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Panasonic GH2 AVCHD Files transcode or not?
  • arsharif4620arsharif4620

    I am new to the GH2. I have shot a few shorts with the camera since having it. Right now, I use sony vegas pro 12 to edit my videos. I import the MTS files into vegas, edit, then export to wave. I have read a lot on this forum about transcoding mts files to prores and other formats to get the most out of post processing. I am wondering, should I transcode my mts files before importing them into vegas or is it fine to just load the avchd files drectly into vegas pro and leave it as that? What i've read on the forum so far about this topic has just left me more confused as before. Should I transcode the mts file or not?

    I must say that I have been very impressed by the quality of the videos i've shot so far using only the MTS files. But if transcoding the mts files will make my videos even better I would like to know.

    Thanks

  • 4 Replies sorted by
  • brianlbrianl

    I regret all the files I flipped to Cineform or mxf. Stay native is my vote. YMMV depending on your machine.

  • RRRRRRRR

    Don´t transcode if your NLE handles it. It only takes time and gigabytes and will not improve anything. IF you are intent on grading in AE 32 bit it CAN be useful to transcode the files, but you only need to transcode those used in the finalized edit in that case. But understand that it is a special circumstance and not a general guideline for how to handle avchd.. Another special circumstance would be IF vegas had a poor h264 intepreter (which was the case with premiere cs5), in which case you could experience some jagged shapes for instance, but I have not heard anything like that (and I don´t use Vegas).

    As a general rule of thumb: if you do not experience a problem with your workflow and result, you don´t have one.

  • dancerchrisdancerchris

    I use VP12 and use my .mts files directly. They play at a full speed if not effect heavy. (I have an older computer) However some of the hacks FM2.02 in particular have diagonal rain noise (I think this is a GOP 3 problem). This is a problem with the Vegas decoder (and apparently the same one used by Premier Pro). I transcode these to DNxHD files.

    I have been using the Moon 5 hack lately and since it is all-I frames it decodes faster and has better playback performance.

  • arsharif4620arsharif4620

    Thanks for the replies. I think I will just stick with the mts files.

    I haven't hacked my GH2 yet, I think I will try the Moon 5 as well chris.

    Thanks!

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