AVCHD Lite¡¦s .MTS file format........

[alan]

I am thinking of purchasing a digital camera, with HD. Video.

The write up states:

The snag is that, not many media players or video editing packages are compatible with AVCHD Lite¡¦s .MTS file format, whereas MJPEG is widely supported. The DMC-TZ7 comes bundled with

PhotofunStudio software that will playback AVCHD clips and even includes some basic editing tools. In terms of HD performance, both MJPEG and AVCHD Lite offer 720p resolution at 30fps, although Motion JPEG also includes options for WVGA, VGA and QVGA resolutions.

....

I take it that Video studio 12, will process this format:

video editing packages are compatible with AVCHD Lite¡¦s .MTS file format,

?

AVCHD is fixed at 720p, although you can toggle between 9, 13 and 17Mbps bit rate settings. MJPEG clips are limited to a 2GB maximum file size, while AVCHD is unlimited. In practice though, you are limited to 15 minutes maximum recording time, to ensure that the DMC-TZ7 doesn¡¦t fall foul of EU camcorder tariffs.

Also: 15 minutes recoding time. Is there any way around this, i.e. buy 2 SD cards?

[Ken Berry]

Video Studio 12 (X2) cannot deal with AVCHD Lite, period. However, it appears that VS X3 can do so. And though X2 can handle MJPEG, you must have the MJPEG codec installed on your computer. It does not come as part of VS. It is an old, though still good quality, format. However, it produces large files -- which rather defeats the purpose of an AVCHD camcorder, when that format is highly compressed and thus produces small files, relatively speaking.

My own suggestion would be to aim for a full AVCHD camcorder, though I realise they are more expensive. But you would have higher quality, larger frame format capabilities, and as far as I am aware, no limitation on the maximum recording time.

As for the latter, I suspect they mean maximum continuous filming time. In practice, it would be very rare that anyone would use a camcorder for 15 minutes continuously. Much shorter bursts of 10 or 20 seconds are more the norm. It would only be in situations such as filming a concert or such that longer recording times would be necessary...

[alan]

Ken,

Thanks for your reply. I already have a Canon HG10- and I thought that

having a Digital camera + Video, may be a more convenient option,

lighter & smaller that the HG10.

Thanks

[aljimenez]

I own the wonderful Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS3 (goes by different model identification in non-USA parts of the world). It produces AVCHD Lite files that are superb in quality. The latest version of VS handles these files just perfectly. The last version could not render a file from a project that had AVCHD Lite files and I had to convert them. One of the reasons I am very happy with the latest version... Al

BTW. I have an 8GB SDHC card in it and it can take a one hour AVCHD Lite video at the highest quality setting

[alan]

Hi
aljimenez ,

Thanks for your reply. How do you "get around" the recording of a

maximum of 10 minutes of video? Can you record more that 10 minutes.

if so how ?

[aljimenez]

My Panasonic LUMIX has no time limit. It records until the SDHC card is full.. Al

[alan]

Many thanks for the info.