Editing AVCHD video

[broke4sure]

I'm new to video editing. I bought a Panasonic HDC-HS700PC and uploaded 2 hours of files to my computer. The files are in AVCHD format and the software editing supplied by Panasonic doesn't really allow me to do a whole lot. I'm running Windows 7 Home Edition so tried using Windows DVD maker but it doesn't seem to be able to open AVCHD format. Is there any free software or trial software that allows editing in that format. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Broke4Sure

[Ghitulescu]

Define editing....
As a side note: trialware can't be used for long so you'll be stuck either with freeware or with payware.

[hello_hello]

Define editing....

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/editing
3. To assemble the components of (a film or soundtrack, for example), as by cutting and splicing.


broke4sure,
I'm not all that experienced with AVCHD (it uses m2ts files doesn't it?) but until someone else comes along.....

After editing are you planning on re-encoding it to a different format? It's just that the re-encoding part could make a difference to how you tackle it, although I assume the fact you've tried Windows DVD Maker means you want to end up with a DVD format?

Avidemux (http://avidemux.berlios.de/) would probably be a good place to start. If it doesn't open m2ts files directly (I'm not sure and I don't have it installed at the moment) I think you should be able to remux the m2ts files as MKVs using MKVMergeGUI. It's part of MKVToolnix (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/MKVtoolnix). Maybe once they're MKVs the Windows DVD Thingy might even be able to open them too.

Using Avidemux you should be able to edit away and re-encode if necessary etc, and I think it'll output vob files for burning to a DVD video disc. If not many DVD players will happily play mpeg files burned to a DVD data disc.

That's somewhere to start anyway.....

[broke4sure]

Yes the files are .m2ts. I was hoping to add still pictures, music background, and insert my own audio files for certain scenes, include text at the beginning and ending, clip unwanted scenes from a paticular file etc. I want to be able to play it on a regular DVD player so was planning to likely recode to .avi but wasn't sure if this should be done before or after the editing. Would like to be able to keep the good quality of the video as much as possible and was of the impression that I should keep recoding down as much as possible to do that. Thanks for the help and would appreciate any other advice you folks may have. I'm all ears.
Broke

[Ghitulescu]

Define editing....

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/editing
3. To assemble the components of (a film or soundtrack, for example), as by cutting and splicing.

I was hoping to add still pictures, music background, and insert my own audio files for certain scenes, include text at the beginning and ending, clip unwanted scenes from a paticular file etc.
You may do this in avisynth, yet its learning curve is very steep. So you have to buy editing suites like Magix, Nero etc. all of them around 100€.
I want to be able to play it on a regular DVD player so was planning to likely recode to .avi but wasn't sure if this should be done before or after the editing. Would like to be able to keep the good quality of the video as much as possible and was of the impression that I should keep recoding down as much as possible to do that.
A DVD player doesn't play by definition AVIs. There are DVDplayers that are DivX certified and they will play divx-encoded videos, however you have to select the proper profile in order that your content to be portable, ie to be playable also on other players.

However you may obtain AVCHD discs (commonly known as BD5, google if you're not familiar) which will keep the original quality as much as possible and will play on all players. Converting them into MKVs will seriously restrict their playback on selected players, that can cope with MKV in the first place and secondly can bypass the 4GB limit. These players are very rare (2011 and onwards) in comparison with the already sold players (and yes PS3 doesn't like MKV).

Going back to AVI and DVD is a step backward and questions the reason why you've bought an HD-camcorder in the first place.

[broke4sure]

Thanks for the help Ghitulescu. I do plan to keep the edited video in .mt2s files for my own use but need to recode to something that will play on a DVD player for copies that I give to other people. My video is mostly of our family, as well as farewell get togethers and weddings. Will check out the BD5 suggestion. (As a private pilot I know of a plane with that designation so expecting to get lots of hits) (;^)
Broke

[hello_hello]

You'd struggle to find a DVD player which doesn't play AVIs these days. Even the ones which don't bother with DivX verification can usually still play them.

I'm not sure why the big spiel on MKVs. Remuxing to MKV was only a suggestion to use if Avidemux won't open m2ts files directly, although MKV capable Bluray players have been around for a long time and I'm not sure what 4GB file size limit needs to be bypassed. Sounds like it might be just a file system related limitation.

broke4sure, it does sound like you need a fairly well equipped editing suite for what you're wanting to do. There's a list of them here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVCHD#AVCHD_as_distribution_format) in the section explaining why AVCHD playback isn't 100% guaranteed on all Bluray players. I think MultiAVCHD is the only free one, but whether it has all the features you require I'm not sure.

[Ghitulescu]

Thanks for the help Ghitulescu. I do plan to keep the edited video in .mt2s files for my own use but need to recode to something that will play on a DVD player for copies that I give to other people. My video is mostly of our family, as well as farewell get togethers and weddings. Will check out the BD5 suggestion.

If you can edit your movies only with cuts (like Hollywood does) and refrain yourself from using various transitions and effects (which only underline the amateurism of the editor, sorry) you can have those videos lossless (COPY/PASTE) to a BDR or DVD (BD5 or BD9). Cuts you can do with tsmuxer or very cheap tools like tsdoctor and/or smartcutter. Titles you can do for free with zillions of editors as subtitles and force them to appear (google for forced subtitles). Authoring you can do for free with the only free BD authoring tool, multiavchd. Burning also for free with imgburn.

PS1: when I say free I wanted actually to say donationware
PS2: the only question remains to establish the bit budget, ie what kind of medium fits the final movie, a DVDR (BD5), a DL (BD9), a BDR or a BDR50. Or you can author the BDR without any concern, then use BDRB to shrink it at the needed size, or even downscale it to a DVD for "mass distribution".
PS3: you may also use the MKV solution, just that you have to use payware, as no player I know can use the subtitles (titles, intertitles) from the MKV.