Upshift vs. Neo Scene

Rv6tc wrote on 7/5/2009, 7:37 PM
I'm brand new to the world of AVCHD, but it's apparent that I will need a product to convert the files to something more manageable on the timeline. I've looked at the descriptions of the products on the web sites, but being a novice at this, I thought I would ask those who have experience with them to weigh in with their recommendations.

I am just a hobbiest, and brand new to HD editing, with a Canon HF-S10 camera. I'm using Vegas 9, with an old P4 computer that will very soon be upgraded to an i7.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Regards,

Keith

Comments

reberclark wrote on 7/5/2009, 7:43 PM
It depends on what your delivery medium is.

I usually deliver on SD DVD even though I shoot with my Canon Vixia HF100 (HD). I drag my .MTS files from the memory card (thru a reader) onto my hard drive, then convert those .MTS files to .AVI and they edit beautifully.
Rv6tc wrote on 7/5/2009, 7:48 PM
What do you convert with?

I will be making SD DVD's for the forseeable future.... at least until the cost of BluRay DVD media comes down.
Laurence wrote on 7/5/2009, 10:56 PM
What i would do is use Ultimate S or some other script that can do batch conversion, and convert to XDCAM .mxf. XDCAM looks wonderful, smartrenders, makes small files, and hardly taxes your system at all.
reberclark wrote on 7/6/2009, 8:30 PM
I convert those MTS files to AVI in Vegas
Greenlaw wrote on 7/7/2009, 10:11 AM
Hi,

A while back, I got AVCHD Upshift, which batch converts AVCHD files to MPEG 2. This makes the footage easier to edit on Vegas' timeline and more accessible to other programs. Technically, you could do the same thing in Vegas, but UpShift is easy to use and more convenient for this one task. Another plus is that it's fairly inexpensive ($49.) It's not a lossless conversion though, so you should consider that if you plan to post-process footage.

I just got Neo Scene the other day, which does something similar, but uses the Cineform codec. This makes the files more easily editable in Vegas and, unlike MPEG 2, Cineform can withstand several generations before you see any serious artifacting, making it very suitable for post work. The 'downside' is that other systems need the Cineform codec installed to play the files, but on the plus side, the 'play only' codec is free. This tool is a bit more expensive than UpShift, but depending on your needs, it may be worth it. (It will be for me.)

Veggie Toolkit 3.0 has an excellent batch processor for Vegas, and you can set up a template to do something similar using Vegas. It's a bit more effort to set up though, and of course you don't get the Cineform codec with it, but it can be a great time saver, especially if you want to do multiple formats at the same time.

Greenlaw

--
Greenlaw
Partner | Little Green Dog | www.littlegreendog.com
Senior Digital Artist | Rhythm & Hues Studios - The Box | www.rhythm.com

Greenlaw wrote on 7/7/2009, 10:19 AM
I should add that, if you use Neo Scene and Cineform with Vegas 9, you need to patch a specific .dll in Vegas first. (Do a search in this forum for it.) I believe the patch is included in the next Vegas update.

--
Greenlaw
Partner | Little Green Dog | www.littlegreendog.com
Senior Digital Artist | Rhythm & Hues Studios - The Box | www.rhythm.com
warriorking wrote on 7/7/2009, 10:55 AM
My first priority would be to upgrade your computer, you stated that you will soon be going to a i7core, good choice...My current i7core setup handles and. edits AVCHD footage easily in Vegas so I see no need for Cineform or other programs at the present ...I would upgrade the system first and see where you stand after that before purchasing anything else....
Rv6tc wrote on 7/7/2009, 11:56 AM
Good stuff, Thanks.

Warriorking, I had thought that AVCHD was so processor-intensive that even guys with good computers were having problems previewing it. But after what you said, I think I'll go get the i7 and MB and give 'er a shot. If I can save $150 on the NeoScene, then I can put it into either the computer, or a better mic for the camera!

Greenlaw. Thank you for the review. That was exactly what I was looking for.

PerroneFord wrote on 7/7/2009, 12:02 PM
Out of curiousity, what is your "buy-in" price for BluRay. I am always curious when I hear people say that the costs are too high. BuRay is cheaper than miniDV tape now per unit, and significantly cheaper per MB.

What is the unit cost at which you will accept it and buy?
Dreamline wrote on 7/7/2009, 12:05 PM
Warriorking, what CPU do you use exactly?
Rv6tc wrote on 7/7/2009, 12:28 PM
PerroneFord,

That's a very good question and one I don't have an answer for yet. Realize that I've only had an HD camera for about a week, so as of yet, it hasn't been the top priority, but I'm sure that will change soon. I don't have any sort of projects going on now, so anything I'd record would just be random clips (like Forth of July around here), and for around $5 a disk, I'll just stick to SD. I've become rather spoiled to the cost of a regular DVD. I'm sure though if I get an interesting project, I'd be willing to upgrade and start burning BluRay. I just need a good excuse, er, reason at this point.