Barry_Green
Moderator
Hey all, I just did a little experimentation to find out what the inconsistency is as to why, sometimes, you get timecode in AVCCAM files, and sometimes you don't, and I think I've got it sussed.
Here's the deal: the AVCHD format, by itself, doesn't support timecode at all. So if you give Premiere Pro just the video stream file (the "*.MTS" file), you won't have any timecode. Nor will you have any metadata, like the shot mark.
That information (timecode, shot mark, all that stuff) is stored elsewhere in the AVCCAM file formats, as extended data above and beyond the AVCHD standard. If you keep that info all together, Premiere will find it and use it. If you separate out the MTS files by themselves, then Premiere can't find the associated data.
Previously I had thought that the way to get the timecode and shot mark information was to use the Media Browser to import the clips. And that does work; if you have the complete directory structure you can use the Media Browser to import the clips, and the timecode and shot mark will show up.
However, I've found that it's not even necessary to use the Media Browser. All you really have to do, is keep the directory structure intact, and then Premiere will find the metadata. Even if you just drag a .MTS file straight to the timeline, as long as that MTS file is stored in the proper PRIVATE/AVCHD/ directory structure, Premiere will be able to go and find the associated timecode and shot mark metadata.
If you only copy over the MTS files, you will be throwing away your timecode, shot mark, and other metadata (not that many or even any programs use that other metadata, but someday they might!) It is true that you can edit the audio/video information by just copying over the .MTS files, but that's all you will get; you will absolutely be throwing away the timecode and metadata information if you don't copy the entire directory structure of the whole card over.
So -- while we knew it before, this just reinforces it -- always copy the whole card with its entire directory structure. Don't go in and cherry-pick out some MTS files (unless you don't mind losing your timecode and metadata information).
Here's the deal: the AVCHD format, by itself, doesn't support timecode at all. So if you give Premiere Pro just the video stream file (the "*.MTS" file), you won't have any timecode. Nor will you have any metadata, like the shot mark.
That information (timecode, shot mark, all that stuff) is stored elsewhere in the AVCCAM file formats, as extended data above and beyond the AVCHD standard. If you keep that info all together, Premiere will find it and use it. If you separate out the MTS files by themselves, then Premiere can't find the associated data.
Previously I had thought that the way to get the timecode and shot mark information was to use the Media Browser to import the clips. And that does work; if you have the complete directory structure you can use the Media Browser to import the clips, and the timecode and shot mark will show up.
However, I've found that it's not even necessary to use the Media Browser. All you really have to do, is keep the directory structure intact, and then Premiere will find the metadata. Even if you just drag a .MTS file straight to the timeline, as long as that MTS file is stored in the proper PRIVATE/AVCHD/ directory structure, Premiere will be able to go and find the associated timecode and shot mark metadata.
If you only copy over the MTS files, you will be throwing away your timecode, shot mark, and other metadata (not that many or even any programs use that other metadata, but someday they might!) It is true that you can edit the audio/video information by just copying over the .MTS files, but that's all you will get; you will absolutely be throwing away the timecode and metadata information if you don't copy the entire directory structure of the whole card over.
So -- while we knew it before, this just reinforces it -- always copy the whole card with its entire directory structure. Don't go in and cherry-pick out some MTS files (unless you don't mind losing your timecode and metadata information).
