[MacTUG] Importing .MTS files into iMovie

[Glenn Anderson]

The OS is 10.6.2 and iMovie 9.x


On 2010-03-08, at 10:40 AM, Steve Hellyer wrote:

> 
> 
> Only iMovie or Final Cut can import and convert these movies and Quicktime can't due to nature of the licencing fee we pay MPEG for this ability.  And it is limited for the purpose imported from camera not convert all MTS files. NOt all camera record the same way and connecting the camera allow Apple to determine what format is used for that camera.
> 


The above comment and some other discussions that I have found, sort of explain what is going on, but maybe not fully.

Here is some observations...

1) If one takes the SD card from the digital camera and inserts it in a SD card reader. iMovie is "happy" and imports the files fine.

2) However, copy the files to a folder on a hard disk, iMovie isn't "happy" and while it sees the files it won't import them. It can't be an issue of the files being an format that it can't understand, nor an issue that they are from a camera or device that iMovie doesn't know about.

3) If there is a movie on the card that one edits out ( deletes ) then iMovie does not seem to handle this situation either.

4) People report that if one makes a disk image of the SD card, then mount it, iMovie will be happy with it.

So it appears not be a problem that iMovie can't handle the files, but one of convincing iMovie that these are files that it can handle.

-------------------

The workflow seems to make sense, but obviously there is something missing here in iMovie part of it.

Step 1 - Video the event

This results in a number of video clips, which may or may not be used

Step 2 - Transfer the video clips from the SD card to a hard disk for permanent storage arranged in appropriate folders and named according to what they are.

Step 3 - As the clips are needed, import them into iMovie at whatever video resolution that is needed for the video project. ( This is the step that is causing a problem ).

The only solution I can find that people suggests works is change 3)

to 3a) import the clips that are needed into some other video editing tool and then export them out in a video format iMovie will import from a hard disk.
    3b) Import these converted video clips into iMovie

the problem with the above is it adds complexity to the whole process, and it also doesn't make sense as iMovie should by all accounts be able to handle this format itself.
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