Do I need to convert AVCHD for Vegas?

H

Hal2

Active member
Trying to follow mutiple threads regarding this and can't seem to get my head, or find a straight answer, stating whether or not I should look at converting my AVCHD files for post in Vegas.

I'm running an i7 core with 6GB ram, I've done some small editing with small files and do see a slow down in preview, not intolerable, but haven't done a lot with transitions etc. yet.
 
You aren't getting helpful answers because your question was essentially not answerable. It's like asking if you should wear blue.

Vegas is capable of editing AVCHD, including AVCCam. However, it is VERY demanding on the CPU which makes it move slowly on the timeline. It also demands a heavy RAM load so if you are doing other processes that need a lot of RAM (like rendering) it can become problematic. AVCHD is also a 4:2:0 color space 8bit codec. So if you do much color correcting and grading of your videos and render it back to a similar codec, it won't look very good.

So, in short, AVCHD is decent for capturing video, and not too bad for delivering video to the internet or BluRay, but it's pretty darn poor for editing. If you have to get something out in a hurry and don't have time to convert, then you have to just live with it.
 
PerroneFord said:
You aren't getting helpful answers because your question was essentially not answerable. It's like asking if you should wear blue.

Vegas is capable of editing AVCHD, including AVCCam. However, it is VERY demanding on the CPU which makes it move slowly on the timeline. It also demands a heavy RAM load so if you are doing other processes that need a lot of RAM (like rendering) it can become problematic. AVCHD is also a 4:2:0 color space 8bit codec. So if you do much color correcting and grading of your videos and render it back to a similar codec, it won't look very good.

So, in short, AVCHD is decent for capturing video, and not too bad for delivering video to the internet or BluRay, but it's pretty darn poor for editing. If you have to get something out in a hurry and don't have time to convert, then you have to just live with it.
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Ironically I'm wearing blue :) but sorry for the not detailed questions and I do see what you mean.

I do appreciate the answers and now I have some more questions hopefully more specific and less noobish...

1) AVCHD is an 8 bit codec, what is Cineform?

2) If I want to work in full PH 108030P will "NeoScene" be sufficient to convert the files and allow me to work with them?

3) Do I have to do any other conversions from Cineform when I'm done editing and want to render out to DVD or Blu-Ray?

4) When you say "don't have time to convert" does it take ungodly amounts of time to convert to Cineform?

5) What is a proxy in this reference and what would it do for me?


Sorry again for the un-detailed questions, I'm very interested in doing this but however don't have a lot of background so all I ask is patience and know that I appreciate all you taking time to help! :happy:
 
You really should visit the Cineform web site and grab the trial version of NeoScene...play with...read-up in the FAQ's...and search the HMC150 threads. This stuff has been covered a bunch of times.

If you do a little homework, people will be more likely to answer your more pointed questions. I think...

Hang in there, but do some research on your own...it's all out there (and in here too) already. :happy:
 
ZazaCast said:
You really should visit the Cineform web site and grab the trial version of NeoScene...play with...read-up in the FAQ's...and search the HMC150 threads. This stuff has been covered a bunch of times.

If you do a little homework, people will be more likely to answer your more pointed questions. I think...

Hang in there, but do some research on your own...it's all out there (and in here too) already. :happy:
Click to expand...


Appreciate that and the trial version is already downloading ;)

Been searching this forum and a few others for the last week or so believe it or not hence my back and forth confusion...
 
Hal2 said:
Appreciate that and the trial version is already downloading ;)

Been searching this forum and a few others for the last week or so believe it or not hence my back and forth confusion...
Click to expand...

I went throught the same thing (just got the HMC150 a couple months ago). I also use Vegas, but version 7 and on a slow duo core machine.

First I tried the Panasonic transcoder, but had shot in 720p and it didn't support it (only 1080p), so I read a few more threads and got NeoScene.
Transcoded really fast, looked great and ran flawlessly on my crappy machine. I think you'll see what I mean.

It's my understanding that the Cineform AVI's are 10 bit and hold-up better for color correcting.

I'll see if I can find some of the threads that were more helpful to me and put them up here for you, so keep checking back.
 
Hal2 said:
Ironically I'm wearing blue :) but sorry for the not detailed questions and I do see what you mean.

Hal2 said:
I do appreciate the answers and now I have some more questions hopefully more specific and less noobish...

1) AVCHD is an 8 bit codec, what is Cineform?
Click to expand...

Cineform is 10 bit

Hal2 said:
2) If I want to work in full PH 108030P will "NeoScene" be sufficient to convert the files and allow me to work with them?
Click to expand...

Most than likely, yes. But the answers are on the Cineform page. I use something else entirely, so I am not a Cineform expert.

Hal2 said:
3) Do I have to do any other conversions from Cineform when I'm done editing and want to render out to DVD or Blu-Ray?
Click to expand...

Yes. But you'd have to do that regardless of what you edited with on the timeline.


Hal2 said:
4) When you say "don't have time to convert" does it take ungodly amounts of time to convert to Cineform?
Click to expand...

No, not really. But this is somewhat machine dependent.

Hal2 said:
5) What is a proxy in this reference and what would it do for me?
Click to expand...

A proxy is a small file, usually SD sized or smaller, that is VERY fast to work with. Essentially, you do all your work against the proxy, then when you are complete, you replace the proxy files with the originals, and all the edits, changes, color grading, etc., are applied to the full sized HD files. Then you simply render your finished file.

Hal2 said:
Sorry again for the un-detailed questions, I'm very interested in doing this but however don't have a lot of background so all I ask is patience and know that I appreciate all you taking time to help! :happy:
Click to expand...

No need to apologize. We've all been there.
Click to expand...
 
I personally use Vaast Gearshift. It works by creating a lower resolution version of your footage, and a seemless, integrated way to swap between low res and original footage. I edit using the low res versions, which gives smooth-as-silk playback. I then "shift gears" to swap back the original footage before final cleanup and rendering.

Chris.
 
Well bought and installed Cineform Neoscene and seemed to work OK at first. Now I can't seem to get any audio in the .avi files when I import them to 9.0b 64 bit...

Get an error message "Stream attributes cannot be..."

Help!

Installed NeoScene's suggestion of an .ac3 converter, also installed DVDA...
 
ctann said:
I personally use Vaast Gearshift. It works by creating a lower resolution version of your footage, and a seemless, integrated way to swap between low res and original footage. I edit using the low res versions, which gives smooth-as-silk playback. I then "shift gears" to swap back the original footage before final cleanup and rendering.

Chris.
Click to expand...

Chris, how do you handle color correction/grading with proxies?
 
VideoMaker said:
Chris, how do you handle color correction/grading with proxies?
Click to expand...

Sooo, I'll admit that I am not a pro, and don't do much color correction - I am very much a "hobby" editor, and in fact, it is my wife that is doing all the actual work on Vegas right now, I am just helping her out. We use the proxies for getting the "flow" of editing right - the feeling of cuts, timing, etc. This is the part where I find that rock-solid playback is most important. For "detailed" tasks (such as color correction), we go back to original footage, and bump up the preview quality - no more real-time playback, but hopefully we have the timing locked, and can just concentrate on individual frames. If an editing task requires both playback and quality - well, then we will render a section, view it, and then go back and fix it (but so far this hasn't been necessary).

I was planning on building a new i7 rig, but with this workflow, I managed to extend the life of my desktop a fair bit. Even when we get the new rig, though, I anticipate sticking with this general flow - using the proxies for the rough work, and then swapping back to the original footage once we get to the detail work. I love the simplicity of this flow, and as I am supporting someone else (while still learning Vegas myself), that is a real plus. It may not be for everyone, just sharing what works for me :thumbsup:.

Chris.
 
Hal2 said:
Well bought and installed Cineform Neoscene and seemed to work OK at first. Now I can't seem to get any audio in the .avi files when I import them to 9.0b 64 bit...

Get an error message "Stream attributes cannot be..."

Help!

Installed NeoScene's suggestion of an .ac3 converter, also installed DVDA...
Click to expand...

Got it working, for anyone else that runs into this problem - as Cineform never answered my trouble ticket yet - uninstall Vegas, install DVDA, re-install Vegas.
 
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