Save Trimmed Clip - menu option is inactive

[Ali Crawshaw]

I am new to this forum, so I apologise if this question has already been covered elsewhere.

The Save Trimmed Video menu option is always inactive when I am using Video Studio Pro X2.

I have imported many MTS files from a Panasonic AVCHD camera, and am able to successfully multi-trim them, but I do not not know how I can simply save the trimmed video to a new file. Ideally, I would like to create a new MTS file with the trimmed video, but am happy to save to a different file format if necessary, providing that the quality level remains the same (i.e. 1920x1080 HA).

I have been able to use the Create Video File option to create MPG files, but this creates a file for the whole project, and not necessarily just the trimmed clip.

Essentially, I am looking for a simple way to quickly trim individual MTS video files as part of my workflow when ever I import new videos from the camera.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

Ali

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums!

This is an interesting one. My first thought was "has he highlighted the trimmed clip he wanted to save?" since that is what you normally have to do for "Save trimmed video" to show as active on the menu.

So just to test it out, I took an .mts file (as it happens, from a Panasonic video camera) and cut it, then highlighted one part of it, then went to Clip > Save Trimmed Video -- only to find it was grayed out!

I then tested a variety of other formats (DV, mpeg-2, HDV and DivX) and all performed correctly -- after cutting, and highlighting a section, 'Save trimmed video' was no longer grayed out but active.

It is therefore either a bug or deliberate that this feature does not work with AVCHD. I am pretty sure no one has ever reported it before, and certainly -- as you will deduce from my reaction above -- I had never noticed it before, mainly because I don't do too much AVCHD editing. And when I do, it is mainly -- apart from producing AVCHD hybrid discs -- in response to questions on this Board.

It would be useful, however, if you could report this to Corel. I will do so as well, but the more the merrier when it comes to bugs or something like this. Certainly I can't think of any logical reason why the feature would be available, it seems, for just about every other format, but not for what is becoming rapidly one of the most popular (even if it is at the same time the most difficult of all consumer formats currently available... )

[Ali Crawshaw]

Thanks for the quick reply Ken, and good to know that I'm not the only one experiencing the problem.

The problem does not appear to be restricted to the file format, as I was also unable to save a trimmed video for an exported MPG (which was created from an original 1920x1080 MTS file).

However, I then tried an old low res MPG file and was successfully able to save a trimmed video from it, so I suspect that the setting of the active/inactive staus of the "save trimmed video" menu option could be based on the video resolution.

Following your advice, I'll try raising this with Corel direct.

Thanks again.

Ali

[Ken Berry]

My point is that it is clearly related to AVCHD -- 1920 x 1080 .mts files are AVCHD (often captured as .m2ts). When 'exported' or converted, they often use the .mpg extension. Your older .mpg would of course have no relation to the high def AVCHD format...

[mitchell65]

and cut it

Did you use the scissors? If so when you highlighted one of the new sections was the Save Trimmed Clip not highlighted.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

Ken Said

and cut it, then highlighted one part of it, then went to Clip > Save Trimmed Video -- only to find it was grayed out!

[mitchell65]

Hi Trevor
I was trying to establish wheher Ken was using the trim handles or the scissors. Being Ken if he says cut he means cut with scissors and not trim. The point being, all of my clips are M2TS and I never use the trim handles. If I do use them and then highlight the clip I can choose "Save Trimmed Video" but it saves the entire clip not just the trimmed bit. Iuse the scissors to define he part of the clip I want to save then highlight it, Click "Clip" "Save Trimmed Video". The section is then saved to the default video library file with a separate name but as a M2TS file with the same attributes as the original, I can then rename the clip and drag and drop it to my Project Folder if I wish. I think that is what Ali Crawshaw is trying to achieve.
Personally I have never had much success using the trimming tools and have never (YET) found the need for multi trimming. I'm probably missing something big there but can't think what! .

[mitchell65]

Hi Trevor
Have had another look at trimming M2TS files. Now I find if I trim in the Timeline using the yellow handles, the thum nail in the library takes on the trimmed video length. You can then rename it in the Library in the usual way. Just click on the name that shows and rename it. This then saves an M2TS file in the default library folder as my way using the scissors. So you don't need the Save trimmed clip option. It is automaically saved anyway!

[Ken Berry]

Yes, I meant cut with the scissors. I just tried it again with an .m2ts file, cut with the scissors, highlighted the part I wanted to save, but 'Save Trimmed Video' remains grayed out.

John's last suggestion is certainly a work-around, but a bit cumbersome... Mind you, it probably has the advantage of giving the new file a more easily memorable name than the code versions that VS uses for its names!!

[mitchell65]

cut with the scissors, highlighted the part I wanted to save, but 'Save Trimmed Video' remains grayed out.

That's odd. It is not grayed out on my version of VS x2 which is 12.0.98.0.Pro.
Perhaps Trevor can look at his new version to see if the "Save Trimmed Video" is greyed out and anyone else reading this thread. I can't see anything in Preferences that would effect this!

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John and Ken

I have the same version 12.0.98.0.Pro

I am using a *.mts file

I have tries many ways to cut, whatever way i go i cannot get the Save Trimmed Video ' to be available, it is always greyed out.

[mitchell65]

Trevor, Ken.
"Curiouser and curiouser, cried Alice!"
It seems we are all correct. The difference is the file extension. A M2TS File is OK nd can be saved when trimmed. An MTS file has the Save etc grayed out. So it begs the question, what is the difference between MTS and M2TS. One report I read suggested that the MTS is the RAW file saved by the camera and the M2TS is the converted file that gets imported onto a PC. Some say just rename the extension from MTS to M2TS an it will work. Not true with our problem so there must be a difference somewhere in the files. The following techie response thinks otherwise:

I did binary comparisons of the m2ts files written by HDWriter and the MTS files on my camera and they were 100% identical. The "size on disk" occupied by the file may be different since the camera is using a FAT filesystem and your computer's hard drive is probably using NTFS...
I'm pretty sure the mts extension is just an abbreviated form of "m2ts" due to the 8 character filename, 3 character extension limitation of basic FAT.

Having delved a little further I think I have found one answer. When I bought my Canon HG10 Camera it came with some Corel software. One part was Corel Guide Menu. This software gives the option to Download Files from Camera to PC. If I use this software the downloaded files are in M2TS format whereas If I just transfer fron the camera to the PC they are in MTS format. This latter is the one I usually use. As soon as you do the first bit of editig to the MTS file it takes on the M2TS extension but not before!. I shall now use just the Corel Guide Menu to transfer my files from the camera to the PC and they will all be in M2TS format. I've learnt something new anyway. Where do your (Trevor and Ken) MTS files come from?

[larrewl]

I'm also unable to trim .mts files using VS X2 12.0.98.0.Pro. I simply copy these original AVCHD files using Windows (XP) Explorer from my memory card to my hard drive for video editing. No conversion is involved in this step. My Panasonic records/saves the digital video directly to my memory card. I'd like to trim a MTS file then convert/save the trimmed video as a mpg file.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

I don¡¦t have a HD camcorder and as you know new to X2 so my HD experience is non-existent.
But have a sample Video with *.mts extension from Canon HF10, originally sent from Canada.

I was unable to do much with it, not having the right software, the Laptop seemed ok to read the file using Vista, but XP was no go. AVS Converter worked well.
Now I have X2 I can at least view the file. The next step is a HD camcorder but not for the foreseeable future?

Wikipedia seems to have a lot of info regarding MTS and Blueray.

[mitchell65]

Trevor
I think what you have is an MTS file taken directly from a camera that hasn't gone through a "download software". Tonight I will start a clean video clip, download it from camera to PC with the Corel software and put it on my site for downloading. If you then download it you can try the save trimmed clip procedure and we will then know for sure it is a file extension problem not the VS software.