Some Really Naive Video Capture/Edit Questions

[wigwam12]

Bought me a card reader supporting SDHC to transfer movies etc from the camcorder to the pc.

I stuck the card in the reader and can explore it.
Opened up Ulead Movie Factory 6 and clicked on the "import/capture --> Capture from device" and it says I have no capture driver available on system?
Which driver would this be then?

I then figured I would at least manually transfer the files to the "camcorder" folder on my harddrive and I see 3 folders within "BDMV":
Clipinf/Playlist/Stream with CPI/MPL/MTS files respectively.
I have started to transfer the lot as I write this but what does each do?

Could someone please summarise or point an eejut like me towards a simple walkthrough of how to get a movie from my SDHC card onto my pc and then to be able to play with it via Movie Factory.

Many thanks

[senu]

Simply go to the Stream folder and copy the mts or m2ts files.. these are the ones you need. The other ones are navigational or index files for allowing creation of thumbnails .. used by the camcorder but not needed by MF6 or third party programs
In Ulead MF6 you need to open New project, create a disc then specify which type
This will open the Add media dialogue
Click on add files ( filmstrip with + sign) and browse to where the files have been downloaded
For playback you dont need MF
Try
Oxygen
or
Nero Showtime 4 (part of Nero 8) if you have it

[wigwam12]

I tried that. I go to the "stream" folder and when it is set to "all formats" it is blank.
When i click "all files" I can see the .mts files btu when I try to select one it refuses and says "file format mismatch"

likewise WinDVD9 will not recognise any of the mts files?!

[senu]

Is it possible that MF6 (plus) does not support your camcorders mts files and needs an update?
Unlikely, if it is the Plus version
Why not just copy the mts files in a self created folder and play them with the Oxygen player I linked
I dont think Win DVD (ordinarily) has any codecs to play AVCHD files anyway.It has a (costlier) Plus version which more than likely does

[senu]

You might need
This

[wigwam12]

many thanks Senu. I certainly did need that add-on pack and now it [UMF6] can see my movies.

Also windvd9 plus would still not open/play the files but then I came across this:
does support AVCHD files, but only by dragging and dropping them onto the player. According to a Corel rep: "'open from folder' functionality is for DVD folders only. There is no definition of an AVCHD folder in the AVCHD spec. AVCHD folders have the exact same structure as BDMV folders so, for security concerns expressed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, Corel WinDVD 9 Plus Blu-ray does not support AVCHD or BDMV folder playback." (emphasis mine).

I dragged a file onto windvd9+ and it ran fine.
Odd!

[redsox_mark]

Annoying (but understandable), the Blu-Ray association doesn't want software to allow access from a folder for "for security concerns"....

[senu]

Originally Posted by wigwam12

many thanks Senu. I certainly did need that add-on pack and now it [UMF6] can see my movies.

Also windvd9 plus would still not open/play the files but then I came across this:
does support AVCHD files, but only by dragging and dropping them onto the player. According to a Corel rep: "'open from folder' functionality is for DVD folders only. There is no definition of an AVCHD folder in the AVCHD spec. AVCHD folders have the exact same structure as BDMV folders so, for security concerns expressed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, Corel WinDVD 9 Plus Blu-ray does not support AVCHD or BDMV folder playback." (emphasis mine).

I dragged a file onto windvd9+ and it ran fine.
Odd!

Well done, not that Odd though..

Good on you for trying!
Similarly Cyberlinks Power DVD ultra (Software for playback of BD/HD DVD was crippled from file (?folder) playing mode by an "update" patch) because of similar piracy concerns bythe BluRay Disc association
Needless to say most folk gave cyberlinks patch a miss
They call it security because it lends more authenticity to the reasoning. Given the cost of BD recording drives and media I think it is overkill though ( at least at the present time) .. As of today the low cost of proper DVD video titles make rather unproductive to try and copy them despite ubiquity of software media and hardware.
Interestingly, similarly, I saw an offer for 3 BD movie discs for £20 yesterday making them cheaper than Blank media

It is interesting that the patch I linked is free from the NA site but the UK Ulead site still sell it as an add on plug in.. Shhh!

[wigwam12]

in wihch case I am doubly in your debt as I would never have thought to shop around for the price of a [free] add-on pack!

Just need to source Panny HD Writer 2.5 now
That being said I haven't checked to see if the HD Writer can recognise my card reader or if I will have to transfer manually [fine for me but software method easier for t'other half]