Finally after weeks of trying to figure this out I have come across an article that explains how to import those pesky 1920 x 1080 / 60i AVCHD in to FCP 7.
I have summarized this portion of the article below.
http://www.american.edu/soc/resources/upload/White-Paper-Editing-AVCHD-with-FCP7-2.pdf
I recently bought a Sony brand point and shoot camera that also shoots 1920x1080 / 60i AVCHD. The file format is MTS (Sony Cybershot WX9).
The problem is that the only way to view the files is to use the VLC player.
There is a free program in the MAC App store called Smart Converter that converts the file extension so that Quicktime can play it, but it does not convert the actual footage. So you end up right back where you were before. A non-editable file format.
Non-Editable. Listen to me going on. Heck! That's an understatement. I couldn't even import the file into Final Cut Pro. It kept giving me an error. Then when I tried to import the .mts file into Compressor, it didn't do anything. It didn't even recognize it.
So without further adieu...
Here is how to edit those pesky 1920 x 1080 / 60i AVCHD in FCP 7.
Step 1: Insert the memory card from your AVCHD camera or connect the camera per the manufacturers recommendations so that the memory card is recognized as a hard drive.
Step 2: Open Final Cut Pro
Step 3: Click on --- File > Log and Transfer
Your AVCHD files will appear on the left side of the screen.
Step 4: When the window opens, press the tool gear (to the right under the wordTransfer) on the top right of the bin pane and select
Step 5: Click on AVCHD to set the codec to ProRes (LT) and then click OK.
Step 6: Now, single click on any clip to open it in the browser window to the right.
Here, you can rename the clip and mark rough in out points for the clip.
Step 6: When you are ready to transcode the clip, click the button under the preview window named Add Clip to Queue.
This will begin the transcoding of your AVCHD clip into the Apple ProRes preference you established earlier for easy editing. You can watch the progress bar to see the speed of the transcoding. The actual speed of the encoding will be dependent on the speed of your Mac and the length and complexity of your footage. When the transcoding is finished, your clips will appear in your bin.
Note: Log and Transfer is a background process so you can start editing while you continue to log and transfer. From this point on, you will edit as you normally edit in Final Cut Pro.
