How to Play AVCHD files on Mac OS X

To play your AVCHD movie files (.mts, .m2ts) you can use one of the following options:

VLC Player (FREE)

Download VLC Player from www.videolan.com and start playing your AVCHD movies. You may required iLife 08 or 09 for playback.

Toast 9 or 10

Toast Player which is included with Toast 9 or 10 can play AVCHD files beautifully. Another advantage of Toast is fast conversion of .mts and .m2ts files to any other format you like.

Updated: 31 Jan 2009

iLife 09: AVCHD to Toast to iMovie 09 Workflow

iLife 09 is here and you will be ofcourse curious to compose your first movie in it. The problem is you have got a camera which produces AVCHD format.

One simple Solution is to attach your camera with notebook, start iMovie and import movie. But I have copied all my AVCHD to folders on my notebook as I don't have time to empty my Memory card by capturing it through iMovie.

Toast to Rescue: IMP: In Toast 10 Preference (Audio & Video) set Chapter Markers to None, otherwise your converted movies will not be visible in iMovie 09.

Fireup your Toast (Toast 9 or 10) and select convert choose the AVCHD (.mts) file or just drag and drop that file into Toast. Start the conversion, choose following setting: In Device Choose H.264 Player In Quality Choose Custom

and change the setting according to screen above. Now Start Converting. The Advantage of using Toast is two folds. First the conversion is very fast and Second the file sizes are quite small.

iMovie 09:

Import your converted movie into IMovie 09 using Import Movie Command and then start composing your movie.

Export your Movie using Share command in iMovie 09 using Large Format. (It will be automatically set for you).

How to Configure Gmail Account on your N95/N73/...

Here is the short tutorial which allows your to configure Gmail Account on N95: (IMP: You must enable POP3 access of Gmail Account. Hint:Look inside Setting and POP forwarding Options on gmail web site)

1. Open Messaging Application
2. Goto Mail box. It asks you No mailbox defined. Define now? Choose Yes
3. Mailbox setup wizard will start. Press start to continue
4. Mailbox Type choose POP3, Press Next
5. On next screen type your email address xxx@gmail.com (IMP: press the Pencil Key and highlight your email address then press Copy. This will save you typing)
6. Press Next
7. Enter pop.gmail.com as Incoming mail server, Press Next
8. Enter smtp.gmail.com as Outgoing mail server, Press Next
9. Access Point, choose Always ask or your preferred one. press next
10. In Mailbox name keep gmail press next
11. Click Finish
12. Click Option and then Settings
13. Choose E-mail
14. Press on Mailboxes and then on Gmail
15. Press on Connection settings
16. Press on Incoming e-mail
17. Enter Username as xxx@gmail.com (You may Press Pencil and then paste)
18. In Password type your password
19. Scroll down to security port and choose SSL/TLS
20. Press Back Button
21. Select Outgoing e-mail, Enter your username and password as described above
22. Scroll down to security port and choose SSL/TLS
23. Hit Back Button twice
24. Press on User settings
25. Enter your Name as you want to display and then go back
26. Goto Retrieval Settings
27. Click on E-mail to retrieve and change it to size limit and then enter 100KB or whatever you like in next screen. Press OK
28. Click on Back
29. If you have unlimited GPRS connection then goto Automatic retrieval and change it otherwise leave as it is.
30. Click back button multiple times so that you are back to main screen.
31. Now when you start Messaging Application you will see Gmail Account goto it and retrieve your email.
32. You can also send email attach images with it etc. Have fun ;)
    
    

Any Question? Post them in Comments

AVCHD Player (.mts, .m2ts) and Converter for Mac OS X

You can now natively play AVCHD Files(.mts, .m2ts) on your mac by using one of the following Applications:

VLC Player version 9.xx (FREE)
Toast 9 or 10 (It uses Toast Player to play AVCHD Files)

You can also convert your AVCHD Files to any format using Toast. It is very fast.

Enjoy your Movies!!!

ILife 09: AVCHD to Toast to iMovie 09 (Workflow)

iLife 09 is here and you will be ofcourse curious to compose your first movie in it. The problem is you have got a camera which produces AVCHD format.
One simple Solution is to attach your camera with notebook, start iMovie and import movie. But I have copied all my AVCHD to folders on my notebook as I don't have time to empty my Memory card by capturing it through iMovie.

Toast to Rescue:

IMP: In Toast 10 Preference (Audio & Video) set Chapter Markers to None, otherwise your converted movies will not be visible in iMovie 09.

Fireup your Toast (Toast 9 or 10) and select convert choose the AVCHD (.mts) file or just drag and drop that file into Toast. Start the conversion, choose following setting:

In Device Choose H.264 Player

In Quality Choose Custom

and change the setting according to screen given below in picture. Now Start Converting.

The Advantage of using Toast is two folds. First the conversion is very fast and Second the file sizes are quite small.
iMovie 09:
Import your converted movie into IMovie 09 using Import Movie Command and then start composing your movie.
Export your Movie using Share command in iMovie 09 using Large Format. (It will be automatically set for you).

My New blog

Previously my Blog Mac and Mobile was on Wordpress (asimag.wordpress.com). But recently Wordpress has gotten so slow, I have launch this blog. I will upload all postings from previous Blog to this one.

Regards,

Asim