Q: How to import HD-video from a Sony cybershot directly?

What format are the movies?

Both iMovie and Final Cut Pro can log and trasfer AVCHD, but not Aperture.  While I find it convenient to import the H.264 video from my DSLR into Aperture as a first step, I still transcode and take it to Final Cut to do my editing of it.  It is neat to be able to view and to take still frames in Aperture and immediately add them to Aperture Albums, but as a video editor Aperture is nearly useless.

Ernie

If you're shooting AVCHD you're shooting to Edit, as that's what the format so for, so as Ernie says, iMovie or FCP would be the appropriate apps for those. Then export to a format that Aperture can work with when you've finished editing.

A little trial and error will tell you in that mp4 works.

Regards

TD

Here is a list of video formats supported by Aperture:

Aperture 3: About Video and Audio formats in Aperture: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4025

There may be more formats supported, but that is nowhere documented, afaik.

You might try to import your videos to QuickTime (or Quicktime 7) and then share to iMovie. QuickTime will convert a movie that it can open, but iMovie not, when exporting to iMovie.