DVD-based AVCHD?

Any word on if DVD based AVCHD's are supported with the latest QT upgrade? I've not had any major problems with Log and Transfer with the transcode to ProRes, other than the humongous file size. Archiving is impractical with these files and I've been dutifully creating AVCHD DVD's from my Canon HF100 using Canon's optional AVCHD burner. It's still an act of faith as so far, the discs are just shiny coasters until Apple gets around to supporting them. And, alas, native AVCHD support within FCP would be also nice, though I can live with the current need to transcode.

Make a copy of the entire folder structure to a DVD, not just the media files (= clone the memory card). FCP 6.0.3 Log&Transfer reads my cloned DVD-disks just as the originals. At least this works fine with my Sony HDR-CX6 material (.mts-files). I use only 4 Gig sticks, so they fit on a single DVD for archiving.

Similar Messages

Help with getting high quality DVDs from AVCHD footage

Hello,
I know enough about video editing with PE7 to be dangerous, and was hoping someone could help me out.
My question is regarding getting the highest quality standard DVD from AVCHD footage. I have a Sony HDR-SR12 camcorder recording in AVCHD. I am editing footage natively in AVCHD with PE7 on a quad core system. No problem with that. However, when I export to standard DVD the quality of the video goes down drastically. (Yes, I know burning to Blu-ray would give me higher quality, but I am giving this DVD to a friend who doesn't have Blu-ray).
So far I have tried starting my project in both HD 1080i 30 5.1 channel:
General
Editing mode: HDV 1080i
Timebase: 29.97 fps
Video Settings
Frame size: 1440h 1080v (1.333)
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/second
Pixel Aspect Ratio: HD Anamorphic 1080 (1.333)
and Full HD 1080i 30 5.1 channel:
General
Editing mode: HD 1080i
Timebase: 29.97 fps
Video Settings
Frame size: 1920h 1080v (1.000)
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/second
Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels (1.0)
But I see no discernable difference in the quality of my output onto DVD.
This is where my knowledge is lacking...how can I get the best quality output from my AVCHD onto a standard DVD? Is there some format I can convert to first, and then burn to DVD? Also, I am willing to break the footage into a couple of DVDs to improve the quality, but I don't know how or what to do for that.
My footage looks REALLY great when viewing from the HDR-SR12 direct to HD TV with HDMI cable, but not very good on the DVD. My footage is of a ballet recital, and I lose definition in the faces, costumes, etc on the DVD output.
Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
Gina

Hey Gina,
This may be a year late, but as I have been pulling my hair out trying to solve this problem for the last 48 hours I finally did find somewhat of a work around, but it requires Adobe PP CS4.2.
There is a plug-in here:
http://www.mainconcept.com/site/prosumer-products-4/mpeg-pro-hd-7850/features-7861.html
Which will actually output your edit as an AVCHD file. You can then burn this straight to an AVCHD using Nero 9 and keep the highquality level of your clips and not need Blu-Ray. The DVD player will need to be AVCHD capable, but I just bought one of those for $40 as compared to the $200+ of most Blu-Ray players.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
DSW

HT2518 how do you transfer video from a DVD based camcorder that does not use USB?

How do you transfet older video on tape and DVD based camcoder that do not have usb?
looking at buying a MacBook 15.4

I have done this for someone else with Tape Deck coax out through USB if you have installed a TV USB application such as Hauppauge WinTV HVR; recording with TV App which is rather tedious.
Check out these - you may find better ways to do it depending on camcorder.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2005441_camcorder-pc-usb.html
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=camcorder+media+to+pc&FORM=BVFD#

BIG Encore problem - Interactive dvd based on menus - blurry menus

Hi, I am making a DVD based on clickable menus. The idea is to create a DVD portfolio, where the user can click through different screens, a lot of them with images, some only videos. I am creating the menus in photoshop - using rather small text. When the menus are imported to Encore, they look ok in the editing mode, but in the preview, the text gets blurry and unreadable - this also happens to some extent with the bigger text, edges also get very pixeled. The format I am working with is 1280 x 720, 72dpi (but i guess the dpi doesn't matter when it's video), RGB color, PAL widescreen square pixel... I have tried a lot of different formats, both bigger and smaller, but it doesn't get better. I have tried to do this in so many different ways now, but simply cannot find a solution - which seems strange to me, as I have seen DVD menus before with small type, without it being blurry (for example describing different episodes of a TV show) - Is there another program that would be better for this project, as I am also worried that the images will be very pixelated... I also tried to export the project, but it is still blurry. Another problem I have, is that the highlights of text buttons appear a few pixels left of the original button - I used the correct layer names, and only text in one color. the highlight is white. I hope someone can help me with this!
First image: a dummy menu in encore (editing mode)
Second image: the menu exported as dvd (folder)

Welcome to the forum.
Why are you starting with 1280x720 PS files when you are trying to create a 720x576 PAL SD DVD? The downscaling alone would account for your quality loss.
-Jeff

How to install DVD based software on Mini

How do I install DVD based software on a Mac Mini? Does it have a "CD/DVD" Drive? There appears to be a slot on the back. Is that a "SuperDrive" or whatever the **** they call it now?

If you have another PC/Mac on your network you can activate disc sharing to allow the Mac Mini to hijack the disc drive of that machine or acquire the Apple external drive or similar third party unit.
The current models have NO built in disc drive, the space is now reserved for the optional second SSD on select added value models, and can also be used to install your own second drive with little jiggery pokery.
With the likes of the Apple App Store, Amazon Store Microsoft Market (Office 2011) and Steam for games and other online vendors the need for physical discs is rapidly diminishing provided you have access to decent broadband bandwidth.
If you are a serious gamer then the mac mini is probably the wrong machine for you anyway (PC or console surely).
If you are using professional Adobe/Maya type software then the $70.00 external isn't going to break the bank is it ?

What is the best iLife program to produce a DVD based slideshow?

What is the best iLife program to produce a DVD based slideshow?
Here are the basic elements I’d like to use in my slideshow:
* Ability to add text during the slideshow
* Ability to incorporate music
* Ability to add transitions (e.g. fades)
* Usage of Ken Burns effect
* Ability to specify start and end points for the Ken Burns effect
Previously I produced a DVD based slideshow in iMovie that used all of the elements above, however, I found it quite laborious. Can I accomplish the same things in either iPhoto or iDVD?
Can people who have had experience piecing together slideshows provide some feedback on when it’s best to use iPhoto vs iMovie vs iDVD when the final output is a DVD based slideshow?
Thanks for your thoughts.

What is the best iLife program to produce a DVD based
slideshow?
Here are the basic elements I’d like to use in my
slideshow:
* Ability to add text during the slideshow
* Ability to incorporate music
* Ability to add transitions (e.g. fades)
* Usage of Ken Burns effect
* Ability to specify start and end points for the Ken
Burns effect
I'd say use iMovie.
Previously I produced a DVD based slideshow in iMovie
that used all of the elements above, however, I found
it quite laborious. Can I accomplish the same things
in either iPhoto or iDVD?
Your slideshow includes quite a number of elements and as to quite laborious, there is NO short-cut that will give you an easy fix

Importing Dvd based music cd's

I am trying to figure out a way to import a dvd based disc i purchased. I didn't even realize until after i bought the music that the disc were dvd disc. There are no videos or anything it just says it is "enhanced" for 5.1 surround. any help? Much appreciated.

iTunes cannot import from a DVD Audio disk. You'll have to look for a utility that can capture and save the audio stream as it's playing; there are some for Macs and I'm sure equivalents exist for Windows though I can't give you any titles.

Suggestions on making a DVD from AVCHD?

What would be the best way to get the best quality DVD from original Sony 1900x1080i AVCHD - M2ts files?
Is it better to:-
Convert (or import) the initial files to AVI with another program and make the project with the AVI files in PE9 and share to DVD using PE9 (what other program?)
or
Edit the original AVCHD files PE9 then
         Share to DVD from the edited AVCHD using only PE9
         or
         Share to a HD format file and use another program to reduce and burn the DVD (what other format and program)
         or
         Share to some other format file and burn the DVD with another program (what other format and program?)
         or
         Share to SD and use another program to burn the DVD (what other program?)
or some other better alternative?
I would be interested in hearing others experiences or nasties they might have encountered doing this.
I supppose it gets down to what does the best job of downsizing the original HD.
Some (but not all) of the copies of the DVD may be played on good quality Blue Ray players that upscale to full HD so I want the best possible DVD.
Also it's my grandaughters wedding so I HAVE to make it good! It is likely to be played many years in the future on probably super players on wall sized screens when unfortunately I won't be around to see them!.
In case you think I'm mad, I will also be making Blue Ray copies as well so I will have to use a second option anyway but I would be prepared to make the project again in low def if this would be better.

I am not worried about speed or ease of editing or work flow but rather ending up with the highest picture quality DVD with minimum artifacts and compression.
Are you sayng I will get better video quality using PE9 to pre-convert the HD to SD before editing, then burning the DVD from that as opposed to making the edit in original AVCHD and converting the final edited HD to SD and then burning the DVD?
I also wondered if another program that specialised in converting would be better to use rather than using PE9 which is primarily an editing program.
As an example PE9 does a bad job of resizing any AVCHD. Just a slight increase in size noticably degrades the resolution.

HD to SD to DVD from AVCHD

Hi there.
Thank you so much for creating this great forum.
I am working with HD footage, 1920x1080, AVCHD 1080i60. I imported into iMovie, which changed the frame size to 960x540, then exported as an XML into Final Cut Express.
Now I want to export my finished video to burn onto a DVD. I originally tried using Quicktime Movie, MPEG-4, HD1920x1080 and a data rate of 9000 and the resulting file was pretty good.
Any suggestions?
Thank you so much,
David

Hi Tom.
Thank you for your quick response.
I'm looking for more specifics, if possible, such as which format to export in, and how to adjust the other settings to get a high quality DVD, but I also don't feel like I'm giving you enough info.... so please let me know if that's true and if you know, where I can find it.
I don't know how to find more info on the sequence settings, but maybe this will help...
I shot the footage in HD FH (16Mbps) AVCHD (MPEG-4/H.264) 1920 x 1080/50i.
Imported into iMovie at 960x540.
Exported as XML and imported into Final Cut.
Upon import, Final Cut changed the sequence settings to match the clip settings.
Is that good?
My question is for the purpose of burning a high quality DVD I should export as a Quicktime movie, then compress in another program like MPEG Streamclip or Adobe Media Encoder, and if so, what settings to look for....
Or can I simply export from Final Cut in a format that allows me to burn directly to DVD?
Thanks!
David

Trouble burning a DVD using AVCHD format

I recently completed about a 19 minute video project (photos and short video clips), and I was able to burn it to a DVD at standard quality using Premiere Elements 10. When I try to burn to AVCHD, though, I get an error just before it's ready to start burning. It encodes all of the media and just switches to the Burn menu when "Error" pops up. There isn't any other explanation. I've also tried to burn to a folder and I get the same result.
I've used Premiere Elements 10 for 4 years doing this same type of project, and I've been able to burn to AVCHD successfully in the past. Any ideas why it's no longer working?
Computer specs: Dell Inspiron 3847 desktop, i5 processor, 12 GB RAM, 1 TB hard drive w/ 770 GB free.
I appreciate any help.

crusader28
Premiere Elements 10 Windows 8.1 (assumed 64 bit). Just to get it out of the way...what video card/graphics card does your computer use? If NVIDIA GeForce, please stop and let us know immediately.
Have you found that this issue is confined to this particular project with its particular Timeline content? Can you start a new project and get a successful
burn to AVCHD format on DVD disc with the same or other Timeline content?
Let us go through the drill of deleting the Adobe Premiere Elements Prefs file, and, if that does not work, then the hold 10.0 Folder in which it exists.
Local Disc C
Users
Owner
AppData
Roaming
Adobe
Premiere Elements
10.0
and in the 10.0 Folder is the Adobe Premiere Elements Prefs file that you delete. If that does not work, then you delete the whole 10.0 Folder in which the Adobe Premiere Elements Prefs file exists. Be sure to be working with Folder Option Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives enabled so that you can see the complete path cited. The path to Folder Options starts with File Explorer in Windows 8.1 64 bit.
Depending on your answers, this issue may take us into a deeper look into the Timeline content construction. But, the answers will be in the details. Let
us see what they tell us.
Thank you.
ATR

Poor Quality DVD with AVCHD input

Hi all:
I did not find this addressed on the iDVD pages or this page. I have imported AVCHD format video of my son's soccer game. Used iMovie08 7.1.1 to edit it. I was shooting in sports mode. It looks great connected directly to the TV.
After rendering the movie (takes forever!) and burning a DVD, the quality output on my 50 inch tv is horrible. I tried using Xbox, the older PS2 and an built in older DVD player. The quality was poor especially when tracking the ball and the players (panning) across the field. I shot in wide format and burned in that format. Am I missing something?
Is there something I can do? I spent all this money on the Canon HF10 and would really like to see it and share it! Also, is there a faster way to import besides the USB port? I know...a computer upgrade is also in my future.
Thanks in advance.

Steve Mullen wrote:
What you are describing is nothing more than using iMovie 08 with iDVD in a fully logical--yet wrong--way. To see you do not need to have poor quality from FullHD, go to http://www.vimeo.com/user364340/videos
HEY, AM I READING THIS RIGHT, (yeah I'm shouting)
Your telling us you know how to use im08 and iDVD in some way that (apparently) no-one else knows but you won't share it, at the same time as advertising your book in your signature. I think you should be reading the terms and conditions of the forum here.
Oh and by the way, while the video in the linked clips is indeed crisp and clear it stutters like a nervous old man with Parkinsons, not sure if the clips are yours but have to wonder if your books merely tell us how to make less than acceptable video.
Tom Wolsky writes some really excellent books but is quite happy to share his knowledge for free and has helped 10's of thousands of people in the video forums. Indeed Jon and Karsten from this very forum have shared their considerable knowledge in the form of online written and video help.
Get a grip Man.

Burning DVD with AVCHD format on Final Cut Express

Anyone knows how to export the edited file in the highest/closest quality of AVCHD on a DVD media? I tried all output and it seems the AVCHD quality is still superior when played in my Sony BD350 Blu-ray player. Thanks!

Hi(Bonjour)!
Here's my workflow to produce Blu-ray format DVD:
I shoot in HDV and edit into a 1080i60 AIC sequence. This process should work with AVCHD too.
Save the movie to quicktime. No conversion.
Drop the movie into toast with the HD plugin installed...(Toast 10 is available now)
http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/plugin/overview.html
I burn a maximum of 20 minutes on a single layer DVD at 1080p in blu-ray tab in toast on my G5 2.3 dual 4.5 Go Ram, dual layer factory installed DVD burner.
Sorry, in my tests, menus are designed by roxio and there is issue with them and the looping feature, so I stay with the autoplay no menu. The latest PS3 firmware update may solve this issue.
I play the blu-ray DVD on a Playstation 3 perfectly.
You can also burn DiVX format in toast, but the res is limited to 720p. I encountered some playback problems with this format, but it is okay on PS3.
See those link about Blu-Ray authoring, they give a general idea on the workflow and option for BR burners and players:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/taming_the_wildblu.html
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/taming_the_wild_blu2.html
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/blu-ray_fcpfields.html
Michel Boissonneault

PE12 hangs during encoding/burn to file or disk. Dvd OK, AVCHD hangs

Good day to everyone.
I have a 55-minute project conaining images, SD video and few HD AVCHD. Trying to burn this onto a DVD at a AVCHD res.
Problem:
If I chose the "DVD: res, under the pull-down option of "publish+share", then, I have no problem encoding, burning the whole project onto a file or a dvd. But if I try to burn it as an AVCHD, no matter which setting (1440 X1080i, or 1080p etc.) i chose, forget it. one time it hung at 98% during encoding, other times, it kept hanging after encoding was completed, but got stuck at 1% during subsequent burn process (to file, not even an inserted DVD). I had selected either one of the file sizes (4 GB or 8GB) and checked the selection for "fit to .....". By hang I mean: after 8 hours it was still at the same spot.
Again, burning at standard dvd res works well. Burns to file, burns to dvd, no problem and the video looks fine. I even followed the suggestion of A.T. Ramono in one of his posts to another member and downloaded the ImageBurn software in order to isolate whether the issue is my burner or some where before that as i was trying to figure out what is going on.
I'd like to burn this project at a higher def as some of the pictures and vids are somewhat blury when I burn it as standard dvd res. Some images and vids are blury. I also see the same bluriness while during preview (before I even move to burn a copy), but if I pause during the preview, the video and images that were blury, crisp up to a perfect image.
My system is a Dell XPS, Wind XP, 4GB RAM, two HDs. Source on one with with 133GB of available, defragmented clean space left. OS, programs and rendered files etc all are on the other drive with 230GB of clean defrag available space.
Anyone can help me figure out what is going on?

Thank you John.
I read the post. But it trigered a follow up question.
While my intention is to burn a AVCHD copy onto a disc, I can't even get the burn completed when I chose "Burn to folder: (8.5GB)" AND I even check the box for "fit the content to available space" So, I would assume that if the physical space on an actual DVD is the problem, then by
1) checking the box that forces the media to fit the available space" and
2) that I'm burning to a folder, not a DVD media
I should have no problem. Right?
can you please elaborate ?
Thank you in advance.

Recording to DVD from AVCHD Camcorder?

I have a Panasonic HDC-SD100 camcorder with some hours of unusable (presently) video. I recorded using the highest AVCHD setting and then loaded the clips into PE7 using the AVCHD setting. I then saved the file using DV AVI setting and re-opened that file in a new project, edited and tried to burn to disc. Although burning appeared to succeed, the disc was blank. I could play the AVI in Windows Media Player but that was it. I also tried saving as a folder and then burning but with no success. The computer is working OK and I can record other files to disc.
Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks - problem solved. I did burn to a folder on my hard drive but had
then tried to burn the video_ts files to disc rather than burning the whole
folder. Burnt the folder using image burn and it worked fine - just wish I
had posted the query a week ago!
George Bain
E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (6.0.1.441)
Database version: 6.12470
http://www.pctools.com/uk/spyware-doctor-antivirus/

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`.
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