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Best Quality/Exporting Problems
Hi,
I recently got a Canon Vixia HG21 camcorder (it shoots in AVCHD format) and I tried using it with my Windows computer. The technical specifications of that computer didn’t match with the requirements for Premiere Pro CS4, which was my number one choice for editing software. I ended up buying a new iMac (the specifications can be read here: https://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html.)
Now I have Premiere Pro CS4 and I really like all of the editing and effects features that are in it. I’m having a little trouble with importing the videos from the camera. I have been using the USB cord that came with the camera to save it on iMovie (in “full” quality) and then putting it into Adobe Premiere. My main problem though is with exporting the video. Since this is my first Mac I really don’t know what format/codec is the best to export a video in. I tried exporting it in Mpeg-4 and H.264 formats but I’m really not sure if these are good choices. When I exported both of them the H.264 format had the best quality but I really think that it could have been better. I’m mainly interested in putting the videos on Youtube and occasionally on a DVD.
Another problem (sorry for so many questions) is that when I exported a 5-minute clip using the H.264 format, I left the computer running for a long part of the day and came back. It still had 2 hours to go after running for 7 hours! Is this right? Because it doesn’t seem like it should be.
So basically I have three questions:
1. What is the best way to import videos from my camcorder to my iMac?
2. What are the best ways to export those videos from Premiere CS4 with the highest quality possible?
3. How long does encoding usually take and what is the best way to do it?Thanks for all the help that I know I’ll be able to find on this forum.
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2 Replies
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[Max Pemberton] “1. What is the best way to import videos from my camcorder to my iMac?”
Moving files from external media, be it hard drive or media cards is simply copy/paste to your hard drive.
[Max Pemberton] “2. What are the best ways to export those videos from Premiere CS4 with the highest quality possible?”
In the Export Settings window choose H264 as the Format and one of the 3 YouTube Presets. This is about as good quality within Youtube limits.
[Max Pemberton] “3. How long does encoding usually take and what is the best way to do it?”
AVCHD can take forever to downconvert to SD without at least 2 4 Core CPUs. H264 is about as good as it gets.
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Mike is probably right, I would let Premiere Pro use it’s Cineform avi file , Export to Tape or Blu-ray not DVD in High definition.
The H264 clips from a Canon EOS 5 D Mark II need to be rendered on Import and the Transcode to Export for a 30 minute production could take 4-5 hours overnight, and we use an older Dell 8400 Dimension 3.2Ghz 800fsb 2Gb Ram specified for High Definition. The results are stunning and worth waiting for.
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