Just picked up a Sony HDR-CX550, and am trying to figure out how to get AVCHD files into MC5. AMA link won't work and when I import, I get a pop-up window saying I have to do a "one time free activation" of Dolby AC-3. I am connected to the Internet so I click the "I want to activate the feature using this computer's Internet connection." but it doesn't activate. Just keeps feeding me the same pop-up for Dolby AC-3 Activation.

So, I try and activate by phone, and it tells me I can visit http://activate.avid.com, which I do, and it asks for my System ID, which I have, my S/N, which I have, and my Avid Machine ID, which I don't have. The instructions say, "Your Avid Machine ID number is located on the Avid Activation dialog box." I activated MC5 a couple weeks ago and don't remember a machine ID. Could have been there...but I don't remember.

Does anyone know how I can dredge up my Avid Machine ID?

Okay, so I was a little hasty. I found the machine ID. Gotta run C:\Program Files (x86)\Avid\Utilities\GetLicenseInfo\GetLicenseInfo.exe. Tells you the machine ID. However, now when I go to activate.avid.com, I fill everything in and voila! Now it tells me, "You Have Reached The Maximum Allowed Activations For This Serial Number. Allowed Seats for this Serial Number: 1 Currently Activated Seats: 1 Attempted Amount: 1 ."

I figure I'm good. Go back to MC5 and try to import AVCHD again. Still telling me I need to activate AC-3. Now I'm stuck because I never did see an activation code for AC-3.

Anyone have any idea what I should do now?

I've already tried importing m2ts with surround and got "imported with errors" and wouldn't open on the T/L.

If you get any further then please post... but as far as I know it's a usless effort anyway.... I'm pretty sure it simply downmixes to stereo

Don't know what happened, maybe a reboot or something, but it's working now. I imported my first AVCHD file from the Sony CX550 into MC5 and video shows up with 6 tracks of audio. Way cool! I'm loving the CX550...the image stabilization is far better than expected.

I really don't like the fact I have to transcode AVCHD into something else, but I guess until cpu horsepower quadruples over an i7, AMA linking is out of the question since there is so much decompression going on.

mmm interesting... maybe that's the difference. I tried linking through ama. But still, if I have to transcode then it sort of defeats the purpose (IMO).

Wel... I'll give it a shot your way and see how it farms out.

The specifications say "Import AVCHD files" and doesn't mention ama linking. I suspect Avid will add linking eventually but highly compressed video requires a lot of muscle so they probably have a few months grace period before we really need it!

I have some trouble importing AVCHD from my CX550.

What quality do you record? And what are your settings in MC5?

I have 8 files of total 16,6 GB. My hard drive is 500GB and it runs out of space.

Hi there, I have my system ID, machine ID and serial - but the manual activation dialogue refuses the SN because "only alpha characters" are allowed... well, my serial-NUMBER consist not just of letters but also numbers... what's wrong? It's an upgrade-serial (MC4 -> 5). Any ideas here?

btw. automatic activation does nothing than a loop of the popup-dialogue asking for activation...

SOLVED!

somehow I got to another activation dialogue that only required the Sys ID... strange

hey man i still have the same problam you have, how did you solve it?

try this link...

http://activate.avid.com/OptionActivation.aspx

worked for me