AVCHD to Blu-ray / DVD / Web

[J.P. Shook]

I am using a Canon Vixia HF100. Wondering if anyone has any advice on the following topics.

1. Once you have the files on your computer, how can you tell what framerate they were set at in the camera (60i, 30p, 24p)? I know that they are all set at 29.97 fps interlaced, but there is supposed to be a pull down flag. Even using the awesome MediaInfo tool, I cannot find this meta flag.

Usually when I pull my footage into vegas, I set the project to 30p and then render to 30p. It seems to look ok on the PC, but I have not viewed it on my 56" sammy yet.

2. What is your workflow with AVCHD footage? I have vegas and it imports/exports fine (slowly). I shoot a lot of outdoors and family home videos. Im planning to author to Blu-ray AVCHD DVD, Web and regular DVD to share with family. Should I be shooting in 60i for best results?

3. Intermediate codecs: What intermediate codecs do you recommend? Anyone work with Cineform? Any other workable AVI codecs?

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by J.P. Shook

I am using a Canon Vixia HF100. Wondering if anyone has any advice on the following topics.

2. What is your workflow with AVCHD footage? I have vegas and it imports/exports fine (slowly). I shoot a lot of outdoors and family home videos. Im planning to author to Blu-ray AVCHD DVD, Web and regular DVD to share with family. Should I be shooting in 60i for best results?

Workflow for AVCHD:

Put footage on timeline, render to intermediate codec (go on vacation, return)
Edit normally, render.

Originally Posted by J.P. Shook

3. Intermediate codecs: What intermediate codecs do you recommend? Anyone work with Cineform? Any other workable AVI codecs?

If you are using 32 bit Vegas I highly recommend Cineform. I used it a lot and loved it. Unfortunately, they do not have native 64 bit support so now that I am using Vegas 8.1, I have to use sometihing else. I had thought Lagarith was my answer, but after testing, I don't like what it's doing with my videos. I need a good 64 bit OS aware, 10 bit codec for AVIs. Ironically, I can generally do what I want with quicktime based codecs so that's what I am doing now.

[Andy Olson]

If the Canon Vixia hf100 is like the Canon HV30/hv20 then the pulldown in it for 24p is not the normal one that has flags. It will have a mixture of interlaced and progressive frames.You must use a program like Tmpgenc or DVFilm Maker to detect and remove the pulldown to get 24p. It's one of the trade offs for being a consumer camera that the pulldown isn't easy to remove. For 60i, every frame will be interlaced. For 30p, every frame will be progressive.

You workflow for AVCHD sounds fine importing it into Vegas and editing unless your computer if having trouble keeping up with avchd. Then an intermediate codec like Cineform or Raylight AVI will be necessary. The DVFilm Raylight for Windows product includes DVFilm Maker.

Shooting at 60i is fine, but it depends what you are going for? If you want the filmlook then you should shoot 24p and you can always add in a pulldown to get the 24p to play on an NTSC tv. 60i has it benefits as it records more frames so you will get smoother movement although that is one of the characteristics that make video look so 'video.' If you shoot 60i and you decide you want film motion then you can use a program like Maker to convert it after the fact. Realize that viewing interlaced video on computers through the Web will show all the interlacing and could be distracting compared to viewing it on an interlaced tv. I always finish the projects I work on in 24p or at least progressive.

Hope this helps,
Andy