Couple of newbie Qs

Hi there! I just got a Macbook Pro for Christmas, and I am switching from using Windows since the very first IBM PC came out (two 5" floppies, 640k RAM and no hard drive, all for only $3k!). And I have been cursing Windows since. Rebuild, rebuild, rebuild and frustrating. I'm much happier right now (even my wife says so). Anyways, I have a couple of Qs on how to do things now that I'm playing with it.

1. My Verizon dumb non-iphone - I set it to USB/mass storage only, plug it into the mac usb port, and ... nothing. Any advice on how to get the Mac to recognize my phone so I can download the pics and vids off it? The fone is on a screen that wants to connect. It just doesn't. Or it is and I can't tell.

2. My Sony HandyCam uses AVCHD format (with MTS files). When I 1st attached it to the Mac I used iMovie and imported the MTS files (37 vids). They seemed to be just one loooong video, though they did show images at the bottom of iMovies. Didn't know what to do next and I didn't think I was doing it right. Once I found the Movies folder, I dragged the MTS files there, but Mac didn't recognize them. Searches say I need a converter... but I was playing around clicking the AVCHD file on the Handycam and somehow IPhoto popped up and I loaded them there... They seem to play but are represented as photos. ?? I downloaded a free AVCHD converter from iTunes but it gave like 20 diff formats to choose from, no advice or help, so I wasn't sure what to choose. So I guess my Q is, what's the best/easiest way to get my AVCHD/MTS files into the Movies folder and play? What format is best? Any thoughts on a player (is Quicktime good?) Are there others that are better?

Thanks in advance! So far I really like the Mac and OS X.
Craftydad

this worked with my daughter's Samsung and my mac:


Android File Transfer for Mac


sorry but can't help with Q2

I have 2 LG phones, one dumb and one smart neither of which are recognizable to the iMac using USB data cable. With the smartphone, Bluetooth saves the day. Sure would be nice to know why not.

Thanks for the info - Android File Transfer doesn't do the trick... I'm beginning to think I'm screwed. lol My SCH-U485 non-smart fone runs BREW, not even a real OS. :-( Looks like I'm gonna have to keep that little pos Win7 Netbook around after all. It connects no problems... so Fone -> Netbook -> USB drive -> Mac should work. I do have bluetooth on the fone, I'll try that - haven't yet as I fear it'll be very sloooooow... I REALLY don't wanna have to use a Win pc though. I'll get a new fone if I do! lol

If anyone has any advice on the AVCHD/MTS thing, I'm still here

Craftydad

As far as the SCH-U485 is concerned I've seen some software out there but haven't found a Mac version yet. The software does exist for Windows though. If it is connecting with the Windows machine though that might be the place to start. Transfer the data to somewhere on Windows where you can find it such as the Desktop.

If the data is in anything resembling standard data formats we should be able to get it transferred to the Mac and converted.

There are several decent MTS converters out there but I'll leave comments about the best program and best formats to others. I tend to use the Apple TV preset that many of the programs off and edit the resulting file.

2 days ago, I was reviewing the Sony youtube videos for the Handycam as I have HRD-
XR100 and need to do some video editing (the reason I bought a mac).

Well, I hope that it works as simple as the video, however from reading your post and comparing it to the video it seems that using iMovie and transferring the AVCHD format are 2 different processes but somehow you've got them merged.

iMovie can import the video
or
you can drag/drop the AVCHD files into your movies(?) folder (the youtube provides the folder to look for)

craftydad said:

...My Sony HandyCam uses AVCHD format (with MTS files). When I 1st attached it to the Mac I used iMovie and imported the MTS files (37 vids). They seemed to be just one loooong video, though they did show images at the bottom of iMovies....I downloaded a free AVCHD converter from iTunes but it gave like 20 diff formats....what's the best/easiest way to get my AVCHD/MTS files into the Movies folder and play?...

Click to expand...

AVCHD is a folder structure and the .MTS files are embedded within it. It is designed and intended to keep them all together. Thus at the Finder level OS X shows it as a single file "package".

At the Finder level you can view individual clips in the AVCHD package by just double-clicking on it. That launches QuickTime. It is sort of clunky.

iMovie can import individual clips from within the AVCHD package. You then edit them as desired.

You can convert the AVCHD files to other formats, but the best way is "re-wrap" the files. This is not transcoding but just stripping off some header info and presenting the files as .MOV. This is possible because internally each .MTS file is unchanged.

I use a 3rd party tool called ClipWrap ($49): ClipWrap : Easy AVCHD and HDV Conversion for the Mac - divergent media

ReWrapAVCHD is free and supposedly does the same thing but I have not tested it: RewrapAVCHD for Mac | MacUpdate

It is not necessary to re-wrap or convert the AVCHD files -- iMovie can use them directly.

With iMovie or FCP X the overall procedure is you browse the AVCHD package during import, select the clips you want and import those. You don't browse them externally using Quicktime or VLC, then try to copy individual .MTS files to another folder.

However if you are uncomfortable with that procedure, use ClipWrap or ReWrapAVCHD to re-wrap them. Then you can browse them more easily in Finder, copy individual files, etc.

I have been unable to get the files to import. Please help
Screenshot in next post.

Attached is the screenshot. I removed the hostname of my Mac for obvious reasons.

Most likely there is something wrong with that AVCHD package. E.g, it has nothing in it.

You can verify this by examining the AVCHD package in Finder. Select the AVCHD package and examine the file size. It may be very small (indicating no contents). If it doesn't show the size do CMD-I.

You can also option-click on the file and select "Show package contents", then option-click on BDMV, then double-click on STREAM. That will show you any .MTS files inside.

If there are no .MTS files to import, that's why iMovie shows the AVCHD package as greyed out in the import dialog.

If this is a thumb drive or some other storage device, the AVCHD package could have been blindly copied from the camera assuming there was something in it, when in fact it had nothing.

E.g, this happens on my camcorder which has two SD card slots. I copy the AVCHD package from both SD cards each shooting day, because I never know who used the camera, what cards they used, or how much. The unused cards have a tiny little AVCHD file package with nothing in it, but in the field I don't have time to inspect each one so I copy everything.

I thought of the possibility that I may have inadvertently deleted the video when I selected the option after importing the Photos using iPhoto; it was a pleasurable experience (not an exaggeration).

After failing to import using iMovie, I disconnected the (Sony) camera (see post #6) and using the camera screen was able to verify that the video is still there. I was able to scroll through the clips and the length was shown, so I didn't feel compelled to actually play any of it, but I took that as sufficient evidence that the video was still there.

Multiple connect, disconnect attempts also failed. My camera has 2 USB connect options, I tried both to no avail.

Jaybird180 said:

...I disconnected the (Sony) camera (see post #6) and using the camera screen was able to verify that the video is still there...My camera has 2 USB connect options, I tried both to no avail.

Click to expand...

That's good and the same thing I would do -- check on the camera itself.

The camera has both Sony memory stick removable media plus internal hard drive recording. It's possible you are copying the AVCHD package from the unused storage location, but the recorded content is on the other. The camera on playback may default to the actual used content. That would explain why it plays OK on the camera but when you copy the AVCHD package it won't import -- it's a tiny, empty AVCHD package.

When you connect the camera via USB and mount as a storage device, it may or may not give you access to both. Maybe it's a camera config option -- check your manual.

You could just plug in the memory stick to your Mac. Unfortunately Sony's proprietary memory stick is not widely supported by readers, so you'll probably need a memory-stick-to-USB adapter. If you have one, plus in the memory stick and transfer it that way.

If you don't have one and cannot access the right AVCHD data on the camera, try the Sony transfer software. I'm not familiar with it but it may give you source selection options which don't exist just using Finder.

Without even trying to import the material into iMovie, you can check at the Finder level if the AVCHD package has content. Do a CMD-I and check the size -- it should be hundreds of MB if not GB. If it's tiny in size, it's the wrong one.

You can also verify the AVCHD package contents without trying to import into iMovie:

If you double-click on the AVCHD folder it should open in Quicktime, showing you the individual clips.

As a secondary option you should be able to Option-Click on AVCHD, select "show package", then option-click on BDMV and select "show package", and then double-click on STREAM and see/play the .MTS files -- either from the USB-connected camera, or after copying the AVCHD package to your Mac.

I will check this evening. Thank you.

Also, at your suggestion about "Sony transfer software" I took a look on their website and found this:
https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/41881/c/65,66/

Which has something different from what I was doing (font and size change mine)

You can transfer the video from your camcorder using the Apple iMovie® software. Support is available at http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/.

NOTE: If iMovie software is not installed on your computer, you can copy the video from the camcorder and convert it using another software program.

1. Turn on the computer.
2. Make sure the camcorder is turned off.
3. Connect the camcorder to the computer using the supplied USB cable.
4. Plug the AC power adapter into an electrical wall outlet and then connect it to the camcorder.
5. Open the LCD screen on the camcorder.
6. Turn on the camcorder.
7. Touch the Hard Disk USB SELECT [FIG.1] icon on the camcorder LCD screen. NOTE: After the computer recognizes the connection, it will list the camcorder hard drive as NO NAME on the computer desktop.
   
8. Start the iMovie application. NOTE: The message Camera detected - scanning contents will appear.
   
9. Click File then click Import from Camera ...
10. In the Import From: NO NAME window, click to select the clips you want to import from the camcorder. NOTE: All unimported clips will be selected when the window opens. If you only want to import a few clips, click the Uncheck All button, then click the checkboxes of the individual clips you want to import.
11. Click Import Checked.
12. In the window that opens, click to select the location you want to save the movies files to, the Event in iMovie and the format.
13. In the Import Complete window, click OK.

The movie clip is now saved on the computer hard drive and can be edited using the iMovie application. You can export the clip to a variety of formats using the options under the Share menu in the iMovie application.

More information about using iMovie is available in the software help files and at the Apple Web site at http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/.

Joema- Your suggestions proved positive. I can see the clips when I opened them up in Quicktime. Now I had hoped that I could drag/drop the AVCHD onto my desktop and try importing from there, but alas, no joy....it's gotta be a simple things
View attachment 21889

View attachment 21890

Screenshot from trying directly from Desktop, still greyed out

Unfortunately, I cannot view the attachments I posted in Post #15.

I have reason to believe that the problem is related to the format of the AVCHD file. I read that iMovie cannot import certain types of HD content. Unfortunately, the manual for the camera doesn't spell out very well except to say that the camera can do either 1080i or 720p, but the manual covers several models.

I think I will have to "re-wrap" the files as stated in an above post.

My camcorder's native format information is here:
https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/30968/c/65,66/p/36919,37412,37481,37482/

Is this iMovie compatible?

Jaybird180 said:

...I can see the clips when I opened them up in Quicktime. Now I had hoped that I could drag/drop the AVCHD onto my desktop and try importing from there, but alas, no joy....

Click to expand...

If you can see the clips within the AVCHD package in Quicktime when opening them from Finder, normally I'd expect iMovie to import OK -- whether from your desktop or elsewhere.

The only AVCHD material I have is from a Canon HF-G10 and G30, and those import into iMovie OK.

Just be sure that the exact AVCHD package you are trying to import is the same one you played in Quicktime. IOW play it from your desktop, then point iMovie to that same location for the import.

All AVCHD packages have the same name -- AVCHD -- so without looking at the size or opening the package it's often easy to get them confused.

SOLVED: Sony HDR-XR100 AVCHD Import

SOLVED: Sony HDR-XR100 AVCHD Import

Goto the Sony website and download their software: Play Memories Home. Through the build-in Play Memories Home Importer software it will work. This particular camera has 4 formats for HD and a couple for SD video.

Looks like I will have to let this run overnight....I'm going to bed. I'm satisfied that I got this far. I'll check in the morning on the progress.