Import vs Add

[qtrim]

I have several AVCHD folders I've copied to my HD in the last year from my Panasonic HDCSD20. Now I'm ready to edit them in VSX4. Is there any advantage to using "file/import media file to library" (which makes a copy in the working folder) vs just clicking on the folder icon and adding them? I've looked at the file size on both the original clip and the imported one and they are identical. It does seem as though VS extracts the original date and time shot and uses that as the imported file name, so I guess that is helpful. I guess I'm wondering if VS can smartrender or handel the file any better?

Thanks to all the VS pros who answer.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

I don’t understand…..when I import media a thumbnail is inserted to the library, this is linked to the actual file on the hard drive. The thumbnail being a virtual clip.
New copies of the original file are NOT created.

Can you run through the import process again, maybe start by selecting a new empty working folder.
Then tell us exactly what you are doing?

The only time VS creates new files is when inserting a DVD’s content or Video_TS folders?????

[qtrim]

If you go on the Menu Bar to File then down to "Import media file to library" and point it to either a DVD VIDEO_TS or AVCHD Stream folder on your hard drive, VS will make a separate copy in your working folder of that file.

What I was trying to figure out, was the quickest and best quality way (no re-encoding) to combine several AVCHD clips, with a simple crossfade transition (which requires minimal re-encoding) between them, onto one final 2 hour or so AVCHD 8.5G Disc with each scene as a chapter. Doing some experimentation, here's how to get that done:

Just add (via the folder icon in the work area), don't file/import, each clip. Drop them on the timeline with simple crossfade. Smartrender that file (takes about about one minute real time for 7 minutes of clips). Start new AVCHD Disc project and add that one big smartrendered file. Right click the file and choose and split by scene, this will allow the disc creator to see them as chapters. Disc creation takes about 3 minutes real time for a 7 minutes file, so I'll assume its not re-encoding, as it couldn't do it that fast.

Without performing smartrender first on the clips, and just going from timeline to create disc, it does re-encode.