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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the .thm file is simply a jpeg thumbnail version of your movie which you could probably view by changing the name from .thm to .jpeg (not entirely sure about that). Your audio problem is more likely caused by iMovie not having the codec needed to play the audio format encoded into your mov container. Maybe someone here more familiar with iMovie can tell you what audio formats work within iMovie, and you can set that in your camera to prevent this problem.
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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.
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Hope this helps.
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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.

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markmc78 wrote:
.. I'm really struggling with the concept of events/clips/projects.
consider usage of a diff. editor.. iMovieHD6, you're entitled for a free downlaod at apple.com:
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html
but IF you're relaxed, opened your mind, follow the bright light, ommmm.. for Events & Stuff:
your intended workflow will add another step of quality-degradition (8mm>>avi>>mp4>>iM08) ..
consider the free tool Mpeg Streamclip www.squared5.com for 'chopping' that 90min beast into pieces..
rename these new chunks, follow advice given on my site:
http://karsten.schluter.googlepages.com/im08changeeventdate
there's the manual..
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iMovie08_GettingStarted.pdf
and the most recommended books from Mr Pogue's Missing Manual series..

Canon HF20: backup the MTS files (and later convert), or import in AIC?

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 ,
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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.

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

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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.
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Has anyone had experience of MTS files and found a good workflow for importing, storing and editing?
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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.
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Regards,

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sorry thats the auto reply message from yahoo email.
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Serious quality loss with MTS files and iMovie '11

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