how to import avchd in imovie

Attach your camera (or your SDHC card) and use FILE/IMPORT FROM CAMERA.

If you have a copy of the entire contents of your card with all the folder structure (even empty folders), you can use FILE/IMPORT FROM CAMERA ARCHIVE. Navigate to the file containing your archive.

If you just have raw .mts files or .m2ts files out of context, iMovie cannot do anything with them. You will need a third party converter.

Two options that people have used are ClipWrap and Voltaic HD. I have not used these, so I cannot give a first hand recommendation.

I should also mention that iMovie cannot import 60P. If you have 60P, convert it to 30P before import, or change your camera settings to 30P.

Or you can use Final Cut Pro X which handles 60P.

If your recorded file is comforable for iMovie'11, Run iMovie'11, click "File > Import"

If the file is not supported, you can take the file into the latest QuickTime Player and export as MOV, and copy the file to iMovie.

But if you file is 1080 50p or 60p, QuickTime and iMoive'11 won't support it. FCP X 10.0.4 or above can nativley edit it. You'd better convert AVCHD to AIC(iMovie's native format) and import to iMovie.

Learn more: Make 1080 50p/60p MTS editable for iMovie on Mac OS X

Situation 1 Does iMovie 10 for Mac support AVCHD files?

Though the new iMovie 10.0 for Mac OS X Mavericks/Yosemite claims the native support for AVCHD, its support for AVCHD is just the same as iMovie 11: iMovie can import and edit native AVCHD in 1080i 50/60, 720p 24/25/30, 1080p 24/25/30, but iMovie does not support AVCHD 1080p 50/60 or 720p 60.

That is, you will still fail to import AVCHD to iMovie 10/11/09/08/HD if the AVCHD footage recorded at 1080/60p, 1080/50p or 720/60p with whatever model of cameras or camcorders like Panasonic Lumix DMC, Panasonic HDC series, Canon XA20, Pana TZ7, Sony Alpha DSLR(SLT) Cameras, Sony HDR-PJ790 and etc.

Situation 2 Can iMovie for iOS iPad, iPhone or iPod import AVCHD?

The short answer is no. Normally, iMovie for iPad, iPhone or iPad only works with the video files recorded by the iOS devices in MP4, MOV or M4V format. And iMovie for iOS will not import AVCHD footages recorded with other cameras or camcorders.

In order to successfully import all kinds of AVCHD to iMovie for Mac or iOS, a recommended solution is convert AVCHD to iMovie more supported video format.

Hope it will help you more or less.