m2ts file that plays in other apps, but won’t open in Vegas 8.0c

[Joe Mantaratz]

There are known issues with this occurring to various degrees. The only work around seems to be converting the files to a different format and then bringing it back into Vegas. You stated some of your clips work and that it hangs at that particular clip. See if you can render that clip separately and then reintroduce it. Since all of the other clips came from the same source this clip just might be corrupt. Some programs are more tolerant than others regarding a corrupted file. See if any of this helps.
Joe

[Jerry Smith]

Thanks Joe. Is there a recommended way to convert the file without losing resolution on it? I normally use Vegas for file format conversions and would need another more file tolerant tool.

A complication is that I was planning to use AVCHD DVDs to archive my footage. They merge separate clips into one file, and embed the flaw somewhere in the middle. I’d have to convert the whole (up to 4 GB) file to make sure Vegas could read it, which would take up to two hours on my PC at Vegas rendering speeds.

It would be disappointing if Sony camcorder m2ts files very often weren’t readable by Sony Vegas.

[Joe Mantaratz]

Why not instead just navigate to the point where you know the problem lies and render the split portion. I would render it to MPEG-2 using the Video stream template so that later on when importing into Architect it would not have to render again. Or you could just render it to AVI with no compression. AVCHD is problematic as I believe others have had problems as well with this format. Let me know if I am understanding you correctly.
Joe

[Jerry Smith]

I think I could select a portion of the large file just after the clip and render it any way that I like. That would involve loading the file, hitting a hang, noting the playback position, killing the process, starting over and rendering file information from just after the hang point.

Also, I could:

– Load the file in Vegas
– Define clips (my preferred way of identifying best content)
– Note when the trimmer window hangs (it does with this file)
– Kill Vegas and resume defining clips just past the hang point

I can understand Vegas having some problems with cross brand AVCHD, but don’t think there should be in-brand (Sony camcorder) problems. Maybe (I hope), this particular clip is unusual and the problem I’m having won’t be common.

[Joe Mantaratz]

You’re right there should not be with the same brand but unfortunately the two worlds in the same company do not co-create. I wrote about this not long ago if you’d like to read more in depth about it. I too have had the same problem with products from the same company. Very frustrating indeed. Sounds like you have the work around you’ll need, sorry there is no easier answer.
Joe

[Jerry Smith]

Thanks for your advice, Joe!

[Jerry Smith]

There are some shortcomings in my workaround:

– If I re-render my large AVCHD DVD file, it can take up to two hours (if I’m able to snip out the offending portion).
– If I mark clips around the problem section, I have to cancel building audio peaks, and so don’t have audio information displayed. I hope it comes back when the clip is used, but am not sure.

This seems to be a problem with Vegas itself, although something in this clip is a contributing factor. I hope Sony is working hard to make sure their camcorder files are 100% compatible with their editing software.

[John Rofrano]

> This seems to be a problem with Vegas itself, although something in this clip is a contributing factor. I hope Sony is working hard to make sure their camcorder files are 100% compatible with their editing software.

I have a CX12 and I have never seen this problem. Vegas Pro 8.0 and 8.1 have never failed to play these files. This definitely sounds like a corrupt file to me and is not the norm.

Also some things don’t make sense in your previous posts:

> I just bought a Sony CX12 camera and shot some test 1440×1080 footage over the holiday.

The CX12 shoots 1920×1080 not 1440×1080.

> It would be disappointing if Sony camcorder m2ts files very often weren’t readable by Sony Vegas.

The CX12 creates MTS files not M2TS files. Where are the M2TS files coming from? The \AVCHD\BDMV\STREAM\ folder on my CX12 contains all MTS files which work fine in Vegas Pro 8.

Perhaps whatever is converting your MTS files to M2TS is part of the problem? As I said, I have never seen this before with my CX12 and so I assume it’s a corrupt file and not an incompatibility.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Jerry Smith]

I used the Sony Picture Motion Browser to acquire the .mts files off my CX12. Once on the PC, they were changed to .m2ts. It also created .modd files in the same folder. I don’t know what these do. The PMB app will make an AVCHD DVD from selected clips, and it made the combined .m2ts file I mentioned.

The 1440×1080 resolution I mentioned came from the file properties displayed in the PMB app. I used one off top video quality because I was shooting basketball games, and wanted to fit a full game on a single AVCHD DVD.

I’m glad to hear you are using the CX12 with no issues!

[John Rofrano]

I would forget about using Sony PMB. In Vegas Pro use File | Import | AVCHD Camcorder…. This may be why I’m not having any problems.

I haven’t used any resolution other than FH 16MB so maybe HQ 9MB is only 1440×1080. Interesting.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com