Mts files into Imovie

Use FILE/IMPORT/FROM CAMERA with AVCHD, not FILE/IMPORT/ MOVIE.

If this is a camera archive, use FILE/IMPORT/CAMERA ARCHIVE and navigate to the folder containing the archive, (not the individual mts files.)

It is neither of those, the recordings are still on the hard drive of the Panasonic HDC-HS900. All I want to do is bring them into iMovie to edit.

On the same iMovie screen where you can archive your MTS files from camera to disk, you will also see an import option. You can either import all or select clips to import. When you connect your camera when iMovie is active, the import screen should appear automatically.

Ok, let me explain what is going on...

With iMovie open, I connect the camera to my macbookpro and on the camera screen I am asked me to select:

PC

or

RECORDER

I select PC and no iMovie dialogue boxes open, only iPhoto opens. I close down iPhoto. There is no way I can import the 1080/50p (.MTS) files I have just recorded via FILE>IMPORT>MOVIES>AVCHD>BDMV>STREAM because these are greyed out. If I recorded in iFrame, I can see the files no problem.

I assume you connect via USB ?

yes

Just to make sure, this is what works for me:

• Start iMovie
• Except physically connecting the camera to USB, also connect it via a "Connect to USB" command on the camera
• When connected, iPhoto will startup as well. Just ignore
• iMovie will (after some time) show an import screen, giving you the option to archive all video content from your camera and/or import clips (selectively). If it doesn't choos "Import from camera..." under the File menu option

If the import screen is not shown or your camera is not found, chances are iMovie does not see your camera. This could be because you did not logically connect it on the camera itself. If you turn on your camera and then physically connect it to USB, do you see a pop-up on you camera screen ? Is there a menu option to activate a USB connection?

Hope this helps

iMovie will (after some time) show an import screen, giving you the option to archive all video content from your camera and/or import clips (selectively).

This does not happen

If it doesn't choose "Import from camera..." under the File menu option

When I do this, Facetime opens and there is an option to change the camera from the built in macbook webcam. I also though this option was for when you want to record live directly into iMovie?

The mac is defo seeing the camera, because when I go to devices I can see CAM_HDD.

Has nobody used this same camera model with iMovie?!

From your camera's manual it looks like it can only talk to certain (not all) Windows PC's running HD Writer ...

I have read the same, but I am also told that .MTS files can be handled by iMovie. So basically recordings made in 1080/50P with this camera can only be edited with a PC? This has to be a joke right?

From the fact that iMovie does not see your camera while it is connected to USB, you might conclude that the camera is not compatible with iMovie or the format you recorded in is not supported. For your camera it seems you should record in 1080i and not 1080p. Please refer to the iMovie site about compatible cameras http://help.apple.com/imovie/cameras/en/index.html?lang=en_US I don't know how up-to-date this is.

iMovie does not support footage recorded in 1080-50p from this Camcorder....

Time to buy FCX! Although having used the Final Cut Pro X 'supported cameras' feature, it does not mention anything about supporting 1080/50p from this camera?

I'm not sure if my question has been answered, but I'll ask anyway:

I used a camera that was only PC accessible and converted the files to Mac-friendly ones. Now they're on my external hard drive in the format of both .mts and .mp4

I cannot figure out how to import these into iMovie. I can open them and watch them on both VLC and Quicktime but iMovie won't let me click on the files when I go to File/Import. They're just greyed out.

Very frustrating!

iMovie can only import MTS files via the import screen (which you don't see) or via import camera archive. The camera archive is normally automatically created by iMovie from the same import screen. Since you don't get that maybe an option would be to create a camera archive yourself. What is the directory structure on your camera ?

A camera archive looks like this:

The directory STREAM contains the MTS files. Manually creating all required files in the required format may be some kind of a challenge and maybe this articlewill help you. It woud be nice if your camera already contains all these files and you can simply copy them all to disk. The first directory should be your camera archive name (Sealife 07-01-13 in the example)

try this: record a movie at your current settings.

then set the settings down to lower Quality and record a 5 second movie and try to import again.

seems it will recognize lower quality MTS or if saved as MP4 but not 1080p 60FPS MTS...

if you absolutely want the best quality setting id recommend handbrake...

It's a pretty poor oversight from Apple to not have corrected this by now though its been a known issue for a long time.