Like my new HMC150

Jeff Harper · May 30th, 2009, 07:27 AM

The trouble came for me with Upshift not working as I had planned. I had stupidly assumed that upshift worked just like Gearshift, but I was mistaken. I was looking for Easy, and didn't find it.

An interesting sidenote is that Upshift in demo mode only generates 10sec clips. At that point I was done with the whole business. It is not the same as Gearshift at all.

Barry Green · May 30th, 2009, 10:41 AM

The file glitch is your software, not the footage. The AVCHD files stitch together perfectly and flawlessly.

EDIUS, EDIUS Neo, and Premiere Pro CS4 4.1 handle AVCHD natively, easily. Speed of playback depends on your computer, but my dual-core laptop can handle 720/60p full-screen in realtime, and 1080/24p looks like it's close to real time.

The files are split up at 4GB intervals because the file format of the SDHC card is FAT32, which supports a maximum file size of 4GB. There are no glitches or missing frames between files. If you're experiencing that, it's a bug in your software, as the original footage is perfectly good.

Jeff Harper · May 30th, 2009, 08:16 PM

Unfortunately I'm not sure I'd abandon my NLE to suit the AVCHD workflow.

Steve Wolla · May 31st, 2009, 01:08 AM

You should not need to abandon your NLE. I wouldn't do that. I run Premiere Pro CS3, and just use the Main Concept transcoder, drop it on my time line and go to town, no rendering required. My results really are quite good using this "system".
I am sure that whatever NLE you are using (on a PC at least--not personally familiar with Mac's) you could adopt an equally simple approach.
FWIW, I think you are abandoning it too soon. Give it a chance--how long have you had it? It's a new workflow process that many have made work for weddings, etc to great effect. I don't do weddings at this point (just have not had the opportunity) but I do a lot of sports, and now concerts and stage and can positively state that the HMC is my preferred cam for these applications.

Jeff Harper · May 31st, 2009, 01:14 AM

Thanks for the encouragement Steve...

Randy Johnson · May 31st, 2009, 09:19 PM

Actually I was teaching a new comer how to edit with Edius and he just bought 2 new shinny HMC-150s as I plan to do soon. He had just shot 2 first communions and on both videos wherever the 4 gig limit happend there was a sizable glitch with Edius 5.1. Most just had a glitch but the first o ne we came across actually threw the audio out of sync. Weird. As long as I knew it was happening I could deal with it but the first clip going out of sync drove me crazy for a while.

Randy Johnson · May 31st, 2009, 09:20 PM

BTW I convert files to Canopus HQ with Edius but what do you convert to with Premiere 4.1?

Jeff Kellam · June 1st, 2009, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Green

The file glitch is your software, not the footage. The AVCHD files stitch together perfectly and flawlessly.

EDIUS, EDIUS Neo, and Premiere Pro CS4 4.1 handle AVCHD natively, easily. Speed of playback depends on your computer, but my dual-core laptop can handle 720/60p full-screen in realtime, and 1080/24p looks like it's close to real time.

The files are split up at 4GB intervals because the file format of the SDHC card is FAT32, which supports a maximum file size of 4GB. There are no glitches or missing frames between files. If you're experiencing that, it's a bug in your software, as the original footage is perfectly good.

Barry forgot to mention that Sony Vegas Pro also handles HMC-150 AVCHD natively and easily. There are some issues with 720P60 files in Vegas (including V9), but that is the only issue. Vegas is working absolutely perfect for me.

My 4GB files also stitch together perfectly every time after I figured it out.

As a simple test for your system, if the HMC-150 files will not play back smoothly every time with no glitching using VLC media player, you have a system speed problem. That is not saying that the NLE won't edit the AVCHD, but if you can't even play back the footage smoothly, you really need to find out what is going on with your system and/or upgrade it.

Barry Green · June 2nd, 2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Johnson

BTW I convert files to Canopus HQ with Edius but what do you convert to with Premiere 4.1?

Nothing. Just edit natively. Works great, and it's realtime on my laptop.

Michael Dontigney · June 2nd, 2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Green

Nothing. Just edit natively. Works great, and it's realtime on my laptop.

So, you experience none of the glitches others have reported in the newest CS4?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGMedia;1650398 from dvxuser forum

Okay -- Adobe has robbed yet another night from my life.

The bottom line -- there are issues.

In a general sense the Premiere/After Effects AVCHD workflow works -- meaning it looks like everything is where it's supposed to be and nothing locks up or crashes.

Unfortunately, what the Premiere/After Effects workflow is actually putting out is erratic. It skips frames for no apparent reason (yes, I've triple checked my environment, disabled all security, etc.) and has also invented a "twitch" (you know, the plug-in) like effect, meaning frames jump around.

So -- it works for about 98% of a project -- but there are consistently errors/issues with every single test project. I know of no professional who can sell production services with "only a few" noticeable glitches.

On the other hand -- transcoding footage from the HMC to intermediary codecs like DVCPROHD or Canopus HQ has been, in hundreds of tests, flawless.

So, although deliriously happy users will be singing praises to Adobe for the moment, sooner or later the truth is going to come out -- the truth being that AVCHD in Premiere is full of imaginative and original glitches.

It is with a heavy heart and sadness that I report -- for serious projects, yes, I'll still be transcoding to an intermediary codec.

Then he posted a link to the glitch video....
here:

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGMedia;from DVXUser forum

To follow up on my previous grim report regarding "native" AVCHD editing in the newly updated Premiere Pro CS4.1 -- below is a link to one of the test videos I produced yesterday that kindly includes two of the glitches I encountered.

LINK: Problems With Premiere/After Effects AVCHD Workflow on Vimeo

Michael Dontigney · June 3rd, 2009, 09:34 AM

Just tried the latest PPro and it's choppy at best on my laptop which plays Canopus HQ files in RT in Edius just fine. I'm sticking to Edius and transcoding. On my PC it was better, but it did the same thing I noted by a poster at another forum. Glitches in output.

D.J. Ammons · June 3rd, 2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Montoto

Jeff,

I own a Z5u with the Memory Card Unit attached and just purchased a HMC150 also to replace a older secondary camera.

After filming a few weddings so far with them both, this is what I can tell you from my experience.

1. that you are correct that the on board audio is far worse than the Z5.

2. I think the picture looks more pleasing to the eye from the HMC

3. In low light receptions I get better light sensitivity with the Z5.

4. The Z5 is easier to rack focus in my opinion.

5. The slow motion on the HMC looks REALLY REALLY GOOD in 60p mode when you do the 24frame conversion.

6. I need to see a chiropractor everytime I shoot a reception with the Z5.

7. I love the LCD on the Z5 and Hate the LCD on the HMC.

I am not as skilled with the HMC as the Z5 but I would say that I do notice a difference in the low light performance, but the picture looks really good to me. I am about to edit another wedding this week where I used both again and I will let you know how it came out.

Steve

Steve, thanks for this post. I own two Sony V1U's but am fascinated with the HMC150 and have wondered how well footage would intercut between one and the Sony cams. What is your experience? I assume you use both the Z5 and 150 for the wedding ceremonies and then intercut for the edited version?

Barry Green · June 4th, 2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Dontigney

So, you experience none of the glitches others have reported in the newest CS4?

I have experienced nothing negative. But I'm not working in large projects right now, I'm just doing small extractions from footage for extensive testing of the HMC150 and GH1.

May 30th, 2009, 07:27 AM	#16
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	The trouble came for me with Upshift not working as I had planned. I had stupidly assumed that upshift worked just like Gearshift, but I was mistaken. I was looking for Easy, and didn't find it. An interesting sidenote is that Upshift in demo mode only generates 10sec clips. At that point I was done with the whole business. It is not the same as Gearshift at all.

May 30th, 2009, 10:41 AM	#17
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	The file glitch is your software, not the footage. The AVCHD files stitch together perfectly and flawlessly. EDIUS, EDIUS Neo, and Premiere Pro CS4 4.1 handle AVCHD natively, easily. Speed of playback depends on your computer, but my dual-core laptop can handle 720/60p full-screen in realtime, and 1080/24p looks like it's close to real time. The files are split up at 4GB intervals because the file format of the SDHC card is FAT32, which supports a maximum file size of 4GB. There are no glitches or missing frames between files. If you're experiencing that, it's a bug in your software, as the original footage is perfectly good.

May 30th, 2009, 08:16 PM	#18
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Unfortunately I'm not sure I'd abandon my NLE to suit the AVCHD workflow.

May 31st, 2009, 01:08 AM	#19
Steve Wolla Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 477	You should not need to abandon your NLE. I wouldn't do that. I run Premiere Pro CS3, and just use the Main Concept transcoder, drop it on my time line and go to town, no rendering required. My results really are quite good using this "system". I am sure that whatever NLE you are using (on a PC at least--not personally familiar with Mac's) you could adopt an equally simple approach. FWIW, I think you are abandoning it too soon. Give it a chance--how long have you had it? It's a new workflow process that many have made work for weddings, etc to great effect. I don't do weddings at this point (just have not had the opportunity) but I do a lot of sports, and now concerts and stage and can positively state that the HMC is my preferred cam for these applications.

May 31st, 2009, 01:14 AM	#20
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Thanks for the encouragement Steve...

May 31st, 2009, 09:19 PM	#21
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	Actually I was teaching a new comer how to edit with Edius and he just bought 2 new shinny HMC-150s as I plan to do soon. He had just shot 2 first communions and on both videos wherever the 4 gig limit happend there was a sizable glitch with Edius 5.1. Most just had a glitch but the first o ne we came across actually threw the audio out of sync. Weird. As long as I knew it was happening I could deal with it but the first clip going out of sync drove me crazy for a while.

May 31st, 2009, 09:20 PM	#22
Randy Johnson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,067	BTW I convert files to Canopus HQ with Edius but what do you convert to with Premiere 4.1?

June 3rd, 2009, 09:34 AM	#26
Michael Dontigney Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 103	Just tried the latest PPro and it's choppy at best on my laptop which plays Canopus HQ files in RT in Edius just fine. I'm sticking to Edius and transcoding. On my PC it was better, but it did the same thing I noted by a poster at another forum. Glitches in output.