Panasonic HDC-HS9

did u happen 2 click cancel after the loadin process. becuz after it loads the AVCHD format I noticed that it builds a thumbnail for the video right after. and I've noticed in the past if I click the cancel button during that process the Thumbnail will not do that skimmin feature. I'm not sure how you can re-rendering the thumbnail preview if you did that without re-loadin the video. I'm using a Panasonic HDC-SD1

I too bought the HDC-HS9 from Amazon.com this week, with high expectations of it's 1080/24p performance, only to discover massive incompatibility issues with iMovie08.

Upon connection to OS X 10.5.2 through USB, iMovie properly detects the camera (both the HDD and the 16 GB SDHC card). The import screen even appears with thumbnails of all of the videos. However, there are two problems with the import that pretty much render using iMovie to edit the video impossible until either Apple or Panasonic (or both) correct the compatibility problems.

1) Video recorded in 1080/60i format cause both iMovie and Final Cut Pro to crash instantly on import, and display the "Send report to Apple" dialog. I cannot get a single 1080/60i video from the HDC-HS9 to import without crashing iMovie.

2) 1080/24p video imports just fine, but there is some incompatibility with iMovie's ability to playback 1080/24p format from the HDC-HS9. Imported videos play back at about 1.5 times the appropriate framerate, while the audio plays at normal speed. So it is like watching your video in fast forward while listening to it at normal speed.

I have had my eye on this camera since January, when it was first announced, as it is one of the first cameras on the market to use a hybrid combination of HDD and SDHC, and with it's price of under $900, the videos produced by the 3CCD Panasonic engine are incredible, even on my very large Mitsubishi 73" 1080p rear projection TV.

Unfortunately, upon experiencing the problems for the first time last night, I ended up scouring the web, apparently like every other HDC-HS9 / Mac owner, and found the following insightful postings.

Macrumors.com - where other HDC-HS9 owners are experiencing similar problems:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=448228

Apple Tapeless camcorder compatibility list (HDC-HS9 is NOT on the list!):
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1014

SimplyDV Review where problems importing to iMovie were encountered:
http://www.simplydv.co.uk/Reviews/panasonic_hdc-hs9.html

The camera did come with an eval copy of Pinnacle AVCHD Studio for Windows, which I guess I'll have to give a shot on my Vista desktop while I wait for Apple and Panasonic to correct this problem - which is highly aggravating after spending over $1,000 on HD camcorder gear!!!

Please let me know if you find a workaround.

Here's another link to a discussion board

http://www.simplydv.co.uk/simplyBB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=20496&p=167402

In short, there are signs of an iMovie patch coming...

I also have recently purchased the Pan HDC-HS9. And suffer the same frustrations as you describe. Immediately on completion of import, if I play the scenes - before "posting" them to a Project, the video is fine, video and adio fully in synch. It is ONLY when viewing from within the project "work space", and then the resultant exported product that the video looks like an old "WWI news reel"(but in glorious HD colour), and yes audio is replayed at correct speed, so increasingly out of synch as the resultant movie is played back. It also crashes iMovie '08 when I try and import onto/into my newly purchased MacBook Pro(top specs with 4GB RAM), which from what I have read on the forums appears to be a common complaint!!

Someone did say something about an iMovie "patch" rumoured to be arriving soon ..... I hope so!!!! this is driving me nuts

I found a "work-a-round" ...... a little un-weildly, but it does work, and the final result is full HD 1080 and 1920x1200.

Import the images into Toast9, this generates "QT Standard .MOV" chunks. You can then editi these in either iMovie '08, or FinalCut Express4.

BUT .... I still want the full support for AVCHD in both iMoviw '08, and FinaCut Express4 ..... so I continue to wait 😟

Update!!!!
Imovie 7.1.2 released on June 12th, 2008. Full compatibility with panasonic HDC-HS9. Works fine now.
Tx Apple.

Thanks for the info stefzalinski.

The latest Software Updates: QT, iMovie & OS is the key.

I'm looking at getting the SD-9. Now that the patch appears to have solved the compatibility issue, how long doe it take to import video from the camera into iMovie?

Deanerh wrote:
...how long doe it take to import video from the camera into iMovie?

I just imported 12 minutes of video from my HDC-HS9 (SD card in a USB card reader) and it took about 23 minutes on my 2.4GHz MacBook Pro.

how did you get it to upload? I pressed the pc connect, and I see the "no name" but I can't figure out how to upload the videos..?

You just launch iMovie 08 and the import panel should pop up.

Did this fix the import for the higher resolution movies or just the 'large'? Also, does this automatically convert the MTS files now or do you still need a Voltaic (or similar) to convert the file types? I've heard that importing the higher res crashes iMovie instantly, did you have similar experience w/ patch?

I'm sorting through a hard drive issue w/ the Panasonic HDC-HS9, but it is becoming apparent I knew far too little about file types and compatibility before making a purchase...

Do you recommend archiving the AVCHD files separately vs. just importing into iMovie (if you are, in fact, able to import into iMovie8 now?)

Message was edited by: jstoller7

Thank you all for the input...I have this camcorder and have been frustrated until now...the new version of Imovie is importing my files cleanly and clearly. up until this point I had to use a DVD converter to transfer my footage to disk and then import that into the Mac.