Post-Production Using AVCHD Files?

[Travis Rattley]

Currently, I have Adobe Premiere CS3 (waiting on CS5) and I just received my Sony NX5. It records awesome footage; however, I want to transfer to same footage into my Post-Production software. CS3 does not support AVCHD files and of course their is not an update. I have a Mac (Early 2008 version) and I am currently capturing my footage into iMovie and then moving it into Premiere. (NOT GETTING THAT SAME POWERFUL EFFECT AT ALL; HOWEVER, IN IMOVIE IS LOOKS FINE...BUT OF COURSE LIMITED.) I do have Parallels on my Mac with Windows XP. I know Premiere well and do not want to switch to Final Cut.

Any suggestions on capturing AVCHD files and then importing the files in my CS3? What has worked best from your personal experience (i.e., quality of video, audio, etc?) Has anyone used Toast 10 with success or should try the Sony Vegas?

[Mark Von Lanken]

I realize the thought of switching to a new NLE is not one that is taken lightly, but from your comment about Vegas, the thought has a least gone through your mind. I do not use Vegas, but I have good friends who do. From their reports, Vegas will edit AVCHD, but it really bogs down when you start adding filters or multiple tracks.

Without a doubt, the NLE that handles AVCHD the best is Edius. Edius Neo 2.5 (also called Booster Pack) is about $250 and I edit AVCHD natively on my Quad Core laptop as easily as DV footage. Edius Neo is the "lite" version of Edius Pro. Edius Pro 5 does not handle AVCHD very well at all on my Quad Core laptop but, Edius 5.5 is scheduled to be released at NAB.

For the last year I have been transcoding AVCHD so I could edit the footage in Edius. Not only does transcoding take time, but it greatly increases the size of the files. This is true for any transcoding solution. Now with Edius Neo, not only do I not have to spend the time transcoding, but a 50 Gb project stays 50 Gb and not 250-300 Gb after transcoding.

Here is a link to Edius Neo and a free 30 day trial.
EDIUS Neo 2 Booster | Grass Valley

[Travis Rattley]

Thanks Mark! Useful information.

[Mark Von Lanken]

Hi Travis,

You are welcome. I just flew back from Charlotte. I did some training for a company in Morganton. It's beautiful out there.

[Christopher Young]

Seriously this question is coming up again and again. The AVCHD files generated by today’s small HD cameras are virtually unplayable in their native form. They are extremely difficult to decode highly compressed long GOP files and even on powerful PCs will cause stuttering playback and in some cases hang the PC. I think the sooner we all realise that AVCHD is an acquisition format and NOT an editing format the better off we will all be. We run into AVCHD files every week from onboard racecar cameras on a TV show we do. The only effective way to handle them with quality and ease is to bump them to an intermediate codec.

I would strongly suggest getting Cineform's Neoscene. With this you can do a batch file convert to convert your AVCHD files to the Cineform codec. This codec is fully compliant in Adobe Premiere CS3. The Cineform AVI files produced are high quality 'I' frame based files which edit almost as easy as DV footage. Once you have done it you wouldn't try to edit AVCD in a fit. There is a seven day trial download at:

Cineform NeoScene : Features

[Adam Welz]

"I think the sooner we all realise that AVCHD is an acquisition format and NOT an editing format the better off we will all be."

Well said, Christopher! I agree. And it's not a bad acquisition format -- the images are great, file sizes small, which makes them great for archiving.

Cheers

Adam

[Robert Lane]

CY's post is spot-on; AVCHD is *not* an editing format and should always be converted/transcoded into an editing format, one that your NLE likes to handle such as DVCPRO, XDCAM or even download the free HD Avid codecs which will allow you to use the files cross-platform if needed.

AVCHD was designed specifically for the consumer video market and was intended for the home user to shoot their footage in their handy-cam style rig then connect an HDMI cable to their HDTV set and simply play back the footage directly or, import it into the low-end editing platforms that do the transcoding on import (although the general public has no idea what's going on with their video when "Movie Maker" is ingesting the footage). AVCHD was always thought to be the next-gen replacement for HDV but technologically it's much more work for any NLE to handle AVCHD than HDV by far.

[Mark Von Lanken]

Guys, it's too late to say you can't edit AVCHD in it's native format. Edius already has the solution to edit AVCHD in real time without transcoding. It's time for other NLEs to join the party or get left behind. In Edius I can even edit straight from the card without dumping the files to the hard drive.

When I first started shooting AVCHD in Dec. of 08 Edius told me the same thing, that AVCHD is not a format that was designed to be edited and that it would have to be transcoded to another format that easier to edit. What a difference a year makes.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Mark Von Lanken

that AVCHD is not a format that was designed to be edited...

What a difference a year makes.

No, a year has made ZERO difference. AVCHD is still NOT designed to be edited. Can it? Sure. You can do it with a hot machine in Vegas, or Premiere. You can do it in Edius. But just because you CAN do it, doesn't mean you SHOULD do it.

[Mark Von Lanken]

Hi Perrone,

Please pardon my ignorance but since I can edit AVCHD natively in Edius, why would I want to spend the time and use the additional hard drive space required to transcode the footage?

I never said that AVCHD was designed to be an edited format, I said the difference in the last year is that Edius will edit AVCHD where as a year ago it could not. That is a huge difference for me.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Mark Von Lanken

Hi Perrone,

Please pardon my ignorance but since I can edit AVCHD natively in Edius, why would I want to spend the time and use the additional hard drive space required to transcode the footage?

I never said that AVCHD was designed to be an edited format, I said the difference in the last year is that Edius will edit AVCHD where as a year ago it could not. That is a huge difference for me.

Oh, Edius couldn't do that a year ago? Sorry to hear that. I've been able to do that for a while now.

As for why you'd want to? Well increased performance is one. Second is for quality through workflow. I realize that a lot of folks on here, are doing a "pile everything on the timeline and render" type workflow and for that, transcoding might not make sense. But when a file needs to get 2-5 renders before final, transcoding makes sense. I also prefer to work in 10-bit space with 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 color, and I can't do that with AVCHD. So, it get's transcoded.

Maybe these things don't apply to you, and if not, then just stick with what you're doing.

[Travis Rattley]

Has anyone edit from this unit alone without using the Content Manager? The only success that I have with import video is from iMovie. I am currently using my MAC Pro 10.5.8. I seem not to be having any success in importing from the Content Management when I am on Windows XP side (using Parallels). This is crazy...the only thing that works is the Sony Handycam import for my Flash Unit, but not the Content Manager!

What importing success has anyone used?

[Ron Evans]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

But when a file needs to get 2-5 renders before final, transcoding makes sense. I also prefer to work in 10-bit space with 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 color, and I can't do that with AVCHD. So, it get's transcoded.

Why do you need to do so many renders?

Ron Evans

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

Why do you need to do so many renders?

Ron Evans

I might not, but people I collaborate with might.

[Travis Rattley]

Originally Posted by Mark Von Lanken

Hi Perrone,

Please pardon my ignorance but since I can edit AVCHD natively in Edius, why would I want to spend the time and use the additional hard drive space required to transcode the footage?

I never said that AVCHD was designed to be an edited format, I said the difference in the last year is that Edius will edit AVCHD where as a year ago it could not. That is a huge difference for me.

I think that I have too found a solution(-: I have been using Adobe Premiere (currently using CS3) for years and now Adobe CS5 is projected to launch in April 2010. I just watch saw a sneak preview of Premiere CS5 and the native support of AVCHD files. Check out this link Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 – Mercury Playback Engine Sneak Peek | Adobe CS5

By the way, this is for PC usage; however, I hope that I will get the same effect for the MAC side.