Richard Allgire

Q: Mountain Lion won't display .MTS files from camera SD card in the finder

OS Mountain Lion will not show .MTS files from my camera SD card in the finder.

 

I don't want to play them. I just need to see a list of the files so that I can copy them off the card onto a hard drive. I know how to convert them.

 

I have a Panasonic High Def video camera that records .MTS files.

I understand how to convert MTS files for editing in Final Cut Pro. It is not a problem. I have  been doing this with no problems using OS 10.7.5

I plug in my camera, and the SD card shows up as a hard drive in my finder. I click on the hard drive icon and it opens several folders. DCIM, MISC, PRIVATE.

I click on the PRIVATE folder and subfolders open. I click on the AVCHD folder, and then go down to STREAMING, and there are the MTS files.  I select them and import them into BIGASOFT video converter and convert them to .MOV files, which I can edit in FCP.

 

So that works great in OS 10.7.5

 

Here is my problem:

On my new MacBook Pro with OS10.8.3 I plug in the camera. It reads the SD card.

I see the folder DCIM and I see the folder MISC. But the PRIVATE folder (where the .MTS files reside) shows up as a QuickTime icon.  I click on that, but the MTS files do not show up.

 

I don’t need to play the MTS files. I don’t need to know how to convert them. I can do that.

I right clicked on the PRIVATE (not folder but QT icon) and selected "show package contents." That gave me another list, with an icon for AVCHD, but when I right clicked again and selected "show package contents" the MTS files would not appear.

 

 
I just need to be able to see as a list and copy them on to a hard drive.  Why does Apple make this so hard? 

Posted on Sep 27, 2013 9:01 PM

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Q: Mountain Lion won't display .MTS files from camera SD card in the finder

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Sep 27, 2013 9:57 PM in response to Richard Allgire
    Level 9 (50,047 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 27, 2013 9:57 PM in response to Richard Allgire

    I don't have FCP, but I can't imagine it cannot import the AVCHD files like iMovie can. iMovie imports them straight from the card. No need for BIGASOFT, whatever that is.

     

    What you describe is the process to get into the folders. I think the internal folder is something like BCDV. You will have to "show package contents" on that folder, too.

  • by Richard Allgire,

    Richard Allgire Richard Allgire Sep 27, 2013 11:34 PM in response to Richard Allgire
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Sep 27, 2013 11:34 PM in response to Richard Allgire

    STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO RECOGNIZE AND IMPORT MTS FILES. (No help from Apple.)

     

    After 4 frustrating hours and about 40 useless minutes wasted on Apple Support chat, I figured this out.

    Okay, here are the steps to allow Mountain Lion to see your MTS files on a Panasonic camera SD card and import them:

     

    1. Click on your camera SD card.
    2. RIGHT Click on PRIVATE icon. (This used to be a folder, now it is a Quicktime logo.)
    3. Pull down command for “Show Package Contents”
    4. Click on AVCHD
    5. Pull down command for “Show Package Contents”
    6. Click on BDMV
    7. Pull down command for “Show Package Contents”
    8. Open the folder called STREAM
    9. There are your MTS files. Select them and copy them to a folder on your hard drive.
    10. Purchase some type of video converter (I paid 30 bucks for Bigasoft Converter and it works.)
    11. Import the MTS files into the video converter and set the commands (This is several more steps, which you will have to figure out.) This will take quite a while for large, High Def files.
    12. Save converted files to your hard drive.

     

    NOW, finally FCP X will let you import and edit your files.

    Thanks Apple for adding 12 steps where it should take one. “Log and Transfer” or IMPORT.  You should fix this.

     

    It took me about 4 hours of frustration to figure this out. Apple support chat service was no help at all. The girl in chat had no understanding of video files.

     

    Thank you Apple, for hiding these files behind your Quicktime logo, thanks for adding extra steps and decreasing productivity. I've been using Macintosh computers since 1987. I would not own a PC, but Apple is not what it used to be. Why would you not just let the .MTS files show without hiding them?

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Sep 28, 2013 5:26 AM in response to Richard Allgire
    Level 9 (50,047 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 28, 2013 5:26 AM in response to Richard Allgire

    You may want to take a look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu6BoMDQ1yk

    Skip to the 2:35 point if you just want to see how to import directly without all of your uneeded obfuscation.

  • by 29kiska,

    29kiska 29kiska Jan 22, 2014 1:32 AM in response to Richard Allgire
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 22, 2014 1:32 AM in response to Richard Allgire

    Thank you so much this very helpful post.

    Thank you for your research and putting up with all the crap from Mac. It definetly shouldn't be so complicated! Shame on Mac!

  • by virginia berlin,

    virginia berlin virginia berlin Nov 14, 2015 8:19 AM in response to Richard Allgire
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 14, 2015 8:19 AM in response to Richard Allgire

    Thank you Richard !!!! you save me from the frustration thank you so much !

  • by thevideolab,

    thevideolab thevideolab Dec 10, 2015 1:12 PM in response to virginia berlin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 10, 2015 1:12 PM in response to virginia berlin

    It is not an issue with Mac, it tis the way the files are built and its Sony that built it that way.

  • by --rob--,

    --rob-- --rob-- Mar 29, 2016 5:00 AM in response to thevideolab
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mar 29, 2016 5:00 AM in response to thevideolab

    No, it is an issue with Mac...

     

    I recently had no clue why a directory named XX.template was not displayed as directory in Finder.

    Well, after filing a bug report I got a response that this a is recognised as a package (??!) and 'This is as designed' and they closed my bug report...

     

    After that I asked how to switch off this ludicrous behaviour of Finder to get NO RESPONSE.

  • by amacteur,

    amacteur amacteur Jul 29, 2016 8:36 PM in response to Richard Allgire
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jul 29, 2016 8:36 PM in response to Richard Allgire

    You are amazing.