best format to convert AVCHD for editing?

[Shane Ross]

Well, first off, Adobe works with nearly all formats natively. You just need to make sure you have fast processors, gobs of RAM, and a graphics card that enables CUDA. But converting AVCHD always helps…it’s very processor intensive.

Now onto this statement:

[David Lord] ” I guess I need to convert the format first, but I don’t want to lose any quality at all, otherwise that would defeat the purpose of buying the HD camera.”

Every feature film you have seen in the theater is not shown in it’s native format. Let’s say it was shot with the RED camera. It was converted to another format before editing, for sure. But then they probably went back to the original for color correction, rendered out to another codec…compression. Then made into Digital Intermediate…another compression, then delivery format…compression.

Every TV show on TV…we convert the footage to another format, be it ProRes or DNxHD…and then compress a couple times before it sees air. EVERY professional converts the footage to another format. It does not defeat the purpose of an HD camera. Besides, it’ll get compressed again when it goes to BluRay…or DVD…or H.264 for web or computer…or output to tape…or compressed for satellite or cable delivery.

That’s just to tell you that professionals convert camera masters to workable formats all the time…and it still looks great.

Work native if you want…just make sure you have the resources for it. Or you can convert to ProRes, if you have a Mac and some Apple App that gives you that codec (like Compressor, or Motion)…or you can download the Avid codecs (free), Cineform codecs (free…get Cineform Studio Free) and use those.

Shane
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[David Lord]

thanks! that was very helpful. I suppose I wouldn’t mind editing natively if my computer can handle it. I maxed out the RAM, (32 gb) , it has an U-Haul processor, but I don’t think the graphics card can use CUDA. (It wasn’t highlighted in the preset settings) I believe the card is an nvidia geforce 680. in your opinion can this computer handle the AVCHD natively?

[Shane Ross]

What kind of Processor? i7? i5? less?

Without CUDA, it’ll work with it, but not smoothly. And the longer the sequence, the more unruly it becomes.

Shane
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[Chris Borjis]

I edit AVCHD from a sony nxcam almost daily.

Your system should be fine.

see if you can enable the one you have manually. (do a google search for that)

Having a CUDA or OpenCL capable card will make your workflow smoother for sure.

But you should be able to edit that footage as is.

[David Lord]

my processor is an i7! haha my auto correct changed it to “u haul ” for some reason. but thanks for the tips, ill try to find out if I can use CUDA with my card too

[David Lord]

Ok, I was able to enable CUDA for my graphics card, and I imported some .mts files just to experiment. Looks like its going to work smooth! But just for comparison purposes, I’d like to play around with cineform a little too, just to see if I like it better. I downloaded “cineform studio”, but I dont know how to use the codecs from it. When I run the program, I choose “import”, but for some reason my AVCHD files are grayed out, (both on my hard drive and with the camera plugged in) How do I convert the files?

[Shane Ross]

You convert with PRELUDE, or MEDIA ENCODER. But this is best for PRELUDE.

Shane
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[David Lord]

sorry if this is an obvious question, I’m not at my computer right now, but I just did a search on my phone, and a lot of people posted that cineform isn’t an export option in prelude. is there some other step I have to take to accomplish this?

[David Lord]

anything guys? seemed like some of you knew how to do this up until this point.

[Chris Borjis]

Not sure if you can now…cineform is owned by gopro now…

maybe install gopro utilities to get that codec?