How to work this JVC GZ-E306BU video cam, SD card & editing?

Seems like the manual has everything except answer my problem

It did say that I should expect the files to be read me only seeing that it came from the SD card but would that make a difference if I used a cable to connect my cam and my laptop instead? This just occurred to me if that might work better

Can you give me a step by step on how to do this? "If your video editor can't import correctly from the files that were copied to the computer, then use a transcoder like MPEG Streamclip from www.squared5.com, convert the files to a format that your video editor prefers... This should address you Question 3."

Please bear with me for I suck at this and I am new

You can use the cable connecting the camcorder to the Mac... or put the memory card in the Mac... As long as we can get to the MTS files - which you can (according to your third link).

HUGE APOLOGY: I hope this does not cause confusion. Just to be sure all this would work, I downloaded the new version of MPEG Streamclip to replicate your environment. In order for it to deal with MTS files, it appears to need an MPEG2 component from Apple. This was not required in the past. I take back my recommendation for MPEG Streamclip for this activity. You want to download/install HandBrake from www.handbrake.fr instead. It does not need the additional Apple MPEG2 component.

If you want to put the SD card in the Mac:
Step 1: Copy the files from the SD card to the Mac. Since you already have folders (directories) on the desktop on the Mac, make a new folder on the desktop. Call it MTS files - or whatever you want... select and drag the video files on the SD card and drag them to the MTS files folder you just made. The MTS files will copy to the Mac. When the copying is done,

Step 2: Transcode - convert - the MTS files to a file type your video editor likes. Premiere should be able to import MP4 files with h.264 format video inside. HandBrake does this job. You can try bringing the MTS files into Premiere without transcoding...

Launch Handbrake. Select the MTS file. You don't need to change anything - but you might want to select the Destination of the converted file to be the same directory as the copied MTS file. Click Start. When the transcoding is done, HandBrake will let you know. As you lear to use Handbrake, you can put a lot of MTS files to batch convert by clicking the "Add to Queue" button. When all the MTS files are added, then click start... When all are done being converted, Handbrake will let you know.

Step 3: Launch Premiere. Import or capture the converted MP4 files...

If you connect the camcorder to the Mac with a USB cable and put the camcorder into computer mode, Premiere may directly import the MTS video file... The video editing application uses the camcorder for the transcoding step - and Handbrake (or other transcoder) is not needed.

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DO NOT use the computer to delete video files on the SD card. When you decide to delete video files from the camcorder's SD card, use the camcorder's delete file command... That is in the camcorder manual - page 79...

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A couple of other tools for your Mac:

VLC Player from www.videoLAN.org is much more robust than QuickTime Player. It can play different video file types like AVI, WMV and MTS.

Flip4Mac is a QuickTime plugin that allows QuickTime to deal with certain non-MOV video files.

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The issues you are experiencing are similar to what others, using different computers and operating systems, also experience.

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Go to www.handbrake.fr and download Handbrake. Follow the instructions to install the application to your Mac. I *think* you just drag the application you just downloaded to the Application folder. Trash the downloaded file and the disk image that appeared.

Assuming there is a MTS file on the Mac from your camcorder, launch Handbrake. Select the file you want to transcode - convert...

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Again, apologies for the false start with MPEG Streamclip. You don't need it.

Oh yay I was able to drag the mts file to the premiere but there is still the issue of no sound the audio wasn't there and there doesn't seem to be a separate mts file for the audio since I searched it in the folders. Odd that I can play it back in quicktime no worries, but once I wanna edit it the missing audio is my problem. You reckon I really think to dl handbreak? Seeing as I lost my USB cord...

Thank you very much for the previous step by step clear instructions!

Download, install and use VLC player from www.videoLAN.org for MTS file playback. Please tell us if audio works when using VLC player...

....but like I have said the folder where the icon is a quicktime player that has all my videos in it (that I have dragged from the SD card to my desktop) doesn't let me right click. Meaning I can't choose on where it gets played. Even the mts files, when I right click >open with >it only has 'app store' and 'others'. I even tried clicking the 'others'. The VLC app is greyed, meaning I can't use it whatsoever.

Rather than "right click >open with >" could you launch VLC Player and under File, select Open and follow the path to the video? Another option is to drag/drop the video file on top of VLC Player. You can put the VLC Player app in the dock so it is easy to do the drag/drop.

Plan C is to transcode the file using Handbrake (indicated in an earlier post - for your convenience, the link is www.handbrake.fr - use this to convert the mts file to a MP4 or h.264 format in a MOV file...
I have all sorts of MTS files from different camcorder (including JVC) on various Macs and have not had this particular issue of no audio...

I have tried all of those steps to VLC as well. No luck.

Any who, I shall give handbrake a try. I might have to tweak my gatekeeper though since it doesn't allow apps that are not from mac store since it might be a risk. Handbrake.fr is a trusted developer, right? I have nothing to worry about for my baby mpb retina?

thanks

and updating HandBrake from www.handbrake.fr.com for years. Different Macs and Windows computers. You are wise to be cautious. If it makes any difference, I have over 5,000 forum posts - mostly in this camcorder forum, dating back a few years. I used to be an IT manager - my group took care of over 500 Mac and 500 Windows machines on the same network across 13 offices in California. That should not allow you to let your guard down about HandBrake - but I have always found the application to be malware-free.

CNET likes it, too
http://www.cnet.com/1770-5_1-0.html?query=handbrake&tag=srch

I am afraid there may be something else going on with those camcorder media files if you could not get VLC Player to play them. Please also consider locating a nearby Macintosh User Group
http://www.apple.com/usergroups/
or making an appointment for assistance at your nearest Apple Store...

I've given it a try and all my problems have been solved

You have answered my prayers. I am eternally grateful

I can now have my audio and edit in premier as much as I want to

Thank you!!!

for letting us know.