AVCHD to Blu-ray in Adobe Premiere Pro without transcoding ?

[Gibbus]

I own a Panasonic HD camcorder and I want to burn my videos to a BD-R disc without transcoding. When I create a sequence in Premiere Pro, I select AVCHD 1080i 1920*1080 60i (same parameters as my camcorder mts files). I need to use Premiere Pro, because want to place chapter markers at the beginning of each mts file, which I connect together into sequences. It is very easy to do in Premiere Pro and I'm not sure if you can do the same thing in Encore.
Then I import the sequence to Encore and Encore says that it needs to transcode these sequences from Premiere Pro. I do not want Encore to transcode my videos because of loss of quality and it take an AWFULY long time.
What am I doing wrong that Encore recognizes my files to need transcoding? Of course, in Encore I select Blu-ray output...
Any suggestions?

[poisondeathray]

I'm not sure if you can do the same thing in Encore

Yes you can use encore to place chapter markers, and skip premiere if you're not editing. This way there is no generation loss . But if you are editing, there is no way around re-encoding without 3rd party plugins

Look in the help pdf for detailed instructions

[dragonkeeper]

I don't believe you have any other choice the files are not to spec and Premiere and Encore are very strict. What i tend to do with my customer's video is use x264 with blu-ray profile. (single pass with veryfast preset result is very close to orginal file). X264 will transcode the video many times faster than Adobe's transcoding engine, while achieving superior quality.

x264 --bitrate (match bitrate of orginal file) --preset veryfast --tune film --bluray-compat --vbv-maxrate 40000 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --level 4.1 --keyint 24 --open-gop --slices 4 --colorprim "bt709" --transfer "bt709" --colormatrix "bt709" --subme 2 --sar 1:1 -o out.264 input.file

[poisondeathray]

I don't believe you have any other choice the files are not to spec and Premiere and Encore are very strict. What i tend to do with my customer's video is use x264 with blu-ray profile. (single pass with veryfast preset result is very close to orginal file). X264 will transcode the video many times faster than Adobe's transcoding engine, while achieving superior quality.

x264 --bitrate (match bitrate of orginal file) --preset veryfast --tune film --bluray-compat --vbv-maxrate 40000 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --level 4.1 --keyint 24 --open-gop --slices 4 --colorprim "bt709" --transfer "bt709" --colormatrix "bt709" --subme 2 --sar 1:1 -o out.264 input.file

The files are straight from the AVCHD camcorder, so they are in spec

But he would have to add -tff for 60i, and could adjust --keyint 30 if he wanted to re-encode

[dragonkeeper]

Gibbus you may be able to use MultiAVCHD or AVCHDCoder with out re-encoding your files. I had good luck with those my only gripe was the menu system was not as versatile as i would like.

[Gibbus]

I'm not sure if you can do the same thing in Encore

Yes you can use encore to place chapter markers, and skip premiere if you're not editing. This way there is no generation loss . But if you are editing, there is no way around re-encoding without 3rd party plugins

Look in the help pdf for detailed instructions

Does encore have this "magnetic tool" that adjust the chapter marker exactly between two video files within the timeline? This is a great feature of Premiere Pro and I'm not sure how to do it in Encore.

[Gibbus]

Gibbus you may be able to use MultiAVCHD or AVCHDCoder with out re-encoding your files. I had good luck with those my only gripe was the menu system was not as versatile as i would like.

I tried MultiAVCHD but the resultant Blu-ray would not play in my PS3....

[dragonkeeper]

The files are straight from the AVCHD camcorder, so they are in spec.

Hope i don't offend you by asking a question, but i would like to take this opportunity to learn a bit from you. Seems like everyone and there mother has an AVCHD camcorder now, and they keep bring there video to me to convert to a nice BD with menus. I have never been able to get Encore to accept video from avchd cameras? Is there a difference between AVCHD spec and Blu-ray spec (I was under the impression that AVCHD was merely a stripped down version of Blu-ray)or is it a problem with Encore?

I remember spending hours trying to solve this problem when i first encountered it to no avail so i would allow Encore to transcode, but then x264 became blu-ray compatible and things got better so it became less of a problem and more of an annoyance.

[Gibbus]

If I import my mts camcorder files to Encore CS5 it can create a Blu-ray without transcoding. The only issue is that if I import a project used from the same files from Premiere Pro to Encore, it does transcode it.

The files are straight from the AVCHD camcorder, so they are in spec.

Hope i don't offend you by asking a question, but i would like to take this opportunity to learn a bit from you. Seems like everyone and there mother has an AVCHD camcorder now, and they keep bring there video to me to convert to a nice BD with menus. I have never been able to get Encore to accept video from avchd cameras? Is there a difference between AVCHD spec and Blu-ray spec (I was under the impression that AVCHD was merely a stripped down version of Blu-ray)or is it a problem with Encore?

I remember spending hours trying to solve this problem when i first encountered it to no avail so i would allow Encore to transcode, but then x264 became blu-ray compatible and things got better so it became less of a problem and more of an annoyance.

[dragonkeeper]

Does encore have this "magnetic tool" that adjust the chapter marker exactly between two video files within the timeline? This is a great feature of Premiere Pro and I'm not sure how to do it in Encore.

Could you explain a bit more. I don't use Premiere but i often use Encore so maybe i could help you out here. If it's what i think, i believe you can put a chapter mark at the end of a file.

[Gibbus]

Does encore have this "magnetic tool" that adjust the chapter marker exactly between two video files within the timeline? This is a great feature of Premiere Pro and I'm not sure how to do it in Encore.

Could you explain a bit more. I don't use Premiere but i often use Encore so maybe i could help you out here. If it's what i think, i believe you can put a chapter mark at the end of a file.

I just tried it in Encore. I joined multiple video files into a timeline and Encore automatically inserted the chapter markers between these videos. Great, that's exactly what I wanted. Now just to figure out how to change the chapter names.....
BTW dragonkeeper, do you know how I can select multiple video files in Encore and join them into a single timeline without having to drag and drop each and every one?

[poisondeathray]

There is a chapter automatically placed at the beginning of each clip . Even if it didn't do this, keyboard shortcuts would be faster/easer both to navigate and place markers

EDIT: DOH. I pushed the button too late

do you know how I can select multiple video files in Encore and join them into a single timeline without having to drag and drop each and every one?

marquee select them (shift click or drag a selection box around them) and drag the group to the timeline. They will appear in the order in the clip bin e.g. 0001.mts, 0002.mts, 0003.mts will appear in that order on the timeline

[Gibbus]

Just figured out how to change the chapter names. Is there even a point in doing this? Do chapter names come up anywhere when playing a Blu-ray on a standalone player?

[poisondeathray]

The files are straight from the AVCHD camcorder, so they are in spec.

Hope i don't offend you by asking a question, but i would like to take this opportunity to learn a bit from you. Seems like everyone and there mother has an AVCHD camcorder now, and they keep bring there video to me to convert to a nice BD with menus. I have never been able to get Encore to accept video from avchd cameras? Is there a difference between AVCHD spec and Blu-ray spec (I was under the impression that AVCHD was merely a stripped down version of Blu-ray)or is it a problem with Encore?

I remember spending hours trying to solve this problem when i first encountered it to no avail so i would allow Encore to transcode, but then x264 became blu-ray compatible and things got better so it became less of a problem and more of an annoyance.

Not sure, what camera model ?

(I almost never use camera files directly. Junk footage shouldn't make the blu-ray IMO. Even if this is home video footage who wants to see the head & tail ends of garbage)

[Gibbus]

Great, thanks Poisondeathray! Now I don't need to use Premiere Pro, I can do everything in Encore.
It is still too bad that if I need to edit my videos in Premiere Pro I will have to transcode them...

do you know how I can select multiple video files in Encore and join them into a single timeline without having to drag and drop each and every one?

marquee select them (shift click or drag a selection box around them) and drag the group to the timeline. They will appear in the order in the clip bin e.g. 0001.mts, 0002.mts, 0003.mts will appear in that order on the timeline

[dragonkeeper]

Just figured out how to change the chapter names. Is there even a point in doing this? Do chapter names come up anywhere when playing a Blu-ray on a standalone player?

I not 100% sure but i Belem the answer to be no. HD-DVD had imbeded chapter names but blu-ray does not.

[poisondeathray]

It is still too bad that if I need to edit my videos in Premiere Pro I will have to transcode them...

For now, it's a fact of life. But if you are only doing cuts type editing, look at videoredo 4 beta . It can do "smart rendering" of AVCHD. This means only the few frames in the GOP around the cutsites are re-encoded , the rest of the frames are passed through .

But any type of global filter like color correction, any overlays, transformations etc... require re-encoding regardless

[dragonkeeper]

Not sure, what camera model ?

Not sure usually all i get are the resulting files from my customers. But it has been almost 2 years since i have tried to directly import the files. It may have been the camcorders as they were like first generation.

(I almost never use camera files directly. Junk footage shouldn't make the blu-ray IMO. Even if this is home video footage who wants to see the head & tail ends of garbage)

I tend to load the entire clip and manipulate the video (read as edit out the crap bits) via chapter points. And a lot of times I can throw the crap bits in as extras in a sub menu.

[poisondeathray]

@dragonkeeper what version of encore and what camera model footage ?

All true AVCHD footage should be blu-ray compliant, but the reverse isn't necessarily true

If you have problematic clips, you can often "convince" encore by importing demultiplexed assets if this was from a true AVCHD camera (not like some DSLR footage, or some MP4 wrapped sanyo camcorders); elementary files usually work better anyway IMO

[dragonkeeper]

@dragonkeeper what version of encore and what camera model footage ?

I currently using CS4, I havn't looked at cs5 yet to see if the price to upgrade is justifiable.
Camera is unknown I don't shoot the video myself it comes from various clients.

All true AVCHD footage should be blu-ray compliant, but the reverse isn't necessarily true

If you have problematic clips, you can often "convince" encore by importing demultiplexed assets if this was from a true AVCHD camera (not like some DSLR footage, or some MP4 wrapped sanyo camcorders); elementary files usually work better anyway IMO

I will have to keep this in mind next time I get some AVCHD video from someone. THX

[Gibbus]

@dragonkeeper what version of encore and what camera model footage ?

All true AVCHD footage should be blu-ray compliant, but the reverse isn't necessarily true

If you have problematic clips, you can often "convince" encore by importing demultiplexed assets if this was from a true AVCHD camera (not like some DSLR footage, or some MP4 wrapped sanyo camcorders); elementary files usually work better anyway IMO

Just curious, are videos from Nikon or Canon DSLR's blu-ray compliant?

[poisondeathray]

Just curious, are videos from Nikon or Canon DSLR's blu-ray compliant?

They are not

(unhacked) Panasonic GH2 is (but it's not a true DSLR)

[Gibbus]

@dragonkeeper what version of encore and what camera model footage ?

I currently using CS4, I havn't looked at cs5 yet to see if the price to upgrade is justifiable.

This could be one of the issues. If I load my videos to Encore CS4 it says it needs to reencode them. In CS5 it does not transcode them.

[poisondeathray]

If you demuxed it (e.g. in tsmuxer, or eac3to) , I bet CS4 will accept it without reencode if it was from a true AVCHD camcordder

[dragonkeeper]

@dragonkeeper what version of encore and what camera model footage ?

I currently using CS4, I havn't looked at cs5 yet to see if the price to upgrade is justifiable.

This could be one of the issues. If I load my videos to Encore CS4 it says it needs to reencode them. In CS5 it does not transcode them.

That in itself is reason enough to upgrade. THX

[dragonkeeper]

If you demuxed it (e.g. in tsmuxer, or eac3to) , I bet CS4 will accept it without reencode if it was from a true AVCHD camcordder

What about older versions of mkvextract i believe that is what i used before, i don't think tsmuxer and eac3to were even born yet.

[Gibbus]

If you demuxed it (e.g. in tsmuxer, or eac3to) , I bet CS4 will accept it without reencode if it was from a true AVCHD camcordder

I just tried to muxe a video file in tsmuxer and CS4 still needs to transcode it... But at least now it comes up as a video file (some files from my camcorder show up as audio files in CS4 after import).

[dragonkeeper]

some files from my camcorder show up as audio files in CS4 after import

Yeah I've noticed that before as well. Looks like i will be upgrading to CS5.

[Gibbus]

OK, I am creating a Blu-ray project in Encore CS5 and I load 23 GB of mts videos. Encore says that it does not need to transcode them. The resultant size of the project is significantly bigger though - 32 GB. What am I doing wrong? Why is Encore "expanding" the size of these mts/m2ts files if they do not need to be transcoded?