MTS converter that keeps original created dates

I moved from Windows to MAC a few months ago.

I brought from my WIndows PC 500 MTS files which since 2008 I had downloaded from my Panasonic Everio. They are on my hard drive now. They are NOT on my Everio.

I want to import these from my hard drive to Imovie 11. Why oh why can't Imovie do this just as easily as it does when I take newer movies directly from my camera. Surely this functionality can be added to Imovie without much headache.

I have tried replicating the directory structure and creating a disk image. Doesn't work.

I have tried two or 3 MTS converters and that - aside from taking forever - is a route but all the converters I find do not retain the original date created and instead suggest the films were all taken on the day I did the conversion of the MTS file. So I would then have Imovie telling me 500 of my files were created today rather than spread across the last 4 years. I realise I can change the date of each one manually but A) there are 500 and B) without doing it as I convert each file I cant be sure of the date the original was on as the meta data no longer exists.

PLEASE can Apple address this in the next upgrade.

In meantime doesn anyone know of an MTS converter that will allow you to retain the original date created when it converts to a new file format.