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Do I want to use ProRes 422 in AE? VS “MTS”
So I have a client, and they just want to make a video in after effects, no need to bring it back into FCP or any other NLE. They’ve started with only MTS files, and when we tried to render something small, it was going to take a LOOONG time. So I suggested we convert the MTS files to Prores 422. I only said that because everywhere I’ve looked, I’ve seen “convert to prores 422, it’ll work better.” for many many problems, even outside of FCP. So it was kind of habit. Also because we were pulling files whose format couldn’t be recognized by anything except VLC (which does everything) directly from a folder called “STREAM” which seemed off to me. It seems to me this footage may’ve been ingested incorrectly or not at all, but that’s just me.
Anyway, my question is, is converting to ProRes 422 going to help? Also, will it increase the file size? Because we have a lot. Will it reduce the quality in such a way that it might be harder to key out a greenscreen?
And I also am aware that AE should be used for sequences of effects, that are then rendered out to more NLE-like programs, but this project is different. The whole thing is 1 big VFX, not really a movie, so we’re doing it in AE.
Also, what’s a good way to convert MTS? I suggested MPEGStreamClip until I learned it can’t recognize it. Downloaded and installed the MTS plugin for MPEGstreamclip, and still wasn’t recognizing it.
Thanks!
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6 Replies
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Two common reasons to transcode: 1) native format is not supported, 2) source files are highly compressed and you would like to reduce processing time. Quality might degrade slightly when using a second-generation copy, but any differences should not be noticeable with a production codec like ProRes, DNxHD, Cineform, or AVC-Intra. ProRes files will be larger than MTS files.
If transcoding, it is a good idea to check the source files with the YC Waveform and RGB Parade scopes in Premiere Pro to make sure luma and RGB profiles are between 0-100 IRE.
After Effects is RGB and your source files are Y’CbCr. Set AE project bit depth to 16 or 32 to minimize banding. A 10-bit codec is preferred if transcoding.
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Converting the MTS files to ProRes will increase the size. MTS is a long GOP format, ProRes is not.
Will it be faster? That depends on the version of After Effects and what exactly your’e doing. Since its a long GOP format, After Effects must decode the MTS files need to generate the frames. If you have time, convert the files to ProRes using Adobe Media Encoder.
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Hi guys, thanks for the answers, literally pulling my hair out at this. I’m glad Adobe Media Encoder (I’m running CS4, my client probably has CS5) can encode MTS, though now I don’t know what to export to.
I tried PNG, there was so much loss in the quality that I can’t run with that. Same with h.264
I also tried ProRes, and it doubled the size so one 3 min file was 1GB. BUT it was also the wrong size. I’m running a new queue for a good size one.
I’m also currently exporting a bunch of other formats/codecs like…
TIFF sequence
Animation
MPEG2
Cinepak
HDV1080p24Here’s some more BG info because I need to be able to work on these faster and figure adding details will help you guys help figure out the right format…
These are slo-mo photography shoots, against a greenscreen. 1080 x 1920, NO AUDIO, to be played back on an HD picture frame. Basically in the final product, there will be 10 seconds from 2 (up at the same time, next to each other) or so from each, before fading into another set. Each set has a greenscreen that must be keyed out, so quality needs to stay intact. And even though we were only trying to render out like 20 seconds, it was still going to take a few hours. So I figured “we have to transcode this to something”
Or are we better off staying with MTS?
Each final “video” is going to be 10 seconds (out of the much longer source clip) however, we can’t just export the 10 secs he wants from each video to use in AE, that would be too easy, because he needs to see how each one looks next to each other. So that’s out.
Also, I’m not even sure what settings I have to set for the export, like field order, frame rate, all that. Normally I’d just match this to the source file, but I have no idea what the source file’s settings even are. VLC says frame rate is some weird number like 46.343439 or something.
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Here’s a list of what I’ve tried so far.
Quicktime PNG Codec (NO, LOSS QUALITY BAD) I forget the size, deleted it.
Quicktime ProRes422 : (SEEMS QUALITY RETAINED, FILE SIZE TRIPLES THOUGH) 2GB
Quicktime Animation (NO, LOST TOO MUCH QUALITY, ALL TILING AND PIXELATED) 5GB
Quicktime Cinepak (NO, SO MUCH QUALITY LOSS THAT IT LOOKS LIKE A 256 GIF PAINTING NOW) 600MB
Quicktime H.264 (NO, BLURRY QUALITY PIXELS) 37MB
Quicktime TIFF Codec (NO, LOST TOO MUCH QUALITY, ALL TILING AND PIXELATED) 10-FRICKEN-GB
Quicktime MPEG-4 VIDEO (NO, BLURRY QUALITY PIXELS, LOOKS LIKE H.264 RESULT) 28MB
Quicktime HDV1080p24 MPEG-2 (WE MIGHT HAVE A WINNER) 600MB
TIFF SEQUENCE (Hasn’t exported yet)
FLV (Hasn’t exported yet)
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Hi Dave,
I tried a TIFF sequence, and it almost ate my harddrive, leaving 300mb left, weighing in at 40gigs. 3 minute video. 40 gigs.
MPEG-2 seems to work, so does FLV (but do I really want to edit with FLV? Seems almost like doing it with h.264) but I want to keep trying. I’ll try PNG again. Now to specify, what I did last time was use Media Encoder CS4 to use the Quicktime format on PNG codec, quality 100, everything else same as source. And it came out looking splotchy, pixelated, a bunch of tiles, colors looked like a moire effect.
Maybe if I do it in After Effects instead, as a PNG sequence, instead of just the codec.
Last I checked, PNG is smaller than TIFF, so I’m going to guess it won’t eat my HD.
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It didn’t work. MPEG2 seems to be the closest solution. Even though it renders out almost the same time as a MTS.
Maybe I’ll just stick with MTS.
Any other suggestions?
Sorry for blunt, tired.
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