Do any versions of Avid Media Composer import .TOD files or AVCHD, or do they have to be converted into another format for use in AM?

Would AMC 4 support mpeg2 or AVCHD?

Does no one know?

I've not seen anything to suggest they are supported in the latest version. AVC-Intra support as been added, but that's as closes as it gets (which is not very close)

I use Premiere CS4 to convert AVCHD...

So would I be better off skipping the middle man and just using Premiere Pro CS4 if Avid is not advanced enough to support many formats? I am not making academy award winning pictures

Based on your question, I would try Premiere CS4 for a month or so and then tell us what you think. If your main source of media is ACVHD then you may find CS4 to be better suited to your needs. I've just never found Premiere to be all that stable - but that's just me.

Hi,

BarkinMadd:

I would try Premiere CS4 for a month or so and then tell us what you think.

Try both.  MC has a fully functional 30-day trial version.  See which one you like better.

good luck,
Carl 

Yes, Premiere Pro CS4 has crashed on me a time or two. That is why I like MC, it just works. When I load large files in it they work, they do not crash the MC. I have tried Sony Vegas and Premiere Pro and both crashed (though Vegas is much more stable, at least for me). It is just a pain to convert the files to work with MC and then wait much longer for it to convert them to something it can use. There are cheap programs that just start working with AVCHD, mpeg2, and others, but then you get to a file longer than a few minutes and they crash I guess I am stuck with Avid until they become more advanced and support a wide range of file formats or Vegas or Premiere become stable. Thanks everyone for the help.

Typically the fundamental difference between the way applications like Premiere and Vegas work with clips and the way Avid does is largely down to the file-handling. Premiere, Vegas and FCP all use direct file-system access to work with files in the native formats using various codecs, APIs and applications. This makes those apps more flexible in terms of what they support and how quickly, but tends to have a negative impact in real-time performance, interoperability and stability. And even with that approach new format support is hardly guaranteed (FCP still has major issues with AVCHD I understand).

Avid's approach, with using Avid-written codecs, and managing the media directly usually provides a more stable experience and better performance, but does make working with non-native files formats more difficult. However Avid's new AMA somewhat bridges these concepts and may, in the future, be the means by which more varied format support can be offered. But at this stage it's a wait and see thing I guess.

Use the Panasonic AVCHD to P2 converter. Then use a version of MC with AMA, you only wait for the conversion. With AMA there is instant access to the media. You will need to find version 1 if you use a non Panasonic camera. Later versions only convert from Panasonic AVCHD cameras. This is a free converter. I use this workflow all the time.

I tried the Panasonic AVCHD to P2 converter (actually found the link on Avid's site), but it was the version that only converts for Panasonic. Would anyone know where the earlier one could be found?

wordoffaith:

 Would anyone know where the earlier one could be found?

PM me your mail adress

I have two JVC camcorders (GY-HD200 and GZ-HD7). The HD7 writes TOD-files on the hard disk. TOD-files are MPEG-2 files. I use two methods to work with them. I use Avide Liquid Version 7.2, which can directly import TOD-files without any problem. If I edit with media Composer (my preferred method), I transcode the TOD-files with TMPGEnc 4.0 Xpress, which converts the TOD-files into DNxHD-enccoded files for fast import into Media Composer. TMPGEnc 4.0 Xpress can transcode nearly any format to any other format and the results have a high quality.

Joachim

If you've got a really fast I7 then it may be worth looking at. But realtime performance if you plan on adding filters, titles or doing any color correction may still be an issue. AVCHD, whilst an excellent acquisition codec, is a heavily compressed long gop codec that requires serious cpu horsepower to decode on the fly. Use of an intermediate codec (which is how Apple approach avchd (not avc-I) with imovie (AIC) or FCP (Pro Res)).

You could convert to DNxHD using one of the many available third party converters and fast import those files (although you will take a hit in terms of file size - each convereted intermediate file will be about 10 times the size of the original avchd file). If you check out the Premiere Pro CS4 forums you will find that some people are having success, but may others are having big issues. Additionally, be aware that apparently timecode is not available when using avchd in PPro CS4 (each clip starts from 00:00:00:00). Although if you use the panasonic avchd to DVCproHD converter you will retain and be able to use the timecode (there is a discussion on the premiere cs4 forums about this issue with a Panasonic HMC 150).

Personally, I convert to DNxHD and get excellent realtime performance for 1080p.

It is a pity that Avid don't have a version of FCP's log and transfer feature though (because that would simplify matters, especially if it would ingest in the background and allow you to carry on editing - which is what FCP does!).