How to import/convert Sony HDR MTS/M2TS footages to Mac/iMovie

November 19, 2013 6:31 pm / Posted by Taylor Scorpio to Cameras/Camcorders

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Most of Sony HDR series camcorders like HDR XR150, XR550V capture video as AVCHD file format. Thanks to the iMovie'11 enhancing camcorder supported, some Sony HDR camcorders such as Sony HDR-CX150, HDR-XR350V, Sony HDR-XR500V can be fully supported by iMovie'11. However, not all Sony HDR camcorders can have the luck, like Sony HDR-SR1, Sony HDR-SR11, Sony HDR-SR12, Sony HDR-SR8 Sony HDR-TG5, Sony HDR-UX20, Sony HDR-XR160, etc, for the recorded .mts files may result in distorted image after loading into iMovie.

So if your captured AVCHD footages by Sony HDR camcorder can't be well compatible with Mac programs like iMovie, you may have to render to a third-party software for converting Sony HDR AVCHD footage to Mac-friendly file format like H.264 for iMovie. Sony HDR AVCHD Converter for Mac is specially designed for converting AVCHD MTS/M2TS files from any Sony HDR camcorder model to H.264, MOV or MPEG-4 well supported by Mac programs like QuickTime, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, etc. In addition, the Mac Sony HDR AVCHD Converter can also allow you to do some practical editing jobs: trim one or multiple time-length segments from the source file, join several files into one, do advanced settings for video or audio parameters, etc.

Tutorial on how to convert Sony HDR AVCHD footages on Mac for iMovie (Mountain Lion included):

Transfer and backup the .mts from Sony HDR camcorder to Mac. Then, launch the Mac Sony HDR AVCHD video conversion program. Click "Add File" to import the .mts file(s) to the program.

If intend to polish the source video, you can go on the step. Click "Edit" button, a pop-up windows enables you to customize the video effects by changing the video brightness, contrast, etc, as shown in the following screenshot.

If you would like to play back the AVCHD file in QuickTime, the optimized file format is MOV file format. Click the menu of "Profile", select "Common Video"->"MOV-QuickTime(*mov)". Prefer to editing in the AVCHD in iMovie, go to "iMovie video"->"iMovie MOV", "iMovie MPEG-4" or "iMovie AVI".

Hit "Start" to run the conversion from Sony HDR AVCHD to Mac QuickTime, iMovie, etc.