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Using Clipwrap to manage AVCHD clips
I’m using PP_CS5 (Windows 7 version) to edit AVCHD files created with a Panasonic AF100
Of course Premiere imports and can use these files easily, however the ultra-simple serial numbering naming protocol that the AF100 uses to generate clip names (00000.m2ts, 00001.m2ts,00002.m2ts, etc.) virtually insures that most projects end up with one, or even many clips with duplicate filenames. For me this can be a real headache, especially if I need to move or to re-link media for any reason.
So even though I could import the AVCHD media as is, I use Clipwrap (on a Mac) to re-wrap these files into a Quicktime wrapper so I can both preserve original time code but also allow me to rename clips to something more friendly for moving, cataloging, archiving, and editing functions (I’m only re-wrapping, not re-compressing the media). I’m also using a filename utility for batch changing of file names, and yes, I’m also saving the original media, exactly as stored on the original cards, in a separate location, just in case.
Since I’m new to Clipwrap, I’d be interested in hearing any comments from others on their experiences with the program, pro or con. So far I’ve found it to be simple, and fast. My only complaint is that it doesn’t run under Windows.
Finally I’d like to invite comment on this general strategy for media workflow. Is this the best approach, or are there alternatives that might be quicker, easier, or more reliable?
Thanks,
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3 Replies
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When using the camera’s AVCHD files, we typically rename them to add a prefix onto each file, generally the name of the folder that they are assigned to on copying from the SD card – so ‘00000.m2ts’ will become ‘folder_name_00000.m2ts’. The only instance where this will not work would be in long format recording, where your clips will cause the filesize to cross the 4GB limit, and a spanned clip occurs. Renaming these breaks the span.
That being said, we usually transcode to Cineform codec for ease of editing, and follow the same clip renaming scenario.
Steve Brame
creative illusions Productions -
After some testing of my strategy the results have been rather discouraging. The .mov files played well on my Mac platform, but the transfer to a Windows 7 environment revealed some serious problems.
Premiere 5.5 reported some errors on importing the .mov files, and playback was flawed by stuttering and lack of thumbnails on several clips. In short these were definitely not edit ready files.
I sent a message to Clipwrap support requesting advice or assistance. The reply was prompt and very to the point:
“Unfortunately we don’t have a fix for this – Quicktime for Windows has long been neglected, so even on a fast PC the performance is terrible. I also believe that when bringing AVCHD in via a wrapper other than MTS, you lose out on some specific optimizations Adobe has built in to Premiere for windows to improve h264 decoding.”
They also offered a refund, which I thought was a very stand-up gesture on the part of the outfit.
So I’m looking at Cineform at this point as well . What should I expect in terms of size increase on the clips?
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I’m not at our machine right now, but I can tell you the size increase is quite substantial.
Steve Brame
creative illusions Productions
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