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transcoding avchd footage
Are their any benefits to transcoding AVCHD footage before importing in premiere? I can import the AVCHD footage and working with fine but wasn’t sure if there is something that would be greatly improved if I transcoded.
Bryce
Bryce
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7 Replies
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AVCHD is not a particularly hi-performance codec, so you may find that complex timelines or multi-cam workflows with many streams will improve if you first transcode to Pro Res or DNXHD. However, if you do mostly simple workflows with just 1, 2, or 3 layers, and it all plays back seamlessly without dropping frames, just continue to edit natively.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist & Workflow Consultant
David Weiss Productions
Los AngelesDavid is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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Thanks,
I work lots with MultiCam sequences and lots of my non multicam sequences are complex.
DO you recommend I create Proxy files?
Bryce
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[Bryce Moose] “I work lots with MultiCam sequences and lots of my non multicam sequences are complex.
DO you recommend I create Proxy files?”
Well, a proxy workflow usually means using low res files… I’d prefer to see you try Pro Res 422, at the same framerate and pixel dimensions as you’re using now – that way, if you can achieve seamless playback, you can potentially finish without an online conform.
If Pro Res 422 still requires too much bandwidth for your hardware, drop down to Pro Res LT and test that, and then try Pro Res Proxy as a last resort.Again, I recommend the same framerate and pixel dimensions any time you transcode to a “mezzanine codec,” just so all your graphics, repositions, and composites are in their final positions if you do have to conform to hi-res files in online.
FYI, I always do my best to avoid offline to online workflows, simply because errors can be introduced at that stage, when you can least afford the time to fix them.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist & Workflow Consultant
David Weiss Productions
Los AngelesDavid is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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Okay Thanks,
my iMac is wicked fast so I didn’t think I needed Proxy Files.
Bryce
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[Bryce Moose] “my iMac is wicked fast so I didn’t think I needed Proxy Files”
Yeh, but as I mentioned, some codecs are just very heavy lifting, and AVCHD just happens to be one of them.
FYI, Sony created the XAVC codec as the replacement for AVCHD because it’s less processor intensive. However, some flavors or XAVC, specifically XAVCi, can be a bear too, as it appears Adobe has no gotten around to tweaking under the hood of their apps yet to optimize for it.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist & Workflow Consultant
David Weiss Productions
Los AngelesDavid is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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So Should I create Proxy Pro Res or just create Pro Res 422?
Bryce
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[Bryce Moose] “So Should I create Proxy Pro Res or just create Pro Res 422?”
As I wrote earlier…
[David Roth Weiss] “I’d prefer to see you try Pro Res 422, at the same framerate and pixel dimensions as you’re using now – that way, if you can achieve seamless playback, you can potentially finish without an online conform.
If Pro Res 422 still requires too much bandwidth for your hardware, drop down to Pro Res LT and test that, and then try Pro Res Proxy as a last resort.”
Test… That’s the only you’ll know…
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist & Workflow Consultant
David Weiss Productions
Los AngelesDavid is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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