I got a Canon HF100 for christmas. i am wondering how to transfer the footage to my mac so i can edit it w/ imovie 06.
THanks, in advance!!!
THanks, in advance!!!
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Help downloading canon Hf100 footage to a Mac G4
- Thread starter Quincer5000
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I got a Canon HF100 for christmas. i am wondering how to transfer the footage to my mac so i can edit it w/ imovie 06.
THanks, in advance!!!
iMovie'06 does not deal with AVCHD, which is what format your Canon records in. However, there are several ways to get around this, however, since I'm no expert, you'll have to do some research for yourself.
Since iMovie'06 works with AIC, you'll need to convert your AVCHD to AIC before editing. There are two ways to do this.
1. Use iMovie'08 to convert the AVCHD to AIC. Since iMovie'08 stores everything in a Library, you should be able to dig into that library and import them into your iMovie'06 project.
2. Use Voltaic to import/convert your AVCHD footage. It takes a long time, but it works (at least from what I've read).
One thing to keep in mind. If you're working on a PPC Mac (non-Intel), you can't use iMovie'08 to convert your footage.
Also, any reason for using iMovie'06? I know that many (most) folks don't like it, but I prefer it due to the Library feature. Plus it's a little easier to use, although I'm equally proficient at both. To each their own.
Good Luck!
EDIT - Since you're on a G4, you're going to have to use Voltaic. Be prepared for long import/convert times. I don't want to scare you off, but I've heard that imports can take 12x real-time or something like that.
HF100 on PowerPC
I also have an HF100 (great camera) and I use Voltaic. Worth paying for, IMO. The support is quick and friendly, and the product works as advertised, though it's true that conversion takes a long time. The latest version for non-Intel PPCs like ours is pretty strong, and there are options to convert into many other formats aside from Apple Intermediate Codec.
If you go with Voltaic, I strongly recommend setting the converter to 540p rather than "same as original" or 720p. Your G4 will have a hard enough time dealing with 540p, believe me; 720p would be a stuttering nightmare. Save the .MTS files, because eventually you'll have a faster Mac and there will be software for editing 1080p directly from those originals.
I'm getting ready to buy a new iMac when they come out in Jan, and I'll be very interested to know how much faster the Voltaic conversion will be, and if I'll be able to effectively edit in 720p or even 1080p. I would like to hear from any current high-end iMac users about their experience with AVCHD conversion and 720p+ editing.
Finally, for any who may be wondering, the best way to get the AVCHD video files off your camera is to pull the SD card and mount it like a drive on your Mac using an SD card reader. The files you're after are in a folder called STREAM. Drag that whole folder to your local drive. The .MTS files inside are your movie files... you can preview them with Toast Video Player, but they're in 1080p, so playback will be choppy. If you want to import the files directly into iMovie or FCP, you'll need an Intel Mac, as others have noted, and you'll also need to copy the whole directory structure that's on the SD card--not just the STREAM folder, but every enclosing folder as well.
Speaking of Toast, that application is capable of making video DVDs from the MTS files without converting them in Voltaic first. Toast doesn't do as good a job, but it's much faster. Enjoy your new camera!
I also have an HF100 (great camera) and I use Voltaic. Worth paying for, IMO. The support is quick and friendly, and the product works as advertised, though it's true that conversion takes a long time. The latest version for non-Intel PPCs like ours is pretty strong, and there are options to convert into many other formats aside from Apple Intermediate Codec.
If you go with Voltaic, I strongly recommend setting the converter to 540p rather than "same as original" or 720p. Your G4 will have a hard enough time dealing with 540p, believe me; 720p would be a stuttering nightmare. Save the .MTS files, because eventually you'll have a faster Mac and there will be software for editing 1080p directly from those originals.
I'm getting ready to buy a new iMac when they come out in Jan, and I'll be very interested to know how much faster the Voltaic conversion will be, and if I'll be able to effectively edit in 720p or even 1080p. I would like to hear from any current high-end iMac users about their experience with AVCHD conversion and 720p+ editing.
Finally, for any who may be wondering, the best way to get the AVCHD video files off your camera is to pull the SD card and mount it like a drive on your Mac using an SD card reader. The files you're after are in a folder called STREAM. Drag that whole folder to your local drive. The .MTS files inside are your movie files... you can preview them with Toast Video Player, but they're in 1080p, so playback will be choppy. If you want to import the files directly into iMovie or FCP, you'll need an Intel Mac, as others have noted, and you'll also need to copy the whole directory structure that's on the SD card--not just the STREAM folder, but every enclosing folder as well.
Speaking of Toast, that application is capable of making video DVDs from the MTS files without converting them in Voltaic first. Toast doesn't do as good a job, but it's much faster. Enjoy your new camera!