldn't be more wrong.
AIC is lossless, indeed when converting your compressed AVCHD file, AIC decompresses it and stores each and every frame as a key frame (full quality) hence the large file sizes.
That couldn't be more wrong! I thought I'd be original and change "this" to "that"! You probably shouldn't speak in absolutes, unless you are absolutely sure of what you are talking about and absolutely clear in what you mean. I'm not sure whether your understanding is at fault or your clarity in expressing yourself, so I will explain below.
I'm pretty certain that you are mistaken about AIC being lossless. From what I have read, you are correct that AIC stores each frame as a key frame. However, you are incorrect in your assumption that a key frame is "full quality".
There are two primary ways that video compression algorithms work - spatial compression and temporal compression. Spatial compression involves compressing the data in each frame. This is often done using a discrete cosine transform (DCT) algorithm and is lossy. Simpler video compression algorithms like DV only use spatial compression.
Temporal compression schemes divide up frames into two types: key frames and predictive frames. There can be multiple types of predictive frames. The key frames are spatially compressed and occur throughout the video stream at regular or irregular intervals, depending on the format type. The frames in between key frames are drawn only by referencing the changes that have happened since the last key frame and the changes required before the next key frame. This greatly reduces the amount of data stored between key frames.
MPEG-2, for example, utilizes spatial compression in the key frames (I-frames) and temporal compression in the form of P-frames and B-frames. AVCHD also uses both spatial and temporal compression schemes, although AVCHD (based on H.264) is much more advanced than MPEG-2 in the algorithm by which this compression is achieved. AIC on the other hand, only uses spatial compression and thus every frame is a key frame (a key frame, but still a compressed frame!).
Where you may be correct (and where I may be incorrect) is in the conversion between AVCHD and AIC. The AIC codec is lossy, but the conversion between the two may be lossless IF AIC builds all of its frames directly from the AVCHD frames without decompressing and recompressing them.
Here is where my knowledge begins to run dry. If you have a reference or link to an article that establishes that the conversion between AVCHD and AIC is a lossless conversion, then I happily concede that no quality will be lost in converting between AVCHD and AIC. However, if you cannot establish this, then I will continue to play it safe and assume that there is some quality loss in the conversion. Thanks for tuning in

What is the best workflow for AVCHD and iMovie/iDVD 09?

I am recording AVCHD video with a Sony HDR-SR11. I don't have a blu-ray burner yet, so I want to create the highest quality DVD's I can from this source video using my MacBook and the software I have (iMovie 09 and iDVD 09).
Currently I am importing the video clips into iMovie 09 at the 1920x1200 setting. After creating a 16:9 movie I choose "Share to Media Browser" and export at the highest setting I see (I think 1280x720, I'm not on the MacBook at the moment).
After a long while this completes and I launch iDVD 09. I drag the movie I exported above into the theme and burn at Professional Quality. After another long wait I have my DVD but I'm quite disappointed with the video quality.
Even taking into account that DVD is not a hi-def disc format it seems like the video quality should be better. Is there a better workflow I should be using with this combination of software? Maybe some way to avoid scaling/compressing the video twice? Or is this as good as it gets with iMovie 09 and iDVD 09? I may have access to iMovie 06, if that would help.
Thanks,
Gerald

I am recording AVCHD video with a Sony HDR-SR11. I don't have a blu-ray burner yet, so I want to create the highest quality DVD's I can from this source video using my MacBook and the software I have (iMovie 09 and iDVD 09).
Currently I am importing the video clips into iMovie 09 at the 1920x1200 setting. After creating a 16:9 movie I choose "Share to Media Browser" and export at the highest setting I see (I think 1280x720, I'm not on the MacBook at the moment).
After a long while this completes and I launch iDVD 09. I drag the movie I exported above into the theme and burn at Professional Quality. After another long wait I have my DVD but I'm quite disappointed with the video quality.
Even taking into account that DVD is not a hi-def disc format it seems like the video quality should be better. Is there a better workflow I should be using with this combination of software? Maybe some way to avoid scaling/compressing the video twice? Or is this as good as it gets with iMovie 09 and iDVD 09? I may have access to iMovie 06, if that would help.
Thanks,
Gerald

AVCHD and iMovie/iMac

Hi there
I have home movies that we shoot on our Canon camcorder which makes .mts files ... they look fantastic on the TV and I don't want to lose the quality, however when I view them on our iMac Ie.g. in iPhoto 9.5.1 or iMovie 10.0.5) there is clearly an issue with little lines (I think it's called interlacing) so the crisp quality is lost. Is there anything I can do so that I can work with the files on my iMac, say using iMovie to make home movies and keep their great quality? By the way I haven't upgraded to Yosemite yet so still on OSX 10.9.5
Thanks!

Just wanted to update this that I seem to have found a solution by using Adobe Premiere Elements 10 to convert the clips to mp4 with the same quality settings.

AVCHD (HG10) and iMovie

Hello,
Some information about AVCHD and iMovie. I've been looking for this before buying my HG10, so ...
Macbook (Intel Core Duo 1.83/2GB 10.4.10)
Canon HG10
External HD (import destination) : LaCie 500GB connected thru Firewire 400
Total movie duration (7 clips) : 08:51 (8 min 51 sec)
AVCHD files size : 967 MB
Import duration (Full Quality) : 21:32
Imported files size (Full Quality) : 4374.1 MB
Import duration (Large) : 15:39
Imported files size (Large) : 1246.6 MB
AVCHD files copy (HG10 -> External HD) : 00:30
Facts :
- When I copy the entire content of the HG10 on the External HD (root), this drive is detected as a camcorder by iMovie and I can import the MTS files.
- The PS3 can play the AVCHD files stored on the HG10 when connected thru USB
- AVCHD files stored on the PS3 can also be played but I had to change the extension to .mp4 (files transferred thru the PS3 browser)
Of course, it is not a surprise that the macbook (intel core duo) does not perform very well with AVCHD. Can you guys post some similar information with higher setup (new iMac, ...). Also, do you know a way to split/merge AVCHD files on MAC OS X ? So frustrating to import 1h of video in iMovie when you need to edit 2 min of this video.
Regards.

I have the HG10 and here are some of my thoughts...
AVCHD is definitely a processor hungry codec, let's hope someday Apple or a third party will dedicate an add on processor much like the Turbo.264 but for IMPORTING AVCHD (to my knowledge the Elgato Turbo.264 only works when Quicktime exports)
As for artifacts, the only thing I have to compare is my older Sony Digital8 DV cam, and clearly the HG10 is a step up, I have become more realistic, there will be no sub $1000 camcorder that performs like a professional machine, in my research the "three chip" consumer cams have such small chips that any benefit from three chips is outweighed by the small amount of light these chips capture, but everyone will have their opinions my advice is to check out each, especially downloading example files and then playing them on the intended viewing screen, I can say the images from the HG10 look different when displayed on computer screen vs an HDTV via Apple tv and in all respects the quality is plenty for capturing the kids, and other memories. In the end it's about capturing the moment and no amount of resolution is going to change that. Aspiring film producers should probably save their cash and buy a professional camera, and consider it an investment in their career, for the rest of us we just want a decent camcorder that we don't have to mess around with tapes. The cost of not messing around with tapes is TIME and SPACE. these cameras generate a huge amount of data. Be realistic about what you intend on doing with the files
My experience with transferring files is the same as above, slow clip imports, depends on your CPU (mine a new late 2007 MacBook 2.0GHz) you can just copy the files from the drive which is quick, iMovie only recognizes if it's mounted as a drive, so either put it on an external, or better just make a disk image out of it. iMovie will recognize the mounted image as if you hooked up the camera, the whole file system needs to be there you can't just copy the stream file.
Overall I like the camera and will keep it, I chose the Canon because of the added benefits that I already own a digital rebel, same battery charger, batteries (you can use the small ones from the SLR on the HG10) so traveling for me will be lighter.
As is stated in the iMovie specs (you just have to look) AVCHD is NOT supported by PPC my Dual 2.0 GHz G5 won't recognize the camera (don't ask me the reasons I don't know, I assume they just didn't write the decoder software for the PPC, probably to encourage people to go out and get a new Mac. Something as a shareholder I'm entirely in favor of Once you import the files you can tranfer them to a PPC and iMovie will work just fine so for now I've been importing with my Macbook and then transferring the files to my G5, the MacBook shows some stuttering (probably dropped frames) compared editing on the G5, however my Macbook only has 1GB of RAM until the UPS guy comes today and then it will have 4GB
if anyone has other questions about this camera I'd be glad to share
couple clips at http://gallery.mac.com/mmelkonian
one shows how grainy the picture can get in low light, that was shot at night in a dimly lit room

Importing AVCHD and DCIM folders into iMovie that someone has sent me. They live on my desktop. How do I bring them into an event library?

Someone has sent me the AVCHD and DCIM folders to import into iMovie. They live on my desktop. How do I bring them into an event library?

DCIM contains only stills.jpg ...
AVCHD is a highly complex file structure:
the 'video iself' is within STREAM as .mts, plus corresponding .cpi files in the CLIPINF ...
if the structure is intact, you go via File/Import/Camera Archive …
WITHOUT such a complete structure, the mts are not readable for iM and the automatic conversion routines don't get triggered. you have to manually convert/rewrap with 3rd party tools.-
the pics/jpegs can be imported via Finder/drag'n drop.-

Which Imports Faster HDV or AVCHD in FCE and iMovie?

I'm planning on getting my first HD camcorder and I'm leaning towards the HV-20 or HG-10. I'm leaning towards the HV-20 HDV. Tapes are cheap and a good archive medium and I'm leery of small hard drives being robust. Do AVCHD camcorders use similar drives as the iPod?
I've read AVCHD takes some time to import. Does HDV import faster to AIC?
Does FCE 4 import faster than iMovie 8 for both formats?
Thanks for any advice.
Kelvin

Import speed depends on your computer, but I think the the AVCHD and the HDV transcoding is about the same. It's all being done by QuickTime. AVCHD transfer gives you more options in terms of selecting clips and portions of clip, which is more difficult to do manually off tape. But, as you said, tape is cheap and a good archive medium.

Aspect ratio problem with AVCHD in iMovie 08

I am importing footage from a Panasonic HDC-SD9 into iMovie 08. the footage gets in there fine and looks great EXCEPT that the footage (all shot in 16:9) is squashed a little bit. in the preview clips below, it looks fine, but in the player above (and if I export it as a Quicktime file) it is squashed slightly. there are black bars above and below the footage, and (I'm guessing) were the video stretched to fill the entire area, eliminating the black bars, it would be the correct aspect ratio. I've tried importing footage form the camera supposedly shot in 4:3, and the same thing happens.
I know that I can simply do a quick edit in imovie, export it, import it into final cut pro, and stretch it back. however, I'm worried about losing quality, and more importantly, I don't know the exact ratio, since I can't even figure out what imovie is doing to the video to make it squashed, let alone in what manner.
the footage from the HDC-SD9 is AVCHD, and I understand there is something about square pixels vs. rectangular, but I don't know much about it. I have tried every iteration of imovie's limited aspect ratio settings, and I can't get it to work. I know it's meant to work well with AVCHD, so I'm assuming I'm missing something fundamental and simple. (some box to check to let imovie know I'm importing AVCHD?) it's maddening to see the footage correctly in the thumbnails, but squashed for (seemingly) no reason in the playback. can you help me out? otherwise I am going to film myself holding something that is a perfect square, then import it to imovie, then export to quicktime, then import the quicktime file into finalcut, then stretch it til the rectangle becomes a perfect square, and write down the settings for the future. seems ridiculously complicated, especially for the mac world.
I love imovie 08 (seriously, some of the new toys are just so amazing, and no render time at all!), and I love this camera. please tell me they can get along!

I think I'm having a problem similar to this. I'm using a Sharp MiniDV camera, and shooting in 16:9. When I used to import to other versions of iMovie it worked fine, but w/ iMovie 08 it is squashing and stretching the incoming video to more like 20:9 (I have no idea what the actual ratio is, this is just a guess). I tried changing import to PAL 25fps, but that didn't do any thing. Any other suggestions?

What's a good video app to use? I have iPhoto and iMovie, but they won't let me email a video. I also want to be able to make a dvd of my home movies. Any suggestions?

What's a good video app to use? I have iPhoto and iMovie, but it these wont let me do certain things, such as email a video. I also want to be able to make a dvd of my home movies. Any suggestions?

Unless you want a new computer, forget about AVCHD. It requires too much muscle to edit comfortably on anything but the fastest computer.
What camera is nice, depends on your budget. Formats that are easy to edit are HDV, DVCProHD (P2) and XDCAM. In the consumer range you could look at the Canon HV40 or XH-A1s, in the prosumer range look at the Panasonic AG-HPX170, Canon XH-H1s, JVC GY-ND250 or Sony HVR Z5 or Z7 and all Sony XDCAM cameras, especially the EX1 and EX3. In the professional range look at the Sony PDW-F355 or upward.

I have a 2008 iMac. Can iPhoto and iMovie process 720p HD videos?

I am shopping for a megazoom camera. They are mostly built for still photos, but also shoot HD videos.. in either 720p or 1080p formats. I have a 2008 iMac. I have not upgraded to Snow Leopard or a more recent version of iLIfe.
Can my version of iPhoto and iMovie process either format of HD?
A guy at the local Apple store said the video files have to be in AVCHD format, but I have found no info to back this up, so he is probably wrong.
A Canon online rep said 720p could be used, because my mac uses a 1080i format. ?? Something about up-sourcing.
I am eager to buy a camera, but want to be VERY sure I can use at least a 720p HD format.
As I am a computer neophyte, please explain in layman's terms.
Thanks very much!

iMovie from '08 iMac.. which makes the iMovie # 7.0
Thanks for the advice! I just found this: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/7.0/en/15202.html.
As far as I can tell it says 1080i will work with iMovie 7.0, But I could be wrong.
I think your advice on using 720p is excellent. The camera I am most inclined to buy at the moment is the Panasonic Lumix FZ-100. I think it has optional .. what do I call them.. resolutions? Possibility of shooting in either 720p or 1080i... or maybe not.
A rather rude apple tech support guy I spoke with yesterday.. if I remember correctly, said 720p or 1080i or 1080p.. wouldn't matter.. for '08 imoive.. but this might not be correct. Besides being unpleasant, he didn't explain things very well..
He also said it is best to find a camera that shoots in AVCHD, and that if I didn't find one, I would have to convert the video file to AVCHD.. I am wondering how to do that, and I am wondering if he is correct.
You have a Canon.. I got an email from a Canon rep who says none of the Canon cameras shoots in AVCHD.. maybe this is not a problem? Do you have to convert your video files to AVCHD?
And.. If I have been shooting in 1080i..or 1080p for that matter, if I understand you correctly, I can process that video in 720p instead? I don't know if there is an option for this in iMovie '08 (which is version 7.. GRRRR.)
This is all too @#$% complicated! I've been doing research for almost a week.. many hours a day.. trying to figure out what camera to buy, and whether or not it is compatible with my mac. I thought I had it figured out.. but maybe not..
If I need to, I'll get the iLife '09.. but have been reading bad reviews of iLife '11, so probably won't get that one.
Besides the Pan. Lumix, I am checking out the Canon SX20 and SX30.. both shoot in 720p.. I think.. If I can convert these to AVCHD easily (or if I don't have to convert them) maybe the Canons are a better choice.
Lastly.. will these videos process with iPhoto? Mostly I just want to put videos on youtube without any fancy editing. I've been doing this with an older but excellent point and shoot Canon (that does not shoot videos in HD), and have had no problems uploading to youtube.
Thanks VERY much for the help!

IMovie HD and Imovie 08 on the same machine ?

Silly question
On my previous computer I used to have IMovie 6 and IMovie HD and both were running flawlessly.
On the new computers with 10.5 we only got Imovie08, which is quite awkward to begin with..
I guess that if I have no HDV / AVCHD content it is possible to run IMovie HD as well ?
Thank's
Luc

..Just to prove it, here are iMovie 2.1.2 and iMovie '08 running happily together (click on the picture for a larger, clearer version..)

AVCHD and Apple (The Truth)

A little background. I was a PC user happily editing DV videos of friends and family for years, my PC notebook was stolen so I thought what an opportunity to get a Macbook (because everyone says video editing is faster/better/easier w/ a 2.4ghz intel 4gb of RAM it was!). Editing DV video with imovie HD, great! Now the camera starts bugging out, so it seemed logical to upgrade to an HD cam, the HF100! Now the frustration begins.
I would like to be able to make an HD movie, and either export it to a DVD via AVCHD or back to an SD card for playback on the camera. Seems you need to edit AVCHD natively to do either, which apparently Apple does not support?
To make a long story short, you can't do either! The included Pixela imagemaker software states it can import, edit and export AVCHD to either DVD or a camera, guess what? Windows only.
I thought, no problem, I'll use it via VMware Fusion and my XP pro Virtual Machine can do it. Wrong! Won't even recognize the camera.
How about calling Apple, their suggestion? Import and edit with imovie, than use the macbooks DVI output to use an HDTV as a monitor. Ok at least there is an option, but oh wait a minute the AIC files iMovie creates are HUGE. Try over 7gb for just 2 minutes of video. You can't even fit a reasonable sized project on 1 DVD, let alone a 10-30 minute one. Is it me or is this unacceptable?
Am I expecting to much from Canon, one of the best camera companies to offer something in the box to work with Apple? Is it unreasonable to expect Apple to fully support a format that has been out for almost 3 years? I thought Mac "Just Worked"?
Feel free to chime in and educate or correct me I missed something or if you know something I don't. I would be interested in knowing if any other HD cameras work or if there is some magic software for Mac I don't know about.
I would like nothing more than to be able to do these simple tasks, but it seems like either the goal of HD home movies or being a Mac user is not possible, how disappointing.

Welcome to iMovie Discussions.
I think maybe some clarification's needed..
1. AVCHD is a heavily compressed type of video: only one real frame of video in about 15 is actually recorded (on the camcorder's internal hard disc or memory chips, or whatever a particular camcorder uses). The next 14 or so frames of every 15 are just "jottings" of what's changed between frames. So to edit AVCHD frame-accurately (..so that you can position sound and audio exactly where you want them..) the "missing" frames need to be regenerated from the highly compressed video. (..It's like concentrated orange juice or cola syrup needing to have lots of water added back to it to make it drinkable ..that expands just a few ccs of juice back to a proper glassful.)
So Apple -e-x-p-a-n-d-s- the compressed video back to its true file size when all the squashed and missing frames have been reconstituted. That's why the AIC ('Apple Intermediate Codec') file sizes are so large ..because AIC really is proper video, whereas AVCHD is video which looks real enough (..except during rapid movement, when it can appear rather jerky!..) but is temporarily reconstituted in the camcorder for playback. ..Just like playing back a Hollywood-movie DVD ..two hours' worth of action squeezed onto a small disc by compressing the video (using MPEG-2 format) so that 2 hours' play-time can be squeezed onto a 4.7GB disc. The DVD player hardware then uncompresses the video on-the-fly as it plays ..same with AVCHD camcorders.
2. You can thus import AVCHD, or hi-def HDV, into iMovie '08, but so that you can then edit the material, it's expanded back into real video. (..I don't know how PC-based software does it; I'll have a try next week.)
"..You can't even fit a reasonable sized project on 1 DVD, let alone a 10-30 minute one. Is it me or is this unacceptable?.." To burn a movie onto a DVD you don't need to worry about file size! The iDVD program will re-compress the material into MPEG-2 format so that - as with an off-the-shelf movie DVD - two hours' worth of video will fit on a 4.7GB DVD. (..Unless you're referring to copying a movie project onto a data-DVD, so that the half-edited project can be taken from one computer to another. In that case, if you're burning data, rather than final video, then you can fit about 20 mins of data on a 4.7GB disc. But you'd be far better off copying the data onto an external plug-in hard disc for transferring between computers.)
3. "..Am I expecting to much from Canon, one of the best camera companies to offer something in the box to work with Apple? Is it unreasonable to expect Apple to fully support a format that has been out for almost 3 years? I thought Mac "Just Worked"?.."
Canon cameras do "just work" straight out of the box with Macs and iMovie. I use two Canons, and a Panasonic, and numerous Sonys (..see the small print, below). You plug in the camcorder; run iMovie; Import your video; do whatever editing you want; burn the result - up to 2 hrs - onto a DVD using 'iDVD' ..or export to the web, or put the result back onto other media for replay in the camcorder, if the camcorder's capable of that. (..miniDV tape camcorders will accept DV straight back from iMovie HD 6 into the camcorder; hi-def HDV camcorders generally won't; AVCHD memory-chip camcorders should if the material's exported back to a chip in AVCHD format; hard drive camcorders generally don't accept the material back unless it's in the correct format. That usually involves saving the material onto your computer's hard disc, then using another program to convert it into the correct format ..programs like MPEG Streamclip, JES Deinterlacer and several others, like Voltaic, will convert video back and forth into various different formats..)
Apple does support AVCHD ..but the camera manufacturers are really kidding buyers with that squashing and squeezing which fits hours of video onto a small SD chip! That's done by compressing the video so that it seems to have very small file sizes. Its rthr lk wrtng txt wtht vwls. It sms 2 B vry smll. Hwvr, thts cos its cmprssd. 2 trn it in2 prpr wrds nd mk it lgbl it nds 2 hv th vwls nsrtd. ..Turning compressed text - or video! - back into legible language, or editable images, means a temporary -e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-n- which the camera manufacturers don't prepare you for!
So, as Forest suggests above, an external hard disc is useful for holding the larger file sizes of AIC video.
Note than Canon FireWire-based (miniDV and HDV) camcorders like to be the only FireWire device in the circuit, and generally won't work properly with an external FireWire hard disc attached to the Mac. Canon USB camcorders don't seem to mind.
Oh; and for editing video material that's on an external disc, it should be a FireWire-connected disc; USB 2.0 (..supposedly a faster standard..) is generally too slow to handle the continuous file-transfer speeds necessary for smooth editing. (..Yes; no FireWire on the new "late-2008" MacBooks, but earlier models do have FireWire.)
Also, before using any external hard disc, plug it into your Mac and then go to Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility, select the external disc and click on the 'Erase' tab, and reformat the disc as 'Mac OS Extended' (..'Journaled', too, if you like). That erases the disc, but makes it more compatible with iMovie ..but it then won't be compatible with a PC, for transferring files back and forth.
Having reformatted it - it only takes a few seconds - then go to System Preferences>Spotlight, click the 'Privacy' tab, and drag the external disc's icon into that empty square "well" space. That stops your Mac indexing the material that's on the external disc, so that it doesn't slow down video transfers back and forth.
Welcome to movie editing on a Mac!

Videos won't show up when trying to import to iPhoto (and iMovie)?

I recently got a new Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 camera for filming my YouTube videos. When I try to import my videos to iPhoto in order to edit them, all the pictures show up but it's as if I have no video files on the camera. I have tried importing straight to iMovie, but I have the same problem there.
This is really frustrating seeing as I have an upload schedule which I'm now thoroughly behind on, as well as clips for four videos I wanted to upload to YouTube weeks ago.
Help would be much appreciated!!

Niamh
You would not be importing to iPhoto to edit the movies, they should go directly to iMovie. iMovie also has an option to upload directly to YouTube.
You really need to ask on the iMovie forum. A couple of tips:
You don't mention what format these movies are. I note that this camera shoots both AVCHD and MP4. You need to explain which you are shooting.
Also, be sure to mention which version of iMovei you have.

How to import avchd in imovie

How to import 1080P AVCHD content in Imovie 11 ?

Situation 1 Does iMovie 10 for Mac support AVCHD files?
Though the new iMovie 10.0 for Mac OS X Mavericks/Yosemite claims the native support for AVCHD, its support for AVCHD is just the same as iMovie 11: iMovie can import and edit native AVCHD in 1080i 50/60, 720p 24/25/30, 1080p 24/25/30, but iMovie does not support AVCHD 1080p 50/60 or 720p 60.
That is, you will still fail to import AVCHD to iMovie 10/11/09/08/HD if the AVCHD footage recorded at 1080/60p, 1080/50p or 720/60p with whatever model of cameras or camcorders like Panasonic Lumix DMC, Panasonic HDC series, Canon XA20, Pana TZ7, Sony Alpha DSLR(SLT) Cameras, Sony HDR-PJ790 and etc.
Situation 2 Can iMovie for iOS iPad, iPhone or iPod import AVCHD?
The short answer is no. Normally, iMovie for iPad, iPhone or iPad only works with the video files recorded by the iOS devices in MP4, MOV or M4V format. And iMovie for iOS will not import AVCHD footages recorded with other cameras or camcorders.
In order to successfully import all kinds of AVCHD to iMovie for Mac or iOS, a recommended solution is convert AVCHD to iMovie more supported video format.
Hope it will help you more or less.

AVCHD to iMovie EXPORT as QT File to iDVD Project

Hello all. Has anyone imported an SVCHD footage, edited it in iMovie, then export it into a QuickTime file, bring it into an iDVD project, and burned it into a DVD? What was the result? Good or poor quality when viewed on a big 1080p display?
It seems like that is my next move using what came with my Mac. -And I just wanted to know if anyone has done this already, to see if it'll be a waste of my time. Thanks!
This is a continuation of our discussion from the iDVD discussion forum:
"AVCHD to iMovie to iDVD: Crappy Result"
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=13106705#13106705

AppleMan1958 wrote:
Much better to use Apple TV, Western Digital Media Player, Sony PS3, etc, so you can watch your movies in HD.
Yeah... If everybody had all those things. I'm trying to make do with what I have to share with those folks that don't have a high speed Internet connection or all those things you'd mentioned.
I have to admit. I've burned some miniDV video footage and it looks good on a big screen, better than analog. Granted it's not HD, but it's better than analog.
Once again, making do with what I have... I have an AVCHD camcorder. And it's crap when burning through an iDVD project because it does not support that kind of quality. So my thought was to export it from iMovie as a QT file, bring it to iDVD and burn it to see if I can at least get it as good as DVD quality. Has anyone out there done this?

AVCHD and iMovie

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