I really would like to purchase Final Cut Pro X but I would like to check one thing. I need to know if Final Cut Pro X will import .MTS AVCHD files. These were recorded on a Panasonic 1080p Camcorder. I also have 1080i footage. I understand the methods of importing into Final Cut but I don't know if FC will work with these files. I would like to import then edit and then output to bluray.
Many thanks in advance.
Steven
Mac OS X (10.6.7)
Hi,again.
To sum it up:
When working with AVCHD you have two options.
1. You can import directly from the SD Card — go to import from camera for that.
2. You can copy the full — with all folders, exactly everything that is on the card — contents of the SD card to a folder on your hard drive an archive it that way. If you want to import an archived SD card later on you can go to import from camera and then go for the open archive button, then point to the folder where you keep the back up of that specific card.
It is not possible to import .mts files on their own.
AVCHD on Final Cut needs camera data that is included in the other folders of the SD card.
That's why it's called "Import from camera", even if you only insert the card directly.
If you only backed up the .mts files and that's all you have you will have to convert them outside of Final Cut beforehand. I recommend to make the best of the situation and just download the free tool called "Handbrake".
With Handbrake simply convert the .mts files to mp4 with the same bitrate. You won't lose that much quality. It's really no big deal.
So, if your camera records with AVCHD 17 Mbit for example, convert to mp4 with 17 Mbits. And then import to Final Cut.
In the future be more careful of what you do: read the documentation before you delete something and try to keep a full backup of your cards. I always have a card backup in the project folder, because AVCHD doesn't need that much space anyway.
Hope that helps.
To be exact : Media Converter make a .mov from my Pana900 (MTS file, 1080/50p, It's europe version) ; no problem when playing with quiktime, it's true. But in FCP X there is like a little stop every seconds, artifacts, I export to a .mov new file and it's the same thing (Bad).😢
what computer are running this on? these files are huge...you definitely need some powerful processing and plenty of ram to make it work well.
my prores files are perfectly smooth on my 2009 quad 2.66 w/ 8 GB ram.
Just a thought.
AFAIK ProRes is an I-frame only format with lossless color encoding, it just keeps what you get from decompressing h.264. You will of course suffer losses converting it to any "consumer" formats later.
I agree with you that ProRes files are huge, but 1080/60p h.264 in not standard (yet). Formally FCPX does not have to support it. However Apple must be feeling the market pressure now, especially after Adobe started to offer 50% discount to those who switch to Premiere Pro, which supports this non-standard resolution natively (even no rewrapping is needed).
I believe I have Clipwrap 2.4.1. The problem with multichannel audio in LPCM format is that 3 channels (out of 6) become dead in FCPX after conversion. Actually I don't need the surround sound from the camera anyway, stereo is good enough for synchronization.
Oops, I take it back. One 2 hour clip is totally black in the event browser after rewrapping in Clipwrap, it does have audio though. It is visible only in the timeline. And the timecode is strange, staring at 5 hours.
I gave up, got a refund, and went to Premiere Pro. It's half price and natively works with all of the files.
See my blog: http://blog.bershatsky.com It discusses how I fought and got a refund and how/why Adobe reduced the price of CS5.5 Premiere
Premiere is faster for a variety of reasons:
1) more stable
2) frequent updates
3) hardware acceleration - I purchased a quadro 4000 (before anyone balks at the price, how much was your camera gear?) I bought mine at B&H for 750 or something
4) You can import your files and work on it right away.
5) Adobe's Media Encoder is more stable, faster, truly 64 bit, and you can allocate how much of your ram to use.
I have just discovered (to my dismay) that my new iMovie '11 cannot process video from my new Canon HF M31 and produce full HD quality movies on my new full HDTV. It imports and edits fine but the result is horizontal lines during movement. I've tried the discussions on "horizontal lines"/"iMovie" but no one helped. After a year of queries, I am told that iMovie does not support AVCHD and I have to import the files into a converter first then export to iMovie.
I would like to know, in the first place, would this incompatibility produce horizontal lines during movement? and in the second place, would Final Cut (in whatever version that would work) produce the very simple result of being able to watch full HD movies I shot with my Canon M31 on my HDTV. Reading the threads I get the feeling that it works with AVCHD and I don't mind buying Final Cut, but I must know that it is a real solution. I've been working with DVs and iMovie '09 but am new to all this new format thingies. Appreciate any help. I have heaps of video I cannot download.
You should look up interlacing in Wikipedia. It sounds as if that's what you're seeing. If you shoot an interlaced format, it's interlaced and needs to be viewed on a display that supports interlacing, i.e. a television set.
Hi muppetchef,
You should check out this thread below regarding interlacing and iMovie. This could explain the problem you are having.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2621182
There seems to be a problem with how iMovie imports AVCHD into AIC with all Canon PAL cameras - not just the one referred to in my post.
Just out of curiousity, I have seen people reference Premiere Pro is the same price as FCPX however when I tried to purchase today, it is half off of $799 = $400 where as FCPX is $300.
Am I doing something wrong here?
I am really frustrated with the fact that I have to buy a wrapper / converter to get my Panasonic TM900 1080 60p video into FCXP which costs $50 where as programs such as Premiere Pro do it natively.
If I could get Premiere Pro CS 5.5 for $300, I would do it immediately!
Ok, you're right. It is $400. However, if you add in compressor with FCPX and pay tax on it...350+35 = 385.
If you can use my blog as a roadmap (you'll have to be persistent with them) and get your money back, you can buy premiere for 400 from a reputable retailer (i.e. Adorama) and not pay tax! It comes with media encoder which is better than compressor.
I actually paid $760 for the full adobe cs5.5 production premium because I am a photographer too...it came with the extended version of photoshop, illustrator, after effects, +++ I also bought it on Adorama.
I had a full retail copy of photoshop cs5 already, but not the exteneded...I sold that on eBay for 460 and got my money back from fcpx, compressor, and motion. So I was able to upgrade for less than I recovered.
Also, I invested in a Quadro 4000 for hardware acceleration...it's not necessary, but is nice. Allthough not all the effects are hardware accelerated.
My advice, download a trial of premiere and see if it does what you need. If so, then demand a refund from apple like I did. You'll need to be just as annoying or more so as I was...but it's worth it to get your hard earned money back.
If you do photo/video professionally I would say run and buy Premiere while it's cheap. I'm fine with FCPX (and Aperture 3 for that matter) but I'm not a video professional. In pro audio I use the best tool for the job and I own four major DAWs. I see little reason in limiting yourself to just one tool, it's counterproductive in the long run.
Tom, you're very apologetic for FCP-X. Did you have a hand in writing it? Are you on Apple's payroll?
What interest is it of yours to keep people from sending out legitimate warning signals about a piece of software that is so clearly not ready for prime time?
I get it. You're into it. You write lots of help articles. I'm not attacking you. Certainly your help is widely appreciated here.
I just don't understand why you're so apologetic about this software when there are obviously so many shortcomings with it that have been chronicled again and again by legitimate professionals.
Not trolling...just trying to send a message to Appleand people that have been taken advantage of.
Aperture is also a piece of garbage...buggy, slow, and don't get me started on the faces "feature." I love my mac pro, and the OS... however, every and I mean EVERY piece of software that apple makes other than those that come with the OS have issues! Major issues!
Also, one other bug of FCPX and Quicktime that no one seems to comment on is that of the gamma bug that has plagued quicktime for years!
At least when I edit in Premiere and play back in something like VLC...I know the colors are accurate. This is especially the case when sent to the web and played back via youtube.
Import of AVCHD .MTS files
