Import video from Canon Hf100 to FCE or iMovie on Macbook/ tried it all

[awligon]

I have:
Canon Vixia HF100 hi-def videocamera
Macbook 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo w/ 2 GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
- Mac OS X v 10.5.6
- iMovie 8 (7.1.4)
- Final Cut Express 4.0
- usb2 to usb transfer cable

I bought the camera, shot some footage (various sizes) and cannot import. I've read a hundred help suggestions, and nothing works.

If I snap a still picture, and plug it in, iPhoto opens and downloads pics. On the same card, I had some left over SD footage that was shot by a previous Canon standard-def camera that I tried, and iMovie recognized and can import that.

So i "initialized" the card on the camera, shot more clips and it will not work.

I have a baby due any day now, and I want to get all this stuff working before he comes so I can get some footage when we come home from the hospital.

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[awligon]

Also of interest - Toast video player will preview the MTS file on the mounted drive "Canon" that appears. I can find the videos, but nothing will open, and nothing will import.

Is it a file compatibility issue?

 

[amcooper81]

I shall be watching this thread as I am having exactly the same problem with my samsung video camera. I think a different cable is needed.

I am due a baby myself in less than 9 weeks so I know eactly how frustrated you are.. Heres to finding an answer

Somebody please help us!!!!!!

 

[awligon]

Update; i have been able to connect the camera on a couple of occasions... have to start iMovie, then pug in camera, turn on, select PC connection, and then after 30-120 seconds, the camera pops up...

I can't replicate that on demand.

Arrgghhhh!!!

 

[awligon]

Ok, here's the deal thus far. I disabled Perian, and that seems to have helped. But then i shot about 6 minutes of footage at 17mb per second (highest quality) and started iMovie, plugged in camera, turned on, selected PC, and .... nothing.

So I waited. After 12 minutes, iMovie recognized the mounted drive as a camera, and i imported.

It seems that it just takes a long time to recognize. I'm going to try an SD USB card reader, and i will reply.

I would like to thank no one for the lack of help thus far.

AWL

 

[bobtomay]

I've been watching, though I know nothing of your particular issue. Hopefully you have tried e-mailing Canon, checking for any Canon forums, installed the latest drivers and software for your camera from Canon's website, etc.

 

[Trolle]

I was following this thread because I was having the same problem with my Canon HF100.

I eventually posted on some camcorder forums and got little help.

I ended up saving all my video on my external HDD and then doing a full initialization of my SD card again using the HF100.

I made a brief test video and plugged my HF100 into my Macbook using the USB cable.

I opened iMovie and it immediately recognized the camcorder and prompted to download the test video.

So, try that as a solution. It worked for me.

As soon as I figure out how to import my already recorded video saved on my external HDD I will post it.

 

[Trolle]

I was unable to get iMovie to import previously recorded movies that are saved on my external HDD. The files are greyed out when attempting to import.

I also tried to save the movies back onto the SD card, but they are recognized neither in the camcorder or when trying to import.

So, if anyone has any suggestions on how to import previously recorded files I will finally be able to use iMovie as I intend.

 

[CactusVideoGuy]

I don't know if this should be put into a separate thread, but I had that problem (importing AVCHD video) from a Panasonic HDC-SD9 into Final Cut Express (FCE4). I recently upgraded to iLife 09, and now I can simply import the AVCHD from my camcorder into iMovie, select my clips as a batch, and export as FCE XML. Then I can go into FCE4 and edit and do all the fun and fancy and kewl stuff to my heart's content (without having to shuck out $1200 for FCP).

Good luck to you!

 

[Trolle]

I'll have to try that.

The only workaround I have noticed so far is to use Sony Vegas on a PC. This had no problem recognizing previously recorded MTS files. I downloaded the trial version and was editing files stored on my external HDD within 5 minutes.

Wish I could say the same for iMovie 09.

 

[jessica2588]

I have:
Canon Vixia HF100 hi-def videocamera
Macbook 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo w/ 2 GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
- Mac OS X v 10.5.6
- iMovie 8 (7.1.4)
- Final Cut Express 4.0
- usb2 to usb transfer cable

I bought the camera, shot some footage (various sizes) and cannot import. I've read a hundred help suggestions, and nothing works.

If I snap a still picture, and plug it in, iPhoto opens and downloads pics. On the same card, I had some left over SD footage that was shot by a previous Canon standard-def camera that I tried, and iMovie recognized and can import that.

So i "initialized" the card on the camera, shot more clips and it will not work.

I have a baby due any day now, and I want to get all this stuff working before he comes so I can get some footage when we come home from the hospital.

Thanks,

Aaron

Hi buddy:
It is common for us to meet the problem like this “We captured footage with the Canon HF20 Hi-Def Camcorder, transferred the video files onto an external drive. We're now trying to import those MTS files into Final Cut Pro 6.0.5 but it seems they are not supported... how do you import them?” We often connect our camcorder like Sony hdr-ux1 and navigate to FCE’s new Log and Transfer Window. Then, we set the camcorder in the Finder window and await the AVCHD files (MTS) to be imported into FCE. But, suddenly, an error message pops up and gives a warning “AVCHD” is an unrecognizable media format. Finally, we conclude that we need to download some AVCHD Codecs like FFDshow and VLC (VideoLAN Client) in order to play AVCHD files. Nevertheless, there are still many users complaining that the playback is choppy and noisy when importing them to Mac computer.

Thus, you d better choose a AVCHD/MTS Converter. I recommend Moyea MTS Converter for Mac which can be easily found via Google. With it, you can convert SD footage to MPEG-4, HDV, SD or DV supported by FCE).

Hope it works for u guys!
Jessica

 

[Nethfel]

You've revived a thread that was 8 going on 9 months old... Plus, you can do the same conversion with several free products out on the market

 

[nkatz22]

was this forum resolved?

I see this was an old forum, but was the answer to this? reformatting the camera card? using a converter?

 

[Nethfel]

The answer is to:

1) Remove any SD footage from the card prior to attempting to import the HD footage.

2) not extract the video stream files from within the AVCHD structure - as long as they are in the AVCHD structure, FCE can log and transfer and iMovie can import the footage. If you take the individual stream files out of the AVCHD structure, it basically breaks Final Cuts or iMovies ability to import that footage and now you have to use a 3rd party tool to convert the .mts/.m2ts files into something like a H.264 HD video file with a container like .mov or .mp4

3) It's possible that if photos are on the card it may cause a problem for the transfer of the footage, but I can't confirm it - I've only read of problems when SD footage is on the card. But to play it safe, best to get the photos off as well.

I know I've logged and transferred hours of footage from an HF100 into Final Cut without any issues. I rarely hook up the camera directly as I prefer to use a card reader as they tend to be a bit faster then the usb transfer within the camera.

 

[chas_m]

First off, the note from "Jessica" is an obvious (albeit incompetent) spammer.

Second, Google. It is your friend.

To find the answer to "any camera + iMovie (version)" just type "(model of camera) and iMovie (version)" into Google. If the results product an Apple Support Forums thread or Apple Support Article, GO THERE FIRST.

Broadly speaking: different manufacturers of cameras have about 50 zillion proprietary formats and ways of connecting. iMovie/FCP/video product of your choice can generally cope with it either by connecting with Firewire or by USB, *however* MTS (which is stupidly used by some cameras) is not supported without conversion.

So, again, use google to find out how to convert MTS files to one of the several formats iMovie/FCE/FCP/video product of your choice supports. I personally use MPEG Streamclip (Free) and QT's $30 MPEG-2 Playback Component, but you have a number of options.

 

[Nethfel]

People, you don't need to convert the files IF you leave them in the AVCHD container structure, which is what the HF100 generates.

Chas_m - Jessicas post at this point was irrlevant as the thread had gone away again and was revived again by nkatz22 - the only three references to .mts/m2ts files (prior to my post about NOT touching them from within the AVCHD hierarchy) was Jessicas, Trolles (who made the mistake of attempting to import the mts/m2ts which won't work directly without conversion) and the OP who was talking about playing the files deep down within the AVCHD structure where they are stored.

As long as you follow real simple rules - leave the mts/m2ts files in their AVCHD hierarchy (ie: don't try to import those files directly, do not move them within the hierarchy or attempt to modify the hierarchy manually), make sure there is no SD footage on the storage medium, and possibly (I'm not sure on this one) make sure there are no photos stored on the card from the camera; Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro, iMovie 08 and iMovie 09 will happily import the footage (import iMovie, log and transfer FC) and convert it into the editable format (AIC or ProRES)

 

[chas_m]

Thanks for clarifying, Nethfel.

 

[nkatz22]

successes and failures

thank you for the suggestions.
i was unable to log and transfer, even while maintaining file hierarchy.
there may have been a standard def file in there, but i couldn't locate it. with just the mts files in the hierarchy and as far as i could tell nothing else on the card i had no success.
i backed them all up on an external drive and reformatted the card and now log and transfer works like a charm! must have been something on the card preventing fcp from accepting it.
though i realize that i will now not be able to log and transfer the 20gb's that i backed up on the external drive.
so... i am left with the need for a converter...
thanks again.

 

[nkatz22]

and the converter...

the link to the apple discussion posted above seems to just be packed with spammers pushing their product... any threads in this forum with reliable information?

 

[Nethfel]

what version of Final Cut do you have, and what camera do you have? (I assume the HF100 since that is what this thread was started about, although you weren't the thread starter)

Also, exactly what is on the card, including subfolders and such? I have a feeling it's not getting identified correctly due to something that is out of place.

Trust me, I know it works, I use the log and transfer from my AVCHD camera all the time (Canon HF100) without a single problem in terms of the footage being recognized and imported.