Convert AVCHD to something OS X plays?

[J-Rod]

I have a Panasonic DMC-TS3 and it records AVCHD video. I'm making small videos for like You Tube (restoring a 1958 Jeep FC-170) and for viewing on other people's computers.

I have a iMac running Snow Leopard, but It has a dual boot running Windows XP.

It would be great to convert this format over to something my iMac would prefer (H.264, .mov...) but I can resort to using the XP side if no good software is available for Mac.

Another issue is the camera software came with a software package (PHOTOfunSTUDIO 6.1 HD Lite) and this will convert the AVCHD to mpeg (so I can use MPEG Streamclip to convert to something my mac likes) but the 'Studio' software shrinks my videos into 720x480.

How do I get the footage that my camera takes, and convert it properly (keeping size and/or ratio)?
Is there anything that's decent and Free?
is there only codecs,converting software only on windows?

I am not just converting these for You Tube. I also hand out copies (in some computer video file like .avi, or .mov) to the other jeep guys.

Any other suggestions, or Help? (thank you)

[lordsmurf]

AVCHD should already be H.264, so this request doesn't make much sense.

No matter.

Converting the footage to another format just requires that the software understand the input, and can encode the output. This should be easily done with something lie Avidemux or Hybrid. Even Handbrake, as lousy as it is.

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