Continue reading »]]> AVCHD was jointly developed by Sony and Panasonic in 2006, it is a high definition (HD) digital video camera recorder format recording 1080i and 720p signals onto MiniDVD discs, MiniDV tape, Hard Drive, and digital camera Memory Cards, by using advanced Video Coding (AVC) compression (also known as MPEG-4 part 10 or H.264) to achieve high-quality images and low data rates. AVCHD camcorders record on a variety of file-based media, including 80 mm DVDs, hard disks, and flash memory (such as Secure Digital cards and memory sticks).

The AVCHD specification allows most SD and HD dimensions and frame rates, though each camcorder usually supports only a few formats. The AVCHD color sample ratio is 4:2:0, with 8 bits per sample. Audio can be recorded in 5.1-channel surround sound with Dolby Digital (AC-3) compression or up to 7.1-channel surround sound (uncompressed). Some camcorders, such as the Panasonic HDC-SD5 camcorder, use a two-channel built-in microphone.

New trademarks:

The AVCHD Format has been updated to Version 2.0 by adding new specifications for 3D and 1080/60p,50p. New trademarks; “AVCHD 3D”, “AVCHD Progressive” and “AVCHD 3D/Progressive” are introduced.

Resolution of AVCHD:

1920 x 1080: This format is sometimes called Full HD because it contains the full 1920 horizontal pixels of the 1080-line HD format.

1440 x 1080: This is a horizontally subsampled image with 1080 lines.

1280 x 720: This is a full-resolution 720p format.

Tips: The SD AVCHD formats are not supported by iMovie, Final Cut Express, Adobe Premiere Pro, ect.

The best codec for Final Cut Express and iMovie is AIC MOV format, therefore, if you plan to edit AVCHD in iMovie or Final Cut Express, it is a good idea for you to convert AVCHD to AIC MOV. Then, you will need to a AVCHD to AIC Converter to convert AVCHD to AIC MOV for importing AVCHD to iMovie or Final Cut Express.
Requriements:

Instructions:

Pavtube MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac is an ideal application that can work smoothly with Final Cut Express, iMovie, convert AVCHD to AIC MOV files native supported by iMovie/FCE on Mac Mountain Lion (10.8), Mac OS X Lion (10.7), Snow Leopard (10.6), Leopard (10.5).

Step 1. Import AVCHD files to the program.

Install and run Mac AVCHD to AIC converter. Click “File” menu, choose “Add Video” to locate the AVCHD files you want to add.

Step 2. Select Apple InterMediate Codec(AIC)(*.mov) format for Final Cut Express or iMovie best output format.
Click “Format” bar and and set a AIC friendly codec in dropdown-list. You are advised to follow “iMovie and Final Cur Express > Apple InterMediate Codec(AIC)(*.mov) as best video format for iMovie or FCE.

Step 3. Set possible best quality for Final Cut Express or iMovie editing.

Click the “Settings” button and customize proper video/ audio parameters if necessary. Video size, Bitrate and Frame Rate are flexible and can be adjusted as you like. E.g. Set video size to 1920*1080 when you feel like to keep 1080p as the source file features. Or set “original” in video bitrate drop-down list to keep best quality. You may skip this step as well as default format works well with FCE or iMovie too.

Step 4. Convert AVCHD to AIC MOV for FCE or iMovie workflow on Mac.
Press “” icon, let this smart AVCHD to AIC Converter for Mac to do the rest for you! This avchd converter is specifically designed for Mac users, including Mac Mountain Lion 10.8, Mac OS X Lion 10.7, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, etc.

When the conversion is done, you can import the output files to iMovie and FCE without any trouble. Congratulations! You have successfully taken the first step to make your own masterpiece.

Now, start to create your masterpiece in iMovie and Final Cut Express!

Easy to use and very powerful.

Most popular AVHCD Camcorders:

Sony Handycam HDR-CX190 Camcorder: January 2012 – Sony – FullHD 1080p – HD 1080i – AVCHD – MPEG-2 – 1.5 megapixel sensor – Night Vision – USB – HDMI – Composite – 25 x optical zoom – Automatic Focus – Manual Focus – Image Stabilizing – 5.9 ounce

Sony Handycam HDR-XR260V Camcorder: January 2012 – Sony – FullHD 1080p – AVCHD – MPEG-2 – Hard Drive – 5.4 megapixel sensor – Night Vision – USB – HDMI – Composite – 30 x optical zoom – Automatic Focus – Manual Focus – Image Stabilizing – 7.2 ounce

Panasonic HDC-TM900 Camcorder: February 2011 – Panasonic – FullHD 1080p – AVCHD – 3 megapixel sensor – Night Vision – USB – HDMI – Composite – Component – 12 x optical zoom – Automatic Focus – Manual Focus – Image Stabilizing – 13.9 ounce

Canon XA10 Camcorder: March 2011 – Canon – FullHD 1080p – AVCHD – 2.4 megapixel sensor – Night Vision – USB – XLR – HDMI – Composite – Component – 10 x optical zoom – Automatic Focus – Manual Focus – Image Stabilizing – 1.7 pound

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Continue reading »]]> I have .mxf files from my Canon XF100, when I take the MXF files to Final Cut Express to be edited, I failed. After searching google, I need a program to transfer the recorded files MXF files into something FCE can recognize .

The Canon XF100 supports the highest HD quality with Full HD 1920×1080 resolution with Canon XF codec, up to 50Mbps bit rate and 4:2:2 color sampling. If you would like to edit the recorded .mxf video on iMac with FCE, you need Transcode MXF to AICwhich is the free and useful part of the Apple Mac iLife.

While looking for solutions to Import Canon XF100 MXF to FCE on iMac, I downloaded and tried several converters. Only Canon MXF Video Converter for Mac from Pavtube Studion works for me. I like the batch processing and joining of multiple mxf videos into one file. The editing feature to trim the recorded videos is great, as I can control the content for conversion.

To help those who may face the same problem like me, or want to rewrap MXF to AIC on Mac for HD editing in Final Cut Express, I here list a few steps with the fast AIC video conversion.

Step 1: Capture MXF files from Canon Camera to Pavtube Canon to AIC Converter for Mac.

Connect Canon XF100 camcorder to Mac via USB cable, and launch the MXF to FCE Converter for Mac from Application folder. With built-in wizard, you can easily to capture MXF video footage from camcorder to the program. click the “Add” button to load .mxf videos. This Canon MXF Video Convetrer can convert Canon XF100 mxf export lossless compression video/audio compatible with FCE on Mac…

Step 2: Choose MOV with Apple Intermediate Code AIC output format.
Click the “Format” option and choose ” Final Cut” > “Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC) (*mov)” as output format with high quality for Final Cut Express. To get 1080 videos, we need to click the “Settings” button and choose 1920*1080 as output video size, Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC) as output video codec.

Step 3: Merge Canon XF100 MXF files into one. (optional)
Tick the checkbox for “Merge into one file”, and the Mac Canon MXF Video Converter will join and combine the video clips into a single file as output.

Step 4: Edit and trim Canon XF100 MXF videos. (optional)
Select the file you want to trim and click the “Edit” button, you will face the Edit window with original video and output video preview. You can enter exact time point as the set in and set out for trimming.

Step 5: Transcode Canon XF100 MXF to AIC MOV for FCE on Mac.
Click the convert button under the preview window, and the 2011 best Mac Canon MXF video converter will start the conversion from Canon XF100 MXF to AIC MOV for Final Cut Express on Mac.

Tips:
For some Mac users, when editing the MXF videos via the Editor windows of Canon MXF Converter for Mac, the video and sound may go output sync sometimes, making it somewhat difficult to find the trim location. But the output videos would play without sync problem after conversion.

Hopefully the guide above on ” Convert Canon XF100 MXF to AIC MOV for FCE editing ” will be of some help for you.

Continue reading »]]>

Apple claims that iMovie ’09/11 supports most commonly-used video codecs, including DV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, AVCHD and AIC. However, due to the wide range of media types, and the different ways manufacturers store video on these media types, not all AVCHD camcorders are compatible with iMovie ’09/11. In this case, the workaround for you is using a Mac AVCHD Video Converter tool to Convert AVCHD MTS to AIC for iMovie.

About Apple Intermediate Codec (Quoted from Wikipedia)

“The Apple Intermediate Codec is a video codec designed by Apple, Inc to be an intermediate format in an HDV workflow. It features high performance and quality, being less processor intensive to work with than other editing formats. Unlike native MPEG-2 based HDV – and similar to the standard-definition DV codec – AIC does not use temporal compression, enabling every frame to be decoded immediately without decoding other frames. As a result of this, AIC takes three to four times more space than HDV.

AIC is available only on the Mac OS X platform and cannot be read on other platforms to date such as Windows or Linux. All Mac OS X software which makes use of the QuickTime codec libraries – primarily Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Express, and iMovie, but also freeware such as MPEG Streamclip – can use the Apple Intermediate codec.”

how to Import AVCHD/MTS footages to iMovie for editing on Mac?

Step 1: Load AVCHD MTS files.
Free download, install and run Pavtube AVCHD Video Converter for Mac. click “Add” button to load Camcorder 1080p AVCHD MTS files. The Mac MTS converter supports batch conversion, so you are allowed to add multiple files to convert at a time. Meanwhile, if you wanna combine multiple files into a single AIC encoded .mov file, you can put a checkmark in the checkbox “Merge into one file”.

Step 2: Setting Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) (*.mov) as output format.
In order to convert AVCHD to AIC for iMovie, click “Format > QuickTime Movie Format > Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC) (*.mov)” as output video format.

Tip:
1. Pavtube Mac AVCHD Video Converter also supports output Apple ProRes video format for using in Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro X, you can visit “how to convert AVCHD/MTS/MXF to ProRes 422 for FCP/FCP X? “.

2. If you want to Adjust audio and video, click “Settings” button, then you will enter the following interface, on which you are allowed to customize size, bit rate, frame rate, sample rate, and audio channel to your required ones.

Step 3: Convert AVCHD MTS footage to AIC for iMovie.
Click “Convert” button to start Convert MTS to AIC for iMovie ’09/11 Editing. With perfect audio and video synchronization technology, the Mac AVCHD Converter will never cause you any audio and video out of sync issues, which is much better than other similar tools in the market. When the conversion is finished, you can click “Open” button to get the final output AIC MOV files with ease.

Now, you can Import AVCHD/MTS files to iMovie with the Highest Quality.