Stay with CS3 or upgrade to CS4?

[Catz]

I've read alot of bad things about CS4 workflow with AVC files. I can get CS4 for almost free so cost is not a concern. I have CS3 and have the following questions. Note: My PC was build for working with AE and it handles huge AE projects just fine. DFI MO, Intel Quad Core 2.8, 8g ram, PNY Quadro FX1500 video card)


Do all AVC MTS frame rate files import straight into CS4? (ie 1080/30p, 1080/24p, 720/60p, 72030p, 720/24p)
Do all the frame rates have a good work flow? (best worst)
If I shoot something in 720/60/30/or24p is there anyway I can get it into CS3 with the free Panasonic transcoder? Any free utility?
Should I just buy Cineform http://cineform.com/ (http://cineform.com/) ? Then I think it wouldn't matter if I used CS3 or CS4????
Basically upgrade to CS4 or just wait and use CS3 with Cineform or the free Panasonic transcoder? I would like to work in 720.

Help a Newbie :)
1-26-09

[Hidef1080]

" If I shoot something in 720/60/30/or24p is there anyway I can get it into CS3 with the free Panasonic transcoder? Any free utility? "

The free transcoder you get from Panasonic will convert AVCHD files to DVCPRO-HD which you can bring into CS3 or CS4 as DVCPRO. IMO I was not too happy with the quality of DVCPRO over AVC.

" Should I just buy Cineform http://cineform.com/ (http://cineform.com/) ? Then I think it wouldn't matter if I used CS3 or CS4? "

I tried the demo of Neo Scene from Cineform and I have to say me likes!
You are correct in that if you went with something like Neo from Cineform then it would not matter if you stayed with CS3 or moved "up" to CS4.

I would go with Cineform over the DCVPRO transcoder from Main Concept which you can get for free from Panasonic.
But $129 vs Free could mean a lot to many people.

[Green Hornet]

If you have avchd, I would not use the DVCpro codec, as it downsamples your footage.
You could use it if that is all you had. If you wanted a smoother workflow, you can use cineform with CS3, but can't use it with cs4 for at least 20 days (unless you modify your system).

Cineform does not support CS4, nor does it have presets for cineform files, it should within the next month.

CS3 is the best solution for cineform use.

CS4 can edit AVCHD direct (although some say they can't do that). I am using core codec and I just edited direct AVCHD with a core 2 duo laptop, so with quad core, you should not have any problems at all.

Once CS4 is fully supported by Cineform, that will be the fastest way to edit, for now, CS3 works great.
With your system, AVCHD should work directly.

[Everts]

Greenhornet how can you let premiere CS3 use the core codec ?
Thanks.

[mikeymic]

i loaded premier cs3 onto my puter for goofs and the thing was lagging so badly that i could not even think about using it for anything.

is premier a viable program? I know about 10 years ago it was crap when it came to audio which you can't cut a project without clean audio.

[DaFireMedic]

Premiere is a good program. I have Pro 2.0 and Vegas Pro 8. They are both good in their own respects, but different. I use Vegas more, but where Premiere shines is in its workflow with After Effects, where I do my color correction and effects, as well as Illlustrator and Photoshop.

I downloaded the Cineform Neo Scene trial and am pleased with it for both Vegas and Premiere. The Aspect HD product is where Cineform really works well with Premiere CS3 (I haven't heard yet on CS4).

I'm probably going to buy Neo Scene, as Production Studio 2.0 doesn't support AVCHD nor DVCPro, and I need After Effects.

[Catz]

Thanks for all the replies :) I read some stuff on the Adobe forums as well and it seems like my computer should handle it just fine. I read the following on the Adobe forums.

1. No way to import 720 only option for 1080 currently.
2. If you import a 1080/60i file into a 1080/24p project it will stutter. AVC must be the same format as the project, but you can render it in the end into something else. If you have say 1080/60i going into a 1080/24p project you can import the 60i into it's own project render it to 24p and then import it and it will work fine.
3. If your work is on an external HD with USB 2.0 the project will stutter and freeze. Internal SATA drives seemed to work fine. No one mentioned external eSATA drives.
4. People who followed the stuff above and had good computers seemed to have no problems at all.

I think I'm going to get CS4 and Cineform's Neo Scene since this seemes like the best combination for fast render times and workflow.

Adobe TV vid on AVCHD editing http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1510v1000 (http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1510v1000)

Thanks :)

[nantnee]

i would have updated to cs4, but it needs SP3. And everytime I install SP3, my computer goes into a never ending reboot cycle. so goodbye cs4.

[DaFireMedic]

1. No way to import 720 only option for 1080 currently.


Just to clarify. Premiere will import and edit 720 footage (at least Pro 2.0 does), just not in AVC. Check to make sure with yours, but I can open the 720 files after transcoding with Cineform just fine.

[Catz]

DaFireMedic: I meant 720p AVC or .MTS files just to clarify.

[Green Hornet]

Greenhornet how can you let premiere CS3 use the core codec ?
Thanks.

I can't remember the issues with each version (CS3 or CS4).
All you have to do is install the core codec.


You can adjust the order that they are used with Direct Show Filter manager.

AVCHD will be decoded with Core if you have the codec installed.

There was a problem with Cineform crashing due to main concept trying to take over.
The workaround for that was to unregister the filters by typing:

regsvr32.exe -u ad2dsh264.ax

and

regsvr32.exe -u ad2esh264.ax

That way Core will load instead of main concept.

Do that at your own risk.

I think the crashing issue has been resolved by a newer version of cineform that will first look for Core codec, and if it sees it, it will use it.

The problem was that if you had core installed, it would set itself as the default codec to use with AVCHD, and then when you had main concept, they would fight.

Cineform is set up to use core, but with main concept installed, that would confuse it and crash it. Now it looks for core first, and if it is there it uses it.

My system has been modified so much I can't rememeber which order they were done in or it's present state. All I know is it is working so I leave it alone untill it doesn't :)