Question.

If I burn AVCHD DVDs from my Canon HF100, at a later time can I re-import the AVCHD file from the DVD, and edit it or convert it to SD? Or, if I ever want to edit in the future, do I need to save the raw AVCHD files now?

My imagemaker software will play a AVCHD DVD, but the microsoft OS will not read the disk and show the raw files. I don't know how to get the files back (if I need them).

Those of you who have a blu-ray drive in your PC, will Windows read the directory structure of a AVCHD disk? Is this a hardware issue or software? As stated, the Imagemaker Player software will play the disk, but windows can not show me the structure.

If the player will play it, it seems like I should be able to re-import the AVCHD files.

> If I burn AVCHD DVDs from my Canon HF100,
> at a later time can I re-import the AVCHD file
> from the DVD, and edit it or convert it to SD?

Why not?

> Or, if I ever want to edit in the future,
> do I need to save the raw AVCHD files now?

If you burn files to AVCHD disk unedited, they ARE raw. Well, not raw, but original. If you edited before burning, then unedited version is preferable for future more elaborate editing. AVC is a lossy codec.

> My imagemaker software will play a AVCHD DVD,
> but the microsoft OS will not read the disk
> and show the raw files. I don't know how to get
> the files back (if I need them).

Upgrade to Vista or search for something like "UDF reader for Windows".

> Those of you who have a blu-ray drive in your PC,
> will Windows read the directory structure of a AVCHD disk?

It does not depend on a drive, but on file system. WinXP does not suppord UDF, but Vista does. AVCHD disks use UDF 2.50 or 2.60, just like BD disks.

> As stated, the Imagemaker Player software will play the disk,
> but windows can not show me the structure.

So what is the problem? Watch it under imagemaker.

> Upgrade to Vista or search for something like "UDF reader for Windows".

Great! That's what I needed.