Import m2ts files to FCPX?

I think we're talking apples and oranges here. They're all H264. They can be wrapped as QT or AVI or whatevver. Either way, I can bring a M2t stream or most flavors of QT info Media Composer via AMA. Transcode what I need (especially footage involved in FX) leave what I don't. I do shoots with days of H264 footage and the prospect of converting all of it is much more work. I truly need to control exactly what media is being created and where on my system. I don't want my editing program thinking too much for me.

Fair enough, I'm not familiar with Avid. But Canon DSLRs' .mov files, being natively Quicktime, can play in Final Cut, or any Apple video software, without the problems associated with AVCHD. That's why your calling Canon DSLR files AVCHD was misleading and I thought it should be cleared up...

I think I may have a few answers here.

Jeaux said Canon DSLR cameras output mov files whihc if hooked up to a mac do.

but if hooked up to avid or PC based edit systems they act very much like H.264 mp4 files.

So it depends on what flavour you hook tha camera to.

AVCHD files should be able to be used natively by final cut X, but are not at this stage, so is somthing apple needs to work on as AVC is here to stay as both a domestic and pro camera.

It was developed jointly by Sony and Panasonic 2 of the biggest camera manufacturers around so is here to stay.

Having had to edit a project that involved well over 10,000 AVC clips Premiere Pro did it fine, had to work a bit but did it. I had hoped to be able to use Final Cut the same way given a big enough mac, drives etc, but the thought of having to transcode that amount of clips.................not even worth thinking about.

Got to be able to do editing native whatever the flavour. It is now quite normal to use a few AVC cameras, one or 2 XDCAM (mp4 files) Gopro, and what ever else is lying around , old HDV camera maybe, to film an event etc, then by all means output all that into something that you want.

And to quote Jeuax again that 99% of broadcast is in mov. sorry not true most is still in either mpeg or HD mpeg (think Blue ray) as of last Cannes show 2011 that was the standard medium available.

H.264 will creap in but it is not there yet as the braodcasters in alot of cases cannot deal with it, or do not want to until they update their gear.

Final Cut needs to be able to edit natively AVC files which the Apps store claims it can when it cannot and both Premiere and Avid can.

Really? Why do you have to edit H.264 in a crappy MPEG stream when you can edit in a QuickTime wrapper? What's the difference? What's the advantage? You're saving a little drive space? Really, that's so important to you? The media is in the native codec and is original quality. The idea that you mustedit .mts files to be native is BS.

It is now quite normal to use a few AVC cameras, one or 2 XDCAM (mp4 files) Gopro

All of those formats are supported with import in the native codec, except maybe the GoPro, but then saying GoPro doesn't mean anything because it shoots so many different formats.

Thats exactly the point all of the formats are supported natively...except MTS files.

For example I regualrly shoot sporting events with lots of cameras that the camermen who film provide.

They come in all sorts of flavours and sizes, more and more with MTS files.

So you can call them crappy but that is what they are using.

these evnets then finish any time around1pm and by 2pm all 6 cameras footage needs to have been looked at and sorted out into a 10 minute news feed, couple of grabs of interviews, best off footage any crashes etc and bit of a text blurb about waht happened for the editor at the other end, and sent via satelite link (which only uses mpeg stream exclusively by the way)

Try doing that if you need to "encode evrything. and if you can I have a well paying job for you if you are into sports.

If you had to take footage "A" and transcode it to "B" to edit and then output it to "C" you cannot tell me it is exactly the same quaility than if you take footage "A" and send it directly to "C" no matter how good it is each step degrads it. uncompressed is the only way to go if you do not want to degrade but then you would be using a red with 4.4.4 uncompressed files and a huge edit suite that can handle that volume of 4.4.4 uncompressed 2k files. totally unpractical in the field without a very big budget. Even survivour uses compressed cameras xdcam etc with 4 editors on the field working 24/7 trying to keep up with the volume of stuff comeing at them from the 10 cameramen

There is no problem using .mts files in FCP if they are delivered to the post facility properly. This is basic production 101. If you're camera operators can't do this, get new camera operators. There is no encoding process. You import the media and edit.

There is no footage A to C. .mts is not delivery. There is no transoding taking place. None. Zero.

Uncompress is the only way to go

There is no such thing. First, everything is compressed, and it is most heavily compressed in the camera.

What you're saying really doesn't make a lot of sense. The media is comrpessed to H.264. You edit H.264. You deliver H.264 or whatever.

funny if there is no such thing as uncompressed then what is a red camera shooting 444 uncompressed straight to a harddrive doing then?

heres a link by the way to one of the many I saw at NAB (broadcast trade show LV) an uncompressed recorder

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/761157-REG/Convergent_Design_CD_GEMINI_01_ Gemini_4_4_4_Uncompressed_Video.html

It will set you back $5000 but works.

personally I built my own uncompressed edit system that I can take out into the field to record which required a SSD drives for operating system (SLC type not MLC type and google why if you wish the SLC will cost you approx double the MLC) then add to that 6 raptor 10,000 rpm drives arranged as a raid 0 for speed. add a bundle of ram really fast motherboard blackmagic 444 record board and you have something that can handle uncompressed. and even then it chokes occasionally so faster is always better.

I could put up examples but you get the point uncompressed does exist I know that cause I already use it and have done for a long time.

If you first compress something you cannot uncompress it the quaility you have lost compressing it has gone forever. there are alot of fudges that will get it a long way back to what it would have looked like had it been done in uncompressed format but it is still not uncompressed, and never will be.

The whole point I have made from day one was that final cut claims they can inmport MTS files natively which to date I have not been able to achieve.

I think one issue here is maybe you are able to bring in MTS files into final cut and edit them natively. After of scourse a re wrap into a mov file which you could argue is a render anyway. But I am also assuming you are using an NTSC flavour of them. So assuming 1080 60 or 720p 30 something like that.

I use PAL files which run at 1080 50 or 720p 25 these files are not even seen by final cut either by plugging in the camera. pluggin in the chip, pulling the files off to harddrive or any other flavour or attempt.

I have even put up a very short original MTS file for you to have a go with. See if you can pull it into final cut without going through a third party app. as final cuts app page clearly states native so should go stright in right?

http://www.4shared.com/file/dkVV4van/00144.html

Interested to see if you can do it cause if you can, then I do not have final cut setup properly

And guess what? You can edit uncompressed vdieo in FCP. But you'd better have a really big and really fast RAID.

OK, I exaggerated. There are wholly uncompressed solution, but they are very few and far between. Actually the RED Cine camera is compressed in a number of codecs, DPX, TIFF, OpenEXR, JPEG, and MXF , and the Arri Alexa shoots ProRes 4444.

After of scourse a re wrap into a mov file which you could argue is a render anyway.

You could argue that but it would be complete BS.

I use PAL files which run at 1080 50 or 720p 25 these files are not even seen by final cut either by plugging in the camera.

That's simply not true. Of course you haven't bothered to say what camera you're talking about, but there are many people using 1080 and 720 PAL media and importing directly from the cametra.

Once again, and I'm really sick of saying it, .mts files without their folder structure cannot beimported into FCP. That's basic. With their folder structure, they can be. By ripping the .mts from their folder structure, you have screwed by FCP's access to the them because the metadata file information FCP needs has been removed. It really does not take much to do it properly and archive the folder structure the way any professional knows they're supposed to. And this has nothing, absolutely zero, to do with FCP. This is basic production 101. This is the way every porfessional knows or has been taught how to work. The media is always archived intact, always.

as final cuts app page clearly states native so should go stright in right?

It is if you haven't screwed it up.

Red Cine Raw is well raw and uncompressed. it is then changed to any of the versions you mentioned on import.

reason is you always have access to the original data so you can change things on import which may not become apparant till ahlf way through the edit process or even the end process.

but back to MTS files

adobe premiere pulls any .MTS file in as is, from any source, with or with out file structure attached. So should final cut be able to do so as it says it can on their own home page

camera in question Sony NX5 running in 1080i 50

camera was and still is plugged directly into mac so file sytem is not screwed up as you put, the files are still on the camera so cannot be screwed up and the mac still does not see it. It sees the chip they are on but NOT the files.

So how did you go pulling in the demo file I put up by the way?

worked fine in adobe premiere on PC and soon to be running on my mac.

didnt in final cut X

native means native so if you have an answer to why it will not do it in my case then happy to hear it

all the other crap you write I can do without. I have fully edited (vision/audio/3D effects full 3d annimations via fusion etc ) in over 160 half hour TV shows that have been shown internationally and even won a few awards for them so think I have a bit of a clue using high end (non mac) systems.

Happy to say not so good on a mac which was why I asked the question in the first place about importing MTS to mac, as it did not seem to want to do it, and I would like to be able to play around on my laptop if it is possible using final cut.

Seems Apple also acknowledge that final cut does not actually edit 1080-50 MTS files natively. They have just given me my money back.

So I will wait till Final Cut does actually support MTS and try again.

The Apple page does not say it supports .mts. That's simply untrue. It says it supports AVCHD.

So what if Premiere supports ripped .mts files. That's terrific. So does Vegas. We're talking about FCP.

It sees the chip they are on but NOT the files.

There are thousands of people who work with AVCHD media with this application every day, many, many of them using 1080i50. I don't now exactly why your card isn't being read, but there can be a number of reasons. The most common being that there is mixed media on the card, or the folder structure is corrupted. Did you try to open the archive? Or did you stop at it doesn't show up?

Demo file is fine. Rewraps beautifully, and QuickTime actually improves the blown out luma and color rendition and saturation.

I'm sure you're a great editor, with a great deal of experience. Best of luck with your future endeavors.