Convert avchd .mts to .mov?

[simsaladimbamba]

Well I gone with clipwrap after all as the other method didn't have any sound.

Strange, but maybe the source clip did use some strange codec or you forgot to change a setting in MPEG Streamclip. Maybe use VideoSpec or another application to analyse that source file and attach the report to your next post, if you want to solve the problem.
Does the ReWrap result .m4v file have sound?

Also a 250mb mts clip became a 2.2GB .mov clip

That is normal, but it was hinted at earlier. You have a highly compressive source, and transcoding it to an editable format makes bigger files. 2.2 GB is nothing really in video editing.

I've noticed that playback of 1080i rewrapped files using quicktime is not great, especially when panning it's very blurry.

That is the nature of interlaced footage and also the result of your camera's ability to record such motion and its sensor (can get very technical now).

Also there's a few glitches. 1080p footage plays fine with quicktime. Is this just a quicktime thing, and if I edit with my 1080i footage the final product will be OK?

I don't know, I use QT Player 7 to playback 1080p/i content using the .mov format, as I find QT X to be sluggish in that regard.
And which editing application have you chosen?

 

[snerkler]

Strange, but maybe the source clip did use some strange codec or you forgot to change a setting in MPEG Streamclip. Maybe use VideoSpec or another application to analyse that source file and attach the report to your next post, if you want to solve the problem.
Does the ReWrap result .m4v file have sound?

The rewrap files play sound. I don't think they're m4v files though

That is normal, but it was hinted at earlier. You have a highly compressive source, and transcoding it to an editable format makes bigger files. 2.2 GB is nothing really in video editing.

No but that was a tiny file. I have some that are over 5GB in mts format so by the time I transcode them to .mov they'll be 500GB

That is the nature of interlaced footage and also the result of your camera's ability to record such motion and its sensor (can get very technical now).

Plays okay on Windows media player. On QT it's splitting into lines as it pans.

I don't know, I use QT Player 7 to playback 1080p/i content using the .mov format, as I find QT X to be sluggish in that regard.
And which editing application have you chosen?

Can you retrograde to QT 7 then? I haven't edited any video yet, just been playing raw mts and 'raw' .mov (ie the rewrapped ones).

What format can you export from iMovie and FC? Can you export as mts or m2ts? They're the only ones that seem to play on my PS3 and TV?

 

[snerkler]

I'm having a few issues with playback of quite a number of video files actually. I have some AVCHD videos I saved in .mp4. Quicktime won't play these and so I installed MPlayerX from the App store. This has the same issue on playback in that when it pans or images move fast the image doesn't stay sharp and it sort of breaks into tiny lines (if this makes sense).

It's nothing to do with the graphics card is it? I was talked out of going for the upgraded mac with 2.4GHz CPU and 1GB GPU as I was advised on here it was unnecessary. The same video files play fine on Windows media player on my PC running a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500 Series GPU, with 2.13Ghz Intel core 2 duo CPU.

I do hope it's a player issue and I can find one that works.

 

[snerkler]

I'm now trying this option of conversion as te rewrapped movies tend to show more blurring than the raw .mts files, ad I'm wondering if it's the way that .mov files are, or if it's a conversion thing. Anyway, I've made the m4v fils and opened these up in the MPEG streamclip, but when I choose export to quicktime there's no option for ProRes in the compression drop box. There's all sorts of options, see below. Why is there no ProRes option?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Because you haven't installed FCP X yet.
You could choose the Apple Intermediate Codec instead.

PS: You could try HotSpotShield to get a US based IP address and try downloading FCP X again.

 

[snerkler]

Because you haven't installed FCP X yet.
You could choose the Apple Intermediate Codec instead.

Oh right, I didn't know the export changed when you got different software. I've exported a couple of files as AIC and have to say it has improved the blurring issue I was having. I'm going to try editing it on iMovie with this new .mov file and see what the final edited video is like. I've got a feeling I could have wasted £30 on clipwrap

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One issue I have though is that there's no sound with the files converted with MPEG streamclip, what have I done wrong?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I've got a feeling I could have wasted £30 on clipwrap

Me too, that is why I always recommend the free method I linked you to, to try it first, as using video with a highly compressed codec in an editing application is not really pretty, thus one should at least spend the time using transcoded video first to see, what advantage it has.
But as I have an editing background, I prefer editing with an editing codec and loathe compressed footage.

Have you read the ClipWrap FAQ yet, as the last entry touches your issues?

 

[snerkler]

edit: double post

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Me too, that is why I always recommend the free method I linked you to, to try it first, as using video with a highly compressed codec in an editing application is not really pretty, thus one should at least spend the time using transcoded video first to see, what advantage it has.
But as I have an editing background, I prefer editing with an editing codec and loathe compressed footage.

Have you read the ClipWrap FAQ yet, as the last entry touches your issues?

I don't know what it means by uninstall all 3rd party AVC or h.264 components as don't know what these are,let alone which, if any, I have.

Do you know why I'm getting no sound with the method you're suggesting. It's the conversion to m4v that's the issue I think, as the m4v files don't have sound when I play them back. I drag my .mts file directly onto this fellow

It won't allow me to drag onto this

When I drag onto the first fellow it creates a m4v file in the orignal .mts location folder, but there's no sound on playback, and no sound when played back after transcoding to .mov

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I don't know what it means by uninstall all 3rd party AVC or h.264 components as don't know what these are,let alone which, if any, I have.

QuickTime Components are located in Macintosh HD / Library / QuickTime / and you could try just moving them to your Desktop. If you are unsure which, make a screenshot and attach it here.

Do you know why I'm getting no sound with the method you're suggesting. It's the conversion to m4v that's the issue I think, as the m4v files don't have sound when I play them back. I drag my .mts file directly onto this fellow

When I drag onto the first fellow it creates a m4v file in the orignal .mts location folder, but there's no sound on playback, and no sound when played back after transcoding to .mov

We may have already done this, but in order to find out, what may be wrong with your videos, you can use the following three applications to analyse a sample .mts file, a rewrapped .m4v file and a transcoded .mov file.

• VideoSpec (free)
• MediaInfo (free)
• Media Inspector (2.99 USD € in the Mac App Store (MAS))

When done, you can use the "Report" (VideoSpec) and "Export" (Media Inspector) button to export a report, attachable to your next post via the

button.
In MediaInfo you have to go to the Menu Bar, select View > Text and copy the text via CMD+A > CMD+C and paste it via CMD+V into your next post.​

It won't allow me to drag onto this

This is a .zip file, it is only a compressed archive and not an application or script. It just holds the app for easier transport.

 

[snerkler]

QuickTime Components are located in Macintosh HD / Library / QuickTime / and you could try just moving them to your Desktop. If you are unsure which, make a screenshot and attach it here.


We may have already done this, but in order to find out, what may be wrong with your videos, you can use the following three applications to analyse a sample .mts file, a rewrapped .m4v file and a transcoded .mov file.

• VideoSpec (free)
• MediaInfo (free)
• Media Inspector (2.99 USD € in the Mac App Store (MAS))

When done, you can use the "Report" (VideoSpec) and "Export" (Media Inspector) button to export a report, attachable to your next post via the Image button.
In MediaInfo you have to go to the Menu Bar, select View > Text and copy the text via CMD+A > CMD+C and paste it via CMD+V into your next post.​

This is a .zip file, it is only a compressed archive and not an application or script. It just holds the app for easier transport.

Ok thanks. I'm away from the Mac at present but will analyze the video files later this evening and post the screenshots.

 

[snerkler]

QuickTime Components are located in Macintosh HD / Library / QuickTime / and you could try just moving them to your Desktop. If you are unsure which, make a screenshot and attach it here.


We may have already done this, but in order to find out, what may be wrong with your videos, you can use the following three applications to analyse a sample .mts file, a rewrapped .m4v file and a transcoded .mov file.

• VideoSpec (free)
• MediaInfo (free)
• Media Inspector (2.99 USD € in the Mac App Store (MAS))

When done, you can use the "Report" (VideoSpec) and "Export" (Media Inspector) button to export a report, attachable to your next post via the Image button.
In MediaInfo you have to go to the Menu Bar, select View > Text and copy the text via CMD+A > CMD+C and paste it via CMD+V into your next post.​

This is a .zip file, it is only a compressed archive and not an application or script. It just holds the app for easier transport.

Ok here's the video spec analysis:-

Original file (AVCHD/.MTS)

m4v file

.mov file

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QuickTime Components are located in Macintosh HD / Library / QuickTime / and you could try just moving them to your Desktop. If you are unsure which, make a screenshot and attach it here.

When you say Macintosh HD, I assume you mean the main hard drive? In which case I've upgraded to a SSD. Anyway I went SSD > Library > Quicktime, and here's the contents of that folder:-

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Download this audio codec and copy the two components as indicated in the mounted DMG and see, if you can open the .m4v file in MPEG Streamclip then.
I already have those, maybe you don't have them, thus my ability to use rewrapped .m4v files. Or they come with Mac OS X, I don't know.

 

[snerkler]

Download this audio codec and copy the two components as indicated in the mounted DMG and see, if you can open the .m4v file in MPEG Streamclip then.
I already have those, maybe you don't have them, thus my ability to use rewrapped .m4v files. Or they come with Mac OS X, I don't know.

I've tried this and get the following pop ups

Should I authenticate?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Yes, you should authenticate.

 

[snerkler]

Yes, you should authenticate.

Thanks, that's done the trick. My only 'gripe' (and it's by no means a big gripe) is that the m4v video and .mov video is slightly darker/more contrasty than the original .mts, any idea why this may be? I'm going to convert my files this way in the future as the quality is far better than with clip wrap. I'll just have to use the external drive as the files will be huge.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

It's due to MPEG Streamclip's transcoding process.
There is also 5DtoRGB, which offers a much brighter image, but it is for .mov files using the H.264 codec.
As you already bought ClipWrap to get a .mov file, you could then try 5DtoRGB and see, if that is better.
Here is a batch script for multiple files in a folder.

 

[snerkler]

It's due to MPEG Streamclip decoding nature.
There is also 5DtoRGB, which offers a much brighter image, but it is for .mov files using the H.264 codec.
As you already bought ClipWrap to get a .mov file, you could then try 5DtoRGB and see, if that is better.
Here is a batch script for multiple files in a folder.

I don't really want to go that route as the video image is poor with the rewrapped .mov files from clipwrap. I guess I could always tweak the contrast and colour in iMove/FCP though?

It does baffle me why apple software doesn't support .mts to save all this messing around.
In future would I get a better image quality if I imported direct from the camera into iMovie/FCP?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Importing directly from the camera is almost always the best.
Or you copy the complete card onto an external HDD, preserving the file structure, thus you could import after deleting the footage from the card.

 

[snerkler]

Importing directly from the camera is almost always the best.
Or you copy the complete card onto an external HDD, preserving the file structure, thus you could import after deleting the footage from the card.

What do you mean by and how do I copy the entire file structure?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

What do you mean by and how do I copy the entire file structure?

This:

Just copy the entire card to a folder of your choice (one folder per card in a parent folder named after the event with the card folders named as you like).

 

[snerkler]

This:

Image​

Just copy the entire card to a folder of your choice (one folder per card in a parent folder named after the event with the card folders named as you like).

Here's showing myself up as a total numpty again, what is a card? Is the card each parent folder eg DCIM, MISC, Private, and each of these needs to be stored in individual folders?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Here's showing myself up as a total numpty again, what is a card? Is the card each parent folder eg DCIM, MISC, Private, and each of these needs to be stored in individual folders?

You have a camcorder, which probably stores its footage on an SD card?

 

[snerkler]

You have a camcorder, which probably stores its footage on an SD card?

Yep

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Yep

That is what I mean with "card". You just copy the entire card.

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Maybe have a look at Advanced Search to find threads about AVCHD camcorders and proper backing up its media:

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[snerkler]

That is what I mean with "card". You just copy the entire card.

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Maybe have a look at Advanced Search to find threads about AVCHD camcorders and proper backing up its media:

[url=http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10644330/MR_Image_Hotlinks/MR_screenshots/MR_screenshots_2011_11/2011_11_02_pB1_MR_advSearch_small.png]Image[/URL]​

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oh right I guess it gets complicated if you record more than one event on the same card

Thanks for all your help by the way, it is really appreciated