AVCHD, mpeg 2 and .m2t

Hi
Please forgive my ignorance...
I have a JVC HD-30 and recorded my holiday footage in mpeg2. I used PRE7 to edit and have exported to create HD .m2t files - 3 files of around 10GB each. They play in great quality on my pc but I want to see them on my tv.
I have a Panasonic tv that can play video files of a SD card but it will only play AVCHD files. I don't have a blu ray player.
Before I pay out on a very high memory SD video card, what do I need to do to play the holiday files on my tv?
I'm assuming that .m2t aren't AVCHD - can I export to create a different file? Can I simply rename the files or do I need to do something else?
Thank you for your help.
0wa1n

I would suggest you read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVCHD and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC.
AVCHD is actually quite a bit of things. It use H.264 for video compression (which is MPEG-4 and not MPEG-2). It uses the MPEG transport stream (where M2t comes from) as a mechanism to deliver at least the video and audio content.
So when the TV states it supports AVCHD it might mean that the memory stick needs to be in a format as described in the AVCHD wiki topic??? Try putting the generated MT2 files under /PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDVM/STREAM on the memory stick to see what happens.
Please note I am no expert on this and have not tried this with your particular setup so I hope I am not steering you in the wrong directly.

Similar Messages

Importing AVCHD .MTS and .M2TS files (Sony HDR-SR1) into iMovie 08

I've read numerous other threads about trying to get these files into iMovie 08 but I'm still having problems.
I can plug my camcorder in just fine and have it import directly off there. But for older video files that I took with this camcorder I have two folders. One with just the .MTS files that I pulled off the camcorder. And the other with the YYYYMMDDHHMMSS (.modd & .m2ts) files that I archived (using my sony software) on my pc way back when I was using my PC for video editing.
I created a .DMG that I copied everything from my camcorders HD to. I was able to mount this and iMovie 08 worked just like when I plug my camcorder in. But my problem comes when I try to work with the older .MTS and .M2TS files that I backed up. I was hoping that I could just put them in the
DMGIMAGE\AVCHD\BDMV\STREAM folder and have it import just like before but no luck there. Any ideas as to how I can go about pulling these old raw video files to work with in iMovie? Thanks.
Message was edited by: Billy McQueary

Welcome to the  Discussion Forums.
You might try voltaic to convert these files before adding them to imovie

Working with AVCHD: Log and Transfer FAQs

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Working with AVCHD: Log and Transfer FAQs
Log and Transfer was introduced to the product chain in Final Cut Express 4, and is the program's process for ingesting files in the AVCHD format utilizing MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video coding and either Dolby AC-3 or uncompressed linear PCM audio coding. The most frequently observed problems relating to the Log and Transfer process are generally quite easily addressed.
What should I know before attempting to ingest my footage?
The following facts regarding the Log and Transfer process were adapted from the [Apple Knowledge Base article|http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24840?viewlocale=en_US] on transferring AVCHD in Final Cut Pro 6.0.1 but still hold true for the current version of FCE:
AVCHD support is available only on Intel-based Macintosh computers.
AVCHD camcorders typically connect to computers via USB 2.0, not FireWire.
DVD-based AVCHD camcorders are not supported in Mac OS X 10.4 or earlier.
Standard definition video recorded with AVCHD camcorders cannot be accessed in the Log and Transfer window. SD and HD clips should not be mixed on the same HDD.
Preview of AVCHD video in the Log and Transfer window is limited to 1x forward playback. Scrubbing the playhead does not update the video in the Preview area until you stop scrubbing.
When you choose to transfer AVCHD audio in the Logging area, audio is automatically mixed down to stereo.
AVCHD footage is not ingested natively but is transcoded to the Apple Intermediate Codec.
Apple Intermediate Codec files are significantly larger than the original AVCHD files. FCE does not estimate the size of a transcoded AVCHD file before ingesting, so it is possible to exceed the available space on your capture disk during transfer. Before ingesting, keep in mind that the disk space required is about ten times greater than the size of the native AVCHD file.
Which specific formats can be ingested by Log and Transfer?
Only AVCHD footage can be ingested through the Log and Transfer process. Other formats and variants such as AVCHD Lite are not supported. All video should be recorded in a frame size of either 1440x1080 or 1920x1080 and a frame rate of 25 or 29.97 frames per second. Audio recorded on AVCHD camcorders is generally at a rate of 48kHz. If your camera shoots in a format that does not comply with one of these setups then it is most likely not supported by the application and is not guaranteed to work correctly.
Which Easy Setup preset should I select before ingesting my footage?
It is extremely important to select the preset that matches your media before you attempt to ingest via Log and Transfer. There is only one Easy Setup preset that matches the frame size and rate of your footage. If you intend to ingest AVCHD clips through Log and Transfer you will first need to select one of the following presets:
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1440x1080i50
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1440x1080i60
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080i50
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080i60
If these four options do not appear under your Easy Setup list then you probably need to run Software Update and update to FCE 4.0.1. DO NOT cycle through the available presets until you find one that works - there is only one preset that matches your media and it should be evident which one to choose by the way it is named. Select the AVCHD preset that mentions your frame size and frame rate (i50 presets support both 50i and 25p frame rates; similarly, i60 presets support both 60i and 29.97p frame rates). If you do cycle through many options in the hope of selecting the correct one through guess-and-check you will probably have corrupted your preference file and need to [trash your preferences|http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2611] before continuing.
Why don't my clips appear when I open the Log and Transfer window?
Make sure your camcorder records AVCHD in a format supported by FCE4. It should be connected to one of your computer's USB ports (never connect it to an external hard drive or other external device such as your keyboard or a USB hub), powered on, and set to video playback mode.
If the camcorder +does not+ mount on your Desktop your USB port or cable may be malfunctioning. Try plugging it in to another port or using a different USB cable to see if it makes a difference.
If the camcorder does mount on your Desktop but the clips do not appear in the Log and Transfer window you will need to point the program to the directory that contains your media.
First, click the Add Folder button in the upper left of the Log and Transfer window. The button looks like this:
Then, you will need to navigate to the root directory in which your media is stored. Most camcorders call this folder "PRIVATE" or "AVCHD" and it should be located at the very top level of the camcorder when mounted. If your camcorder records to a valid AVCHD directory structure then your clips should load after the Add Folder process is completed.
I would like to keep a working backup of my original clips so that I can delete them off the camcorder's internal memory. How should I do this?
There are two main ways to keep a backup of your clips. The first is to ingest every clip on your camcorder through the Log and Transfer process, and store the Apple Intermediate Codec files the application creates in an easily accessible place such as an external FireWire drive. The advantage of this method is that you have the ability to open back up old editing projects, reconnect the media as necessary, and keep going as if you'd never left. However, due to the large amount of space AIC takes up (usually somewhere in the vicinity of 41-50GB an hour when transcoded from AVCHD), this is not always feasible.
Another often preferable approach is to copy over the root directory in which your clips are stored (usually named "PRIVATE" or "AVCHD") from the camcorder to your computer or an external drive. As long as you maintain the original file structure, you will be able to ingest your clips again at a later date using the "Add Folder" process detailed above to navigate to their new location.
My clips appear, but when I attempt to ingest a red exclamation point appears and the window displays the message "Error: No Data"
This is one of the most common problems that users experience when trying to ingest their media through the Log and Transfer process. Luckily, it also has one of the easiest solutions.
In the Log and Transfer window, click on the gear icon in the top right and select "Preferences" in the contextual menu that appears.
Make sure the video is set to transcode to the Apple Intermediate Codec and the audio is set to Plain Stereo.
After doing so, hit OK and try to ingest again.
I am experiencing a problem that is not covered in this tip or the solutions here do not work.
The best thing to do at this point would be to trash your preferences and start a new topic in the [FCE Forum|http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=936&start=0] with a detailed description of your problem. Check out the user tip on [Basic Troubleshooting in Final Cut Express|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2662419] for more information.
This is the 1st version of this tip. It was submitted on December 03, 2010 by skalicki`.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Working with AVCHD: Log and Transfer FAQs
Log and Transfer was introduced to the product chain in Final Cut Express 4, and is the program's process for ingesting files in the AVCHD format utilizing MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video coding and either Dolby AC-3 or uncompressed linear PCM audio coding. The most frequently observed problems relating to the Log and Transfer process are generally quite easily addressed.
What should I know before attempting to ingest my footage?
The following facts regarding the Log and Transfer process were adapted from the [Apple Knowledge Base article|http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24840?viewlocale=en_US] on transferring AVCHD in Final Cut Pro 6.0.1 but still hold true for the current version of FCE:
AVCHD support is available only on Intel-based Macintosh computers.
AVCHD camcorders typically connect to computers via USB 2.0, not FireWire.
DVD-based AVCHD camcorders are not supported in Mac OS X 10.4 or earlier.
Standard definition video recorded with AVCHD camcorders cannot be accessed in the Log and Transfer window. SD and HD clips should not be mixed on the same HDD.
Preview of AVCHD video in the Log and Transfer window is limited to 1x forward playback. Scrubbing the playhead does not update the video in the Preview area until you stop scrubbing.
When you choose to transfer AVCHD audio in the Logging area, audio is automatically mixed down to stereo.
AVCHD footage is not ingested natively but is transcoded to the Apple Intermediate Codec.
Apple Intermediate Codec files are significantly larger than the original AVCHD files. FCE does not estimate the size of a transcoded AVCHD file before ingesting, so it is possible to exceed the available space on your capture disk during transfer. Before ingesting, keep in mind that the disk space required is about ten times greater than the size of the native AVCHD file.
Which specific formats can be ingested by Log and Transfer?
Only AVCHD footage can be ingested through the Log and Transfer process. Other formats and variants such as AVCHD Lite are not supported. All video should be recorded in a frame size of either 1440x1080 or 1920x1080 and a frame rate of 25 or 29.97 frames per second. Audio recorded on AVCHD camcorders is generally at a rate of 48kHz. If your camera shoots in a format that does not comply with one of these setups then it is most likely not supported by the application and is not guaranteed to work correctly.
Which Easy Setup preset should I select before ingesting my footage?
It is extremely important to select the preset that matches your media before you attempt to ingest via Log and Transfer. There is only one Easy Setup preset that matches the frame size and rate of your footage. If you intend to ingest AVCHD clips through Log and Transfer you will first need to select one of the following presets:
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1440x1080i50
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1440x1080i60
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080i50
AVCHD-Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080i60
If these four options do not appear under your Easy Setup list then you probably need to run Software Update and update to FCE 4.0.1. DO NOT cycle through the available presets until you find one that works - there is only one preset that matches your media and it should be evident which one to choose by the way it is named. Select the AVCHD preset that mentions your frame size and frame rate (i50 presets support both 50i and 25p frame rates; similarly, i60 presets support both 60i and 29.97p frame rates). If you do cycle through many options in the hope of selecting the correct one through guess-and-check you will probably have corrupted your preference file and need to [trash your preferences|http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2611] before continuing.
Why don't my clips appear when I open the Log and Transfer window?
Make sure your camcorder records AVCHD in a format supported by FCE4. It should be connected to one of your computer's USB ports (never connect it to an external hard drive or other external device such as your keyboard or a USB hub), powered on, and set to video playback mode.
If the camcorder +does not+ mount on your Desktop your USB port or cable may be malfunctioning. Try plugging it in to another port or using a different USB cable to see if it makes a difference.
If the camcorder does mount on your Desktop but the clips do not appear in the Log and Transfer window you will need to point the program to the directory that contains your media.
First, click the Add Folder button in the upper left of the Log and Transfer window. The button looks like this:
Then, you will need to navigate to the root directory in which your media is stored. Most camcorders call this folder "PRIVATE" or "AVCHD" and it should be located at the very top level of the camcorder when mounted. If your camcorder records to a valid AVCHD directory structure then your clips should load after the Add Folder process is completed.
I would like to keep a working backup of my original clips so that I can delete them off the camcorder's internal memory. How should I do this?
There are two main ways to keep a backup of your clips. The first is to ingest every clip on your camcorder through the Log and Transfer process, and store the Apple Intermediate Codec files the application creates in an easily accessible place such as an external FireWire drive. The advantage of this method is that you have the ability to open back up old editing projects, reconnect the media as necessary, and keep going as if you'd never left. However, due to the large amount of space AIC takes up (usually somewhere in the vicinity of 41-50GB an hour when transcoded from AVCHD), this is not always feasible.
Another often preferable approach is to copy over the root directory in which your clips are stored (usually named "PRIVATE" or "AVCHD") from the camcorder to your computer or an external drive. As long as you maintain the original file structure, you will be able to ingest your clips again at a later date using the "Add Folder" process detailed above to navigate to their new location.
My clips appear, but when I attempt to ingest a red exclamation point appears and the window displays the message "Error: No Data"
This is one of the most common problems that users experience when trying to ingest their media through the Log and Transfer process. Luckily, it also has one of the easiest solutions.
In the Log and Transfer window, click on the gear icon in the top right and select "Preferences" in the contextual menu that appears.
Make sure the video is set to transcode to the Apple Intermediate Codec and the audio is set to Plain Stereo.
After doing so, hit OK and try to ingest again.
I am experiencing a problem that is not covered in this tip or the solutions here do not work.
The best thing to do at this point would be to trash your preferences and start a new topic in the [FCE Forum|http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=936&start=0] with a detailed description of your problem. Check out the user tip on [Basic Troubleshooting in Final Cut Express|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2662419] for more information.
This is the 1st version of this tip. It was submitted on December 03, 2010 by skalicki`.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

Premiere Elements 11: Got an m2v file instead of mpeg, and there is no audio

I rendered a video out of Premiere Elements 11 using the "share" function and wanted it to be an Mpeg-2 or Mpeg-4. What I got was 5 different files .ac3, .m2v, .mpg.xmpses_Audio, mpg.xmpses_Video, and .mpg.
The .mpg file is zero bytes and I get a Windows error if I try to play it that says "Windows Media PLayer cannot play the file. The player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file."
When I try to play the .m2v file there is no audio.
What do I need to do next? I need this file to end up as a Mpeg
Thanks

What computer operating system is your Premiere Elements 11 installed on? I ask that in case we need to get into any computer specific details in the troubleshooting exchanges. Windows 7
1. What are the properties of your source media? Video shot from video camera that creates .mp4 files
2. What did you or the program set as the project preset to match the properties of the source media? I let the program match the Preset
3. What were your specific choices in the Export area...
Publish+Share
Computer
AVCHD
and one of the MP4 presets
OR
This option below was what I used
Publish+Share
Computer
MPEG
and one of the MPEG2 presets
OR
Other
If you have jumped from one to the other in trying to find answers to your problems, then for troubleshooting purposes let us focus on
a. Properties of Source Media See above
b. Project Preset Selected See Above
c. What are the requirements for your export Requirement is MPEG-2 or MPEG-4
I will customized suggestions based on your reply details.

HELP....AVCHD / MPEG files not playing correctly!

I have been trying to download video that was shot with the new Sony FS100 camera that I'm told are AVCHD or MPEG files to my older Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 timeline, but they are not playing correctly. When I reverse the field dominance, the image plays better but the sound is strange (I was able to speed the sound to 450% and it worked better, but then the balance of the sound from the clip is lost somewhere.).
Any suggestions to make these files play and work correctly? I tried converting them to AVI files but that showed up completely black on the timeline! Anything I've tried either affects the video or audio negatively! I try either makes the image play or stutterThis was shot in regular SD format, NOT HD, so they should be able to play on a standard timeline. Can anyone suggest anything to help please? Much appreciated!

Thanks for your reply, I ran it through Media Info. Here are the results:
Container & general information:
MPEG-PS: 290 Mib 4min22s
1 Video stream: MPEG video
1 Audio stream: AC-3
First Video Stream:
8833 Kbps, 720*480 (4:3), at 29.970 fps, MPEG video (NTSC) (version 2) (Main@main) (Custom Matrix BVOP)
First Audio Stream:
256 Kpbs, 48.0 Khz, 16 bits, 2 channels, AC-3 (DVD-Video)
Please let me know where to go from here. Thanks so much!
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:50:15 -0700
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: HELP....AVCHD / MPEG files not playing correctly!
    Re: HELP....AVCHD / MPEG files not playing correctly!
    created by Ann Bens in Premiere Pro CS4 & Earlier - View the full discussion
Welcome to the forum.A screendump of what these SD files exactly are would be very nice.Run them throught Media info.http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en
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AVCHD workflow and quality loss

I have been trying to establish a workflow with imovie and my Canon HF100 to make a BD with menus. I tried the Canon program on windows that edits AVCHD natively, and it is miserable. I still keep parallels around just in case I decide to use the Canon program again, but I probably need to move on for the power of iMovie and FCE. I absolutely love the new iMovie for really quick edits and I have FCE on hand for the advanced stuff.
The reality is that using iMovie entails quality change. I have been spending weeks looking over clips on my PS3 and 52" panny plasma to decide which workflow to chose. I am sharing my experience for anyone who cares and please comment.
I have taken screen shots, because they are easier to show differences, but the missing comparison would be MPEG compression noise, which I will comment on. The lighting and backgrounds were chosen to show the differences more clearly. I watched many more video clips than Im showing, but the findings are all pretty consistent between clips.
http://picasaweb.google.com/robanderi/CanonHF100AVCHD17mbpsIMovieComparison#
A. The 1st set of cat pictures were done to test the workflow AVCHD -->import to AIC -->export to mp4 18mbps --> Burn Blu-ray disc using Toast 18mbps. I think the end product is ~8% inferior due to a what you can see in the pictures (brightening, maybe a loss of detail and more ...green?) PLUS this test had the largest increase in MPEG compression noise during playback.
B. The second set of pictures shows: AVCHD --> import to AIC --> export to AIC --> Burn Blu-ray 18mbps. The changes seem to be similar to the first test, but the MPEG compression noise was not as bad after the conversion. I would call this 5% inferior. Whatever percentage YOU give test A, I would say B will always be slightly worse by a tiny margin factoring in the MPEG noise.
C. Same as B.
D. Adding an h.264 conversion to another h.264 conversion changes the picture ever so slightly as I mentioned before, but you cannot see the MPEG noise that is the biggest deal.
E. Importing the media from AVCHD to AIC in Imovie seems to not be that big of a deal, except the picture darkens slightly resulting in the loss of information upon subsequent conversions.
CONVERSION TIME: Doing TWO h.264 conversions takes longer than going from AIC --> AIC then AIC --> mp4.
SPACE: Option B consumes massive space, because then you have TWO collections of AIC's plus space for the end video. My hour video thus needed 110GB! 50 + 50 + 10.
END RESULT: Option A: you can keep the best copy for viewing on the computer and have a BD. Takes longer, but you get two products. BD is not as good. Option B: Faster and better BD, but you really only have a BD and no copy for the computer (unless you fish out the .mts files). You would have to convert the iMovie again for a computer copy.
The last option is to eliminate the double conversion and just not have a BD with a menu. Will a regular BD player play a straight mp4 file?

AIC is a lossy intermediate codec.
You need to consider moving up to FCP which facilitates pro res HQ conversions.

.mts and .m2ts HD movie files

I have a problem which thousands of other users seem to have as well. I read many discussions about it. Many opinions and no clear answer.
I have a Canon HF 100 HD camera. It generates .mts and .m2ts files which I want to edit in FCE 4.0.1.
1.) Is it possible to edit .mts or .m2ts directly or do I have to convert?
2.) What is the best converter software? I don´t mind paying for it
3.) Which is the best format FCE can handle? I want no loss of quality.
4.) What about ProRes? Does it work with FCE or only with FCP? Or do I have to use the Apple intermediate codec? How is the quality.
Thanks in advance.
Message was edited by: hoelp005

Hi and welcome to the forum!
1. FCE can not edit .mts files natively. However, it does support the AVCHD file format through the Log and Transfer process (check the manual for more info). If you have access to the full file directory or just plug in your camcorder and start Log and Transfer going within FCE, it should work fine without any need for extra conversion software.
2. You don't need extra software. If you transferred the clips to your computer without their directory structure you can use ClipWrap to convert.
3. FCE supports AVCHD frame sizes of 1440x1080 and 1920x1080 at frame rates of 60i/30p and 50i/25p. Shoot in one of those and edit in a sequence with properties to match.
4. FCE does not come with the ProRes codec and it is not supported within the program. AIC is a high quality codec that should fit your needs perfectly.

I have an old project with AVCHD clips and I want to import the clips again with surround sound. How can I relink the project clips to the re-imported ones without doing the project from the begining?

I have an old project with AVCHD clips and I want to import the clips again with surround sound. How can I relink the project clips to the re-imported ones without doing the project from the begining?
I have a sony handicam and I imported the clips to iMovie and they lost quality and converted the audio to stereo. I want to import the project to final cut X and import the AVCHD in 1080p and surround sound and export the movie in bluray. Can I relink the clips without editing everything again?
thanks!

Only photos taken with the iPad, copied onto it via the camera connection kit, or saved from emails/websites etc can be deleted directly on the iPad - either via the trashcan icon in the top right corner if viewing the photo in full screen, or via the icon of the box with the arrow coming out of it in thumbnail view.
Photos that were synced from a computer are deleted by moving/removing/de-selecting them from where they were synced from and then re-syncing. If you want to remove them all then normally you could just sync an empty folder (in terms of photos) to the iPad, but as you don't want to sync at the moment you can't do that.
You can reset the iPad back to factory settings and start from scratch with it : Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content And Settings

Workflow for avchd clips and meta data

Just started using a Panasonic AG-AF100 on a 5 month project. Will be producing 1000's of clips. So I have off-loaded the first 3 cards we shot and have discovered something about avccam material. If you just copy the .MTS files from their /stream folder or rename the file with a name instead of its original number produced in the camera you lose the timecode and other meta data.
If I leave the clips in that folder and other card folders in their associated directories and "import" clip with Premiere Media Browser it retains the timecode. Trouble is that I cannot see thumbnails in Media Browser and the clip number means little. Bridge on my Win7/64bit machine shows thumbnails (but no preview) and a double-click will preview in Win Media Player.
On my main edit station (Vista/64bit) Bridge neither shows thumbnails or previews and I get no avchd .mts playback in Windows Media Player. Everything worrks the same within Premiere, nice solid editing and playback of avchd clips. (I will probably upgrade this machine to Win7 next week)
So my request for advice/questions are:
Suggestions for managing and organizing large qualities of clips with what will be similar names, etc
Previewing updates or options to find media
How do you manage AVCHD material and still maintain meta data?
Thanks so much!! As I get older and the technology seems faster, stronger, sharper, the demands on my brain get tougher.
Rick

Rick,
If you just copy the .MTS files from their /stream folder or rename the file with a name instead of its original number produced in the camera you lose the timecode and other meta data.
If I leave the clips in that folder and other card folders in their associated directories and "import" clip with Premiere Media Browser it retains the timecode.
You mustmustmust keep the files in their folder structure, if you intend to maintain timecode. You've clearly discovered this Good you did so early. The folder structure thing is really not a big deal; there is very little need to manipulate these at the OS level, and the Media Browser in PPro makes it reasonably easy to bring these in for editing. You can pre-build a folder structure into which you can offload each card's worth of clips.
Trouble is that I cannot see thumbnails in Media Browser and the clip number means little. Bridge on my Win7/64bit machine shows thumbnails (but no preview) and a double-click will preview in Win Media Player.
On my main edit station (Vista/64bit) Bridge neither shows thumbnails or previews and I get no avchd .mts playback in Windows Media Player. Everything worrks the same within Premiere, nice solid editing and playback of avchd clips. (I will probably upgrade this machine to Win7 next week)
Windows 7 has built-in splitters and decoders for H.264 media, so that's the reason you can at least get thumbnails in Bridge and playback the files in WMP there. The Media Browser, even on Windows 7, won't show thumbnails as they are not saved into the folder structure the way that P2 saves a poster image into the folder structure. Note that even "standard" containers like AVI or MOV do not display a thumbnail in Media Browser.
As far as Bridge is concerned: I know a lot of people like it, but from my perspective, it's just about worthless for video. This is largely an application designed for photography workflows that has been shoehorned into "working" with video. I don't even like it for AVI/MOV.
The ugly truth is that Bridge is not going to be much, if any, help in this workflow. However, there may be another tool in the suite that will accomplish what you need: OnLocation. You won't get thumbnails, but you can browse through the folder structure without knowing you're doing it, import clips to preview them, and add metadata. You could do this for each card you offload. Then, in Premiere, simply use Media Browser to navigate to your OnLocation Project, and it will open up just like a folder, listing all your clips with the metadata you added. Granted, it is not a perfect workflow, but once you added that metadata, it will flow with the files wherever you move them around in the Adobe suite--it won't go elsewhere, as it's not injected into the files themselves. So long as you're editing in Premiere, you're good.
Now, there is another thing you can do that may make clip management even easier, though it does require a bit of forethought in pre-production. It will really depend on the type of project you're shooting, but you can preload metadata on to an SD card and into the camera, and then automatically record this to the clips as they are shot! I don't have an AVCCAM to give you exact workflow steps, but I do this all the time with my P2 workflow and it's a tremendous help once you hit the edit bay.
If you haven't already, head over to the Panasonic support site: Support Desk Top / Broadcast and Professional AV. You'll need to register for a "PASS" membership (it's free, and you don't need to register a camera), but you can then download the AVCCAM Viewer application. Unfortunately, this application is not quite as helpful as P2 Viewer is (it's rather cartoony, actually), but it does have the metadata editor in it that will let you create your metadata files in advance and save them to an SD card. Then, after consulting the camera manual , you can set those metadata files to be a data source for the footage as you record it. Here's what you can add to the metadata files and, summarily, the clips:
Once you load this into the camera's memory, that data is saved into the clips, and is readable by Premiere. The "User Clip Name" field can be set to auto-increment (again, this is going off my knowledge of the way metadata works in a P2 camera, but the AVCCAM should be similar) so that each clip has a base name and then a serial number. When you're done with a particular scene/shot, you'd load the next metadata files, reset the indexing, and continue. Lather, rinse, repeat.
The biggest hole in the metadata workflow, at least as it pertains to AVCHD/AVCCAM, is that there is no tool (that I'm aware of) that lets you edit this metadata after the fact. With P2, you can--there are a number of applications, both free and payware, that let you do this--but I've yet to find one that works with AVCCAM. Even Panasonic's own AVCCAM Viewer is incapable of this, it seems.
The major advantage to adding file metadata like this is that it travels wherever the clips go, and into whatever application they land in. Not being able to edit it after the fact, though, just plain sucks. This is where the clip metadata you'd add in the Adobe applications comes into play, with the obvious disadvantage that it's only useful in Adobeland. As always, ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
So that's my take on this--it's good you're looking into this before you have a couple terabytes worth of footage on hand Let me know if I can help fill in any details that I might have overlooked. And be sure to check on the Panasonic site linked above for firmware updates to the AF100--I see one came out just a few days ago. It's always good to stay current.
Good luck!

How do I get AVCHD Lite and AVCHD videos to play in Front Row?

How do I get AVCHD Lite and AVCHD videos to play in Front Row? They use the .mts file extension, and can be played in VLC.

You will have to be able to play them in QuickTime before they'll be available in Front Row. It looks like the current version of iMovie will edit/play AVCHD movies. Can you put one of your videos into iMovie and export it as a QuickTime file?
-Doug

Importing MPEG and MOV

i have been trying to import MPEG and MOV files to iMovie 08 without any success.
the movies i have already previously copied to my HD, or have been copied for me, so I am not copying them from any camera.
The funny thing is ... when i look into my iPhoto library from iMovie he does recognise the videos i have copied directly from my digital photo camera, but i can't just copy any MPEG or MOV files from any other location, previously copied, to my iMovie library.
Does anybody here have the same problem as me?

Does anybody here have the same problem as me?
Everyone will have this problem. It is the way iMovie '08 is currently programmed. The basic problem is that most users fail to realize that there are three distinct levels of support in QT based applications:
1) Playback Support - This simply means a particular compresion format can be played in a QT application. E.g., MPEG2 video is not normally supported without the QT MPEG-2 component while MPEG1 and H.264/AAC files are both playback compatible as they are.
2) Conversion Support - This means a file can be "properly" converted to another compression format. In this case, "muxed" formats like MPEG1 and MPEG2 (even with the QT MPEG2 component) cannot be converted to another compression format by QT applications and retain their audio content while H.264/AAC files can.
3) Edit Support - This means that certain operations can be performed on the audio and/or video content at the frame level. QT applications can, for instance, segment the audio and video content of an H.264/AAC file at any frame but since "muxed" files like MPEG1 and MPEG2 files consist of "blocks" of audio data interspersed with "blocks" of video data in a single stream, segmenting a file at any point other than one where a "group" of such "blocks" ends/begins would mean the loss of many "frames worth" of either audio or video data. AVI has a similar problem. Since the "instances" of audio and video data mesh like the cogs of two wheels, segmenting an AVI always leaves a 1 frame deficit between the number audio frames and the number of video frames. (Ever wonder why you end up with that one "white" frame at the end of youe file?)
Now we come to the various types of QT based applications. Many, like iPhoto and iTunes don't really look at the files when they import them, so they are more than happy to import anything they can read and recognize. If a file can be played in the QT player, it can be played in both iPhoto and iTunes. On the other hand, some applications are a bit "picky" about what they will export. iTunes, for instance, will not export/sync a file it has imported if the target device cannot play it. iMovie '06 is also different, in that it will import anything it can convert even if it can't convert it properly -- i.e., an MPEG1 file will be converted to DV video but lose any audio that may have been contained in the file. iMovie '08 takes things to a new level. Since imported files are simply moved/copied to "Events" folders in their original compression format, iMovie '08 first checks to see if the files contain both audio and video data that can be edited at the frame level. If both cannot be edited at the frame level, then iMovie '08 will not allow you to import it. Camcorder devices, however, are handled differently. Since most content on tapeless models are not stored in a QT edit supported format, these files, as well as HDV, are converted to an intermediate codec (which can be edited) as part of the import process.
As to digital cameras, many manufacturers store their video clips in generic file containers. Just because a Kodak digital camera stores its data in an MOV file container, it does not mean bothe audio and video compressions formats can be edited in iMovie '08. Many Kodak models, for instance, store their video clips as MPEG4/µ-Law 2:1 files. Unfortunately, while the iMovie will accept the MPEG4 video, it doesn't like the µ-Law compressed audio. Same holds true for many Casio digital cameras which use Motion JPEG/DVI ADPCM comressed formats. Once again, iMovie has no problem with the Motion JPEG video content but refuses to accept the DVI ADPCM audio. Luckily, users have two options here. They can either convert both the audio and video to an iMovie '08 edit compatible compression format or simply convert the audio content and "re-merge" it with the original video for maximum quality. And, of course, MPEG1/2 "muxed" files or M2V files with unsupported audio compression formats must be converted for the reasons already mentioned above.

I bought a new Panasonic camcorder to edit in iMovie 10.0.3. I need to choose between the AVCHD choices and the ALL MP4/iframe choices. I don't have a clue as to which to use. I just want to burn video to DVD to have and share. Thanks for any help.

I bought a new Panasonic camcorder to edit in iMovie 10.0.3. I need to choose between the AVCHD choices and the ALL MP4/iframe choices. I don't have a clue as to which to use. I just want to burn video to DVD to have and share. Thanks for any help.

It sounds like you have assigned the primary click on the trackpad to something else, perhaps a gesture.
Use your mouse, login and then open the Trackpad preference pane and see how you have the interface configured.
Oh and you can have both the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad powered up and working at the same time. No need to keep moving batteries around.
Tom

MPEG and MPEG-1 the same?

Are MPEG and MPEG-1 files the same thing? If so, MPEG-1 is listed as an import file format under "Tech Specs" on the QT Pro site. How come I get an error when I try to open my MPEG files? Is it the wrong fuel, Kirk? When it says QT Pro can import MPEG-1, what does that mean exactly? When I open a file, am I "importing" it?

You need to examine the file "contents" and not the file "extension" when trying to view .mpg files with QT Pro.
In the old days we would distinguish the two "flavors" of MPEG files by using .mpg for MPEG-1 formats and .mpeg for MPEG-2 formats.
It doesn't work that way any longer and many other file extensions can use MPEG-1 formats inside another "wrapper" (.mov or .avi).
If you get the error message (-2048) when you attempt to open a .mpg file it is safe to assume that the file is actually MPEG-2 format. These files require the MPEG-2 Playback Component ($20 more, from Apple).
If you get no error message (but the player window opens and doesn't show any content) use the Movie Info window to determine the codecs and formats used in the file.
History:
MPEG-1 is like VHS and not much software creates it any longer. Normal size is 352X240. It brought us the .mp3 audio file. Let's just let it die and go away.
MPEG-2 is the current format of most DVD's. Normal display size (in QT Pro) is 640X480. Looks and sounds great but needs improvement.
MPEG-4 is the new kid on the block. Up to High Definition display resolution and numerous audio formats that allow up to 24 channels of audio.
The file extensions used to be: .mpg, .mpeg and .mp4.
No more. Now you can have MPEG-1 formats inside .mov or .avi containers. You can also have .mp4 files inside .mov containers. .avi files don't seem to play by any "rules" any longer. They are a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
Hopes this helps, or at least makes you hungry.

Compressor MPEG and AVI

about 6 months ago when I was shopping for an edit system a big thing I noticed was that apple advertised for a third party plugin that allowed compressor to make windows format media files such as mpeg and avi and now I am in a position where I need to make those formats and was wondering if anybody could help me locate it and also if you have used it, is it good?
thanks,
Jeremy

Hi
I used Flip4Mac trial for Windows Media and works really good (I believe is the same as Episode). Here's the link: https://store3.esellerate.net/store/checkout/CustomLayout.aspx?s=STR1307002805&p c=&page=OnePageCatalog.htm
The one I use is VisualHub wich is easy of use, really cheap and works great on different formats (Flash, WMV, AVI, MPEG, etc). But it's an external application so you've to export your movie and then convert it with VisualHub.
Hope that helped.

Random Artefacts with AVCHD/Mpeg Footage

Hi,
I have an issue with rendering an edit that contains .m2t clips (Windows explorer says they have AVCHD-Codec). I'm editing with Premiere Pro CS 5.5 on a Windows 7 Home OS.
The footage is HD 1920 x 1080i25. A recording of a live perfomance of a band on a music-stage.
Everytime I export the project-sequence to various formats (Mpeg2, Mp4, WMV) I get these artefacts/glitches on the finished clip. They are also occuring when editing in Premiere.
It's only affecting the video, the audio on the other hand is fine. They look slightly different after each render-export process and depend on the output-codec. But they always appear at the same point of time. The artefacts last about 3 to 10 frames each time and sometimes only parts of the image are affected. For example: a horizontal bar (let's say 1/10 of the image) pixelating the image and blurring the pixel or giving parts of the picture a ghosting look.
However the raw footage is alright and contains no glitches or video artefacts. Plus they didn't appear right of the bat after importing the footage into Premiere. It took some time before the first glichtes arrived. Approximately after 1-2 days of editing.
I tried watching these exported clips in different players. But always got the same result. Mostly the artefacts appear right after a cut in the video. None of the affected clips have effects or changes applied to them. However I managed to eliminate artefacts of some clips by adding effects or changes (eg. scale value 1% up, adding brightness/contrast effect, or just changing the field dominance) to the affected clips and deleting them again, to make Premiere render the clips anew. Since the clips are neither yellow nor red in the timeline.
My sequence settings are set to video-preview: "I-frame mpeg only" and 25fps timecode.
I hope for some help around here.
Is it Premiere's render technique or settings that are to blame?

This is certainly not normal or a missed setting. Try this:
1. Open PP and create a new empty project.
2. Go to Edit>Preferences>Media and take note at the top of where the Media Cache files are stored on your system.
3. Below that, Clean the Media Cache Database.
4. Close down PP.
5. Use Windows Explorer and delete the Media Cache files you located in step 2.
6. Restart PP and open the project. Wait for file processing to finish.

AVCHD, mpeg 2 and .m2t

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