Importing AVCHD file to imovie08 without using my camera (hdr-sr11)

[Hemoo]

Sorry if my question will seem stupid, but I’m a new mac user
I bought hdr-sr11 and when I import the file in imovie it convert it to a really big file (using the full quality). Since I’ll travel soon, I want to avoid importing directly from the camera in order to save space out home, I want to save all the AVCHD files on external hard disk then when I return I’ll import them from the hard disk to imovie. I tried it but I can’t import from the external hard disk!! Can anybody help me on this please

 

[kevdawg62]

I found the best way to do this method of archiving is:
1. Do a straight drag and drop of the complete camera's hard drive file structure into a folder you have appropriatly named.
2. Download "drop Dmg" and install
3. Drop the new folder containing your cameras files into drop dmg.
4. Delete original files to free room on my hard drive.
5. Mount the new dmg file you have made
6. Open imove and it will automatically ask you which camera you would like to import.
7. Find the file that you just mounted and waalaa!

This is the best way to archive the avchd file format, before imove makes it huge.

If anyone have any questions or tips to make it more efficient please let me know

 

[rotlex]

Best thing I have found, and a good way to archive them in general, is to simply create a disk image from the mounted camera\media. Basically, connect the camcorder, and once it mounts on the desktop, open Disk Utility, select the mounted disk in the left hand pane, and select new image from the menu. (Toolbar up top).

Give it a name, and there you go. A new disk image is created with the file structure in tact. All you need to do to access it, is mount it, open iMove, FCE, whatever, and import.

I have not tried the utility that kevdawg refers too, "Drop DMG", but that simply sounds like a drag and drop way to do what I explained above.

 

[kevdawg62]

The reason I said to use drop dmg was I found it time consuming to make the image file right off the camera HD and I could come back and do it later if I emptied the camera hd with the drag drop method.

 

[rotlex]

The reason I said to use drop dmg was I found it time consuming to make the image file right off the camera HD and I could come back and do it later if I emptied the camera hd with the drag drop method.

Oh I agree, especially if you have a lot of stuff to copy off. I have not tried drop dmg, or to be honest, heard of it before, but it looks like something that could be very handy. I might give it a download soon and try it out.