To transcode, or not to transcode....

[expee]

Hi,

I'm a newbie who needs help.

We shoot with a Canon C100 (AVCHD .MTS files). Until now we would outsource the edit to others. Now we're trying to learn that ourselves.

What we (think we) know: AVCHD files are hard on the system and suck in the color-grading phase.

We've discovered that transcoding .MTS from H.264 to ProRes HQ .MOV increases files literally tenfold. So this is not an option. For the purposes of editing and color-grading (not the final output), does it matter which of the following options we pick, and why?

Option 1: Just rewrap .MTS into .MOV (while keeping H.264) and edit these files;

OR

Option 2: Transcode to ProRes 422 HD;

OR

Option 3: Transcode to ProRes 422 LT.

The goal is to maintain the quality. But, as someone told us today, simply converting your H.264 file into a ProRes HD won't make your file any better. Your camera captured the best it could.

Thanks!

[Ann Bens]

The goal is to maintain the quality. But, as someone told us today, simply converting your H.264 file into a ProRes HD won't make your file any better. Your camera captured the best it could.

This person is correct. No point in converting you wont gain quality.

[excited_Genie16B8]

Conversion won't increase the quality of the original, and depending on your settings, it could even reduce quality.

But with the right settings, conversion can definitely improve the performance of your files, thus improving the overall editing experience, without reducing the quality any.

Cineform is a great option for this.  If you need more hard drive space to make this work, get it.  Don't limit yourself by trying to keep the files small.

[expee]

Thanks a lot to both of you. Jim, I don't mind the increase in file size unless we're talking about a tenfold increase that I get with ProRes HD. ProRes LT increases the size by three times, which isn't an issue. That I can live with.

I am leaning toward transcoding to ProRes LT with a .MOV wrapper. Any reason why I shouldn't do it, keeping in mind that I want to make sure I do not degrade the quality of the existing files? Any default setting in Media Encoder I should change?

Thanks!

[excited_Genie16B8]

ProRes LT isn't good enough.  The quality will be compromised.

Stick with the included Cineform presets.  Learn to accept and deal with the new file sizes.

I promise the results will be worth it.

[R Neil Haugen]

Something Jim often mentions and many of us do: create transcoded and/or proxies for editing. Archive the original media. Dump the transcoded and proxies on completion of the project.

You get Cineform transcodes to edit, if 4k also make 1/2 or 1/4 res proxies. Editing will be VASTLY improved (easier on CPU especially) and you won't be storing any more than your compressed originals.

You can re-make transcoded and proxy media at need.

Neil

[shooternz]

What we (think we) know: AVCHD files are hard on the system and suck in the color-grading phase.

Have you tried this in your system for your self.

AVCHD works fine for me ..as does ,mov DNxHD and MXF. I have never tried Cineform but assume it would be fine.

Fact 4:2:2 does grade better than 4:2:0

[Warren Heaton]

Since you're on a Mac, LT is an excellent choice (contrary to what was stated in a prior post)  You're at about 700mb per minute at 1080p.

It's great that you are concerned about picture quality across your workflow. You'll have to get used to large file sizes (even HQ at 1.3GB per minute is modest).

So that you're making an informed decision, read the Apple White Paper on ProRes: https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/docs/Apple_ProRes_White_Paper.pdf

-Warren

[Warren Heaton]

For a sample of a real world workflow that starts with AVCHD (.mts) camera originals that are trancoded to ProRes 422 LT, edited at LT and exported to LT for an edited master as well as H264 for YouTube, watch anything by The California Endowment.

-Warren