MTS Files and workflow

Hi,
I'm a recreational user of Final Cut Pro. I've recently bought a new cam corder and wish to get the most from my footage in terms of quality and the best from my system.
Panasonic TM700
Mac Book Pro 2.5ghz running Snow Leopard
Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT 512mb
FCP 6.0.6
I currently store all media on a network drive (QNAP Nas with Samsung Spinpoint F1 SATA-300 - 7200 rpm). The current network is wireless so I find I need to transfer files to the local drive or an external hard drive and connect to the MBP by Firewire.
So with the new Camcorder - What is the best way to import the files into FCP? I have tried using the log and transfer function, but this imports files that are 10x the original size. I tried Clipwrap2, but again this still adds another 15-20% on the file size (which I find strange going by the description of what clipwrap does).
Has anyone had experience of MTS files and found a good workflow for importing, storing and editing?
Thanks
Zig

You will need ClipWrap2. It will be able to make sense of the mts files.
The recommended workflow goes something like this:
1. copy the ENTIRE contents of the flash media to a folder on your hard drive.
2. make a backup copy to a second (archive) hard drive
3a. Convert the files. If you have recorded files that are not natively supported or have screwed up the moving of the files from the cards to the hard drive, use the appropriate transcoding software. Then import the files into FCP.
3b. If you have recorded a format that is natively supported in FCP, importing the files will be done using Log and Transfer.
4. Edit and be happy.
Regards,

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Camcorder: Canon HF20. FCE 4.01.
I have filmed some clips with the 7 mbps setting. The file size of the mts files is fairly small, but when importing it to FCE (or iMovie) the filesize is increased 10 times (to about 60 mbps) I found the answer in this post: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10900327&#10900327 ,
I want to save all my video clips to my external drive, and I am tempted to just copy the mts files to a folder, and then later convert them when I want to edit the footage. Would this be possible, or do I have to import them in FCE now?
Is it possible to copy the mts files back to the camcorder at a later time (the entire file structure - the folder is called BDMV) and then import it in FCE?

Yeah, make sure you copy the entire folder structure from the highest level and DONT delete ANY files (like I did!)
I spent the entire night last night and the last week trying to get compatibility of .MTS files shot on a Canon HFS11 into FCE 4 (FCE 4.0.1 to be exact).
I shot 3 months worth of footage on the HFS11 and would daily dump the AVCHD folders into date folders (ie 060110, 070110, etc etc) on an external HDD.
Since I had all the .MTS files off the camera I didnt know if I could use Log and Transfer to bring them into FCE but it is possible. Like other forums many people suggested you had to have the folders exactly like they were on the camera. This is true, unless of course you have deleted some files or if any become corrupt then the structure isnt exactly the same. For me I had deleted any junk files using a fast .MTS viewer (called a windows 7 machine!) without realising it was going to affect the 'import' process in FCE.
SOLUTION
I found that the files in the CLIPINF folder (.CLI files) were matched to the .MTS files in the STREAM folder. So if you delete any .MTS files I guess Log and Transfer reads the INDEX.BDM file or the .CLI files and says hang on, something is different. So I went through my .CLI files and found the names missing from the .MTS files and duplicated a colour bar clip I made and renamed it to the missing files. Viola, and FCE 4 could 'import' them.

Import MTS files and burn AVCHD files to DVD on PRE13

Hi am used to PRE 10 and want to know if on PRE 13 I can import MTS files into it, and burn AVCHD just as I am used to. The spec does not mention MTS files and implies burning to Blu ray.

I mean burning to DVD disc

MTS files (and really, they're just MTS, not the entire folder structure)..

OK, I see lotsa advice about dealing with MTS files...if they're in their proper folder structure.
Well, that'd be easy, and I'd be importing them now if they were in their proper folder structure. But they're not...I have 503 .mts files, in a folder, that a client copied "for me", and now expects me to import.
Any advice? Like I said, I only have the .mts files, not the supporting folder structure.

Greetings all from Jakarta - i have a feeling this is going to be a lengthy response and will only be of interest for those currently suffering from MTS file issues, but I do believe (while my solutions are not perfect) I have found some answers. What I have not found, unfortunately, are the hairs that I pulled out of my armpits in frustration over these MTS issues.
Background info: My office purchased the Panasonic HDC-TM700 to provide back-up to our Panasonic 170EN and we have been quite happy with the results. We have also been converting the MTS files to .MOV files on both Toast Titanium, and Final Cut Pro.
SITUATION #1
After a day of shooting I downloaded the TM700 files (full structure) to the hard disk. On day two after a full day of shooting I realized I forgot to format the camera's memory card so i had 50 MTS files that I already downloaded. Ever the smart guy, I highlighted file #51-#102 and dragged them into the STREAM file of the previous day's download. Then I formated the camera so i wouldnt forget the next day.
Well during log and transfer in FCP ONLY THE FIRST 50 FILES could be read, because that is what the metadata in the info supported ..... FCP couldnt even locate the other 50 files. I nearly fainted at the thought of getting fired. Thank goodness, when we dragged the MTS files into TOAST TITANIUM they could be read and converted!
SITUATION #2
The new guy (seriously, it was the new guy!) ONLY DOWNLOADED THE MTS files and since I wasn't there I wasn't there to see the havoc when neither FCP or TOAST could open the files. I was called in and my first idea was to take an old file structure, copy it, and slip the MTS files into the STREAM folder.
Well, it worked!! kind of.... The interesting thing is that the files could be converted in TOAST (FCP would not open the files) BUT ONLY TO THE TIME CODE THAT was equivalent to the original file. So if the original file was 1 minute and the file that I only had the MTS file for (and which corresponded to the file's number) was 5 minutes, only 1 minute was converted.)
So what I did was I took the TM700 and I shot five minutes of my foot. Then I downloaded the full file structure. Since I only took one shot of five minutes there was only one file in the STREAM folder, which was a 598mb file numbered 00000.MTS
I know I will regret it one day but i deleted the MTS file of my foot. Then I placed in one of the "homeless" MTS files into the (now empty) STREAM folder and changed the name to 0000.MTS -
When opened in FCP log and transfer - IT DID NOT WORK. However, in TOAST I am happy to say IT WORKED, yayyyy. And the file that was converted was the length of the clip. What I thought might happen is that if the clip was only 30 seconds long but the foster file was 5 minutes then there would be 30 seconds of footage and 4.5 minutes of black empty space on video. That wasn't the case.
THE SHORT TERM SOLUTION:
Over the years I have been very very very lucky with all the help I have gotten over the internet and in my own small way I hope the following helps out others. So here is what I have done, with instructions.
PLEASE NOTE I AM INDONESIAN LIVING IN INDONESIA SO WE USE PAL ..... 25 frames per second. .... Hopefully if someone in North America likes this idea and can help out, they will post a NTSC file structure.
OKAY INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Double click this link and download the file structure. The the file structure is only 68kb all your (and mine) frustrations for 68,000 bytes!!
www.klirkom.com/helpout/AVCHD
2. If you look inside the folder (AVCD->BDMV->STREAM) you will see AN EMPTY STREAM FOLDER. This is where you will place your "lost/not working" MTS files. Sorry, but this file structure only supports two files at a time. The first file is 5 minutes long, the second file is 33 minutes long (i was going to make it 10 minutes but I forgot about the camera being on and left it for 33 minutes ...)
3. Change your first file name (preferably an MTS file less than 600mb so that the 'foster' file can cover it) to 00000.MTS. Now change your second file (preferably less than 4GB, but unless you are filming the whole wedding this should be okay for most people.... the important thing to remember is that if you want your full file converted without missing any parts at the end, the files should be smaller in size than the foster files) to the name 00001.MTS
4. Now drag your newly named and newly placed MTS files into TOAST TITANIUM. Click convert. I have not tried this with other software but hopefully it works for you.
5. If you want you can now rename your original MTS files to their original names and continue with the next two files. I know with 500 MTS files this is a HUGE pain in the buttox .....
Okay, good luck all!!
Jakartaguy

.MTS File Metadata Workflow?

I have a client who needs to be able to search through a huge number of video clips via keywords in metadata but i've hit a huge wall when it comes to .mts files.
I am unable to write any metadata to these files, i'm seeing various reasons as to why this is the case, but no solution.
Spoke to three people at Adobe chat support this morning and no-one can help.
Is there any workflow in the Adobe Suite that allows metadata/keywords to be added to .mts files that can then be searched in Bridge or Lightroom for instance?
I have a keyword hierarchy produced that was intended to be used for tagging in Lightroom, I cannot assign the keywords to the original files but is it possible to create a Catalog that can then be handed over to the client with a copy of the video files so that they are searchable within the Lightroom software?
I have been trying to achieve anything similar in Prelude but still no success.
Am I the only one having this problem?

If you want to rewrap MTS files on Windows, without transcoding (like with Clipwrap), you can do that with FFMBC (for example). Yes, you can than reconect original files to rewrapped H264 MP4 and new Resolve will be able to read your timeline. However performance will be far from good.
Actually there is no perfect workflow for Premiere > Resolve roundtripping for MTS files at this moment:
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- With combination of AE scripts you can transcode only material used in edit, but again that's waste of time, and you'll have to rebuild your timeline manualy
One option in Premiere Project Manager would solve all issues with roundtripping and that's "Create new trimmed project and TRANSCODE media with handles". That way you would be able to edit native, and transcode only media used in timeline.
At this moment your best option is to transcode everything before edit. On Windows use DNxHD, pick bitrate according to your source footage, and everything will be fine.

Files and Workflow, How to Use it ?

Hi, I'm running OCS 9.0.3.1 single box under windows.
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This is from the mouth (or, actually, pen) of Joe Schorr who's heading the Aperture team. Look up his posts on this forum.
I presume that the additional support will be part of the pending System update (10.4.9) that everybody's waiting for. Dare we hope for a release tonight? After all, it's Tuesday - and usually Apple Software updates happen on a Tuesday.
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HT3775 Does anyone know how to get .mts files and mpg files to work in final cut express?

I am trying to import footage from a cannon xa10 but it wont come up in final cut express. The only files I have managed to get off the sd card are either .mts or .mpg files and these won't import into final cut. Any suggestions?

Barney & cjnz11, are you importing AVCHD lite?
FCE doesnt play nice with AVCHD lite with the Standard plugins, imovie on the other hand does (go figure) there is a fix for this.
1. Open the Final Cut Express.app by right clicking the icon and choose 'show content'. At Contents/Plugins you find a folder called: "AVCHD.RADPlug". compress this and keep it safe (Just incase)
2. Now Open the iMovie.app by right clicking the icon and choose 'show content' At Contents/RADPlugins there is a folder called "AVCHD.RADPlug". Copy that folder to where you found the folder with the same name inside the Final Cut Express.app
After that you will be able to Log & Transfer AVCHD Lite with in FCE instead of the imovie import and XML export method.

.mts files and compressor settings

Hello,
I need some help using final cut pro!
I recorded some footage on a Canon HG20 camera onto an SD card.
I then transferred the footage with showed up as .mts files from the SD card onto my macbook.
My first question is why can't I open .mts files with imovie or final cut pro?
I used an app called Video Converter to convert my footage into .mp4 files. But I realise that these are compressed files and may not be ideal for editing.
My second question is what is the best file type to edit in final cut pro?
So I imported these .mp4 files into Final Cut Pro 7. The compressor for these media files in the browser is H.264 and I realise that my sequence settings have to match these compressor settings. But I have two problems with this -
1. I want to eventually export the video to YouTube, and editing .mp4 files with a compressor H.264 is going to eventually be poor quality. Right? Can I change my media compressor settings?
2. The most important and puzzling problem is that even though my compressor settings match, everytime I drop something on the timeline or edit anything on the timeline it shows that I have to render it - so basically I'm rendering my footage continuously to see the playback. What am I missing - what am I doing wrong!?
Do I have to do something first in Easy Setup or changel my sequence compressor to Apple Pro Res?
All I want to do is edit something in final cut pro and upload it on to youtube with reasonably good quality - any help with this would be very much appreciated as I've been scowering the internet for answers and nothing seems to solve my problem!
Thank you in advance,
julia19

Hi Russ,
thank you so much I'm doing a log and transfer now and it seems to be working! I think my initial problem was that I was trying to transfer only the .mts files when I should have been transferring everything from the SD card.
I can't believe it was that simple!
Are there any specific settings I have to do in Easy Setup in order to later export to YouTube?
Thank you again!
julia19

Serious quality loss with MTS files and iMovie '11

Hello,
I have some issues with my brand new Panasonic HDC SD700 (a full HD camera)
I experience serious quality loss when I use iMovie to create a movie.
I did some tests, but still puzzled int this world of codecs and formats.
Maybe some of you can help.
I have made a short shot of 450 sec with highest mode (1080p 24fps)
It show is finder as a .MTS file size 99MB, I'm very happy with the quality when I play this with VLC.
iMovie turns this file into a .mov file with 635MB size, in Apple Intermediate Codec, Linear PCM, Timecode. This quality is already poor compared to original MTS file.
No wonder that the output file (select 1080p H.264 codecs) results also in unacceptable quality.
I'm running latest imOvie version with all updates etc.
I have no idea were to look to solve this issue. It is quite annoying since I have invested in a top Cam recorder. Not sure is Final cut express will sure the issue either.....

I have made a short shot of 450 sec with highest mode (1080p 24fps)
Have you tried shooting at the PAL standard of 25fps? I checked the specs for your Panasonic but didn't see any mention of a 24fps mode, but most reviews seem to miss mentioning the shooting modes. If you did indeed shoot at 24fps, did you choose this frame rate when importing to iMovie '11?
I export as 1080p (same as original. My output is a bit blurry and colors are a bit pale.
Did you use the 1080p preset under Share to Media Browser, or Export using QuickTime? If the latter, be sure to select an appropriate data rate - if set too low this may result in poor quality output.
And yes you are right I'm using IMovie '11, quite confusing that '11 means version 9.0
Yes - very confusing! In the forums, iMovie versions are generally referred to by their year number, not version number. It's a pity that we have version 9.0 (iMovie '11) and iMovie '09.
Glad you liked the video - it looked very clear on YouTube at 1080p Full Screen, at least to my ageing eyes!
John

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Hi there,
I am trying to suss out workflow with RED 4k files from RED Scarlet, I am colour grading them in RED CineX Pro then wish to export them then import then into Adobe Premiere pro in which to cut and edit videos...What are the settings I would use when exporting the files from RED CineX Pro to my desktop in order to import then into Prem pro? Also I have played around with importing directly into Prem pro and once videos are in the timeline they don't seem to play in the preview screen, i have to click on the clip then it plays it separately but not as it is in the timeline...will continue to play around and see if I can figure it out but maybe someone out there is already doing the same thing and can help me out faster?....
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AMO

I can't help with the specific question asked, but I can recommend you NOT export to your Desktop. Ideally you'd want a fast RAID 3 array to hold all your RED footage. At the very least a fast, modern hard drive dedicated to camera media alone.

Log and transfer MTS file and audio slip issues

I'm having 3 issues with a 30 minute project in FCE HD.
1. When I create clips in log and transfer, sometimes my footage chatters when I watch in in the viewer or place it on the timeline. It didn't chatter in camera, I checked, and it doesn't chatter in log and transfer. I can re-cut the clip in log and transfer but I'm trying to save time!
2. When creating a clip in log and transfer or just transferring a full clip, FCE trims the last 3 to 4 seconds off. I need these 3 to 4 seconds!
3. When trimming and razoring a 9 minute+ clip on the timeline, the audio begins to slip and continues to slip the longer I trim.
If anyone has answers to my three issues, please help. This project is frustrating in content and now it's frustrating in editing!
Thank you in advance for all your help!!

Sorry it has taken so long for me to get back to you. Again, thank you for taking the time to help me.
Your first question, these clips came from my Panasonic HMC 150 camera. I filmed at 24 fps. I downloaded the files from my SD card to my laptop, then use log and transfer to bring the clips into the project.
FCE only offers 25 fps or 29.97 fps. So, there is a discrepancy there. I'm not sure how to fix that when I want to stay with 24 fps. Yes, I can film at other frame rates, I just prefer 24 for what I generally create. Is there a plugin for more frame rate choices in FCE? Or is that just available in FCP?
Your second question, I always use insert. I only use overwrite for my title cards.
And finally, your third, I am aware of the destination tabs. I understand how they work. My issue with having so many tracks is that I am working on a laptop without a mouse and sometimes when I move a clip the timeline jumps and creates the extra tracks when I place the clip. I just need to be more careful when moving clips.
Now, as to my final issue and that is the trimming of the clips through log and transfer. FCE trims off the first and last couple of seconds and will not allow me to bring them into the project. Is this a setting problem or just inherent of FCE?
I look forward to hearing from you!

I am using MTS files. They load in PE fine. The problem is when I try to play them, I just get audio and no video. I have installed the latest updates. Is there a CODEX that I need.

I have windows 8.1. I have downloaded the mts files from my video camera onto my hard drive. I have loaded a subset of these mts files into premier elements and they show up fine. I can bring them to the time line without a problem. The issue is that when I click on them, I only get the audio and no video. Normally when you click a thumbnail, the picture shows in the large screen. That screen remains blank.

John - thanks for your response
1. Graphics Adapter: Nvidia GeForce GTX 650
2. My driver before you response was 3/4/14   9.18.13.3523. I went to Nvidia and downloaded and installed latest driver 7/2/14 9.18.13.4052
3. Rebooted and checked APE and no change in the problem. Still doesn't show video when I double click an thumbnail or if I single click it does not show a video image in the large screen.
4. Some things I have done to try to resolve the problem.
     a. Searched this forum for a similar problem. I didn't see one.
     b. Did a web search to see if I could find a solution outside this forum
     c Went into "edit" and tried some changes in project preferences and setting to see if that would make a difference
     d. Tried to contact Adobe support to speak to a person but that seemed difficult and could never figure out how to do it.
5. I have always loaded AVI clips into this program and this is the first time I have tried MTS files. When I opened the new project, the program notified that I had to change something??? to load an MTS file and asked me if I wanted the program to do this for me. I said yes and here I am.   I seem so close to making it work.   Thanks

I need a definitive answer for using Premiere Pro CS4 to work with .m2ts and .mts files

I have a Canon Vixia HF20 and a Sony HDR-XR350V. The Canon gives me .MTS files and the Sony produces .M2TS files. What do I need to do to be able to work with these files in Premiere Pro? I've searched and gotten that I'll need to purchase a codec. But are both file types going to be good with one codec?
Also, what are the steps to getting started? Purchase the codec, load the codec...Will there be any other steps to working with the files in Premiere?
I'm sorry for the basic questions, I'm a photographer! I've never worked with video before, and this is HARD!
Thank you for your help,
Michelle

Hi, Michelle.
I'm nowhere near the authority on this stuff that many of the others are here, but I have Premiere Pro CS4 and I work directly with AVCHD .mts files from my Panasonic camera. I simply browse to the directory where the .mts files are located and drag them into the project. I didn't need to purchase any additional codec, this is natively supported in Premiere CS4.
I can't speak to m2ts files as I don't have any gear that generates them.
One thing you do need to know, however, and this is important. Whether you're running a Mac or a PC, if you're going to work with high def footage such as AVCHD, you're going to need a fairly high performance computer with sufficient RAM, good performing hard drives and a fast CPU.
I tried this on a PC that was fine for my recording studio (audio), fine for professional software development, but choked and stuttered working with HD material. That's not a problem with the Adobe software, it's just the nature of the beast. HD is extremely demanding stuff, so you need top flight gear to work with it. I bought a higher performance PC and now it runs just fine.
Hope this helps,
Chris

Importing and burning mts files from my Canon Vixia HF20

I have the HD camcorder Canon Vixia HF20 (and love it btw). It creates .mts files. I downloaded the software that came with the camcorder for Macs, but it does absolutely nothing for me (as far as I can tell - maybe I am doing something wrong).
I downloaded VLC so I can watch the .mts files and it works great. However, I am completely stuck on how to a) burn them, b) transfer them to a file format that allows me to burn them.
I have a new Mac desktop and am a novice at using it (I've had a laptop for a while before the desktop). Thus, I don't know how to use iMovie. Everything I read says imovie will be able to burn the files. However, when I open iMovie, choose "import," it doesn't allow me to import anything b/c they are in the .mts file format. It's like they are "blacked out" and incapable of being uploaded from my computer's hard drive to it.
So, I'll quit rambling. I've researched this ad nauseum, so any help on how to burn these files would be so greatly appreciated. I do not have File Cut Pro. Thanks!

iMovie versions 7, 8 and 9 can import that file format but only from the camera.
Once you move the files off the camera you'll have to jump through some hoops to convert them.

Importing .cpi and .mts files into iMovie

A friend provided me hundreds of .cpi and .mts files of footage he shot on a Canon Vixia camcorder. The files are on a DVD disc. How do I import them into iMovie 09?

You may have already resolved this issue, but I found out some great information today from Sony directly. I was having the same problem, and I was convinced iMovie (i'm using iMovie 09) couldn't import MTS files. I was wrong iMovie does it very easily. The problem iMovie has is when you connect your camera, most people click the "video camera" icon so they can see the videos on their camera they wish to import. What I found is that if you haven't cleared off your video camera in some time, and have over 10 gigs of video on the camera, iMovie has a real hard time, because it has to search the camera and bring up the clips in that lower window pane and often times it will basically time-out, and if you click that camera again the iSight camera launches.
What I did was go thru the clips on my video camera that I could delete (actually watched them on the camera itself), this can be time consuming. But, once I cleared down the content on my camera under 10 gigs, iMovie saw the information quickly. Here's another thing I did, that also may help...instead of clicking on that little camcorder icon, use FILE, Import from Camera at the top menu bar instead. When I did this, it started looking for my attached video camera. From now on I will clear off my video camera more frequently so that iMovie doesn't bog down looking for possible imporatable videos on the camera. Recommendation from Sony was keep it under 10 gigs.
Hope this helps.
Tim
P.S. There is no truth to the idea that iMovie does not import MTS files. My Sony HD Handycam takes all MTS files and iMovie has no problem with them at all.

MTS Files and workflow

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