Alludo USER to USER Web Board

Can't seem to find a free m2ts viewer for sorting clips.
I have no problem paying for one with your guidance.
Amazing to me how little I know on basic things.
Thanks
Mike

I am not exactly sure what you mean by a viewer... but what is the matter with using VS to look at your files and sort them out?

But if you are after something which will play them, then try out the (free) Media Player Classic from http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video ... __20080127_ It is a very small file, which you just unzip and put wherever you want on your computer.

I just downloaded the current stable version and it seemed to play everything I put in it just fine and that included both HDV and AVCHD files of differing types.

Thanks KEN believe me I spent an hour this morning looking on the Internet and got niks. It is now installed on one of the computers here. It works like well 'tis amazing. You guys need a Nobel prize in forum helping.

BTW What is the difference between HDV and AVCHD files?

Then again I followed your instructions last time in making a DVD and everyone seems to be able to view it. What format did you guys tell me to use? I remember how to shrink it to fit. When making a FILE that I later wish to edit what format do you use. 1080i or 50p seems the most obvious to me but I am like a kid in a candy store - I see everything and get confused. With the forum's help we (my wife is also smitten now) have managed to get things done. Unfortunately the book has too many holes in it, but reading the book certainly helped.
Thanks for being there.
Mike

HDV is high definition mpeg-2 (1440 x 1080, Upper Field First, CBR 25 Mbps, mpeg layer 2 audio). AVHCD is high definition mpeg-4 rendered with the H264 codec, but can have a variety of frame sizes, from 1280 x 720 up to 1920 x 1080, and a variety of biitrates from around VBR 12 mbps now up to now VBR 24 Mbps. Audio is usually Dolby 5.1 but not always. Always Upper Field First as well -- though of course can also be 'p' for progressive, which is not interlaced (hence 25 or 30 i for interlaced, or 50 or 60 p for progressive). AVCHD is MUCH hard to edit than HDV...

Standard definition DVDs are always mpeg-2, and for an hour long project can have a max bitrate of 8000 kbps. Frame size is 720 x 576 (PAL) or 480 (NTSC). Depending on the source material, it can be Upper or Lower Field First and sometimes Frame Based (similar to high definition progressive).

Thanks interleaving I remember now I know you can have either upper or lower field first.
One last thing (promise).
I download from the camera and get m2ts files the actual video and sound. I also get tmb (thumb) cont and iis files as well. What are they? Maybe I should know as I delete them.

thanks Mike

No idea about the iis ones. Never heard of them -- but you should run a Google search as that will give quite a few related results, none of which seem to relation to VS. So I would not delete anything until you know what you are dealing with...

The thumb files are undoubtedly the thumbnails created for each clip...