AVCHD - Videostudio 11

[squirrel_uk30]

Hi Everyone,

I need your help and the response will need to be in very basic terms please. I have read various other posts and they are too technical and confusing!

I have a Sony DCR-VX2100 video camera and I upload the footage onto Videostudio, which is all fine. Recently, I was asked to add in extra footage from an HD camcorder with AVCHD footage. Firstly, can you have normal footage and HD footage in the same project?

Also, the normal footage is fine, however, when I preview the HD footage the quality is not top notch. I think it either misses some frames, the image freezes or the audio is quicker than the image. Small fussy black dots appear over the library section too which is odd. The footage eventually cannot cope and starts and stops. What do I need to do to get this to play correctly please as I cannot edit it until it plays at its normal rate?

[Black Lab]

Can't do it. Hope that is basic enough.

AVCHD is the most demanding of video types. A P4 processor simply will not be able to handle AVCHD, even with Smart Proxy enabled.

Since it sounds like your project will be SD, you may want to try converting the AVCHD to something more manageable.

SUPER is a very good converter, though I don't know if it does AVCHD. I'm sure someone else will chime in.

[BrianCee]

Could you also explain what "ram: 384" means in your PC spec - 384 what ??? - is it 384 MB - if so it's a wonder your computer does anything.

[squirrel_uk30]

BrianCee - 384 MB is the RAM. I use a Compaq laptop. I've never had any problems with doing anything on it before and regularly edit videos on it.

Black Lab - What does Smart Proxy do? Also, if I convert the files to 'something more manageable', what is something more manageable?! I think the normal footage is avi. or .mpeg. Would that work?

[Black Lab]

Smart Proxy creates lower quality copies that are used for editing and previewing. During the rendering process those edits are then applied to the actual HD clips.

Yes, converting to avi or mpeg-2 would certainly be a more manageable file type.

[squirrel_uk30]

I'll give them both a go. Thank you so much for your help. It is very much appreciated.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Can you give some details of your normal footage and your Avchd video.
Please right click both clip types and select properties, what are they?

If normal footage means Standard Definition then it may use Lower Field Order.
High Definition will be either Upper Field or Frame Based.
Changing the field order from lower to upper will cause some quality problems.

You can only use one field order in a video file.

If you have to convert the AVCHD then using the SD properties maybe selecting Frame Based.
I would use DV –Avi.
Later, after adding to the standard project the file will be rendered to the SD properties?
DVD standards assuming you are intending to make a DVD?