What if anything can a tablet do with this footage?

[John Rofrano]

[Paul Gregory] “What he wanted to know is if it’s possible to transfer the M2TS clips onto any sort of Tablet which he was thinking of taking with him. Something like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or Apple iPad.”

The problem is the limited storage on a tablet. HD produces multi-gigabyte files and unless you have an iPad with 64GB of storage, you’re not going to get a lot of footage on it. There are some decent apps to use. For iPad theirs iMovie of course, and AVID Studio which has more capabilities than iMovie. It’s still somewhat limited for editing but it should be fine for reviewing footage. I’m not sure how you’d get the footage onto the iPad (I haven’t purchased any of these apps yet)

~jr

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

[Dale Mcclelland]

I can’t speak to the iPad as I don’t have one and am not very familiar with Apple products. But I can tell you what I do with an Android based tablet and maybe that will help you.

I use a ASUS Transformer 10.1″ tablet with 32 GB storage plus it has a micro SD slot for additional storage. I use a program that runs on the PC named “DVD Catalyst” to convert the 1920x1080i AVCHD video from my Sony camcorder to .mp4 files that are properly sized for the tablet’s screen. If I recall correctly, the program cost me about $10 and is available directly from the author’s website. The program has presets for most popular tablets and phones so that the converted file fits the screen and remains in the proper aspect ratio. You can also set a custom size if your device doesn’t have a preset. Keeping the proper aspect ratio requires small black borders if the tablet’s screen isn’t 16×9. On the Transformer the borders are so small that I don’t notice them so the screen must be very close to a 16×9 ratio. (A 4:3 video results in fairly large borders on the sides, just as it does on a widescreen TV.)

I am sure there are some free programs that could do the conversion too. I suspect Handbrake is capable of it. I tried several free programs and trial versions of a few paid programs and ended up buying DVD Catalyst because I thought it provided the best combination of ease of use and quality of the converted video. (I did not try Handbrake – I bet it could do an excellent job, but it looks complicated to me and I didn’t want to take the time to figure out how to use it.)

The converted files are considerably smaller than the original files but still look like HD on the tablet’s small screen. I can get many hours of video files just in the tablet’s 32 GB of internal storage. The Transformer’s microSD slot provides additional storage if needed. Once you have the .mp4 files on the tablet, there are a variety of Android apps that can play .mp4 video on the tablet. I use Act 1 Video Player that I bought at the Google Android app market.

As John said, you would need a tablet with sufficient storage and a way to get the converted files onto the tablet. I think they all have a way of transferring files between the tablet and the PC. On the Transformer, it is done through the same port used to charge the tablet’s battery. I use a cable that has a ASUS proprietary connection on the tablet end and a standard USB Type A male connector on the PC end. On the Transformer I can also transfer files from a microSD card to the tablet’s main storage using Android file browser apps.

So you can definitely do what you want but you will need to find the right software, and a tablet that has enough storage and a port to transfer files between a PC and the tablet.

Sorry for the long reply but I hope it helps.

[Dale Mcclelland]

Couldn’t edit my original reply so am posting a separate rely.

I re-read your question and see that it looks like the desire is to view the video while on the cruise. In that case, unless you have a laptop with you that can run the conversion software, my suggested solution won’t work. You’d have to wait till you got home to follow the process I suggested.

Sorry, I should have read your question more carefully the first time.

[Stephen Crye]

I loooove my little CX550V! It is a true gem of a cam. Although it has it’s limits, I have recently discovered the joy of the one-push spot meter. It seems that every day I learn how to use it better … of course, there is always the one-push iAuto! The Active Steady shot is better than anything other than the new NX30.

I recently made a simple mounting plate rig that lets me put my Rode StereoVideo Mic right next to the CX550V on the tripod. That lets me use the Dead Kitten windscreen. The whole rig is light and easy to use. I mention this because on the ship there might be some wind.

I’ll post a pic of the rig soon, perhaps tomorrow.

BTW I love this little charger … with the right adapters it can be used all over the world (I used it in Chile last year)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CZA2HQ/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00

I bought two of them .. don’t be fooled by the price, they are rugged and work great, come with a 12V car adapter.

Steve

Win7 Pro X64 on Dell T3400, MultiTB SATA, 8GB RAM, nVidia FX 570, Vegas 10e (and 11) x64 DVDA 5.2(build 133) Sony HDR-CX550V