row1x
Active member
I shot some video with my G3 which turned ot nicely and am wondering what software you recommend for editing. I am running windows 7 64 bit.
Thanks
John
Thanks
John
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Editing AVCHD files -
- Thread starter row1x
- Start date
boyzo
Veteran Member
Alan_W1
Senior Member
I use cyberlink powerdirector 9, with windows 7 64bit.
It has everything i am likely to need, but i don't have enough video experience to recommend one editing program over another.
It has everything i am likely to need, but i don't have enough video experience to recommend one editing program over another.
Adventsam
Veteran Member
What do you want to do? a feature film or join some home clips together?
row1x
Active member
I want to be able to edit clips and join them. Maybe put a page at the end with comments. Boyzo recommended a Sony app but the price tag at $400 for an acedemic (I am not a student or teacher) copy is a bit out of reach.
Thanks
John
Thanks
John
Adventsam
Veteran Member
Download cyberlink PowerDirector9 and try it, its easy to use and will do what you want, you should be able to get it for much much less.
row1x
Active member
Thanks.
Birk Binnard
Senior Member
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/buy/moviestudiope?disp=1
That's what I use and I've tried all the editors that support AVCHD directly. PowerDirector works fine but I found it wasn't as easy to use as Vegas for some things I do, even though the Vegas interface is more complex. For me, the Vegas interface actually makes more sense and is easier to use than the simpler interfaces of other AVCHD editors.
There are free 30 day trials for both Vegas & PowerDirector. Another one you might want to check out is Edius http://www.grassvalley.com/products/edius_6 ; but that one just drove me bonkers, probably because it is a lot different from Vegas.
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Birk Binnard
http://www.birkbinnard.com/photography
That's what I use and I've tried all the editors that support AVCHD directly. PowerDirector works fine but I found it wasn't as easy to use as Vegas for some things I do, even though the Vegas interface is more complex. For me, the Vegas interface actually makes more sense and is easier to use than the simpler interfaces of other AVCHD editors.
There are free 30 day trials for both Vegas & PowerDirector. Another one you might want to check out is Edius http://www.grassvalley.com/products/edius_6 ; but that one just drove me bonkers, probably because it is a lot different from Vegas.
--
Birk Binnard
http://www.birkbinnard.com/photography
bgalb
Senior Member
+1 I have been using Vegas Movie Studio and its predecessors for years (long before Sony bought up the company producing "Vegas" video and audio products).
Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum version 11 is a great buy and includes a very good audio editor as well.
Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum version 11 is a great buy and includes a very good audio editor as well.
Most Windows users who post on Vimeo seem to use either Vegas Pro or Adobe Premiere. Since both are expensive, you might want to get a copy of Sony Vegas Movie Studio, since it seems OK and is only $59 on Amazon.
I work on a Mac and for editing GH2 movies I use Clipwrap to convert AVCHD files to Quicktime, and Final Cut Pro 7 to edit. This of course doesn't help you at all, but I'm sure you can find the equivalent on Windows. Apparently, Sony Vegas Movie Studio is able to work with AVCHD files, so if you get it, you won't need a separate transcoder.
I work on a Mac and for editing GH2 movies I use Clipwrap to convert AVCHD files to Quicktime, and Final Cut Pro 7 to edit. This of course doesn't help you at all, but I'm sure you can find the equivalent on Windows. Apparently, Sony Vegas Movie Studio is able to work with AVCHD files, so if you get it, you won't need a separate transcoder.
Here's the thing: it is a natural mistake to make, but you shouldn't even think of editing in the AVCHD format. Seriously.
AVCHD is specifically designed as a format for capturing video (and ONLY capturing video) by compressing a stream of data very efficiently. It is not designed as a format that is easily editable.
If you try and edit in native AVCHD, your editing software has to decompress the file, perform the edit and then recompress it (simplifying) with every change you make. This takes a huge amount of processing power which is why you see so many people upgrading their computers in order to edit AVCHD. It is all unnecessary and doesn't even offer the benefit of preserving best quality.
And think about it: why would you want to rewrite the file back to AVCHD when the final video you watch is in a totally different format like AVI or WMV anyway?
Just accept the fact that AVCHD is only the format your video camera uses, and the first thing you should do is turn the AVCHD files into something easier to work with. The files types that the codecs in editing software use are typically almost entirely uncompressed which means the AVCHD file sizes will increase dramatically when you import them into your editing program. This is not a bug. This is a Good Thing. It means you are editing without constantly compressing/decompressing the file.
Any of the good video editing programs will then do a great job - just make sure you import the AVCHD file via a codec that will then allow you to edit quickly and retain all the quality.
AVCHD is specifically designed as a format for capturing video (and ONLY capturing video) by compressing a stream of data very efficiently. It is not designed as a format that is easily editable.
If you try and edit in native AVCHD, your editing software has to decompress the file, perform the edit and then recompress it (simplifying) with every change you make. This takes a huge amount of processing power which is why you see so many people upgrading their computers in order to edit AVCHD. It is all unnecessary and doesn't even offer the benefit of preserving best quality.
And think about it: why would you want to rewrite the file back to AVCHD when the final video you watch is in a totally different format like AVI or WMV anyway?
Just accept the fact that AVCHD is only the format your video camera uses, and the first thing you should do is turn the AVCHD files into something easier to work with. The files types that the codecs in editing software use are typically almost entirely uncompressed which means the AVCHD file sizes will increase dramatically when you import them into your editing program. This is not a bug. This is a Good Thing. It means you are editing without constantly compressing/decompressing the file.
Any of the good video editing programs will then do a great job - just make sure you import the AVCHD file via a codec that will then allow you to edit quickly and retain all the quality.
Banger
Leading Member
Don't think I agree with you.
AVCHD is a relatively new standard for HD recording and playback. For video compression, AVCHD uses the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVC) standard, supporting a variety of standard, high definition, and stereoscopic (3D) video resolutions. And it is included in most of the newer better camcorders. It was designed to be compatible with Blu-ray technology.
I have Sony HD camcorder that utilises this format and I use the AVCHD format all the time, albeit that it takes up significant space on the media, but the quality is superb.
However, the downside is that you will need a Blu-ray player to play the AVCHD discs, and you won't get much on a std 4.7 or 8.5 DL dvd disc. I bought an Asus blu-ray reader/writer for my computer and write my movies to (25GB) blu-ray discs in AVCHD format. Alternatively you can covert your AVCHD recording to std DVD format (but at significant cost to resolution), and play it on a std DVD player.
Biggest problem I find is that many people I distribute video discs to haven't yet got a blu-ray player, ....but I notice that blu-ray players have become much cheaper and won't be long before they are the norm, note that the blu-ray players will (generally), play all formats.
I haven't tried the movie feature of my EP-3, but I suspect I'll be able to edit the files with either the Sony program or Cyberlink suite I already have.
Rgds, Rob
--
Give a wise man instruction and he is yet wiser !
Olympus E500, E520, E30, 14-45mm, 40-150mm, 11-22mm, 14-54mm, 70-300mm, 25mm 'Pancake' , FL36R
AVCHD is a relatively new standard for HD recording and playback. For video compression, AVCHD uses the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVC) standard, supporting a variety of standard, high definition, and stereoscopic (3D) video resolutions. And it is included in most of the newer better camcorders. It was designed to be compatible with Blu-ray technology.
I have Sony HD camcorder that utilises this format and I use the AVCHD format all the time, albeit that it takes up significant space on the media, but the quality is superb.
However, the downside is that you will need a Blu-ray player to play the AVCHD discs, and you won't get much on a std 4.7 or 8.5 DL dvd disc. I bought an Asus blu-ray reader/writer for my computer and write my movies to (25GB) blu-ray discs in AVCHD format. Alternatively you can covert your AVCHD recording to std DVD format (but at significant cost to resolution), and play it on a std DVD player.
Biggest problem I find is that many people I distribute video discs to haven't yet got a blu-ray player, ....but I notice that blu-ray players have become much cheaper and won't be long before they are the norm, note that the blu-ray players will (generally), play all formats.
I haven't tried the movie feature of my EP-3, but I suspect I'll be able to edit the files with either the Sony program or Cyberlink suite I already have.
Rgds, Rob
--
Give a wise man instruction and he is yet wiser !
Olympus E500, E520, E30, 14-45mm, 40-150mm, 11-22mm, 14-54mm, 70-300mm, 25mm 'Pancake' , FL36R
Edmund Dorf
Senior Member
I have been editing AVCHD files for about 3 years without serious problems. In the early days, yes it was necessary to convert the files first because there were only a couple of programs that could edit the files directly. But slowly the programs added the capability to edit AVCHD and now it is not a problem.
My goal is to edit the AVCHD files and produce the end video directly from the original AVCHD rather that converting and loosing quality and then saving and loosing more quality.
Again I suggest using the latest version of Cyberlink PowerDirector.
--
Currently shooting:
Canon Powershot G12
Canon Rebel Xs DSLR with kit lens, 50mm F1.8 II lens, and 55-250mm IS telephoto
Casio EX-FH100
Casio EX-S12
Fujifilm E550
Olympus PEN E-PL1 with Kit zoom lens, Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm F2.8, Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm, Canon FD 50mm F1.4, Olympus Zuiko 50mm F1.8, Pentax 135mm F2.5, Pentax 50mm F1.7.
Olympus SP-810UZ.
Sanyo HD2000 HD camcorder/8 and 12 megapixel stills
Sony DSC-TX7
My goal is to edit the AVCHD files and produce the end video directly from the original AVCHD rather that converting and loosing quality and then saving and loosing more quality.
Again I suggest using the latest version of Cyberlink PowerDirector.
--
Currently shooting:
Canon Powershot G12
Canon Rebel Xs DSLR with kit lens, 50mm F1.8 II lens, and 55-250mm IS telephoto
Casio EX-FH100
Casio EX-S12
Fujifilm E550
Olympus PEN E-PL1 with Kit zoom lens, Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm F2.8, Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm, Canon FD 50mm F1.4, Olympus Zuiko 50mm F1.8, Pentax 135mm F2.5, Pentax 50mm F1.7.
Olympus SP-810UZ.
Sanyo HD2000 HD camcorder/8 and 12 megapixel stills
Sony DSC-TX7
You cannot be serious. Premiere, Vegas, Cyberlink and many others deal with mts files since 2008. Actually I would never consider shooting anything but avchd. Amazing quality, compact and easy to edit.
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