Sanyo XACTI HD1000 MP4 and Final Cut Express HD

It's a QuickTime issue-so far no codec that provides H.264 in the flavor that Sanyo has provided for the HD-1000. I own one too, and the solution that has worked so far is to acquire in HD-HR (720px60fps) mode, then load the files onto the media hard drive, open them in quicktime pro, then export them as .mov (using native components such as H.264 for QuickTime or ProRes422 (which I haven't tried yet) or the lowest HD format (DVCPRO25?). Once in the native QuickTime version of HD/H.264 then it will import into FCE no plm.

Also, you can try changing the sequence settings in system settings to match the settings you use in the QuickTime export. This should dramatically speed up the process and end the 'red line' syndrome when importing into the timeline (which happens when sequence settings don't match media clip settings).

Hopefully near-future updates will incorporate the flavor of H.264 AVC codecs that Sanyo has implemented on the HD-1000/700 etc.

p.s. HD-HR does read, FULL HD (1920x1080i) does not-that is the issue with current QuickTime. I believe AVCHD cams don't have this problem as they have supplied the codecs in current vers. of QT to support some of the new AVCHD cams (panasonic, etc.). We'll have to wait and see but hopefully not too much longer. Usually Apple is quick to remedy such issues as they are aware that their consumers buy these 'pro-sumer' cameras with hopes to use their NLE products.

I am also using a Sanyo Xacti HD 100 camcorder and although I am not sadistic, I really am excited to find finally someone who has also bought this marvellous thing and experiences the same problems as I have.
Reading your topic makes me already a lot wiser noticing that the format of the Xacti is AVC/H.264 ( being different than the AVCHD-format ) probably is the reason why imcompatiblity occurs with Apple. As I can conclude we only can wait till Apple makes an update to solve this problem, and till then use the lower quality.

The software which surely wil do the things we want is Ulead ( Corel - Windows software ) which seems to be bundled with the HD100.
http://dvformat.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=240611

Earlier today I launched folowing topic, now I know the problem probably is the AVC/H.264 - format.

+My experience in using the Apple video software is that there are no problems as long as I don't try the full HD quality.+

+First of all, just simply trying to view the HD files with Quick Time - after having copied them on the harddisk- does'nt work. The only thing I see is a green screen while I do hear the audio part, so I presume QuickTime & Full HD aren't compatible.+

+When I try to import full HD video's using *iMovie 7*, iMovie crashes, so I presume iMovie & Full HD aren't compatible.+

+Then I tried *iMovieHD 6*, while is seemed that this earlier version does handle the full HD - format, the importing succeeded but ... once again trying to view the files doesn't work, as the generated miniatures look like, also the screen only shows a full green screen with sound !!+

+So I presume iMovieHD 6 & Full HD aren't compatible.+

+The only thing that is left is trying to use *Final Cut Pro*, which I still have to buy.+

+As full HD is represented as the standard for optimal quality, practical use seems upto now to be quite complicated and simply not working although a lot of features claim to do.+

+Do you think Final Cut Pro will handle with FULL HD, or what else can be the reason the incompatibility of Full HD with Apple software.+

No Apple application handles this stupid format. Why Sanyo could not have a supported an industry developed standard is beyond me, but I;m sure they have their reasons. To call it Full HD is ridiculous, BTW.

I believe the only solution on the Mac is to convert this to another format, which I think you can do with MPEG Streamclip.

WHO it stupid ?? JUST READ THIS :
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/h264/

H.264 is a great delivery codec, but a horrible production codec. It's implementation in AVCHD is probably the best the consortium could make of bad idea, especially because of they decided to base it on MPEG-2. Great for data and DVD recording, lousy for making it editable. The Sanyo implementation of H.264 with AVC is proprietary using MPEG-4 I believe, making an even more compressed format. Even worse if you want to edit it. And they're out on their own with it, which is never a great path to follow. The more standardization the more likely you'll get a product that will work with other applications and devices.

Here is a link to the thread which describes the work around for the green screen. You basically need to change the H264 component of QT to an earlier version of that component. It is explained here
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=6111351#6111351

I just completed the change and it works for me now...