Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? at DVinfo.net

Adi Head · June 12th, 2014, 08:06 PM

Hi.
I need to make some edits to an FLV file.
So I first need to convert the FLV to an intermediate format that can be loaded to and NLE and edited.
After I finish editing I'll have to render out to the intermediate format and then convert back to FLV again.

I'll be working on MAC. And I currently have Adobe CC which includes Premiere Pro. So chances are I'll be editing on Premiere Pro.

Can anyone please recommend a file format that I can use as the intermediate format? It would have be be a lossless format, so as to lose minimal quality as possible between the conversions. And it would have to be compatible with Premiere Pro on Mac.

Thanks!

Gary Huff · June 12th, 2014, 09:46 PM

Have you tried just directly importing the FLV into Premiere?

Adi Head · June 16th, 2014, 11:06 AM

Hi Gary,
As far as I know, FLV is not supported by Premiere Pro.
It can render to FLV I believe, but not import FLV into a project.

Battle Vaughan · June 16th, 2014, 12:40 PM

Here's a list of files supported by Ppro CS6:

http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Ado...pture-edit.pdf

The caveat is that the support for FLV and F4V files depends on whether you have the supporting codec installed. My CS6 will happily import .flv files made with VP6 codec, but balks at any with the AVC codec, giving an "unsupported compression" error. As with all things Flash, it's hit and miss if it will work.

Adi Head · June 16th, 2014, 12:53 PM

Thanks Battle, I wasn't aware of that!
I guess I don't have the codec installed, because Ppro wouldn't import the few FLV files I tried with.
Anyhow, given that it's hit and miss, as you say, what intermediate lossless format would you recommend converting to, assuming I'll have to use the workflow I've described for those FLVs that Ppro won't import?

Thanks!

Battle Vaughan · June 16th, 2014, 02:59 PM

You won't like my answer, as the only time I have done this (ducking rocks thrown by those who know better) I converted to h.264/mp4 at the highest quality my conversion program had, and it worked fine. (Yes, mp4 is not an edit structure.) If PPro won't open your flv, AME won't either, so I used a 3rd party conversion program and picked the least-bad option. YMMV.

That said, if you run your flv through MediaInfo (a great freeware app) you can find out what codec your files use, and maybe acquire
that. Perhaps then you could import directly.

In the case of the avc codec, it was available from CalibratedQ and MainConcept, but I wasn't sure whether PPro would recognize it and there was a cost involved.

Adi Head · June 16th, 2014, 03:05 PM

Thanks Battle, lol : )
I use the Lagarith codec in AVI container when on Windows, but on Mac I'm not sure.
I think that possibly, when on Mac, I once used Motion-JPEG in a Quicktime container, or maybe the DNxHD codec in Quicktime. But that was a while ago and not sure if maybe there's a better option.

If anyone has an educated opinion on this, I'd be happy to learn. Thanks!

June 12th, 2014, 08:06 PM	#1
Adi Head Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 642	Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? Hi. I need to make some edits to an FLV file. So I first need to convert the FLV to an intermediate format that can be loaded to and NLE and edited. After I finish editing I'll have to render out to the intermediate format and then convert back to FLV again. I'll be working on MAC. And I currently have Adobe CC which includes Premiere Pro. So chances are I'll be editing on Premiere Pro. Can anyone please recommend a file format that I can use as the intermediate format? It would have be be a lossless format, so as to lose minimal quality as possible between the conversions. And it would have to be compatible with Premiere Pro on Mac. Thanks!

June 12th, 2014, 09:46 PM	#2
Gary Huff Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 2,006	Re: Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? Have you tried just directly importing the FLV into Premiere?

June 16th, 2014, 11:06 AM	#3
Adi Head Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 642	Re: Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? Hi Gary, As far as I know, FLV is not supported by Premiere Pro. It can render to FLV I believe, but not import FLV into a project.

June 16th, 2014, 12:40 PM	#4
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	Re: Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? Here's a list of files supported by Ppro CS6: http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Ado...pture-edit.pdf The caveat is that the support for FLV and F4V files depends on whether you have the supporting codec installed. My CS6 will happily import .flv files made with VP6 codec, but balks at any with the AVC codec, giving an "unsupported compression" error. As with all things Flash, it's hit and miss if it will work.

June 16th, 2014, 12:53 PM	#5
Adi Head Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 642	Re: Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? Thanks Battle, I wasn't aware of that! I guess I don't have the codec installed, because Ppro wouldn't import the few FLV files I tried with. Anyhow, given that it's hit and miss, as you say, what intermediate lossless format would you recommend converting to, assuming I'll have to use the workflow I've described for those FLVs that Ppro won't import? Thanks!

June 16th, 2014, 02:59 PM	#6
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	Re: Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? You won't like my answer, as the only time I have done this (ducking rocks thrown by those who know better) I converted to h.264/mp4 at the highest quality my conversion program had, and it worked fine. (Yes, mp4 is not an edit structure.) If PPro won't open your flv, AME won't either, so I used a 3rd party conversion program and picked the least-bad option. YMMV. That said, if you run your flv through MediaInfo (a great freeware app) you can find out what codec your files use, and maybe acquire that. Perhaps then you could import directly. In the case of the avc codec, it was available from CalibratedQ and MainConcept, but I wasn't sure whether PPro would recognize it and there was a cost involved.

June 16th, 2014, 03:05 PM	#7
Adi Head Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 642	Re: Which lossless file format to convert to for editing FLV? Thanks Battle, lol : ) I use the Lagarith codec in AVI container when on Windows, but on Mac I'm not sure. I think that possibly, when on Mac, I once used Motion-JPEG in a Quicktime container, or maybe the DNxHD codec in Quicktime. But that was a while ago and not sure if maybe there's a better option. If anyone has an educated opinion on this, I'd be happy to learn. Thanks!