Importing from a Panasonic HDC TM700

The automater that Alan Somers worked out appears on the desktop but when I try to put a clip into it the automater shows activity for .5 seconds and then does nothing. Have any others experienced this problem? I downloaded from Alan's site successfully. It seems to me there was someone else who had similar problems on page 6 of this discussion and he was able to get a copy from some other source and subsequently was successful. I would certainly like to get in touch with that other source.

After spending hours reading and testing how ways to get 1080p60 into imovie 09 I think I found two ways that work:

1) Use rewrap2m4v or similar app. to make the MTS files from the camcorder into m4v files that are compatible with imovie. Using import, and making sure the "optimize" check box is UNCHECKED, you get a 1080p60 file that is an exact duplicate of the file you got out of rewrap2m4v. imovie just makes a copy to put in it's library.

2) Use rewrap2m4v or similar app. to make the MTS files from the camcorder into compatible m4v with imovie. Change the imovie preference file to change the default frame rate from 30 to 60. Using import, and making sure the "optimize" check box is CHECKED and set to full, you get a 1080p60 .MOV file that is HUGE in size and the data rate exceeds 150!!!


So is there any reason not to use method 1? Why would I want to let imovie convert to huge .MOV files when I can use the .m4v and edit just the same? Both can be made to retain 1080p60.


Also, when exporting via quicktime in imovie, what are some starting settings to get 1080p60 back out without losing quality? I can get the resolution and frame rate right, but I am not sure of the other settings especially what the bit-rate should be.....28mbps? Since that is the rate the Panny uses when doing 1080p60?

Plyman ........

Do you have Perian installed as well ?? This is a free utility that gives Quicktime a bit of extra power and is required for the Rewrap2m4v script. I wouldn't have thought image quality would be affected but I know some users complained of no sound in the converted m4v file if Perian wasn't installed.

Thanks for the advice Curlyjive. I never did get Alan's program to work but I did find another source to change the files from MTS to m4v. I unchecked the optimize box as you indicated in iMovie 11. It worked beautifully. I did download Perian but it still did not make Alan's program work for me. As you might gather it still is irritating me.

Try opening the rewrap program in automator and adding a step before his code to add files. You can drag and drop this from the left pane. Then save it. This will change the program so that you now double click it and it will prompt you for the file(s) you want to convert. This is how i got it to work....it did not work by dropping files onto it. MY way also lets you chose multiple files at once.

Hi everyone, I successfully used rewrap2m4v for import mts video in imovie since last week, but now if I import in new event the same file the file is played without audio tracks in imovie but if I play this file with vlc the audio is ok. I think this mistake is connected to the last patch of Ilife11 released.
Can you help me?
Than you very much
Bye Bye

Hi Alan, I tried to use your workflow on a MTS file made with my Canon HF S20.
Unfortunately the frame rate of the resulting MV4 was 50!

The source MTS was recorded as MXP Mode 1920x1080 (24Mbps),
PF25 Progressive shooting mode (25p), BUT according to Canon manual
"recorded on the memory as 50i"! Maybe this was the reason?

I found the following information about that Canon PF25 mode:

################

"Our favourite feature is a PF25 mode, which records progressive scan video for
film-like motion, but tags the files as interlaced to ensure software
compatibility." ( http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/camcorders/253063/canon-legria-hf200)

"May 4th, 2010, 12:18 AM #5 (permalink) Rainer Listing Regular Crew Location:
Sutton, Australia
Gary, This has caused endless confusion, but simply, 25PF is 25p, the f just
indicates each frame is stored in two fields, just like interlaced is
stored in two fields, but in the case of 25pf it's captured progressively rather
than interlaced. Just treat it as p in your NLE."
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-vixia-series-hdv-avchd-camcorders/477763-how-s et-native-25p-hf-s20.html

################

Furthermore I guess your workflow was intended for a 50 p camcorder.
Can it be modified? Thanks for your help.

The video track is not changed from what's in the original file. What does it look like when you play it back?

Hello Alan,

I have the same problem with the sound. After installing Perian it was solved. I opened the original and the converted file in "Movist". Under Control Panel/Properties you find for the original file "Sound Track: AC3;AC3, 5.1 Ch., 48.000 kHz". For the converted file you find "Sound Track: AC3;'ac-3'". I believe this cause the problem with the sound. Quicktime doesn't show this difference.

Alan, I have downloaded the workflow from your catservant. Per your instruction I installed Clipgrab and even Perian (per Clipgrab). However when I run the workflow is does come to life for abt 1 sec. What did I do wrong?

How big is the video file? I just downloaded the latest version of ClipGrab and installed it over the older copy I had and the workflow worked fine. Did you install ClipGrab in the /Applications folder?

Alan, thanks for the reply. I downloaded the ClipGrab again just to make sure it is the latest and greatest. However, unfortunately the workflow does not work. To verify: I have downloaded the workflow from your site. Installed it and it shows on the desktop as Rewrap2M4V. I do see the Automator in the Dock. When I drag a MTS file onto the Rewrap2M4V icon it appears for a second on the dock and disappears. Nothing accomplished. MTS file is abt 30MB or another one is abt 160 MB.
ClipGrab is installed in /Applications folder, Rewrap2M4V installed on desktop.

Alan,

Thank you for this. I want to share with everyone here that it works for me using the following:

- Panasonic LX-5 using AVCHD Lite SH
- MBP i7
- iMovie & iPhoto 09
- Perian 1.2.1
- ClipGrab 3.0.7.2

My workflow was to drag the .MTS files to the Automator icon and it converts the file and saves it in the same location as the original file. Then I import it using iPhoto for cataloging. Finally, I open iMovie where it automatically detects new video clips and asks me to generate Thumbnails for me to work with.

What a life saver! Thanks again Alan.

Alan, something is missing: I cannot get it to work. I downloaded again your workflow, ClipGrab and Perian. I have tried to open the workflow via the automator. That doesn't work either. So what do I do wrong here?
All settings are in line with instruction, but as soon as I drag an MTS file onto the Rewrap2M4V icon it shows for 1 second and disappears. Nothing accomplished.

Hi Alan,
Having the same issue her as well. It looks like the script will not start.
Some more suggestions are more than welcome
Thanks