Gearshift for 60p files from TM900?

[Kevin Janisch]

Hello, anybody know if there is an intermediary Gearshift file format for 60P footage from a Panasonic TM900? Many thanks.

Kevin

[Chris Harding]

Hey Kevin

All Gearshift does is produce some low quality/low bitrate files that your NLE can handle for editing and then you swap the crappy files for the real ones and do your render. It will essentially work in any format but is only required if your computer cannot handle the native files for editing.

I use Sony Vegas and the AVCHD format was too much of a strain for my DuoCore and Gearshift was an alternative. If you edit on something like an i7 then just use the native files.

I actually used to use Upshift which converts the AVCHD (mine are 50P as we are PAL) into high quality MPEG2 HDV files which the computer used to handle easily...after getting a decent machine I just use native footage now.

I guess it would be wise to ask you two questions : What NLE are you using and what are your computer specs???? Make sure that you really do need a proxy program first!!

Chris

[Kevin Janisch]

Hi Chris,

Thank you for the reply. I've been using Gearshift for a couple of years now. First on my Core2Duo laptop and now on a QuadCore Dell Workstation (not too much as the QuadCore edits HDV natively just fine), but with AVCHD it's a different story as you know. 60P intermediary was more of a curiosity than anything as in practical usage I'll just edit with proxy files, including slowmo (using optimal settings for the final 60P) and then swap back in. Thanks.

Kevin

[Chris Harding]

Hi Kevin

Vegas on a QuadCore should handle TM900 AVCHD files quite adequately ??? I used to be able to preview on my Duocore..the processor struggled a bit but managed OK..a Quad should handle even 60P at the highest bitrate without any issues at all.... I would have thought that Gearshift would now be of no use to you??

Chris

[Jeff Harper]

No Gearshift does not offer 60p framerate but I use GS in conjunction with HDLink. HDLink offers a "keep original framerate" option so if you record in 60p the intermediates are then 60p if you wish. I use GS to swap out the files made in HDLink, it's a great little workflow.

Only issue is the Cineform files at medium quality (which is plenty suitable for producing excellent DVDs) are quite large. Cineform files from last two weddings were each about 650GB, which is retarded, but that is how it is.

[Kevin Janisch]

Still on XP, 32bit Vegas 8.0c. 4GB of Ram (3GB seen by Windows). No realtime playback, hovering around 22fps on preview half, and barely realtime in draft mode.

I'll check out HDLink. Do you have a link by chance? Thanks Jeff.

[Jeff Harper]

Kevin, it's on the Cineform website, free fully functional demo. They are changing the name soon, or might have already. And before you ask, no I'm pretty sure you won't be able to get by with the lower program, been there done that. HDlink files look almost identical on the timeline to the original, and produce outstanding quality dvds. In additon, it deinterlaces interlaced footage perfectly, no hassle. It takes a minute to catch on using it, but I truly couldn't work without it.

[Kevin Janisch]

Thanks Jeff!