Suggestions on IMac for AVCHD video editing

[Jaggie99]

After much waiting thinking of whether to take the plunge with new iMac i7 for AVCHD video editing. Should I also take the plunge with FCE4 or is iMovie 11 able to native import AVCHD, or will need a AVCHD M2TS converter to prevent having massive 10GB+ video files created by iMovie

Thoughts and suggestions ?

 

[iViking]

After much waiting thinking of whether to take the plunge with new iMac i7 for AVCHD video editing. Should I also take the plunge with FCE4 or is iMovie 11 able to native import AVCHD, or will need a AVCHD M2TS converter to prevent having massive 10GB+ video files created by iMovie

Thoughts and suggestions ?

I am interested in this, too. I have been editing AVCHD files in iMovie '11 and am looking for some other way as the files are huge and importing the files takes a while. I think it's because iMovie has to convert everything into .mov files.

I got a Nikon D5100 to shoot video with and hope that those files will be easier to work with and import into iMovie '11.

 

[baypharm]

Can't you save them to an external drive?

 

[iViking]

Can't you save them to an external drive?

I do, but then if you want to actually use them in iMovie you have to import them into iMovie from the external. At least that's what I've been doing so far as I have not been able to find a workaround.

 

[OldCorpse]

Why are your options only iMovie 11 and FCE4? You are thinking wrong, way wrong.

Here's the scoop. FCP is undergoing a revolution. Come the summer, FCPX is being released. It will sport an ultra-affordable price ($299), and it will do AVCHD natively. So wait for that, and go for it.

Here's FCPX, read up!

The new iMacs will be an excellent pairing with FCPX and AVCHD.

 

[kfscoll]

iMovie '11 can deal with AVCHD files, but it converts them to the AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) format for editing. I've found that iMovie's conversion significantly softens the image, so I use VoltaicHD to convert AVCHD to AIC; iMovie then can edit the resulting AIC file natively.

If FCPX natively supports AVCHD, so much the better.