AVCHD

[57steve]

I am thinking of buying the NEX 5, but i am concerned about playing video back on my laptop.

Is this format compatable with pc's?

[robox3000]

Sure! There are a number of players that support this format. Depending on your machine/OS and installed codecs you may need to install or upgrade a codec, but fear not! Many or most are available for free.

Some of the apps that allow you to view and/or even edit MTS files are:

Open MTS File on Windows

• CyberLink PowerDVD 9http://www.downloadatoz.com/dvd-video_directory/powerdvd/ - The No.1 Movie Experience on the PC!
  The application supports for all HD video formats like AVCHD, AVCREC, MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), MPEG-2 HD and WMV-HD.
• WinDVD 9 Plus Blu-ray
• CyberLink PowerDirector
• Ulead VideoStudio
• Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum
• SONY Vegas Pro
• Ulead VideoStudio

Also, VideoLan VLC free player will play them beautifully on PC or Mac and you can use Handbrake to convert them easily to MP4 for other editing and viewing options.

The quality of the AVCHD video is outstanding.

hope that helps a little.