For the love of God, what is the workflow for XAVC S 4k in PremierePro 2021

[LICRYNO]

Hello everyone. 

I bought a Sony HXR-NX80 4k Camcorder in Feb 2021, thinking it would save me time. It shoots proxies simultaneosly 720p, so I was thinking, "WOO HOO! Shoot, import, edit, export, and go for a much needed walk". Instead, Premiere Pro is playing back like it's dependant on a dialup 56k connection. Media Encoder spins for hours and hours with basic effects.

The Sony HXR-NX80 comes with a manual, but it never once mentions the files it creates on the SD Card. These files seem important, but after I copy the entire contents of the sd onto my external drive, I am I really supposed to dig into the card and impor the CLIP 4k footage? Then, 'attach proxies' from within Premiere to the SUB clip proxies created by the camera and START EDITING? This has proven very problematic. Premiere hates this footage.

What's wild is, Premiere doesn't know what kind of sequence to make when I drag the 4k native files into an empty sequence. It doesnt have a XAVC S sequence setting. I don't know what to create either! I mean, I know it's 4k UHD 3840 x 2160 at 23.976fps, 100Mbs (according to the manual).  Am I really just choosings DSLR 1080p and modifying the pixel aspect to UHD?

Good lord, someone help me with this workflow so I can work in March 2021. I swear, it was easier 10 years ago.

The workflow starts by asking in the correct forum

Moved from Using the Community (which is about the forums) to the correct forum... Mod
To find a forum for your program please start at https://community.adobe.com/

[basil1891]

1) Premiere doesn't know what kind of sequence to make - typically I'd just use the option "New Sequence from Clip.." (context menu on the footage in the Project panel).

2) ...but after I copy the entire contents of the sd onto my external drive, I am I really supposed to dig into the card and impor the CLIP 4k footage? -  No. Make sure you removed/disconnected SD card before you initiate import. Or APP will automatically reach for removable storage for new files. You do not need that.

3) Then, 'attach proxies' from within Premiere... -  Select all relevant source clips in project panel, right click and go Proxy > Attach proxies... >  Just attach one file and all other (from the list)  should connect automatically

[Kevin-Monahan]

LICRYNO,

Sorry for the frustration. For import, please use the Media Browser to import any card based media. Premiere Pro documentation link here.

Let us know if you have any trouble connecting those proxies or with the workflow, in general.

Thanks,
Kevin

[LICRYNO]

Sadly, I did everything you suggested correctly the first time.

I have never in my life tried to import directly from a camera's SD card, though I appreciate your mentioning that.

There isn't any information from SONY or ADOBE on how to get the footage FROM the SD card (what files it creates) on into Premiere and make a sequence correctly. This is Sony. Not some small manufacturer.  There isn't a Sequence setting for XAVC S? Why not?  It's supposed to be Sony's solution to all their cameras.

Really what's going on here is the information gap between cameras and DLE systems has deteriorated to abismal proportions this past decade. Sony literally doens't even put in the manual what files this camera creates onto the SD card.  Adobe doesn't explicitly say that 'dragging' master 4k .mp4 files from the camera roll folder (properly copied to an SSD) is a bad idea, but users online only recommend Media Browser for import. I'm using Media Browser! What's really sad is that Me, Myself, and my fellow editors are left to 'ask the internet' for help. It's wild. It was easier in 2009. 

This XAVC S footage is, in one word, DOGSHIT. 

I have to transcode ALL OF IT, so why am I shooting it?

Adobe has flat out told me its problematic and instructed me to transcode it. 

My graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1 GB // Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB cannot transcode it quickly 1 hour / minute of footage. 

[basil1891]

@LICRYNO  The laptop (judging by GPUs) that you use, is quite outdated for processing of 4K material, even transcoded. I'd try to use proxy workflow instead.

[basil1891]

... And as I've recalled just now, Premiere Pro does not allow GPU acceleration for 4K sources if VRAM is below 2GB. So to have reasonable performance you need either new hardware, or downscale the sources to lower resolution,  like 2.5K or 1080.

[LICRYNO]

The 720p footage created by the camera XAVC doesn't playback well in the timeline.

I cannot encode it. It's a known Adobe bug...

I bought a new computer, that gets here April 16. 

I am looking into Catalyst (by Sony) to solve my issue, but REALLY, my problem is I upgraded to Adobe Premiere 15 (big mistake) without an M1 card.

I appreciate the help, but I just have to wait until I get my new computer.

I've totally lost all the work I planned for (which was needed to be done this week) and so I'm just going to return to a happier, less productive, state of mind.

The main take away here is, "it has not become easier in 10 years".

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi,

Sorry to confirm that there is a bug filed with performance and this codec in 15.0. I will make sure that the issue gets the proper attention to the right team (formats). If you can transcode or fall back to an earlier version, those would be the potential workarounds. 

Thanks,
Kevin

[LICRYNO]

You cannot open up a v15 project in an earlier version v14.9. If I downgrade, I'm starting over with the entire project. EFF IT. There is no solution here. Wait for Adobe to catch up to Apple in the great 'M1 re-lipsticking' of a pig.  Really what this is, is accomodating for people not being able to make a descision. Giving too many options. Do we need 6k 8k? No.

We don't need more options.

We need Adobe to ask itself, IS THIS BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD 10 years ago in FCP7?

Can we make this EASIER for editors?

How about spending considerabley more time making Premiere FUNCTION without a hitch?

How about spending more time creating sequence/export/encoding presets that MATCH THE LANDSCAPE of delivery for editors (Instagram IGTV, Reels, Stories, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, GOD HELP US ALL THE effing FORMAT changes these children keep requesting). Look at what we are predominantly doing. We are cutting, putting titles over picture, adding different fade lengths, freeze framing, changing the speeds, and that's about it. The rest of the time I'm trying to fit all of this into the world.

Adobe Spark Post should be the model of invention. Because they had to make it work on a phone, the made it right. I can design a logo in the bathtub that looks better and is more functional than what I could do in photoshop in the exact same amount of time. I don't have to go to flight school to learn how to use Spark Post, but Photoshop requires 1000 hours.