Exact PP CS4 (Mac) Workflow

DigitalNoir

DigitalNoir

Active member
Alright so similar topics have been posted as of late but none have gotten good responses. I am gearing up for the 48 HR Project in Columbus in a couple of weeks and need to nail this down.

It seems that the consensus is that RT AVCHD editing in PP CS4 can be done but is not wise. So what is the best way to go about it? Is cineform going to be a required purchase? If so where do you take it from there? What are the other options to transcode? Anyone willing to walk through their workflow?

(Eventually I will be editing on FCP but am waiting it out til FCS 3, so CS4 is what i have to work with for now)

Thanks in advance.
 
I thought we've talked about this quite a bit. Did you read through the topic called "Premiere CS4 JUST WON AVCHD EDITING"?

I think the general consensus is that native editing is now possible in CS4. It's not a grand dream come true quite (some reports of temporal glitching that I don't know if it got resolved), but it's definitely doable on a recent machine. Failing that, Panasonic has a free DVCPRO-HD P2 converter that works great IMO (this is my workflow). Others have found the need for Cineform Neoscene but personally I haven't understood what it's advantage over the free transcoder is - the trial seemed equally slow transcoding with equally large end files.

I haven't done much quantitative testing, I can just tell you that the CS4 experience is, in my limited use, a perfectly fine one.

Are there any other specifics you'd like to know about?
 
I am with DigitalNoir. I haven't read any posts yet where somebody goes step-by-step through their workflow with AVCHD. And it still sounds like if you want to add any effects beyond basic cross dissolves that Premiere CS4 still doesn't cut it. Is this accurate or did I miss something?
 
Maybe the reason that FCS3 doesn't support native AVCHD editing, is that they thought that the editing experience would be poor, so they created ProRes LT instead?

Everyone seems to assume that it is because they couldn't be bothered, but it might have been a deliberate choice?
 
ctb1010 said:
I am with DigitalNoir. I haven't read any posts yet where somebody goes step-by-step through their workflow with AVCHD. And it still sounds like if you want to add any effects beyond basic cross dissolves that Premiere CS4 still doesn't cut it. Is this accurate or did I miss something?
Click to expand...

Well the workflow is different for every NLE. Which one are you hoping to use?
 
Ok, so the AVCHD ----> DVCPRO HD Transcoder Utility is offered for PC only. What are Mac users using to transcode to edit in Premier Pro CS4?
 
DigitalNoir said:
What are Mac users using to transcode to edit in Premier Pro CS4?
Click to expand...
You don't have to transcode at all. However, as I understand it, the editing process is not yet accelerated via the graphics card in the Mac version of CS4, so yes, a transcoder program as David listed would be the way to get decent editing performance on a Mac.
 
Barry_Green said:
You don't have to transcode at all. However, as I understand it, the editing process is not yet accelerated via the graphics card in the Mac version of CS4, so yes, a transcoder program as David listed would be the way to get decent editing performance on a Mac.
Click to expand...

Yeah this is kinda what i was getting at. The List that David provided is what i have been reading around the forums, but as someone who is just starting out, what is going to be the most useful / best buy? I was thinking either the Neoscene or Toast 10...

Itching for that HMC book by the way Barry.
 
Sorry to bump a dead thread, but when using Toast 10, what is the best codec to transcode to from AVCHD to edit in Premier CS4 with?
 
Ok, I may be missing something, but can toast convert AVCHD footage to DVCProHD? I only see options for DV/DVCPRO and DVCPRO 50. I tried converting to H. 264 and it took a very long time. Can anyone tell me the exact setting to transcode in toast from AVCHD to DVCProHD (or whatever codec someone thinks is the best to transcode to while editing in PPro CS4), we will use 720 60p as an example...

Thanks in advance
 
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