VideoPier (Mac) to transcode to AIC or other codecs

[PKraft]

There is a neat little app by http://www.aquafadas.com, called Videopier, to transfer AVCHD clips from camera to Mac or MacbookPro and to transcode into AIC, ProRes (HQ) or DVCProHD as well as into all other available codecs under Quicktime.

The app is still in its betaversion.

Hope this helps. pe.

[Michael T]

Thanks PKraft.

[Thomas Lew]

Just letting the mac users with 6.0.1 or higher this isn't necessary cause final cut can convert it during transfer. Otherwise, this program sounds pretty handy. I'm wondering if there's any loss in quality.

[PKraft]

Thomas,
I agree and I disagree at the same time. Of course, FCP offers the possiblity to log and ingest, with ingest meaning transcoding the raw material to, say Prorez or AIC. However, I am not fond of the FCP ergonomics at that point. I also do fancy to have two apps available just in case something goes wrong with the app of choice. It simply makes me feel more comfortable, especially with the low price of Videopier.
This will surely change as soon as FCP will be able to handle AVCProHD natively.

And no, the quality does not get sacrificed visibly with transcoding AVCProHD into Prorez, It does not improve picture quality on the other hand, though. It simply fills in missing complete frames from a GOP (Group of pictures) with complete frames, derived and computed from the different single GOP elements. No miracles, shere math :-)
Transcoding into AIC is a different story, AIC being an MPEG2-Intra-codec.

[matt s.]

I was gonna try the demo version but not to sure i want to install the ffmpeg thats required on my system just yet. Anyone try the demo version yet?

[Justyn]

ALSO. the final cut pro conversion will only work on intel macs and not PowerPC... so if a 3rd party software works then that's great. I just hope it's faster than that Voltaic program. That thing was painfully slow and just took forever.


Another option that people might want to consider, is a real time conversion via the intensity card to whatever you want. I have been so happy converting the SD9 footage real time to DVCPRO HD. 1 hour of footage takes an hour. If I do the conversion through FCP on my intel laptop, it takes forever. I need to time exactly how long it takes as I'm sure it's probably double time at the least.


Either way.. I'm so happy to be considering this camera. At this price point, I could buy two more and have a nice little 3 camera HD set-up without breaking the bank.

[Thomas Lew]

Thomas,
I agree and I disagree at the same time. Of course, FCP offers the possiblity to log and ingest, with ingest meaning transcoding the raw material to, say Prorez or AIC. However, I am not fond of the FCP ergonomics at that point. I also do fancy to have two apps available just in case something goes wrong with the app of choice. It simply makes me feel more comfortable, especially with the low price of Videopier.
This will surely change as soon as FCP will be able to handle AVCProHD natively.

And no, the quality does not get sacrificed visibly with transcoding AVCProHD into Prorez, It does not improve picture quality on the other hand, though. It simply fills in missing complete frames from a GOP (Group of pictures) with complete frames, derived and computed from the different single GOP elements. No miracles, shere math :-)
Transcoding into AIC is a different story, AIC being an MPEG2-Intra-codec.


HM.. I see your point. I'm glad that there are several means of working with the avchd footage because if you read the hmc150 threads on here for even 5 minutes one can see how many different editing platforms and softwares people are using and it's good that there are multiple options for editing the footage. I do think it's a phenomenal camera and within time it will be easier to work with it as the editing software updates

[Bucknfl]

A friend of mine got videopier to work with avchd files with final cut express and imac.

[accelv]

Anything out there that will work with Power PC version of FCP 5?

Damn, the whole idea of SD recording is to edit in a flash with having to injest like tape. FCP always seems to be behind. Still waiting for BluRay support, too.

[dvpixl]

When is FCP suppose to release the codec? and will it then be native-drop-in-and-edit?

[Thomas Lew]

When is FCP suppose to release the codec? and will it then be native-drop-in-and-edit?

I only wish I knew =\

[pailes]

When is FCP suppose to release the codec? and will it then be native-drop-in-and-edit?
Release which codec? It is part of apple's strategy to not talk a lot about what the future will bring.

[PKraft]

Release which codec? It is part of apple's strategy to not talk a lot about what the future will bring.

An avchd-native-video-editing-codec :-)

The do not talk, however they might listen ;-)