Panasonic HDC-TM700 Recording to Edit.

[Rollason]

I wonder if someone can help me. I have a new Panasonic HDC-TM700 Video Camera on which I have recorded some hours of video. There is a minor editing programme that comes with the camera which is very basic. I want to edit with Ulead VS 11.5 Plus. I have downloaded the video from the camera using Panasonic's own programme. Panasonic maintain it's not possible to download in any other programme. Certainly VS 11.5 doesn't seem to recognise the camera for downloading but that may be because there is some driver of which I'm not aware. I have two computers on which I can download. One has Windows XP as the operating system, the other has Windows 7. I have VS 11.5 loaded on each. The download is in AVCH2. I would prefer to work in MPEG2 but I seem unable to download in this format or to change the download to this format.
I have attempted to work with Windows video but that won't respond to the download in AVCH2 either.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Many thanks, Roy.

[Ken Berry]

First, the format of your camcorder is AVCHD, not AVCH2... And that, as you probably realise, is high definition mpeg-4. That is why Windows video, as you call it, could not deal with it.

Second, I am not sure what workflow you were using to try to get VS 11.5+ to "see" the camera and import from it. A camcorder such as yours uses SD card memory, and this appears in Windows or indeed VS as an external drive from which you can simply transfer video files from it to your computer hard drive the same as you would transfer data files from any other external drive e.g. by drag and drop. If you were instead trying to use the Capture part of VS, that is why it was not working.

Third, you don't tell us why you prefer to work in mpeg-2, much less what sort of mpeg-2 you prefer i.e. standard definition (for use, say, in a standard video DVD) or high definition mpeg-2 (which is HDV format). But if you are intending, say, to produce a Blu-Ray disc or a hybrid AVCHD disc on a standard DVD blank, then both your original AVCHD and HDV can be used for that, so there is no need to convert the AVCHD to mpeg-2. Mind you, you also don't tell us anything about your computer properties, and they are primordial when talking about AVCHD. To even play AVCHD smoothly -- and of course to edit it -- you require at least a decent Core 2 Duo processor or preferably a Quad. Ironically, in these circumstances, VS has SmartProxy which automatically creates a copy of high def video in mpeg-2 standard def format to make editing easier for those with less powerful computers. You do your edits in that format, then they are applied to the high def originals. But as I say, if you don't have a Core 2 Duo processor, the resulting AVCHD file will not play smoothly. HDV is fine, however.

But if you really want mpeg-2, then VS can convert your AVCHD to it -- just make sure you use the highest quality properties when you do the conversion.

[Natal]

But if you are intending, say, to produce a Blu-Ray disc or a hybrid AVCHD disc on a standard DVD blank, then both your original AVCHD and HDV can be used for that, so there is no need to convert the AVCHD to mpeg-2.

That depends on what bit rate the original footage is. Hybrid AVCHD discs are restricted to 18000 kbps, while Videostudio's Blu Ray disc output with H.264 is limited to 20000 kbps and MPEG-2 is limited to 35000 kbps. If your camera shoots at 24000 kbps (like mine) then I'm guessing that you want to use MPEG-2 to minimize compression damage. If you are not outputing to a disc, then "same as first video clip" works fine.

[Rollason]

Thank you for that post. Sorry about the AVCH2, I misread that and know that it should be AVCHD. I have downloaded the video into "My Video" in the documents folder and have cleared the hard drive in the camcorder and am therefore stuck with what I have. I would like, at this stage, to edit and burn to standard DVD.
I don't know how much information you need on the two computers but the desktop has an ASUS A7V-8X-A-L DDR 333MHZ motherboard, AMD ATHLON XP2400+ CPU. The laptop is a Dell Studio 17 with an Intel core i3-35M, 2.26GHZ, 4 threads 3MB cache with 3 GB's ram. This does not mean a lot to me but I hope that it helps.
[Incidentally, I tried to update my profile but it will only hold one computer and some of the information I'm asked for I don't have. It won't accept the information unless all the boxes are filled].
I don't necessarily want to work in MPEG2, I assumed that MPEG2 may be more acceptable to the programme.
All I am keen to do is to be able to bring this video into Video Studio 11.5, edit it and burn it to standard DVD.
I attempted to download direct from the camcorder using a USB cable but the programme wouldn't recognise it. I didn't attempt to download direct by opening a file and downloading into that. Assuming that I could have done that. Each time now that I attempt to bring the video into VS it tells me that there is an error and it has to close. Which it then does.
I now have the video downloaded onto both computers so either is available. Providing I can get it into the VS editing programme.
If you can inform me of some way in which I can do this I would be most grateful.
Many thanks, Roy.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Start Video Studio
First make sure Smart Proxy is turned on

Then Right click the timeline Select Insert Video,
Browse your hard drive for your video files.

By the way Standard DVD is MPEG2

[Rollason]

Hi Trevor,
I've checked Smart Proxy and it is selected as I expected. I've done as you suggest but I'm afraid it's no go. I've tried putting in the file direct without success and opening the file and putting in the individual files to the same effect, "Video Studio has detected an error and has to close".
I've also selected MPEG files in the drop down menu, which has shown the files which rather surprised me, but still no effect. I've also tried inserting them into the library but they aren't accepted there either.
Any more ideas? I don't want to lose the video.
Regards, Roy.

[Rollason]

Hello again, Trevor,
I have just tried selecting and importing still images, taken on the same camera and downloaded the same time as the video, and they transport into the timeline no trouble at all. I don't understand why the video won't. It doesn't seem to make any sense.
Roy.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Roy

There is another post regarding problem video from the Panasonic 700 range.
http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38759
Although Geoff is using X3 and able to import the clips but has problems when playing/editing.

Roy as you want to make a standard DVD I would suggest that you use the Panasonic software to convert your video files to standard Pal DVD.
Then use the new files in VS 11.

[Rollason]

Thank you for those posts, they are appreciated. Unfortunately they haven't got me very far. Having downloaded the video from the camcorder onto the desktop, I find that I can play individual files, ie. individual shots, in Windows Media Player and can play the files in the programme that came with the camera, HD Writer AE 2.1 which is pretty basic. This programme will allow cutting the length of shots and inserting shots, ie. changing the sequence of shots, oh yes, and adding a title but that's about it.
I am using a Dell Studio 17 with an i3 processor.
I don't see why VS Pro X won't allow insertion and editing. The video is AVCHD with which VS is supposed to be compatible. Am I doing something wrong or is there some upgrade I need?
Regards, Roy.

[erdna]

I have TM700 and have no problems to insert footage (50i as well as 50p) in VS11.5 and/or VSX2/3. My OS is Vista and this may make the difference. The Panasonic files seem to be somehow different, because I need to start my VX2/3 editing timeline with an image file as the first clip when I want to use smart render for file creation. I never needed to do this with footage coming from other cancorders

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Roy

The video from Panasonic 700 series cameras produces m2ts files.
Pal HDMV
H264 Video Upper Field
1920 x 1080 16:9
Digital Dolby 5.1
16800 kbps

There are a few ways to get the files from camera to PC, if you are not doing so, use the HD Writer AE 2.1 to achieve this. Then try to insert to Video Studio.

DVD
You are intending to make a standard DVD which uses Mpeg2 files.
Your original video files need converting to Mpeg2 in order to burn a DVD
Use the HD Writer AE 2.1

Use the new Mpeg2 files in Video Studio to edit.

[Rollason]

Hello erdna. Thank you for your post of a few days ago. I've been trying various things in my attempts to get video into VS11.5. Without any success I might add. I'm curious to know how, ie. exactly what you did, to download from TM-700 into VS 11.5. It may well be that Windows 7 has some basic problem with delivering video into VS, in which case I'm guessing that others are going to run up against this. I might also add that I'm having the same problem with XP on another computer, as I've mentioned, so that may rule that idea out.
Trevor, thank you too. I have the video in writer AE2.1 and am considering doing a 'quick' basic edit, burning to DVD and then attempting to bring the video into VS through the "Download from media", access to VS. It's 3.5hrs of video which makes this a long winded process. You have suggested 'a few ways to get the files from camera to PC'. I'm curious. There only appears to be one way with TM-700. Via cable to USB into a file on the desktop or some other selected file [which I tried] or directly into AE 2.1 There is another interesting point here, according to the manual on the CD, there is only the one chance to download video into AE2.1 The same video cannot be downloaded from the camera into AE2.1 twice, which seems a little strange to me.
It seems a very long way to go to have to burn video to DVD and then reimport to VS11.5. I am still nonplussed that the programme will not recognise the camera. I did ask once before if there was a driver that is available to download for Windows 7. Erdna seems to be able to download directly into VS11.5 which would seem to suggest that as Windows Vista recognises the camera, then XP and 7 should. I have edited successfully with my previous cam., a Panasonic NVS-88. and can only assume that being a High Definition cam. is the problem.
Regards, Rolly.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Rolly

The Panasonic TM-700 records video and saves the files onto either a memory card or internal memory within the camera.
As far as I know using files similar to 20100822_100612.m2ts, although it may use mts as the extension.

The files are video data files, just like still image files they can be transferred to the pc using Drag and Drop, Copy and Paste.

Panasonic provide software (writer AE2.1) which can be used to import the video files. (it may be this software that changes the extension m2ts / mts, I am a little unsure about this, but its not a problem)
Ultimately the video files will be saved to a folder on the PC.

Video Studio does not play any part in transferring the files from camera to PC.
Video Studio will not recognise the camera, it simply doesn’t need to.

Once the files are on the pc you can use video editing software to create your movie.

Video Studio X3 is capable of editing these files, although it must be stressed that editing HD video requires a good/ fast pc.
Whether VS 11 is capable of editing these files? I do not know, I do not own VS 11.

To insert the files to video studios timeline, right click the timeline and select Insert Video, browse the hard drive and locate the video files.

If the software will not edit the HD files and you are intending to make a standard DVD, then you could convert the M2ts files to mpeg2,
this is the format suitable to burn a dvd and can be edited using VS11.
A free program called Super would do this, but you have writer AE2.1
writer AE2.1

Using this program to burn a DVD is literally converting the M2ts files to mpeg2.
I thought the program had the ability to convert the files without going through the process of burning a DVD.

[erdna]

For e.g. 11.5+ editing TM700 footage, I don't do anything special. I just insert (or open video file) the footage which I copy pasted straight from my camcorder into my local HD, put these .mts (not mt2s) onto the timeline and share to... I don't use the writer at all.

[Rollason]

Thanks, Trevor and erdne. I'll try again and see where we go. I have the original video on a back up hard drive so should be able to transfer it direct from there onto my computer hard drive and from there into VS 11.5. I'm pretty certain that I downloaded direct into Windows video so I don't see why it's not being recognised. Anyway, not time to give up yet. I'll keep trying. The files are 20100822_10612.m2ts style. ie. they start 20100704 on to 20200728, VLC media files .mt2s which seems to relate pretty closely to those you describe.
Regards and thanks again, Rolly