Importing from a Panasonic HDC TM700

Did you install Perian?

I just purchased a base model MacBook Pro 13" (late 2011) 2.4 Ghz Intel Core and 4 GB memory. I'll be getting the Panasonic TM900. If I want to edit 1080p using iMovie, will I have to upgrade to SSD and install more memory? Any suggestions?

No - it's sufficient.

Thanks, Deltaguru!

Hi to everybody....

I've a little strange problem with TM700 + iMovie...

I've used in the past your suggestions, and I've imported and edited succesfully my video, but now I've some problem with the audio!

When I import the m4v file (generated using rewrap) the audio in iMovie is Mono and not Stereo!!!

If I play the m4v with VLC the audio is stereo, but if I play with quicktime, the audio is mono....have you some ideas?

Thanks

Okay, so I finally got my Panasonic HDC TM900. I went ahead and got the trial version of ClipWrap. I shot a couple minutes of test footage at 1080 60p. I connect the camera to my MacBook Pro, open up ClipWrap, choose transcode to AIC. It does whatever it does lightning fast. Then I start a new project in iMovie. It forces me to choose between 24fps, 25fps and 30fps. I select 30fps. Next, I import my footage. Again, super fast. I look at the results at full screen (only 13"). It looks fantastic, no jerky movement or anything. Funny thing is, when I was shooting at 720p with my Canon Powershot S95, it seemed to take longer to import the clips and the movement was jerky. Of course, I didn't need to use ClipWrap for 720p footage, as it's supported by iMovie. My question is, why is it so fast and easy to import 1080 60p, and why does it look so good? I thought my computer was supposed to be inadequate (it's got an i5 processor, a measly 4GB of Ram and 5,400 RPM hard drive). Am I doing something wrong here?

Why is it so fast and looking so good ??? Is that a problem?? Sounds like a win win !

I certainly tried all these things on an i5 and found the results to be pretty good. With just a quick repackaging using Rewrap2M4V (similar to clipwrap) I found the computer could handle the (almost) raw 1080p50 footage at pretty much the full frame rate. Transcoding to AIC does take a while though, so I am surprised you find it 'Lightning Fast'.

Are you sure you are transcoding it into AIC and not using the original compressed files in iMovie?? If you open the transcoded file in Quicktime and look at the 'Inspector' it will tell you the format, resolution and frame rate. iMovie can handle M4V and similar compressed formats, which will save disc space but does require a fast computer.

My computer is 'old school' so once I have repackaged my video files to M4V (with the Rewrap2M4v script) I tend to use MPEGStreamclip to downconvert and expand to AIC at 720p25 which gives me good resolution, an optimum frame rate for iMovie and conversion to DVD and a file that is easily managable from my computer. But in contrast to your post, it does take an age !!!!

Thanks, Guy! I've never even used QuickTime before, so it took a few seconds to find out where the inspector was. A great little tool! Here's the info for my 30-second or so clip: AIC 1920X1080, LPCM, FPS 59.94, Data Size 1.06 GB. I suppose I have to fork over the cash to the CllpWrap people now 🙂. But I can see if I plan to do any long projects, the GBs are really going to add up.

I should say that the transcoded AIC file is ten times the size of the original AVCHD file, which is about .1GB!

" iMovie can't at the moment see movie files on the camcorder recorded at 1080p50. This is because iMovie is designed to work with AVCHD, and 1080p50 is a later, more advanced video format that is subtly different. Different enough that iMovie won't see your movie files when you plug the camcorder in. When the disk is full, I record a tiny clip at 1080i which enables iMovie to 'see' the attached video camera, and use the Create Camera Archive option (can't remember exactly how that is phrased, but it creates a clone of your camcorder disk, so you always have the original version to go back to one day." - GuyHolmes

Guy, thanks for the excellent advice. I went ahead and recorded a couple seconds of 1080i like you said, and iMovie imported all the 1080 60p clips to the Camera Archives. The mts files are located in STREAM, as has been noted here before.

I read in a different forum some time ago (and i think it is also in the manual) that it is not adviced to use 1080 60p and any other mode of recording in the same card before formatting.

Any ideas on this?

also, Guy, do you know if the option of "Create Camera Archive" exists in Final Cut Pro 7?

thanks

Yes, I too have read not to mix the two formats. In reality I don't see that it makes any difference. I wouldn't actively use both 1080i and 1080p on the same card, as to view them on the Panasonic, you have to keep changing modes back and forth.

I only record in 1080p, and always keep a 1 or 2 second clip in 1080i on the card just to make it viewable in iMovie when it comes to archiving. The Mac will see all files on the card via the desktop or other source, so you can always copy files and play raw 1080p50 (or 60) mts files with applications such as Movist.

Final Cut Pro 7 does not have a Create Camera Archive function (to the best of my knowledge) as it is designed more for tape based editing. Final Cut Pro X does. Of course you can always use iMovie to archive the entire contents of the card, or even Disk Utility (in the Utilities folder of your Applications). I think iMovie just does pretty much the same thing, creating a cloned copy of the SD Card, but conveniently gives it a name and date on the file name.

Just a note on the above. I hear good things about ClipWrap, and I like to promote 3rd Party Developers creating solutions to everyday issues. There are however free solutions doing much the same thing, although probably not quite so simply as ClipWrap does it. I use a free Automator Script (available on the Net) called Rewrap2m4v by a chap called Alan Somers - See earlier links in this thread. He found the way to simply repackage the mts files in a file format that the Mac will recognise and work with, without having to do a lengthy transcoding into a whole new format. You do need to have Perian installed and ClipGrab in your applications folder as well for the script to work, but they're all free and work perfectly well.

Now just for AVCHD-2 (as I believe the updated spec is now called) to gain a bit more recognition and be natively adopted by the next update of iMovie, Final Cut etc. Both Sony and Panasonic are producing cameras that record 1080p50/60 so I think it won't be long before updates allow the material to be imported directly without additional steps.

GuyHolmes already answered it better!

"I take it you know where the files are stored ?? The route is well documented here - Can't remember it off the top of my head but its buried deep in the folder structure in folders such as AVCHD, Private, BDMV - Look for those and you'll get to know them when you see them !! I drag the files as a batch out of that folder into a new folder on my desktop - This should copy rather than move the files."

Guy - thanks for all of your useful advice, it has saved me hours of time figuring everything out for myself. Just one thing though - when I drag the MTS files out of STREAM (in the BDMV folder) onto the desktop, it appears that it moves rather than copies my files onto the desktop. After creating a folder and putting them onto the desktop, I checked the BDMV folder, and the files were no longer there. Should I be pressing the Option key or something when I do this?

Sorry for the delay in replying.

I don't have a Mac with an SD card slot, so I tend to plug my camcorder in directly via USB. The Panasonic makes the SD Card 'Read Only' so in effect you can't delete anything and all files are moved. Quite convenient for the most part.

If you are putting the card directly into the computer (or via a card reader) you will be able to delete files which can mess up the AVCHD file structure if you aren't careful. Best done through the camcorder menu options. As I say somewhere else, I hate reformatting cards as the file numbering sequence unavoidably goes back to zero again. Fine for some, but I like to keep my numbering sequence.

If you drag files between two different drives (ie SD Card to Hard DIsk) they are usually copied rather than moved. If you drag files from a folder to another location on the same drive (ie a folder on the desktop to a folder in your Movies folder in your User Folder) then that will be moved rather than copied. You can force it to copy the files by holding down the Alt (Option) key as you drag and drop.