Help importing AVCHD Lite footage from SDHC card into iMovie '09

[ToTo Man]

I've followed with interest several threads on the ability of iMovie '09 to import AVCHD Lite video footage from a Panasonic camera, and while there doesn't appear to be 100% agreement, many folks are adamant that the latest updated version of iMovie '09 can recognise and import this codec.

With this in mind, I've just purchased a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10 and have filmed 2 test movies, one shot in AVCHD Lite, the other in Motion JPEG, along with a test still photgraph. I then removed the 16GB SD card from the camera and inserted it directly into the SD card slot on my MBP. The import screen on iMovie appeared automatically, but only displayed one movie available for import, i.e. the Motion JPEG movie. The same happens in iPhoto, but with the option of also importing 2 still photographs (the test photograph, and a photograph that looks like the opening frame of the AVCHD Lite test movie).

Is anyone please able to advise how to get iMovie to recognise that there is an AVCHD Lite movie on the SD Card and successfully import it?

 

[musique]

Copy entire card to HD?

You may need to copy the entire contents of the SD card to your hard drive and then use something like MPEG Streamclip to locate the AVCHD footage.

(Also, I've read on some of the DV boards that it's recommended to make your SD card read-only (by sliding the protector) before inserting it in a Mac. I've heard some say it's not a problem so take this with a grain of salt.)

Good luck.

 

[MrMister111]

on iMovie use Import>Camera Archive. Either point it at the folder with all the contents from the SD card, or the camera plugged in direct should see it.

I have a Panasonic TZ7. I've made a mistake of just copying the *.mts files off the SD card to back up movies. I've found out now to my terror that iMovie 09 does not see them, it needs the full folder structure for it to be recognised

I'm now trying to find a way to import all my *.mts files without having to 1st encode them with Handbrake

 

[johan R]

handbrake

i have no problem with imovie 9 and using the import from camera option, imovie imports my .mts movie and converts them to .mov files. BUT the quality is crap so i use handbrake instead, MUCH clearer and crispier results. if u just want to look at the movies before importing them it works great from imovie. but VLC is great for this aswell.