Importing MTS/AVCHD files from Memory Card

> i did remove the card while the trancoding was happening

Good Lord. Why did you do that?

That's why we said copy the files off the card first. Yes, it's possible your card has been affected (breaking connection between software and a disk volume -- a huge no-no in Macintosh land). But it's not definitive. 20GB is not small by AVCHD standards. Exactly how long is it taking? And why are you still not copying the files over to a drive first? You're just asking for trouble, repeatedly working with the camera masters yet still not finishing the job. The copy process takes something like 15, 20 minutes. Do you really not have time in post to do this? You've already spent a week here and still have no ingest to show for it. As Jon Chappell aptly pointed out, just because the feature is there, to work off the raw media from the cards while it ingests, doesn't mean it's recommended or even safe.


www.derekmok.com

no derek, what i mean is i first copied the files over to the harddrive, kept the card in and then imported into FCP off the card. as i've been underscoring, i couldn't import from the external harddrive; hence the problem. once the import via the card was complete, i ejected the card. i tried to close out of FCP and that's when i got the message that transcoding was still going on. the footage had been imported, not transcoded. FCP didn't squawk at me about ejecting the card, but i'm still wondering if that's why the transcoding took so bleeding long. it was at only 9% after transcoding 12+ hours.

i don't want to work off the raw card. i'm with you on copying over to the external harddrive first derek! i've been trying to get input on how to make the ingest in FCP work off the external harddrive. so far, nothing's working--not the archive option from "import from camera" either.

that's why i'm wondering if i need a 3rd party solution to transcode before i import into FCP.

> i couldn't import from the external harddrive

That shouldn't be. Did you copy the files properly -- ie. every folder and file from the root up, even folders that appear to be empty?

> i'm still wondering if that's why the transcoding took so bleeding long. it was at only 9% after transcoding 12+ hours.

For 20GB? No way. Something's wrong. If it was still at 9 per cent after an hour or two, I would have stopped the process.


www.derekmok.com

i believe so. i saved the entire contents onto the designated folder on the ext. harddrive. i upgraded to mountain lion after. i can now open that folder in preview and see the various clips. but no, i can't seem to access the indiv. mts files from the archive option in import from camera. i did the same thing with another card after the mountain lion upgrade and its the same deal, only the avchd files are organized as one meta-file, "private." again, if i open it in preview i can see all the diff. clips. if i look at them via the car in FCP/import from camera, i can see/import all the clips. but not from the folder on the harddrive itself.

i've been working with other files this morning, h.264 and jpegs and am having the same sluggishness with the import/transcode. i'm at only 58% of the import and 20% transcode after prob. 2.5 hrs. i added extra ram last fall--i think i'm at 12GB? i'm not sure why this is all taking so long?

there seems to be a connection with the mountain lion installation. is anyone else having problems like this?

on the phone with apple right now!

> i can't seem to access the indiv. mts files

I don't use FCPX, but in every other editing program I've used -- iMovie included -- you don't access the MTS files. You mount the entire volume from the root level up, then an interface allows you to see all the clips.


www.derekmok.com

yes, i know--but it's not letting me mount the volume. through apple i think i've uncovered what the problem is. my new sony hxr-nx30u camera, even though it's shooting in avchd is not supported by FCP X. it also might be the combination with ML. On Lion, I at least could see the folder hierachy of the data; on ML, it's just one meta-file called "Private."

looks like i'll need to use a third party application to convert before bringing into FCP--or just bring it right off the card/camera, which i know is risky.

regardless, it looks like it's going to be a whole new work-flow....growing pains.

it also might have to do with the fact i shot in 1080i 60p, which FCP does not support with similar sony cameras.

You may try my free copyCard app (http://www.spherico.com/filmtools/copyCards/copyCards.dmg) to copy the cards.
Beside making a safe copy it also can create an .iso image which is 1:1 image of your card, this image can be mounted on the desktop and can be used like a normal card.
So you can test the behavior a bit better.

-Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

thanks for the info andreas--can you plz explain a bit more about how this works? does it transcode--or is just a way to mount the information and then let FCP X do the work?

also, does anyone hear had any trouble importing/transcoding a large amount of files? in my session with apple last night, we imported small batches of files (h.264, not avchd, however!) and had no troubles with the ingest/transcode. is it recommended to do smaller batches with imports?

back to the shooting specs--is there a good resource available to understand all the differences? 60p, 30p, etc...

i produce a lot of web-based stuff, is it better to shoot in 720?

also andreas, do i have to have the original card--or can i just mount/create a "new" card from the folder i've created on the ext. harddrive?

Shot put pro works really well Although Jon's product seems to work equally as well I have a copy but the new update killed my license and I'm running on a trial version. That transcode shouldn't take too long maybe an hour and a half but you should still be able to work off the card while it encodes I do it all the time.

------------------------
Dean

"When I see you floating down the gutter I'll give you a bottle of wine."
Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica.

Dean, if you enter your license information again it will re-register.

My software:
Pro Maintenance Tools - Tools to keep Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro running smoothly and fix problems when they arise
Pro Media Tools - Edit QuickTime chapters and metadata, detect gamma shifts, edit markers, watch renders and more
More tools...

nlittrell Wrote:
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> also andreas, do i have to have the original
> card--or can i just mount/create a "new" card from
> the folder i've created on the ext. harddrive?

To work with my little utility you need to have an original card.
But you could try Disk Utility to create one from a folder.

Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

so, andreas, your utility both mounts and transcodes--or just mounts? how do you acces disk utility to create a new "card?"

Nicole,

The app mounts and copies cards. I doesn't touch the files in any way.
To create an image with disk utility use "File -> New -> Disk Image From Folder"

-Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]