HF 200 and Premiere Pro

[kramanat]

Hi, I have recently bought a Canon HF200 and have around 30 minutes worth of clips. I also have Premiere Pro on my Macbook pro which I would like to use to make a 'combined' file.

I shoot in MXP mode and I see that the output is in mts files.

- Should I use something like TSMUXER and just merge the relevant files to make one long file to play on my WD HD player?
- If I want to use Premiere and build in some 'effects', can someone help with steps to keep the quality as high as possible based on the source?

Thanks and very glad to have found this forum.

[edDV]

If you ask Adobe they would say you need to upgrade to CS4.

If you are serious about using "Premiere Pro" v1.0 up to CS3, use the Cineform NeoScene digital intermediate ($129).

If you just want to append files, use something other than Premiere.

[kramanat]

I have Premiere Pro CS4. Does it still need something like Neoscene?

[edDV]

I have Premiere Pro CS4. Does it still need something like Neoscene?

CS4 will import and edit AVCHD but most computers will be slow and sluggish on the timeline. If you want to improve timeline response, use a digital intermediate. Neoscene is the best option for CS4.

[kramanat]

Got it.

Now, I would also like to archive the original files. Is it enough to store just the MTS files or do I need to keep any other files too from SDHC card?

[edDV]

The MTS file includes video and audio.

[kramanat]

I tried using iMovie and it seems to do a decent job of putting all the clips together and also enables me to build basic effects including captions.

After I import the clips and build a project, can you please tell the following settings for exporting:
- I use the option to Export using Quicktime (or should be this movie?)

A. Under options, I choose the following:
Frame rate : Current, Key frames every 24 and frame reordering is ticked.
- Quality is set to high and encoding is multi-pass
- Compression type is H.264
B. Under Size,
- 1280 X 720 HD (I find the 1920X1080 file size too big for regular use)

Under sound, I am still testing options as the two I have tried so far are not being picked up by my WD HDTV.

Are these settings ok, am I missing something (like at the time of importing the clips)?

Thanks a ton for your inputs.

[edDV]

I forgot you were on a Mac when you started talking Premiere CS4.

First, some Mac facts...

iMovie does not edit native 1080i or 720p.

iMovie converts 1920x1080i to 960x540p 25fps on import. They do this to speed up the user experience on the lower speed Macs.

960x540p 25fps halves the motion samples causing high motion video to become somewhat jittered. For low motion film style shoots it is adequate. If the goal is DVD, output requires another downsize to 720x576. If the goal is 1080i or 720p HD, then the 960x540 needs upsizing. Upsizing is always a quality compromise.

For "advanced" editing iMovie has an option to capture to the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) for use in Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express. The AIC decodes AVCHD AVC MPeg to full resolution 1920x1080 frames with in-frame (intraframe) compression. The intraframe compression avoids the need for RAID which would be the case for full decompression. The AIC is only useful for Final Cut since it is proprietary to Apple.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 will capture and process native AVCHD. This sounds good but native AVCHD editing is extremely CPU intensive requiring a very fast desktop with quad core or more. A Macbook will be sluggish to unusable. Premiere Pro can also use digital intermediates for slower processors. I'm not sure if CS4 can use the AIC. The usual digital intermediate for Premiere CS4 is Cineform NeoScene ($129). They have a free demo.
http://www.cineform.com/neoscene/features.php

[kramanat]

OK, looks like the iMovie option will not be optimal - I do not have Final Cut and not sure if I want to invest in it.

I will look at Neoscene as that seems to be right solution.....

[edDV]

I just looked at the Cineform link again. CS4 support is not listed for the Mac. Call them or try the demo before you purchase Neoscene. iMovie and Final Cut are listed as supported.