jbeale:
> I do know that editing or converting AVCHD is a real annoyance
xfx:
>The hfs 10 is very jerky in edit in Vegas PRO 9

Not here, not at all.
I have:

Pentium Quad Core 2.4GHz
WD Raptor 10k RAID 0
8 Gb RAM
Vista 64 bit
Vegas 9 32 and 64 bit.

I convert all MTS (M2TS) AVCHD files to MXF and use them as proxy files, then switch back to MTS just before doing the final render.
When editing in Vegas, video plays back in real time, also after adding effects to the clips. Project settings is the same as the footages, mostly 1920x1080 50i.

I recently discovered that I can use MXF as proxy files, and am as happy shooting and editing AVCHD as one can be.
When rendering for DVD / BD I use the Vegas built in templates, then DVD Architect.
When rendering for You TUBE I use the MP4 Vegas built in template for "Internet", as easy as that, and I get HD video on You TUBE, crisp and clear.

There is abosultely no hassle or annoyances at all with AVCHD here where I am, not at all (anymore).

ingvarai

First you have to remember that there are a couple of different avchd types out there. Sony uses MAIN profile avchd and Canon/panasonic use HIGH profile avchd. The MAIN edits/plays back much easier but the HIGH attains a higher bit rate (main can only go to 17M while high can go to 24M). Is there a visible difference between bitrates of 27 and 24? Some say yes and some say no so at minimum, it's a debatable subject. Most NLE's however (with the exception of adobe cs4) will not render out Blu Ray compliant AVC at higher than about 17M anyway.

I have the Sony SR11 (and a Q6600, vista 64, 8 gig ram) and the files will playback at full frame rate directly on the time line (until you start adding transitions/effects). People with the higher profile cams however are having some difficulties on direct time line playback.

Blink,

I have a Panasonic HMC 151 (PAL) and its MTS files also plays back at full frame rate, "rather often", in Vegas 9. However, it is impossible to be productive using the MTS files directly in Vegas, at least on my system. Maybe I need a dual i7 CPU mobo to do that. On my current system MTS files will often stutter, be jerky, and any transitions, any overlapping, any picture in picture etc. will bring productivity down to an almost stand-still.

I used to overcome this by rendering down to 960x540 and other workarounds. Now, after discovering the MXF format and use this for my proxies, a new world has opened up, indeed. My project is now the same as my footages, full HD.

Another benefit of using the proxies, I have developed a new workflow. I keep footages on external slow USB drives, proxies on fast internal drives. When the project is done, I ditch the proxy files, and my internal drives are always fit for fight.

ingvarai

ingvarai, what are you using to manage the switch between proxie MXF and MTS footage? Gearshift? Other?

EDIT: I see now from another thread that you have rolled your own batch file.

Jerry

Jerry,

my profession is programmer, I have my own [very small] software company. Video is my passion, and I have over the last year started to do things for others too, and have acquired semi professional equipment, studio gear, and I have bought a lot of professional video software.

What I have programmed is an "Extension" to Vegas, it behaves like any other dockable plug-in, with buttons, dropdown lists etc. At the moment it is very very rough, I would call it alpha, it is not even beta. It can be used when being careful and taking into account that it does not cater for things that might go wrong. If you are interested, I need beta testers. Send me an e-mail at video at ingvarius dot com.

ingvarai

Thanks for all the replies- I am interested in some very short AVCHD clips. Thanks for the link for Henry Olonga on Vimeo, beautiful stuff- I see he has a "portable Cineform recorder" (via blackmagic card in Magma external chassis) !? Interesting- so I guess he's not actually using AVCHD anyway.

I haven't jumped into HD distribution yet, BUT I use a Canon Vixia HF100 (HD) and shoot 30p in FXP mode. My distribution target is SD DVD and this camera, after I convert the .MTS files to .AVIs provides amazing detail. I really like the memory card transfer of info - pop the card out of the camera pop it into a USB reader on my computer and drag the files wherever I want them.

I also use the Canon HF100. Editing on my desktop dual core at 3.2GHz isn't much of a problem.

Today I'm editing on my 2GHz Core2Duo and one segment is four streams each taking a quarter of the screen. I'm waiting on a render now and it's about 1fps! Pretty slow but they this is just my laptop and it's getting the job done.

I'm still using V8 as it works for me. If the SmartRender for AVCHD gets working properly for me in 9 then I'll upgrade. For now I'm fine with 8.

- Mark

I was on the brink of getting the new tiny Canon for my upcoming cruise to Alaska, but then I read the review on CamcorderInfo of the new Sanyo HD2000

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sanyo-Xacti-VPC-HD2000-Camcorder-Review-36280.htm

I was flabbergasted! It has almost the resolution (650 horizontal lines, 700 vertical), but does much better in dim light and is smaller and cheaper. It also captures 1920 PROGRESSIVE - making smooth slo-mo with ease.

A couple of weeks ago I was able to get one of the first U.S. NTSC models - from a dealer in New York who sells on ebay. . . $531, as I recall, including an 8gb class 6 memory card and a tiny desktop tripod - plus what appears to be a good warrantee. I've experimented a bit with it and mostly I like it. One flaw: no optical image stabilization - but the New DeShaker plugin for Vegas works fine on the 60 frames-per-second native file in Vegas 9. Because I don't want to edit in the MPEG4 implementation of AVCHD that Sanyo produces, I always render out to PicVideo .AVI 60 fps progressive even when not going through DeShaker. You might want to give this Sanyo a look.

If anyone else is curious, Richard van Wijngaarden has three original .MTS clips (1920x1080, 50i) from his Sony XR520 at the bottom of this page: http://www.lyramic.com/.

The clips are each 15-25 seconds, around 50 MB. These show a lake/stream area with people walking and considerable areas of high detail from tree branches, leaves, grass and flowers.

Using the current VLC 1.0.0 player my PC cannot play this back smoothly, but I can extract individual 1920x1080 frames to look at. I see some ringing-type compression artifacts at the boundary of smooth and detailed areas (sky and tree branches), and some swans got overexposed, but the detail overall is impressive.

Ingvaral,

I might be interested in testing in a couple weeks. But one question: Why use proxies? Why not just render from the MXF files. It sounds (from other threads) like they are visually lossless. Or, has your experience been otherwise?

Jerry

>I might be interested in testing in a couple weeks
Ok, send me an e-mail.
>Why use proxies? Why not just render from the MXF files. It sounds (from other threads) like they are visually lossless. Or, has your experience been otherwise?

Good question! Actually, I really do not know. All I know is that MXF files play back in real time in Vegas when I edit my project. They are slightly larger than the MTS files. They look great. It is .. well.. I live under the belief that the original material always is the best.. Even if indistinguishable, even if only a tiny fraction better, I would use the original.

Apart from this, my new workflow of having original footages on slow USB drives and work with proxies on my internal fast drives is something I will continue to do. And then I can render at any time, also 5 months later, and I will have only one set of files permanently stored: The original footages.

ingvarai

DMX-FH11 & DMX-HD2000
The specs on this camcorder look pretty impressive. 1920x1080 @ 60fps and great low light performance.

Also 488x366 @ 240fps and 192x108 @600fps.

http://sanyo.com/news/2009/01/img/090121xacti.pdf

I own 2 Canon AVCHD camcorders, the HG21 as well as the HG10, both are superb camcorders, the HG21 performs better in Low light situations , the HG21 does 24Mps compared toi just 15 on the Hg10..
As for editing I find no problems other than the borked preview issue in Vegas 9, keep in mind I have a i7Core setup with 12Gig of RAM, so she's a beast in editing and rendering the footage.....