-
Encoding h.264 footage to edit into CS6
So i am fairly new to editing and such so this all may sound really dumb.
I shoot with a canon t2i at 24fps and it’s native video is on h.264 codec. I used to edit by importing the native footage into premier pro cs6 but found trouble when it was really slow and didn’t flow smoothly, so I read some threads about encoding h.264 into DNxHD (I don’t use a Mac so ProRes is not an option) so I heard of the program MPEG Streamclip 5 Squared to convert my videos and export them as a quicktime. However, when i import the videos with this new codec and try to edit it, it still lags and it’s annoying to edit. I have also read it may be a problem with my computer GPUSo I am really confused on what to do? I also read to encode it into wmv but they don’t give me that as an option in MPEG streamclip. I am not sure if the problem is me not choosing the sequence right. Are there any tutorials to solve this or articles that explain the basic ideas of codecs,wrappers,etc.
I want to be able to edit videos smoothly but i can’t seem to do it. -
3 Replies
-
DNxHD is a safe bet when it comes to editing DSLR footage like yours. Encoding into wmv would probably be a sideways step at best for editing purposes.
To encode in DNxHD, you need to download the codec from Avid’s site (I assume you haven’t already). You can then use MPEG Streamclip or Adobe Media Encoder to encode them into mov files. If file size is not an issue, make sure you encode them into the “175” setting. I find this setting is closest to ProRes 422.
-
It would be really helpful if you provided more information about your computer specs for us to know if it’s a hardware issue or not. Things like your processor speed, graphics card, and available RAM make a big difference in performance.
You say that you are fairly new to editing so my first instinct is that you are probably not using a fast external drive as your media drive. If that’s the case, I suggest you buy (or borrow) a dedicated drive for this purpose. If you are using an external drive, what speed is it (it should be at least 7200 RPM) and how is it connected to your system?
HTH
Gary
-
You may have serious issues with your hardware, and/or possibly even your installation / operating system. When’s the last time it was “freshly” installed, or looked at? I’ve always found computers get slower over time, so check ALL your internal fans which if not running properly can cause your computer to overheat and perform poorly. How is it surfing the web, playing videos off YouTube or Vimeo, how about video games?
If you’re computer is just “old” than you can consider upgrading your computer to an i-series and add more memory. Another upgrade to consider is replacing your C: drive with a 500GB SSD Hard Drive. SSD is like memory basically, very fast and no moving parts. This will make your computer running Windows 7 fly.
Your last and final option if you don’t want to deal with upgrading your hardware is to transcode all your source footage files into low quality versions, sometimes called “proxies” which let your computer edit the video with a lot more ease. Later once you are done the edit, you can replace your proxy files with the originals and let your computer render out your final project.
—
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up