need help preparing files for AE editing..

[Polypod]

Okay, I've been doing a lot of searching and I just can't get a clear answer or direction..

My goal is to edit in AE and then upload to youtube as an HD movie.
I have several tools for converting files, but I'm just not sure what AE wants for editing.
I don't have the fastest computer but I would be happy to compress the file down to youtube like specs.. I video I downloaded from youtube loads into AE fine and it had these specs:

1440x1080 (i realize this isn't 16:9, I'll actually be shooting for the 1280x720)
8000kbs bitrate
25fps
h.264(i think)

While most of the files I download from youtube cannot be read by AECS3(i think they're mp4), this one can, maybe because it's h.264..

but my point is, if I can bring this file into AE for editing and it has the quality i'm wanting on youtube, there must be a way to get my original .mts files to the same editable format..

I have Pinnacle Ultimate although due to system limits I have been trying to use the combo of Haal media splitter and ffdshow.. it can decode avchd:

http://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/new-ffdshow-can-now-decode-avchd-t339534.html

But I'm just not clear what AE wants?
Like I said, I don't mind compressing down to something like the video mentioned above.. cuz that works in AECS3 with my system..

Can anyone give me some clues?

[Polypod]

This is the only HD video among many that I downloaded from youtube that will import into AECS3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvuxdqn-0vo&feature=related

*note: I only downloaded it as an example, this is not my work

[commalot]

I have Pinnacle Ultimate although due to system limits I have been trying to use the combo of Haal media splitter and ffdshow.. it can decode avchd:







Doesn't Pinnacle 12 handle AVCHD files natively?

[Polypod]

actually it does, and I have found a workflow that involves transferring it to uncompressed avi for AE, which AE handles very well! Of course the file sizes are huge but I can make this work.. I encode it with ffdshow to h.264 with 4000 kbs and it works well for youtube, so i can make this work.