Sony and Panasonic are the camcorder manufacturers offering high quality and attractive consumer-level camcorders like Sony HDR-CX550 and Panasonic HDC-TM700. If you are looking for a new full HD camcorder, the two models with similar pricing are difficult to choose.

Here is the comparison sheet between CX550 and Panasonic TM700.

While we have a brief look at the specification of Sony CX550 and Panasonic TM700, we can find out that Sony CX550 includes 29.8 mm wide angle lens with super optical SteadyShot. The audio recording output as Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound. Panasonic TM700 records 1080/60p full HD video and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio with 35mm wide-angle lens and 3MOS sensor.

Panasonic TM700 includes more recording mode than Sony CX550, and even at higher bit rate 28Mbps, while CX550 only supports up to 24Mbps for recording videos. Another appealing point for recording with Panasonic TM700 is that the 1080/60p and 1080/50p recording, while the highest format for Sony CX550 is 1080/60i and 1080/50i.

The image stabilization system in Sony CX550 is great for recording without tripod. The output video is stable even you walk and film video without obvious movement on camcorder. While the playback on camcorder is smooth, there are some reports about problems watching TM700 60p videos on computer. Computer should play 1080/60p video, but the .mts file is not AVCHD-compliant, making it difficult to play the 60p or 50p MTS videos from TM700 smoothly on computer. Another reason is that the computer could not decode the TM700 1080/60p 28Mbps video fast enough.

To play the HD videos from TM700, while you are not going to update/upgrade your drivers, codecs, or other related elements, you may convert 1080/60p 28Mbps video to lower settings for iMac, MacBook or PC. Aunsoft Video Converter for Mac is the recommended as HD camcorder video converter for Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard users on playing around High-Def videos. The converter also deinterlaces Sony CX550 video, and makes videos compatible with most applications.

While you want to go out traveling, do you want to take high quality pictures and videos? For the camcorders with advanced configuration, the model size is quite large comparing to the small camera which is light and shoot video and picture with lower quality. Sony Alpha NEX-5 comes out as the smallest HD camera, which is lightweight with AVCHD video.

You can recorder 1080i AVCHD or 720p MP4 videos with Sony NEX-5, and 1080i AVCHD is the selling point and advantage of NEX-5 comparing to NEX-3. While the 1080/60i AVCHD video from Sony NEX-5 could not be recognized by QuickTime Player, not even iMovie, we need to convert Sony NEX-5 video to H.264 MOV for playback on Mac. Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac is the top-notch Sony Alpha NEX-5 AVCHD converter for Mac users with Mac OS X like Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard.

Follow the step-by-step guide below, and you can convert and deinterlace Sony NEX-5 1080/60i M2TS to MOV for QT Player.

Step 1. Add Sony NEX-5 AVCHD videos to Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac.
Connect Sony NEX-5 to iMac with USB 2.0 cable or use card reader to transfer the .m2ts files to Apple hard drive disk. Run Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac as the best Mac Sony NEX-5 AVCHD converter, and click the “Add” button to load 1080i .m2ts videos.

Step 2. Choose H.264 MOV output format.
Click the “Format” option, and navigate the mouse cursour to HD Video > H.264 HD Video(*.mov) as output format. The Mac Sony AVCHD converter converter will transcode NEX-5 1080/60i M2TS to H.264 MOV in High-Def 1920×1080.

Step 3. Deinterlace Sony NEX-5 M2TS.
Click the “Editor” button, go to the Effect tab, and make sure the checkbox for Deinterlacing is ticked. The Mac Sony NEX-5 M2TS converter will deinterlace 1080i M2TS to remove interlacing artifacts.

Step 4. Convert Sony NEX-5 M2TS to MOV.
Click the convert button under the preview window, and the conversion from Sony NEX-5 1080i M2TS to 1080p MOV for QuickTime Player on iMac will begin soon.

As soon as the conversion is done, you can play Sony Alpha NEX-5 HD videos on Mac without interlaces on iMac/MacBook Pro.

While HD camcorders will record video in interlaced mode for direct playback on HDTV, you will notice interlacing lines on computer playback after transferring HD videos from camcorder to computer hard drive. To enjoy the HD videos at 1920×1080, you will need to deinterlace 1080i to 1080p. Aunsoft Video Converter for Mac is the first-class Mac video filter to remove interlacing artifacts on HD videos.

Aunsoft Video Converter for Mac does not only deinterlace 1080i to 1080p, but also converts MTS/M2TS to MOV for QuickTime Player with H.264 codec. If you have any interlacing problem with your videos from camcorders like Panasonic HDC-SD5, HDC-HS250, HDC-TM700, Sony HDR-CX350, Sony NEX-5, Canon HF S10 or other camcorders, you may follow the steps below to deinterlace 1080i HD video for playback on Mac Snow Leopard. Here I take Panasonic HDC-SD5 as an example.

Step 1. Add Panasonic SD5 videos to Aunsoft Video Converter for Mac.
After transferring HD videos from camcorder to Apple computer hard drive, run Aunsoft Video Converter for Mac as the perfect Mac Panasonic HD video converter, and click the “Add” button to load HD MTS videos.

Step 2. Choose H.264 MOV output format.
Click the “Format” option, and choose HD Video > H.264 HD Video(*.mov) as output format. The Mac HD video converter will transcode MTS to MOV in High-Def 1920×1080.

Step 3. Deinterlace Panasnic SD5 MTS.
To make sure the source video will be deinterlaced, just click the “Editor” button, and go to the Effect tab, and you will see the checkbox for Deinterlacing . While the checkbox is ticked, it indicates that the output video will be transcode as progressive mode, and there is no interlacing problem for computer playback.

Step 4. Convert Panasonic SD5 1080i to 1080p.
Click the convert button under the preview window on the main interface, and the conversion from Panasonic HDC-SD5 1080i MTS to 1080p MOV for QT Player will start right away.

After the conversion, you can freely play the HD videos on QT Player and enjoy the HD videos on iMac/MacBook Pro without interlaced lines.

While you are trying to upload videos to YouTube, you may notice the duration limit for each video clip, and it should be no longer than 15 minutes. If you shoot videos with AVCHD camcorders like Panasonic HDC-HS250 for particular event continuously, you may want to cut and split the MTS file into several clip the length supported by YouTube.Aunsoft Panasonic AVCHD Converter is the right tool for you to handle your MTS/M2TS videos. It can convert MTS to MP4 for YouTube, and help you deinterlace 1080i video to 1080p video for HD display on YouTube. If you have long AVCHD videos and would like to upload to YouTube, just follow the guide below to cut MTS and convert to MP4 on Windows 7. Here I take Panasonic HDC-HS250 as an example.

Step 1. Load Panasonic HS250 videos to Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter.
Connect Panasonic HS250 camcorder to computer via USB cable and transfer the .mts files from camcorder to Windows computer hard drive. Run Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter as the best Panasonic HS250 to YouTube converter, and click the “Add” button to load 1080i .mts videos.

Step 2. Choose HD MP4 output format.
Click the “Format” option, and navigate the mouse cursor to HD Video > H.264 HD Video(*.mp4) as output format. The Panasonic AVCHD converter will transcode Panasonic HS250 MTS to MP4 in HD.

Step 3. Cut MTS video.
Select the video on the list, click the “Editor” button, and go to the Trim tab. To cut video, just drag the small icons under the timeline, or enter value in the box for Start or End and click the “Set” button. Click the bottom OK button to save trimming MTS video.

Under the Effect tab, you may notice the checkbox for Deinterlacing. Make sure the checkbox is ticke, and it is to deinterlace 1080i to 1080p.

Step 4. Convert 1080i MTS to 1080p MP4 for YouTube.
Click the convert button, and the Panasonic AVCHD converter will start converting 1080i MTS to 1080p MP4 without interlacing issue on YouTube.

After the conversion is finished, you can easily log in your YouTube account and upload the output videos to YouTube for sharing.

Tips:
1. If you import one file to the Aunsoft Panasonic AVCHD editor, you will get one file as output. If you want to cut and output videos with different time frame, you may load the .mts twice, and trim video with at different starting time and end time.

2. If you are on MacBook for iMac with Mac Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard, you may use the Mac Panasonic AVCHD converter to put camcorder videos to YouTube.

I shoot videos with my Panasonic TZ10 camera for the work and personal use. I would shoot some videos which show the steps of using my product, and then display them on iPad, or take some clips for personal venture and travel. The Panasonic DMC-TZ10 is great with GPS for storing my journey with locations. iPad is a great tablet with large screen and easy to take with.However, iPad does not support the AVCHD Lite natively. To get Panasonic AVCHD Lite video onto iPad for editing and viewing, Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter is the recommended Panasonic AVCHD Lite converter to transcode Panasonic TZ10 MTS to iPad MP4. The must-have camcorder converter includes quick profile for converting 720p AVCHD Lite files to iPad.

If you have Panasonic DMC-TZ10, or DMC-ZS7 and want to convert AVCHD Lite videos to iPad, just follow the steps below with Windows 7.

Step 1. Load Panasonic AVCHD Lite file to Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter.
Transfer .mts files from Panasonic DMC-TZ10 camcorder to computer hard drive disk. Run Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter as the must-have Panasonic TZ10 to iPad converter, and click the “Add” button to load 720p .mts videos.

Step 2. Choose iPad HD video output format.
Click the “Format” option and choose iPad > iPad HD Video(*.mp4), and the Panasonic AVCHD Lite converter will transcode Panasonic TZ10 720p MTS to 720p MP4 for iPad.

Step 3. Convert Panasonic TZ10 MTS to iPad.
Click the convert button under the preview window, the conversion from Panasonic DMC-TZ10 MTS to iPad MP4 starts immediately.

After the conversion is finished, sync the HD videos to iPad via iTunes. It is so easy to watch and present camcorder videos on iPad.

Tips:
I notice there is remux option as output format in Step 2. I think it is possible to remux AVCHD Lite files to MP4 for iPad. I have not tried it yet. But I will see if the option works for my iPad and let you know.

If you are on a Apple computer with Mac Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard, you may try the Mac Panansonic AVCHD Lite converter for your Panasonic AVCHD camcorder and iPad.

While you have camcorders and face difficulties handling the videos on Mac, you can look for the camcorder partners. I find ClipWrap and Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac as the perfect camcorder partners. Have a look at the comparison sheet below and you will have a better idea about the two Mac applications, and find the preferred tool according to your usage of the camera videos.

Rewrap & Remux AVCHD:
The default output profile in ClipWrap is rewrap, which will output .mov file. A similar word used in Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac is remux, which is also used to rewrap media content without transcoding. There are also profiles to remux MTS/M2TS/M2T to other formats like MP4, TS, which support MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 as video codec and AC3 as audio codec. However, the current version of Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac does not support detecting if the codec is supported by the output format, e.g. you may choose to remux to wmv, but the output does not play well. Choose to remux mts/m2ts to ts/mp4 would work for most cases.

Output:
The output format from ClipWrap is .mov file. ClipWrap is advertised to rewrap video without transcoding the files, making the format compatible to Apple applications like AIC for iMovie, ProRes or DVCProHD for Final Cut Pro. Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac generally re-encodes mts, m2ts to other formats for playback on Apple portable devices like iPad, iPhone 4, Apple TV, iPod, Apple applications like iDVD, iMovie, and other devices like Xbox 360, Blackberry, PSP/PS3. The output formats from Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac include but not limited to .mp4, .mov, .m4v, .avi, .dv, .mkv, .ts, .mpg, .flv, .wmv.

Speed:
ClipWrap seems to have advantage with faster speed for getting the desired output. With the format conversion, Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac would take a while for converting .mts/.m2ts/.m2t to .mp4, .mpg, etc. However, Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac now supports multi-core Mac Pro (dual-core and quad-core), which make the conversion faster than before. It takes only a few seconds to remux AVCHD in Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac, making it is as fast as or even faster than ClipWrap.

Deinterlace AVCHD:
ClipWrap does not remove the interlacing artifacts from the camcorder videos shot in 1080i. If you want to play the output files on iMac, iPod, iPad, iPhone directly, you may notice interlaces on the images. Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac can help you deinterlace.mts and .m2ts videos, and make the videos play smoothly on portable devices like iPod, iPad, iPhone 4 without interlacing issue. The remux option in Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac is like the rewrap function in ClipWrap, which does not deinterlace mts/m2ts.

5.1-channel Surround Sound:
ClipWrap 2.0 does not support 5.1-channel surround sound output, and ClipWrap 2.2 now supports 5.1-channel for LPCM while rewrapping 5.1 sources. While remixing videos, Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac would not change the media content, keeping the 6 channels in output file. While converting AVCHD to MP4/MOV/ MKV or other format, you can choose to keep 5.1 channels with AC3, AAC as audio codec.

Edit AVCHD:
With the simple interface of ClipWrap, you would not edit MTS/M2TS files. Actually, ClipWrap is more proposed to be used as a tool for making AVCHD files editable in Final Cut Pro. Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac includes simple editing functions like trimming, cropping, adding watermak and effects.

Merge/Join AVCHD:
While you want to join and combine several .mts and m2ts files together, ClipWrap would not help you directly merge the files. Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac could help you merge several .mts and .m2ts video footages to one single output file. The joining function requires the conversion and may take a while to get one file output.

The official price for ClipWrap is $49.99 to users who would like to edit AVCHD in Final Cut Pro. Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Covnerter for Mac with $29 makes it easy for playing videos on Mac and Apple devices. The output files could also be imported to iMovie, Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro for editing. One advantage of using ClipWrap than Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac is that it supports HDV camcorder video. Aunsoft Studio also offers Video Converter for Mac to supports loading HDV videos with the other functions like the MTS/M2TS Converter. The price for Aunsoft Video Converter for Mac is $35.

Do you want to transfer HD videos from Panasonic HDC-SD60 to iPad for playback or presenting your product video on iPad? You may notice that the .mts file from Panasonic SD60 AVCHD camcorder does not work on iPad. A powerful AVCHD to iPad converter is needed to help you convert the downloaded Panasonic SD60 1080i video on MacBook to iPad 720p MP4.

Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac is the recommended Panasonic HDC-SD60 MTS to iPad converter for you to play Panasonic HDC-SD60 HD video on iPad with fast conversion. It does not only convert MTS to iPad MP4, but also downscales and deinterlaces 1080i video to 720p video for perfect playback on iPad. The Mac Panasonic MTS converter works on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard.

If you have other AVCHD camcorders and want to play the movies on iPad for presentation, just follow the steps below, and your .mts or .m2ts videos could be synced to iPad after conversion.

Step 1. Load Panasonic SD60 video to Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac.
Connect Panasonic HDC-SD60 camcorder to MacBook via USB cable and transfer .mts files from camcorder to Apple hard drive. Run Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac as Panasonic SD60 MTS converter on Mac Snow Leopard, and click the “Add” button to load .mts videos.

Step 2. Choose iPad MP4 720p format.
Click the “Format” option and choose iPad > iPad HD Video(*.mp4) as output format. The Mac Panasonic MTS converter will transcode SD60 1920x1080i MTS to 1280x720p MP4 for iPad.

Step 3. Convert Panasonic SD60 MTS to iPad.
Click the convert button under the preview window, and the Mac Panasonic MTS converter will start converting and downscaling 1080i MTS to 720p MP4 for iPad.

To make sure the Mac Panasonic MTS converter deinterlace the video footage from HDC-SD60? Just click the “Editor” button and go to the Effect tab to see if the checkbox for “Deinterlacing” is ticked.

After the conversion, just put the output HD videos to iTunes, and sync videos to iPad. If the videos are for personal playback or home entertainment, just stream the videos to iPad via StreamToMe or Air Video.

Aunsoft Multicore iMedia Converter for Mac combines a Multicore Mac Blu-ray Ripper and a Multicore Mac Video Converter to crack complicated Blu-ray/DVD encryption, full backup Blu-Ray/DVD to hard drive for enjoying on a HDTV set, HTPC, LCD Projector, or Home Theater. It also supports compress/rip Blu-ray/DVD movie to any other format with smaller size, convert common videos, HD camcorder videos (*.m2ts, *.mts, *.mod, *.tod, etc), TV shows (*.tivo, *.dvr-ms, *.tp, *.ts), flash videos (*.flv, *.f4v), etc to MOV, AVI, MP4, MKV, WMV, MPG, AAC, AC3, etc. And its perfect audio/audio sync, fast speed, excellent quality can let you satisfied.

And now with the latest Version of Multicore Mac iMedia Converter (also known as a Multicore Mac Video Converter + Multicore Mac Blu-ray Ripper) running on Mac Pro Multicore like quad-core, for decrypting/ripping/copying your Blu-ray/DVD, converting HD videos, you are sure to be amazed by multi-core (such as quad-core) Mac Pro simultaneously running to process the task, the speed is so fast and never happen a unexpected program freeze. Yes, as you see, the Aunsoft Multicore Mac iMedia Converter can perfectly run and take full advantage of multi-cores CPU, offering you a stable conversion in batches with super fast speed.

So from now on, if you are still looking for any Video and Audio converters out there that support multiple cores, if you want a multicore AVCHD Converter to take advantage of a quad-core CPU to convert m2ts/AVCHD files to other formats more quickly, if you wish a Blu-ray Ripper can fully use your multi-core like 4-core CPU to do Blu-ray conversion or backup, you will find AUNsoft iMedia Converter for Mac is the best choice.

Quad-Core Mac Pro comes with a 2.66 GHz Intel Xeon Nehalem processor, 3 GB of memory, 640 GB hard drive and Nvidia GeForce GT 120 graphics. Eight-Core Mac Pro (*Est. $3,300 and up) owns two 2.26 GHz processors, 6 GB memory and a 640 GB hard drive. Between the two, reviewers say the Quad-Core Mac Pro is preferable for most computing tasks. Video editors might want to go with the 8-Core version, but the Quad-Core Mac Pro posts faster times in Photoshop, iMovie and 3-D game tests. If you plan to do gaming or 3-D work, you’d better spend $200 to upgrade the Mac Pro with Radeon HD 4870 graphics.

Apple Mac Pro 2.6GHz Quad-core Computer at a Glance:
* The “Nehalem” processor advantage
* Turbo boost gives you power when – and where – you need it
* Video performance – it’s in the cards
* Plenty of front and back I/O
* Supports dual displays, expandable to support up to eight
* Massive storage
* Expansion made easy
* 64-bit Leopard power

A friend of mine needed to import the video+audio from her stockpile of DVD clips into FCE4 for editing and making her own movie. But unfortunately she found her FCE4 on Macbook Pro can not load and import DVD movies, she went out to the website and tried some Mac DVD Ripper, which let her down. So is there any DVD ripping tool that is available for download and will perfectly work with on her macbook pro? Aunsoft Blu-ray Ripper for Mac is also the tried-and-true and superior Mac DVD to FCE4 Converter recommended by many experts. It does not only convert DVD movie to FCE4 MOV on Mac, but also merges DVD files for import into Final Cut Express 4.

Here is the step-by-step guide for you to import and edit DVD movies to Final Cut Express 4 on iMac/MacBook Pro with Mac OS X like Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard.

Step1. Load DVD movie to Mac DVD to FCE4 Converter
After loaded your DVD disc into DVD Rom, run Aunsoft Mac Blu-ray Ripper as the best Mac DVD to FCE4 MOV Converter, and click the “DVD Rom” button to load DVD folder.

Step2. Choose MOV output format for FCE 4
Click the “Format” option, and choose Common Video > MOV (*.mov) for converting DVD videos to MOV as video codec for loading to Final Cut Express 4.

Step3. Merge DVD files. (optional)
Tick the checkbox for “Merge into one file”, and the Mac DVD to FCE4 Converter will join and combine the video clips into a single file as output.

Step4. Convert DVD to MOV for Final Cut Express 4
Click the convert button under the preview window, the Mac DVD to FCE4 Converter starts converting DVD videos to .mov, and joining the DVD VOB files for editing in Final Cut Express 4.

After converting and merging the DVD VOB files, just import the output files to Final Cut Express 4. You can also import the output MOV videos to Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Avid for editing with perfect A/V sync.

Panasonic HDC-TM700K is a new flagship consumer camcorder with high quality video and Dolby Digital AC3 5.1-channel surround sound. The videos could be recorded in 1080/60p (1920×1080 with 60 frames per second in progressive mode) or 1080/50p 28Mbps.Toast 10 can help converting videos, burning CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs. Toast 10 is available at about 100 bucks, but with only 2 ch stereo output (no 5.1 option).  Neither ClipWrap with the function to rewrap .mts, .m2t and .m2ts to QuickTime movie is available at $49.99. ClipWrap 2.0 does not provide 5.1 channel output, but there is a recent update to ClipWrap 2.2 on July 25, 2010 exporting 6 channel LPCM when rewrapping 5.1 sources. Nevertheless, it is does not maintain the original DD 5.1 audio. Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac is the right Panasonic TM700 MTS to MOV converter for Mac users for converting 1080/60p 28Mbps to MOV with AC3 5.1-channel surround sound with pricing at $29.

Want to get Panasonic HDC-TM700 HD video compatible for Mac with AC3 5.1 surround sound? Just follow the steps below, and you can keep 5.1-channel surround sound when converting MTS to MOV on Mac Snow Leopard.

Step 1. Load Panasonic TM700 videos to Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac.
Connect Panasonic HDC-SD60 with iMac/MacBook Pro and transfer .mts files from camcorder memory card to Apple hard drive disk. Run Aunsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac as the top-rated Mac Panasonic TM700 AVCHD converter, and click the “Add” button to load .mts videos.

Step 2. Choose H.264 MOV format.
Click the “Format” option, and choose HD Video > H.264 HD Video(*.mov) as output format. The Mac Panasonic MTS converter will transcode 1080/60p to 1080/30p with H.264 as video codec, and AAC audio codec with 5.1-channel surround sound.

To maintain the original AC3 5.1 channels, just click the “Settings” button, and choose AC3 from the audio codec drop-down list. You can also change video bitrate, frame rate for video.

Step 3. Convert Panasonic HDC-TM700 MTS to MOV with 5.1-channel.
Click the convert button under the preview window, the Mac MTS to MOV converter will start the conversion from 1080/60p or 1080/50p MTS to HD MOV with 5.1-channel surround sound immediately.

Tips:
1. In step 2, you can also choose other profiles under the HD Video group with include 5.1-channel output, e.g. H.264 HD Video(*.mov), MPEG-4 HD Video(*.mov), MPEG-TS HD Video(*.ts), MKV HD Video(*.mkv), and WMV HD(*.wmv). But the WMV HD profile would use WMAV3 as audio codec, instead AC3 or AAC.

2. After clicking the “Settings” button, you will face the 6 channels option, which represents the 5.1-channel surround sound.

3. If you are on Windows computer, just try the Windows Panasonic TM700 AVCHD converter for 5.1 surround sound.