VLC will play them fine.
MKVs won’t import into premiere, but the x264 video track inside them will. Therefore, if you convert to another container (like mp4 or .ts), or demultiplex with something like TsMuxer and import the video stream itself, it will be fine.
Thanks towne, appreciate it!
Any recommendations for download links with low spam/bundles?
Whenever I am looking for video related software, or recommendations for apps on the subject, I google “videohelp” along with it. So, “Tsmuxer GUI videohelp”. Their forum and download links are no-nonsense, and will point you to the ideal or most affordable/free option. I always find that searching for even simple conversion tools, of which a million free options exist, without including a reliable resource like videohelp will only give endless search results of terrible and overpriced tools (probably riddled with malware), fake reviews for them that are obviously advertisements, etc.
VLC will play a AVCHD file, but first you need one very handy free App: "Daemon Tools Lite"
Use DT to create a Virtual Drive then “mount” the AVCHD.ISO. It will appear as a new
DVD or BD drive on your PC. On mine I could not simply play this virtual disc with VLC
I have to RT. click on the new drive choose “open” then play the “BDMV” folder inside.
I do have another player that will play as soon as it’s mounted, just as if I’d put a
retail DVD in a drive, but I like VLC a lot more! This works great with any other .ISO
you are not yet ready to burn!
Alternatively, you can open the iso in most unzipping type programs (winrar, 7zip), navigate to the BDMV/Stream folder and just play the m2ts file. 2.7 might have been plain files (i.e., just a BDMV folder - I recall a bunch of people on Harmy’s facebook page having their minds blown wide open by the concept). So, in that case, simply navigating to the m2ts file again will work.