AVCHD Lite is a subset of AVCHD format introduced by Panasonic in its Lumix line of digital cameras in 2009 which identifies devices that are capable of 720p/30fps recording only . Comparing with Full HD, the 720p/30fps video is recorded in the normal AVCHD 720p/60 format, but every other frame is duplicated, resulting in thirty actual frames per second. Generally this means any camera that uses AVCHD and records 1280x720 video will be referred to as an AVCHD Lite camera because it's unlikely that cameras will record AVCHD video at lower resolutions.

Apple claims that Final Cut Pro X/7/6, iMovie '09/11 and FCE support most commonly-used video codecs which including AVCHD format. However, due to wide range of media types, and the different ways manufacturers store video on these media types, not all AVCHD camcorder are compatible with those Mac NLEs, including AVCHD Lite. Thus, you will find it a painful experience to import AVCHD Lite to FCP, iMovie or FCE for further editing. And there are some frequently questions quoted as below:

"I have a Panasonic camera which produces AVCHD Lite video. If I use Log and Transfer in FCE with either the camera or the card connected via USB, the video clips will show and can be previewed. But if I add them to the queue, they will not process."

"I'm using a Panasonic DMC-TS2 camera to shoot AVCHD lite video. I need to get this video into Final Cut Pro (version 5.1.4) to edit. I'm using OS X 10.5.8 and have iMovie 8. Both of them refused to afford AVCHD lite videos. Help me, thank you."

What's the available workaround to edit AVCHD Lite MTS/M2TS clips on Mac? Well, to make AVCHD Lite video files compatible with Final Cut Pro, iMovie or FCE, the easy option is to convert AVCHD Lite to Apple ProRes MOV or Apple InterMediate Codec(AIC), which ensures maximum editing quality and efficiency when working with Final Cut Pro or iMovie/FCE.

To fulfill your task, Brorsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac, best assistant of AVCHD/AVCHD Lite camcorders, is highly recommended by millions of Mac users to convert AVCHD Lite files to other video formats. This user-friendly and professional AVCHD Lite Video Converter for Mac could help you convert your AVCHD Lite to MP4, WMV, AVI, QuickTime MOV and transcode AVCHD Lite to professional encoders, Apple Intermediate Codec, ProRes for iMovie/FCE, Final Cut Pro in a few clicks. Here is the detailed information to do the video conversion by using the recommended video converter.

(Note: Click here for OS X 10.5)

How to Convert and Import AVCHD Lite to FCP/iMovie/FCE

Step 1: Run the program you set up just now o Mac, transfer original AVCHD Lite footages to the converter.

Tip: If you want, you can merge several AVCHD clips by ticking “Merge into one” box.

Step 2: Click on the Format box to select Final Cut Pro > Apple ProRes 422(*.mov) as the output format for FCP. You can also choose iMovie and Final Cut Express-> Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC) (*.mov) for FCE/iMovie

Tip: FCP 6 or ealier version only can support ProRes 422 and ProRes 422(HQ). FCP 7 or above can support Pro Res 422(LT), Pro Res 444Pro and Res 422(Proxy).

Step 3: You can tap "settings" to customize the output parameters, adjust the resolution, bitrate as you want.

Step 4: Click Conversion button to start transcoding AVCHD Lite file to FCP/iMovie/FCE on Mac OS X.

After the conversion finished , you can click “open” to find the output file. Then you can import the converted files into FCP/iMovie/FCE for editing easily without any problem.

Related guides:
The Correct Way to Ingest and Import AVCHD to Final Cut Pro 7
How to convert MTS files to use in Premiere Pro
How to get Sony Vegas working beautifully with .mts files