Device for preview GH2 MTS files

[daihard]

To clarify...because obviously, my suggestion was taken in the wrong direction.
I know both platforms, however my experience is with Macs mostly.
I know, that the Macbook Air and the 13" pros can handle almost any type of media file you throw at it...MTS included. The form factor falls within the netbook range.
I only suggested "another" alternative for the OP to consider...
Sure, they are a myriad of PCs out there... like the Acer that can play MTS files. But its a real "question" which can play back .MTS and which ones are netbook/tablet size?, so i simply suggested something thats a "sure thing".
Which just happens to be a mac.

Give more criteria, and i can provide a more specific answer. Im simply meeting whats been given.

[Gary Huff]

Sure, they are a myriad of PCs out there... like the Acer that can play MTS files. But its a real "question" which can play back .MTS and which ones are netbook/tablet size?, so i simply suggested something thats a "sure thing".
Which just happens to be a mac.

Not really. I have the i7 17" MacBook and I cannot play .MTS files right off the card in anything other than VLC, and it does a poor job. I have to transcode first, or purchase a utility like ClipWrap in order to convert .MTS to .MOV.

With a Windows-based system, you can pull up the files right off the card in Windows Media Player and they play perfectly fine.

[daihard]

Then your mac is obviously not configured/setup right.
I can play and convert any .MTS off the card on an old 2009 iMac.
Yes: VLC, MPlayerX, Roxio Video Player, Lightroom 4, RewrapAVCHD (Free), 5DtoRGB, Free MTS M2TS Converter, FCP X, CS5.5 and CS6, Clipwrap, etc...(too name a few)
I think my old work's 2007 iMac can play AVCHD just fine as well. (I only tested 1 file...but it ran just fine.)

Most computers, including PCs need something like VLC to also read various files. But yes, macs dont support AVCHD natively, so you must go through 3rd party apps.
I hardly think thats a problem, having to preview your AVCHD files though a 3rd party FREE applications?
If your editing AVCHD, there are now programs that will edit it natively without the need to transcode... But the question was about "Previewing," which a simple free app can solve.

Macs dont support AVCHD natively, so yes... even your i7 PB wont play it natively. So a FREE program like VLC or MPlayerX is need....
i recommend trying out MPlayerX over VLC... seems to play much faster and will continue to play all your clips that are in sequence numbers. But if your i7 is struggling even in those programs... then you need to look at other issues with you PB, like the card reader or hard drive is full, etc...

[Gary Huff]

Did you try to skip around in the file? VLC plays it fine until you try to seek.

[M. Gilden]

Then your mac is obviously not configured/setup right.
I can play and convert any .MTS off the card on an old 2009 iMac.
Yes: VLC, MPlayerX, Roxio Video Player, Lightroom 4, RewrapAVCHD (Free), 5DtoRGB, Free MTS M2TS Converter, FCP X, CS5.5 and CS6, Clipwrap, etc...(too name a few)
I think my old work's 2007 iMac can play AVCHD just fine as well. (I only tested 1 file...but it ran just fine.)

Most computers, including PCs need something like VLC to also read various files. But yes, macs dont support AVCHD natively, so you must go through 3rd party apps.
I hardly think thats a problem, having to preview your AVCHD files though a 3rd party FREE applications?
If your editing AVCHD, there are now programs that will edit it natively without the need to transcode... But the question was about "Previewing," which a simple free app can solve.

Macs dont support AVCHD natively, so yes... even your i7 PB wont play it natively. So a FREE program like VLC or MPlayerX is need....
i recommend trying out MPlayerX over VLC... seems to play much faster and will continue to play all your clips that are in sequence numbers. But if your i7 is struggling even in those programs... then you need to look at other issues with you PB, like the card reader or hard drive is full, etc...

So the bottom line, basically, is:
Certain used macbooks (ones that are at least recent enough to have the right processor) will play mts files. When configured properly with the right software installed, and will probably cost you around $500.

Which is the same price as a mid-range PC laptop, which is more than capable of playing and editing MTS files natively out of the box, and more than double the price of the much-more-portable netbook-class devices which are also pretty capable of playing them out of the box (especially if using WMP). And those easily fit in places that even the smallest Macbooks won't (my wife used to carry her purple aspire one in her purse). Since the OP opened with asking about tablets, portability appears to be important. He didn't ask for a laptop.

And then you wonder why no one else offered a used macbook as a recommendation? ::scratches head::

[Jive]

You'd be surprised - in a pinch, it can handle light projects rather well (obviously only from the internal drive, since it doesn't have firewire). I've even done some AfterEffects work on it, and it isn't nearly as bad as you might think. For about $250-$300, it's quite the little beast. A nice complement to its bigger brother, my 15" Macbook Pro.

No go with Vegas Pro 10; I get 1-2 fps on timeline playback (regardless of quality setting). What NLE did you use where you had decent performance?

[M. Gilden]

No go with Vegas Pro 10; I get 1-2 fps on timeline playback (regardless of quality setting). What NLE did you use where you had decent performance?

I guess 1-2 fps would classify as "pinch" performance. Not something you'd like to do, but if you're on location and need to make a change, you can.

I have edited standard 480p media for a DVD master while on an airplane using my wife's netbook. Obviously no where near as intensive as AVCHD, but I must admit that I was impressed that this little purple toy could actually do some of my work on the go. I don't know if I'd be comfortable using it for HD editing, but if I were in that situation again I'd be happy to get at least 1-2 fps, and RAM preview transitions and parts that I need to see smoothly. Better than an iPad or tablet that offers no editing options whatsoever.

[skibovision]

I have the acer aspire 4830TG i5 2.5 GHZ (4 virtual cores) 8GB RAM and I play back hacked and unhacked footage smoothly in windows media player from sd card. i transcode to cineform avi using the cineform codec from the gopro website and converting in adobe media encoder. It as an nvidia geforce gt540m graphics card in it which can be unlocked easily with a simple program for mercury playback.

I'm using cs 5.5 but I think in cs6 any gpu can use mercury playback

[daihard]

@M. Gilden
Yes, I know there are tons of PC for a much lower price that can do similar to that of a "Mac", I just am not that familiar with the different PCs options available.
But as I stated earlier, more details/requirements the more specific solutions we can offer.

Simple Playback, it seems the price range and size of the Acer is the best solution... as well as simple backup needs, as the OP required.

My suggestion for a simliar sized device (Netbook/tablet) that was under the $1k mark, and can playback, backup, and even edit .mts files was merely food for thought.

Configurations and software are frankly pretty straightforward.... plain and simple, any mac made within the last 4-5 years will playback .mts files (MPlayerX which is free will do a good job).
The air and 13"PB are in that size range of the netbook, but for a little more cost then a netbook, you can have the ability to edit... and still stay under the $500.
But its just my helping suggestion.

[SuperSet]

BTW, if you're still interested in the tablet route, I use the Asus Transformer Prime TF201 and it flawlessly plays video straight off the SD card slot (from keyboard dock) using VPlayer. Other players had issues.