Importing files and such

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odonnelly99

Active member
This is probably a ridiculous question, but is there any way to put my files into IMovie? I'm still waiting for my Final cut studio to come in the mail. I'm having a hell of a time here even trying to open the files on my mac, and I need the space on the memory card for my shows tonight. Also, I can't view the files on either IMovie or Quicktime. I hate being me. I appreciate anyone helping me out here.
 
This is the very top entry that comes up after typing iMovie AVCHD in the Google search box: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1014 It does not list the HMC40, but it lists other Panasonic AVCHD camcorders, including the HDC-SD300/HDC-TM300/HDC-HS300 (up to 17 Mbit/s with 1920x1080 frame size) and the HDC-SD100/HS100 (native 1920x1080p24). All these camcorders have a note to the right: Requires iMovie 7.1.2 or later.
 
Ummm...
it must be that your version of iMovie isn't up to date. My camera shows up without any machinations or effort other than plugging it in.
 
On that note.. when you are able to import... send it to an archive file and then retrieve from then on from that. It will be a much smaller set of files and you can pick and choose what you want to use for clips to edit from. If you just simply import all of the AVCHD files into iMovie, they will expand in size considerably.
 
I'll try updating now. For some reason, in Imovie all my files say 24P with a red circle and a line through it.
 
Last edited:
Okay.. Bingo!

iMovie does not import 24P HD video (it will do all other formats). You have to transcode it first (I use Voltaic for transcoding). I don't shoot many things in 24P except for time lapse stuff (Interval) because that is the only way the HMC40 will shoot interval footage.

However, if you want to just get your data off the card, archive it through iMovie. FC will recognize the archive in log and transfer.

FC and FCE do take 24P in, however under log and transfer.
 
(I use Voltaic for transcoding)
Click to expand...

VoltaicHD works OK, but is VERY S-L-O-W.

Toast is about real time and I don't see a difference between a VoltaicHD conversion and a Toast conversion. I've also found that converting to AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) results in bigger files, but faster editing, compared to just converting to Quicktime.



Bob Diaz
 
Bob,
You are right, Voltaic does the job, but it isn't necessarily that swift. I have just never used Toast, so I couldn't say anything one way or the other in that respect. Since I'm using FCE and FC mostly, these days, I don't have too many reasons to use Voltaic.

I did look at Toast at one point, but never found a great need to add it to the arsenal (for my needs anyhow). But I have heard it is a great tool.

Which brings me around to something else...

There are a lot of good tools out there for different things, and, unfortunately, they aren't very well identified. For instance, Why would someone get Voltaic or Toast (or both)? If you asked me about Toast a year ago, transcoding was not one of the first features I would have mentioned, but now that I am using AVCHD formats a lot, this is a big deal to me. As another example, saying that I use iMovie, FCE or FC (Final Cut Express or Final Cut) assumes that you are talking about non-linear editing, but those packages have other functionality, too, that shouldn't be overlooked when considering what needs to be in the toolbox.

So perhaps a thread would be appropriate on tools out there (for Mac and Windows, both, obviously) and a listing of what in the world they do and why would someone want something like that in their kit.
 
i know many here don't seem to be big fans of it, but i use the Panasonic AVCCAM viewer program to backup my cards to my hard drive, from there they can be transcoded by FCP later.

if you just need to clear your cards, here's a free way to do it.
 
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