Workflow for AVCHD footage

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

Workflow for AVCHD footage

Posted by Roi Turnoy on November 23, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Hi

We’re filming a documentary based on XD-CAM 50i (Sony HD EX-3).
Recently we gave the families we film, home HD camcorders (Sanyo HD1010), and we like to add this footage to our XD-CAM sequences.

We’d like to convert the AVCHD 60i footage from the Sanyo camera to a new media that could integrate with the XD-CAM 50i footage in the most efficient way.

Can we use Compressor? which format should we convert to?

any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Roi

Roi Turnoy replied 16 years, 5 months ago 4 Members · 7 Replies
7 Replies

Rafael Amador
November 23, 2009 at 3:28 pm

Hi Roy,
The best option would be 8b Uncompress, but Prores will be OK and make smaller files.
Cheers,
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Reid Vanvoris
November 23, 2009 at 4:40 pm

Try converting your AVCHD footage to XDCAM EX using the free MPEG Streamclip. The EX codec will make files that look as good as the ProRes FCP will trancode your AVCHD files to and they will be much smaller files on your HD. Here’s a tutorial video that talks about files from the Canon 5D Mark II, but your HG10 files should work the same. Make sure to then use the XDCAM EX Easy Setup in FCP to set your FCP Sequence for editing:

https://www.videosurf.com/video/how-to-convert-5d-mark-ii-h-264-footage-to-x...

Here’s where to get MPEG Streamclip freeware: https://www.squared5.com/

Reid VanVoris
e-Mail: r1108@hotmail.com
Rafael Amador
November 24, 2009 at 4:14 am

[Reid VanVoris] “try converting your AVCHD footage to XDCAM EX using the free MPEG Streamclip”
Going from a compressed format to another one is not a good policy, and take in to account that XDCAM compression is extremely slow.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Walter Biscardi
November 24, 2009 at 4:17 am

[Reid VanVoris] “Try converting your AVCHD footage to XDCAM EX using the free MPEG Streamclip.”

Ugh! XDCAM is not the way to go. Long GOP formats are just not where you want to take something that’s already compressed. Especially not to the XDCAM format. Ugh!

Convert to ProRes for the edit. Uncompressed is nice if you have the storage space, but I find no visual difference between ProRes and Uncompressed for AVC HD footage.

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Roi Turnoy
November 24, 2009 at 10:59 am

Thanks

What about converting AVCHD 60i footage to ProRes 50i?
Rafael Amador
November 24, 2009 at 11:52 am

Hi Roy,
Prores is probably the best option.
You may try MPGStreamclip. The job may be not as perfect as with Compressor, but works much faster.
Compressor works very well, but you need to set “Control Frame: ON”. That means time.
Cheers,
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Roi Turnoy
November 29, 2009 at 9:33 am

Hi

Can you help me configure the parameters in Compressor?
Converting AVC HD 60i to Prores 422 50i

I tried several methods and all looks a bit jittery…

I would appreciate help in that matter.

Thanks
Roi

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