Help with AVCHD log & transfer at DVinfo.net

Mike Petrucco · March 9th, 2009, 07:43 PM

I am running FCP 6.0.5 and am trying to import some test footage shot with an HMC150. I am getting an error, and FCP will not recognize the file. I was hoping to bring it in and transcode to PRORES. Can someone try one of the files that Mark kindly put up for testing and see if you can bring it in to FCP? I see that folks using Edius and Vegas have been able to do it, and I know that 6.0.5 is supposed to have HMC150 support, so either I'm screwed up or else there may be other card contents that FCP needs in order to work with the .MTS files Mark put up? These are fairly small files, so it should be quick for someone to give it a whirl if anyone could be so kind.

The files are at http://vontraining.net/HMC150Preview/index.php

Can one of you kind MAC friends help me out and try one of these files and let me know if I am screwed up?

Nate Morse · March 9th, 2009, 08:06 PM

Your not screwed up, Mike. The Achilles heel of the FCP log and transfer option is that it will not import files without the entire directory structure of the captured footage. In this case, since you only have the MTS file, Final Cut will not be able to transcode.

I'm sure there is third party software you could use to convert a standalone MTS file. I just have never spent the time trying to figure out what that is.

Seems awfully silly considering pretty much every other professional NLE can handle standalone files just fine...

William Hohauser · March 9th, 2009, 09:21 PM

Use MPEGStreamclip, it's a free download.

Reuben Miller · March 10th, 2009, 10:17 AM

Hi Mike,

MPEGSteamclip is free, but I like Toast. Just a personal preference. extremely efficient. No muss... No fuss. :)

G. Lee Gordon · April 28th, 2009, 12:20 AM

I don't know who dropped the ball. Canon or Mac but this is ridiculous. I've tried everything in the book to transfer these files from my Canon HF S100 into FCP6.0.1. I'm about to throw in the towel and take this camera back! I've tried Apples support advice, I've tried Canon's support advice. Can somebody who owns this dang camera please walk me through this step by step. Oh yea, I tried MPEG streamclip and it won't recognize the MTS files. HEEEELLP!
I think it may be time for the moderator to step in and make a sticky!

G. Lee Gordon · April 28th, 2009, 09:12 AM

Get this! I opened up iMovie and it recognized and transferred the files right away(crashed my computer, but worked the second time around)! So why does iMovie recognize them but FCP2 doesn't?

Battle Vaughan · April 28th, 2009, 09:23 AM

FWIW I found this on Google: MTS File Converter - Convert MTS Files, Convert MTS to Popular Video
I haven't tried it, but it sounds useful.

FCP ought to import your AVCHD files in log and transfer, however; while I have no Panasonic files to try, couple of our people are equipped with the Canon HF100 kits and we have no problem transferring their stuff; we use a card reader to put the entire file with all its folders and subfolders on the computer, and FCP 6.0.5 recognizes the files automatically. You need everything from PRIVATE folder on down, iirc. / Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

Nigel Barker · April 28th, 2009, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G. Lee Gordon

Get this! I opened up iMovie and it recognized and transferred the files right away(crashed my computer, but worked the second time around)! So why does iMovie recognize them but FCP2 doesn't?

That's odd because my iMovie 9 didn't recognise the .MTS file I downloaded as it is greyed out when I browse for the file to open. The only application that would even recognise these files & played them perfectly is VLC.

G. Lee Gordon · April 28th, 2009, 10:33 AM

Just got off the phone with Canon customer service... No help. They passed the buck to Apple.
Called Apple support. Explained my scenario... For some reason my computer wasn't picking up requests for new updates. Since no new updates appeared I thought that I had the latest and greatest. Per apple I should be on 6.0.5. I believe I'm on 6.0.1. AVCHD support wasn't released until 6.0.2. So that should fix it.
Also per Apple, iMovie is known to work with more formats than FCP (I found that odd).

G. Lee Gordon · April 28th, 2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battle Vaughan

couple of our people are equipped with the Canon HF100 kits and we have no problem transferring their stuff; we use a card reader to put the entire file with all its folders and subfolders on the computer, and FCP 6.0.5 recognizes the files automatically. You need everything from PRIVATE folder on down, iirc. / Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

Out of curiosity, what settings are you using for your HFS100? What type of footage are you shooting with them? What is your set up with your HFS100's?

Battle Vaughan · April 28th, 2009, 03:46 PM

The two cameras in question are in the hands of our breaking-news photogs, who have recently added video to their job descriptions; I don't specifically know, but I suspect they are set up as automatic and plain-vanilla as possible. They are shooting spot-news events, short press conferences, that sort of thing. They have Beechtek boxes with wireless mikes and shotgun mikes on the camera. It is the video equivalent of what we old news photogs called "f-8 and be there."

Or what Vasco Dones calls "the fine art of making compromises, which translates into minimizing the likelihood of badly screwing things up."

Sorry this is not responsive to your question per se, but these are semi-trained shooters and I am sure they have not mucked about with the setups to any degree. We take their clips and edit them, and handle color and exposure in post as necessary. / B Vaughan

G. Lee Gordon · April 28th, 2009, 08:14 PM

Downloaded FCP 6.0.5, wouldn't let me load it until I downloaded the Tiger update. Finally got everything updated and guess what...worked like a charm. Picked up the footage off the card and is downloading the footage as we speak. Takes a little longer than suspected but who cares. I'm one step closer to my Oscar!

G. Lee Gordon · April 28th, 2009, 08:20 PM

Just found this thread:

AVCHD Format Discussion - The Digital Video Information Network

March 9th, 2009, 07:43 PM	#1
Mike Petrucco Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 98	Help with AVCHD log & transfer I am running FCP 6.0.5 and am trying to import some test footage shot with an HMC150. I am getting an error, and FCP will not recognize the file. I was hoping to bring it in and transcode to PRORES. Can someone try one of the files that Mark kindly put up for testing and see if you can bring it in to FCP? I see that folks using Edius and Vegas have been able to do it, and I know that 6.0.5 is supposed to have HMC150 support, so either I'm screwed up or else there may be other card contents that FCP needs in order to work with the .MTS files Mark put up? These are fairly small files, so it should be quick for someone to give it a whirl if anyone could be so kind. The files are at http://vontraining.net/HMC150Preview/index.php Can one of you kind MAC friends help me out and try one of these files and let me know if I am screwed up?

March 9th, 2009, 09:21 PM	#3
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	Use MPEGStreamclip, it's a free download. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

April 28th, 2009, 12:20 AM	#5
G. Lee Gordon Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 431	This is pissing me off! I don't know who dropped the ball. Canon or Mac but this is ridiculous. I've tried everything in the book to transfer these files from my Canon HF S100 into FCP6.0.1. I'm about to throw in the towel and take this camera back! I've tried Apples support advice, I've tried Canon's support advice. Can somebody who owns this dang camera please walk me through this step by step. Oh yea, I tried MPEG streamclip and it won't recognize the MTS files. HEEEELLP! I think it may be time for the moderator to step in and make a sticky! __________________ "Get Er Done!!!"

April 28th, 2009, 09:12 AM	#6
G. Lee Gordon Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 431	Wtf? Get this! I opened up iMovie and it recognized and transferred the files right away(crashed my computer, but worked the second time around)! So why does iMovie recognize them but FCP2 doesn't? __________________ "Get Er Done!!!"

April 28th, 2009, 10:33 AM	#9
G. Lee Gordon Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 431	Update Just got off the phone with Canon customer service... No help. They passed the buck to Apple. Called Apple support. Explained my scenario... For some reason my computer wasn't picking up requests for new updates. Since no new updates appeared I thought that I had the latest and greatest. Per apple I should be on 6.0.5. I believe I'm on 6.0.1. AVCHD support wasn't released until 6.0.2. So that should fix it. Also per Apple, iMovie is known to work with more formats than FCP (I found that odd). __________________ "Get Er Done!!!"

March 9th, 2009, 08:06 PM	#2
Nate Morse Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 46	Your not screwed up, Mike. The Achilles heel of the FCP log and transfer option is that it will not import files without the entire directory structure of the captured footage. In this case, since you only have the MTS file, Final Cut will not be able to transcode. I'm sure there is third party software you could use to convert a standalone MTS file. I just have never spent the time trying to figure out what that is. Seems awfully silly considering pretty much every other professional NLE can handle standalone files just fine...

March 10th, 2009, 10:17 AM	#4
Reuben Miller Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Playa del Rey, CA Posts: 61	Hi Mike, MPEGSteamclip is free, but I like Toast. Just a personal preference. extremely efficient. No muss... No fuss. :)

April 28th, 2009, 09:23 AM	#7
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	FWIW I found this on Google: MTS File Converter - Convert MTS Files, Convert MTS to Popular Video I haven't tried it, but it sounds useful. FCP ought to import your AVCHD files in log and transfer, however; while I have no Panasonic files to try, couple of our people are equipped with the Canon HF100 kits and we have no problem transferring their stuff; we use a card reader to put the entire file with all its folders and subfolders on the computer, and FCP 6.0.5 recognizes the files automatically. You need everything from PRIVATE folder on down, iirc. / Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

April 28th, 2009, 03:46 PM	#11
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	The two cameras in question are in the hands of our breaking-news photogs, who have recently added video to their job descriptions; I don't specifically know, but I suspect they are set up as automatic and plain-vanilla as possible. They are shooting spot-news events, short press conferences, that sort of thing. They have Beechtek boxes with wireless mikes and shotgun mikes on the camera. It is the video equivalent of what we old news photogs called "f-8 and be there." Or what Vasco Dones calls "the fine art of making compromises, which translates into minimizing the likelihood of badly screwing things up." Sorry this is not responsive to your question per se, but these are semi-trained shooters and I am sure they have not mucked about with the setups to any degree. We take their clips and edit them, and handle color and exposure in post as necessary. / B Vaughan

April 28th, 2009, 08:14 PM	#12
G. Lee Gordon Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 431	update Downloaded FCP 6.0.5, wouldn't let me load it until I downloaded the Tiger update. Finally got everything updated and guess what...worked like a charm. Picked up the footage off the card and is downloading the footage as we speak. Takes a little longer than suspected but who cares. I'm one step closer to my Oscar! __________________ "Get Er Done!!!"

April 28th, 2009, 08:20 PM	#13
G. Lee Gordon Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 431	Seek and ye shall find! Just found this thread: AVCHD Format Discussion - The Digital Video Information Network __________________ "Get Er Done!!!"