No computer is needed to save files from the Canon Vixia hf m50 HD video camera. The camera can do it all by itself. In fact, a hard drive isn't even needed because a thumb drive will do. All you need to do is plug in the camera to its power adapter. That much is required. Open the file viewing function in the camera, that is the top right button, and plug in a UA-100 USB cable, and plug in the thumb drive into the USB adapter. Choose copy from card or camera or both.
If you have a external hard drive that you can dedicate to saving files from the camera, then do the same with it attached. I use the recommended one, a WD Elements 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBAAU0010HBK-NESN, and just bought a second one. The only files on it are those from the camera. Files are automatically named by the day they were saved into the hard drive. So, back up those SD cards as you fill them. I believe that the hard drive can be used to play back files from, using the camera, directly to a 1080i TV.
My SD cards have been just fine at saving files on. They are kept in a little wallet. Little plastic cases are sometimes provided for them and they are nice to have. Not all of my cards came with a case though. No hard drive at all is needed to use the camera with a HDMI television. Just get more SD cards.
If you wanted to use a computer and save files off the SD card that is possible, too. The iMAC has a SD card slot that works with the Vixia hf m50, 500, 52 cards. Copy the entire AVCHD folder intact. Files inside the streaming folder are .MTS and my editing program will read them if all the folders are intact. However, Final Cut Pro Ten, my editing program, will read all media on your hard drive regardless of what folder different media is in. Everything will be listed, including the desired AVCHD files for media import. So, put the AVCHD folder someplace where there is no other media or not much of it.
Final Cut Pro Ten, FCPX, 10.0.9, will import files from the camera or from the SD card inserted into the iMAC. Choose Create Archive and select those files you want to save. Designate a hard drive just for Vixia movie files. AVCHD will be changed to MOV. Then they will play on the iMAC as is. There is no difference in quality.
I use the desktop WD Elements hard drive out in the field, back in the motel to save files to. All my SD cards get dumped to it as they are used. The cards are used over and over. They get initialized and wiped clean, then used again and again. Later, Final Cut Archives are made for editing from. Both hard drives are used, one for each format, as backups. No extra SD cards are purchased. I have four 32 GB cards now, and don't plan on getting any more. When a card is left in the camera and has movies on it, then camera flashes a message to back up cards often. So I use hard drives to back up files onto.
