How does Vegas' performance with AVCHD differ from others?

I’ve only used Vegas and Windows movie maker so I can’t really compare Vegas VS other NLE. But I can say Vegas seems to play the AVCHD files from my GH1 a LOT better then the MP4 (H.264) files from my GoPro HD.

The AVCHD files seem to play back relatively smoothly during editing, where the MP4 files (especially the long 15+ minute clips) kills Vegas (can you say slide show!) and I have to use a proxy files.
 
I had HUGE troubles with GH1 AVCHD files in 9c.
9e appears to have laregly cured those issues. I really like this new release.
 
Lowlypawn said:
The AVCHD files seem to play back relatively smoothly during editing, where the MP4 files (especially the long 15+ minute clips) kills Vegas (can you say slide show!) and I have to use a proxy files.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by relatively smoothly? It is real time?
 
Otis Grapsas said:
What do you mean by relatively smoothly? It is real time?
Click to expand...

Well it depends… There are a lot of variables, depending on what the quality and size I have the preview window set at. I’ll explain it the best I can.

I have dual monitors and I keep the preview window on the second monitor. I size the preview window usually about 1/2 the screen or a little bigger with the quality set one higher then draft (forget the name right now). Draft looks horrible but the next quality setting looks decent. With those setting I can get very acceptable frame rates with my GH1 footage.

What’s acceptable you say. I don’t know if it’s 10 FPS, 25 FPS 35FPS, but it’s something less than the 60 FPS at 720 or the 30FPS at 1080. But it’s fairly smooth and definitely good enough to edit with. I have no problem playing back the footage and seeing how it fits the music and where to make the cuts.

Now if I try to do that with my GoPro HD MP4 files, forget it! Especially if they are long (say 20 minutes). My frame rates drop to 1 frame every 2-3 seconds. It’s horrible and impossible to edit with. But if the MP4 clips are under 3-5 minutes the frame rates jump up to 5-10 FPS.

So I can say without a doubt Sony Vegas Platinum 9 works MUCH better with the AVCHD then the MP4 (H.264) files.


This is the first video I made when I got my GH1 (I even had the camera setting in auto because I didn’t know how to use it yet). And I slowed down a few clips way too much but I had no problems editing in real time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C9As-2kMOI


This video mostly GoPro clips with some GH1 footage mixed in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLbwKGKT6PU
I had to use proxy files for the MP4 files but again the AVCHD files played no problem when editing.


Lastly I have a fairly fast computer, quad core AMD phenom, 8 gigs of ram, 10,000 RPM HD ETC. Anyway hope this helps.
 
I can't compare recent versions as I'm only on Vegas 8 and Adobe CS3. But I can say that Vegas' previewing abilities are alot better. I can set it to 'draft' or 'preview' and, while the quality is not great, I can edit and play 2-3 streams of AVCHD on my Core 2 duo Laptop. Then for CC I switch over to 'Best' and it will really lag!

Premiere only gives you the 'Full' and 'Draft' options for preivew - whereas Vegas lets you scale your preview to best, good, preview & draft each using full, half or quarter resolution. This is my favorite thing about Vegas as it lets you play even complicated, multi-layered projects in real time without rendering, even on relatively slow PCs.

I'm yet to use CS5 however, which apparently blows the other editors out of the water when it comes to native h.264 editing.
 
I love Vegas but it chokes and vomits on Canon MOVs. PP CS5 rocks like David said!
(using with 4 core Athlon and 4 core i5)
 
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