I have a Sony DCR-SR68 HDD Camcorder. I am able to read the hard drive and the files as .MPG, but unable to import into Final Cut Express. Not recognizing the file format. Will a download of the MPEG2 Player fix this?
Thanks for your response. I downloaded as per your post and now able to view the MPG files, but how can I import into FCE. Do I need Quicktime 7 Pro to save and import? Thanks for your assistance.
You use MPEG Streamclip to convert the media to QuickTime in the correct codec, frame size and frame rate. What this are depends on the exact specifications of the original media, HD or SD, NTSC or PAL.
Use *MPEG Streamclip* to convert the MPEG2 files to QuickTime using Apple Intermediate Codec. However, if you shot 4:3 video then you may have to convert the video to QuickTime using Apple DV/DVCPRO-NTSC instead of Apple Intermediate Codec. These are selections you make in MPEG Streamclip. (Your camera can record video as 4:3 or 16:9 standard def but there is precious little information about its 16:9 mode. You may have to play around with some of the settings in MPEG Streamclip.) Once you have converted the files, you will import the converted files into FCE (FCE > File > Import > Files).
Do note, however that you also need to have the *QuickTime MPEG2 Playback Component* installed on your Mac. You may need to buy it if you don't already have it. (Links provided in my previous post.)
QuickTime7 Pro is not the app you need to do this conversion.
I had the same problem and followed all the instructions here and it was very helpful. Thanks to those who posted directions about the MPEG Streamclip. I've just been able to import converted files to FCE. My question: is it normal that they require rendering once being added to the timeline? Video captured through firewire doesn't need to, even though they are both now .mov files.
I'm shooting on a Sony HandyCam DCR-SX40 and the clip starts out as MPEG (15.3 MB). I then used MPEG Streamclip and the Quicktime MPEG2 Playback component mentioned above to 'Export to Quicktime' then set the compression to 'Apple Intermediate Codec'. The file is now a QuickTime Movie (59.1 MB). Are those the properties?
I then dragged the file from the destination folder to the FCE browser and from the browser to the sequence. At that point the sequence needs rendering... I can live with that but I was just wondering if there was a setting that would remedy the situation.