Ben_B
Veteran
So, what's the fastest way to get your video converted to an I-frame codec for editing on a Mac?
I tested 3 options: Adobe Media Encoder CS5, Clipwrap, and Final Cut (7.0.3) (Log and Transfer) and converted 11 clips, ranging between 3 and 25 seconds.
I transcoded the files to ProRes 422, with as comparable settings as each program would allow.
My hardware is a Macbook Pro, 2.8GHZ Intel Core i7, with 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GT 330M, 512MB. All transcoding was done from a copied card, not off the card, and was done from the internal HDD to the internal HDD (7200 RPM.)
Clipwrap took 00:02:02.4 to transcode the clips (according to Clipwrap and backed up by a stopwatch.)
Adobe Media Encoder took 00:01:56 (according to itself and backed up by stopwatch) to transcode the clips.
Final Cut Pro took 00:00:59.5 to transcode the clips (according to stopwatch, as L&T in FCP gives no batch time result that I could easily find...I am sure it exists somewhere.)
Conclusion: In order to transcode your footage to an I-frame codec for editing on a Mac (which I recommend. It's possible to edit in a Long-GOP codec in Final Cut [more on this later], and of course you can edit natively in Premiere Pro, which works great if you enable CUDA, but there are still benefits to working with an I-frame codec, and you really should if working with FCP) then the best solution is to use Log and Transfer in Final Cut Pro...which I am sure was workflow most of you were using already.
Aside:
Clipwrap is capable (and in fact primarily designed) for "rewrapping" MTS files as H.264 quicktime files that can be used by Final Cut Studio. This process leaves behind the original MTS files and makes new quicktime clips. This process took only 00:00:15 on my computer, and left me with files, albeit in a Long-GOP codec, that I could work with in Final Cut Pro. If you need to do a very quick edit and have fast hardware, and are willing to take the quality hit you get when you work with a Long-GOP codec in 8-bit colorspace, then this is a viable workflow option. It basically very quickly turns MTS files into the kind of MOV files that come off of the Canon DSLRs. I then tried transcoding these clips to ProRes using compressor (two at a time thanks to the four logical cores of my i7) but the process took a dreadfully long 00:08:44 (I wonder if I had Qmaster setup incorrectly) to complete. Ouch.
A bit of advice for FCP users:
If you find yourself having to work with .MTS files with no card directory structure (Final Cut needs the full PRIVATE folder), which is something you might need to do quite often if you're collaborating with someone and are receiving files over FTP, etc, then purchase Clipwrap for $50! Or use the free version which works great but only works with clips up to a minute long. Adobe Media Encoder is a bit faster and can work with the .MTS files, and has much more options (although you could rewrap with Clipwrap and then convert with Compressor if you need those options) but is, AFAIK, only available bundled with After Effects or Premiere Pro CS5, and chances are if you're using FCP you probably don't want to spend the extra money for those programs just to get Adobe's (admittedly excellent) equivalent of Compressor just to work with .MTS files when $50 Clipwrap does it just fine.
I tested 3 options: Adobe Media Encoder CS5, Clipwrap, and Final Cut (7.0.3) (Log and Transfer) and converted 11 clips, ranging between 3 and 25 seconds.
I transcoded the files to ProRes 422, with as comparable settings as each program would allow.
My hardware is a Macbook Pro, 2.8GHZ Intel Core i7, with 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GT 330M, 512MB. All transcoding was done from a copied card, not off the card, and was done from the internal HDD to the internal HDD (7200 RPM.)
Clipwrap took 00:02:02.4 to transcode the clips (according to Clipwrap and backed up by a stopwatch.)
Adobe Media Encoder took 00:01:56 (according to itself and backed up by stopwatch) to transcode the clips.
Final Cut Pro took 00:00:59.5 to transcode the clips (according to stopwatch, as L&T in FCP gives no batch time result that I could easily find...I am sure it exists somewhere.)
Conclusion: In order to transcode your footage to an I-frame codec for editing on a Mac (which I recommend. It's possible to edit in a Long-GOP codec in Final Cut [more on this later], and of course you can edit natively in Premiere Pro, which works great if you enable CUDA, but there are still benefits to working with an I-frame codec, and you really should if working with FCP) then the best solution is to use Log and Transfer in Final Cut Pro...which I am sure was workflow most of you were using already.
Aside:
Clipwrap is capable (and in fact primarily designed) for "rewrapping" MTS files as H.264 quicktime files that can be used by Final Cut Studio. This process leaves behind the original MTS files and makes new quicktime clips. This process took only 00:00:15 on my computer, and left me with files, albeit in a Long-GOP codec, that I could work with in Final Cut Pro. If you need to do a very quick edit and have fast hardware, and are willing to take the quality hit you get when you work with a Long-GOP codec in 8-bit colorspace, then this is a viable workflow option. It basically very quickly turns MTS files into the kind of MOV files that come off of the Canon DSLRs. I then tried transcoding these clips to ProRes using compressor (two at a time thanks to the four logical cores of my i7) but the process took a dreadfully long 00:08:44 (I wonder if I had Qmaster setup incorrectly) to complete. Ouch.
A bit of advice for FCP users:
If you find yourself having to work with .MTS files with no card directory structure (Final Cut needs the full PRIVATE folder), which is something you might need to do quite often if you're collaborating with someone and are receiving files over FTP, etc, then purchase Clipwrap for $50! Or use the free version which works great but only works with clips up to a minute long. Adobe Media Encoder is a bit faster and can work with the .MTS files, and has much more options (although you could rewrap with Clipwrap and then convert with Compressor if you need those options) but is, AFAIK, only available bundled with After Effects or Premiere Pro CS5, and chances are if you're using FCP you probably don't want to spend the extra money for those programs just to get Adobe's (admittedly excellent) equivalent of Compressor just to work with .MTS files when $50 Clipwrap does it just fine.
