why can't FCPX able to import AVCHD (MTS) files from my Panasonic camcorder?

I just had good success converting MTS through Roxio Toast Titanium.

For me, I been working with mts files for years on FCP 7 and now on X. for MY camera X will wrap the footage but edit natively and 7 will convert to ProRes. My work flow is this:

1. I take a copy of all the data on each SD Card I record

2. This can be done through the finder when the camera is mounted or through a card reader

3. Maintain the file structure. Mine start with a folder called PRIVATE.

4. Because FCP7 needs to convert the files I always keep a perminent backup of this original data.

5. X is easy. As long as the file structure is maintained it will import any mts it finds within the PRIVATE folder

6. You have a choice of creating a pro-res which I sometimes do as it serems to edit quicker than eiting with the native files.

For course I have no other experience with AVCHD file other than those created on my camera, but both 7 and X work well with the workflow described above.

Regards

Yes FCP7 & FCPX will work fine with 1080i AVCHD files it's the 1080P files that people have a problem with. That's why I use the free Miro Video Converter from the Mac App Store to convert to MP4. This brings the shots to FCPX as 1920x1080 59.94 fps Codecs AAC, H264 48kHz.

Dave

"There IS alternate workaround by MOUNTING the SDHD card with special card reader (and it depends which computer the FCP X user use with their computer whehter it is a MacBook Pro or iMac or something like that) If someone has the access to MacBook Pro and if that specific MacBook Pro has express card reader slot, and if someone has express card reader, all someone have to do is insert the SDHD card into express card reader, insert the express card reader into MacBook Pro. Or with similar alterate card reader connects with iMac or Mac Pro, then MOUNT it on Desktop. Then run Final Cut Pro X and it automatically detects the card reader on Desktop."

Since FCP X cannot import AVCHD files (from specific Panasonic camcorders, generally footage shot in 1080p) with a camera attached via USB cable, OR with the SDHD card inserted into the proper slot in a modern iMac, OR with the entire folder structure copied in tact to a hard drive --I apologize-- I should have said that Final Cut Pro X cannot import all types of AVCHD files WITHOUT HAVING TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL HARDWARE. I apologize for trying to be helpful, and for assuming that the original poster didn't want to have to buy additional hardware just to be able to import his media.

How is the Pegasus formated?

If you want video editting answers head over to the DVInfo forums. This exact questions has been discussed at length and definitive answers provided. If had hands on experience I'd answer but I'm just looking to buy this camcorder.

Hi,

I have both FCPX and TM 700 and no problem importing AVHCD files frommy camera into FCPX.

But the Tm600 manage AVCHD files till 1080i. If you shoot using 1080P, the camera will use a proprietary fileforamt that is incompatible with almost anything.

But on Mac you can use several utilities like Clipwrap and Neoscene to easily convert the 1080p panasonic shooting directly to prores or ant other format readable by fcpx

Finally if you look on youtube, it's plenty of tutorials of how to import Tm700 files into final cut pro x /imovie...

No need to come back to your pecee..

Ciao!

Hi There,

It seems your list indicates the the Panasonic TM90 footage works with FCPX. I'm trying to import something from the camera but it is only showing 1 video recorded in AVCHD 1080i and none that are recorded in the 1080/60p setting - which the rest of my footage is shot in. Do you know why that would be?

Thanks,

- Mal

Hi Mal,

FCPX will import 1080i natively. To bring 1080p files in to FCPX you will need to use a conversion utility.The free Miro Video Convertor on the App store seem to do a good job & clips show up in the inspector at the proper 59.94fps.

Dave

For those of us who are completely new to .MTS (having always used .MOV) and FCPX (having always used Quicktime Pro 7 and iMovie), I would love some uncomplicated answers:

Background: I just shot 200gb footage using a SONY DSC-HX9V point and shoot. It produces 1080p, 60fps .MTS files. I copied them to my Mac, trashing the AVCHD directory structure. Sorry, that's just what I did in ignorance. So please don't tell me to use the original directory structure. 😟

2. I "transcoded" the .MTS files to .MOV using the free Media Converter program. They *seem* OK - QTPro 7 Movie Inspector shows 59 FPS. Next step is to import them into FCPX (which, incidentally, I downloaded the trial version of but can't for the life of me see where it unzipped to - it runs with Snow Leopard, right?)

3. So can I go ahead with confidence and just use the .MOV files? What is this ProRes format I'm now reading about - will .MOV do?

4. I understand that to make the DVD I have been asked to do, there will be a downgrade in quality, but I thought I'd start with 60fps as the source just to see the difference.

Thanking you so much! Just don't want to get half way down the editing road to have to start over... I suspect many of us in a hurry learn all this by stumbling along and reading snippets along the way 🙂

ALL Apple ProRes formats are .mov files. The question is whether it is ProRes 422 Proxy, ProRes 422, ProRes 422 HQ, or ProRes 4444. I wouldn't worry about using ProRes 422 Proxy with the camera you're using, and there is no need to use ProRes 4444 unless you have an alpha (transparency) channel you wish to preserve. All of my research has shown that ProRes 422 is perfect unless you have an extremely high-quality camera that was used by someone who really knows what they're doing. So in short --YES-- .mov will do.

I have been at work on a project where I am also shooting 1080 60p. After converting the clips to ProRes 422 with ClipWrap, Final Cut Pro X handles the clips just fine. However, and this is sort of ridiculous, nobody can really handle 60fps, so your clips will have to be converted to 30fps, and in Final Cut Pro X (in my experience) this will convert your clips from 1080 60p to 1080 30i --so you will now have interlacing to deal with. The video will still look good, but it will suddenly be interlaced which, in my opinion, is NOT good, at least as compared to the original source material. It is really unfortunate that we're able to shoot at 60fps but we really cannot ever show this to anyone without destroying half of the video information first. But it's a trade off we'll have to deal with until higher frame rates become acceptable (for example, DVDs and nearly the entire internet streams at 30fps).

Also, and I say this only because I've used the program successfully many times, you DO NOT need the original folder directory structure when using ClipWrap. Though I should say that in the future you really should keep that in tact for yourself.

Best of luck!

Thank you ACE001! Really helpful. I just read another post of yours: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3263244

Oh no, does this mean I won't be able to do the job with my Aug 2009 13" MacBook Pro? Would I need to upgrade from 4 to 8 gb RAM? I bought a G-RAID Mini 1.5 Tb 800 Firewire I was hoping to do the editing on. Is this gonna work?

As far as downgrading from 60p to 30i - I would have thought there would be a setting for FCPX to leave it alone? Even Quicktime Pro lets you finagle with the settings so it's a clean pass through (I think - love that program for doing quicky and dirty - well, actually pretty clean - edits). But I respect that you've probably fiddled with it more than I've fiddled with the trial download...

Thanks! I'm using a late 2009 iMac with 16GB of RAM, and since the 10.0.2 update haven't had the program crash on me. There are still a few bugs, like the dancing skimmer/playhead issue (it has been reported all over the web). Perhaps if the update had occurred before I added RAM (was using 8GB before) I wouldn't have had so many problems then, so I don't think you'll have any major problems as a result of your own 8GB of RAM. However, I have found that quitting and restarting the application usually clears out any glitches, for a little while anyway. Remember, Final Cut Pro X is still an early release. I am feeling increasingly more confident in the future of FCP X.

You can edit 59.94 080p in FCP. Why you'd want to I don't know. You can't deliver that.

Thanks. That's pretty much EXACTLY what the last three posts covered. But you're right, we can't deliver 1080 60p.... yet.