Final Mate for Mac
Capture video footage from camcorder, join/split AVCHD without encoding, convert to Apple ProRes & AIC
I thought I'd share this. I just got the Panasonic HMC150 (which shoots footage in AVCHD files to an SD card) a week ago, and I've been looking for a good solution so that I could edit in Final Cut Pro 7 in MacBook Pro. (Notes: FCP can't edit AVCHD natively, so I have to convert AVCHD to ProRes) The idea was to minimize the amount of storage the project would need, and allow me to edit AVCHD footage in time on this system, without dropping frames or locking up.
I came up with a seemingly effective solution the other day; actually I think it’s the best way I can co me up with for the time being. The tool I’d like to use is Aunsoft Final Mate for Mac. Before converting AVCHD to ProRes, you have to make sure Final Cut Pro 7 has been set up in your MacBook Pro, or you would not be able to get the ProRes files.
First step, run the Aunsoft Final Mate and connect the Panasonic HMC150 to computer via USB cable. At the same time you will discover that this software can identify the footages automatically. Select the “Import” option instead of “Backup” to make sure the footages have been guided into camcorder tab.
Second, find the “File” option and choose “Create a Movie for Conversion”, then drag and drop the footages to the movie tab. In this way you can convert/edit it as you like. For example, what I need is just a ProRes file, so the only thing I should do is just click the “Export” button at the right corner of Final Mate operator interface.
The last step, all you need to do is to set the output format. Click the third button “Export into Editor” and select “Apple ProRes 422(HQ) (*.MOV)” from “Final Cut Pro” option. If you needn’t change the output path, immediately click the “OK” button and wait for several minutes (The specific time is determined by how large your footage is.)
The usage of Aunsoft Final Mate is more than converting AVCHD footage to ProRes of superior quality. Nondestructive merger is another outstanding function, and with this software we can deal with footages in an easier way.
