AVCHD vs HDV file sizes

I just read AVCHD to AIC files balloon to roughly 10 times. Are AVCHD files imported to iMovie larger than HDV imported to iMovie? What sort of files sizes are we talking for HDV compared to AVCHD?
How taxing are files THAT large on a C2D MacBook Pro w/ 3gb RAM? Am I setting myself up for the hours of the spinning wheel?

Are AVCHD files imported to iMovie larger than HDV imported to iMovie?
They should be of roughly equivalent size for a given duration and dimensions as both are converted to AIC/AIFF for editing.
What sort of files sizes are we talking for HDV compared to AVCHD?
As indicated above, if both file types are of the same duration and dimensions, they should be nearly equivalent in size when imported/converted to iMovie '08. As to actual file size, AIC is more compressed than DV files and so an AIC encoded SD file would be smaller than an equivalent DV file. On the other hand, HD content contains more data than an SD file of the same duration and so would still be larger than the DV file. Since the data rate is proportional to the dimensions of the file being imported and the file size is proportional to the data rate being used in each case, there is no way to answer your question without you providing some concrete parameters on which to base even "ball park" estimations here.
How taxing are files THAT large on a C2D MacBook Pro w/ 3gb RAM? Am I setting myself up for the hours of the spinning wheel?
No practical experience here to make a response. And besides, you did not give any idea as to the the unit's clocking speed for comparisons.

Similar Messages

AVCHD/HDV iMovie Apple TV file sizes

When you export a 1hr HD iMovie at the highest quality ATV setting what is the file size approximately? Trying to decide between the 40 and 160g AppleTV.
Is there any trick to this or is it pretty basic? Thanks.

I just checked a couple of movies on my TV.
An approximately 5 minute movie in AVCHD stores on the TV as Large (960x540) in h.264 format, and is about 145.5 MB in size. Multiplying by 12 would give you the size for an hour movie, which would be about 1.75GB.
As for 40GB or 160GB TV, I prefer the 160GB because I can have my iTunes and Movies local on the TV. If you have the 40GB, you would probably stream the tunes and movies from your Mac rather than keeping everything local. Streaming works fine as far as playing the movies. However, on my Mac, I have several copies of each movie. I have one copy optimizes for the TV, another copy optimized for the Mobile Me Web Gallery, and another copy optimized for my iPhone. If I stream my TV, I have to navigate through all these copies in the menus to find the movie I want. If I sync to TV, I can choose to sync only the TV size movies, and I make navigating the menus simpler. And I can still stream if I need to.

Any way to decrease file size of imported AVCHD clips?

Since I got my AVCHD camera I've pretty much eaten up all the space on my HD because of the way iMovie converts the files to a format that takes up like 15 times more space.
I do have some of my lesser-used footage on an external HD, but my Time Machine backup is also starting to get full and I need to find a solution for the clips that I don't want to erase, but don't need to store in the full HD format. Is there any way to compress or otherwise decrease the file size of an imported clip? I always import in the highest quality possible to evaluate, and then choose clips I only want to keep in a lower resolution.
Thanks in advance for suggestions.

Your AVCHD files are highly compressed. During import to iMovie they must be expanded to an editable format (AIC) which increases the file size.
The only way to "compress" these files is an export. An export from iMovie would "render" any effects, transitions or text making these items un-editable in the future. You could export your "raw" footage but this could also lead to problems in future imports.
Newer external drives could be partitioned for use with iMovie storage and your Time Machine files. You can also probably connect your current external giving you even more storage.

Huge HD file sizes in iMovie when importing AVCHD files from HD Camcorder

Although several answers have been given on different ways to import HD files from a AVCHD camcorder, in this case a Sony one, the issue is what to do with the HUGE files it creates. I recorded 2 hours of HD content in about 30GB on the camcorder. I can burn those native HVCHD files on DVD's, took 6 of them, and play them on a Blue Ray player in HD. To edit, I tested a sample 50MB file that was about 3 minutes in length. It convered to quicktime file in the same 1920x1080 quality resulted in a file that was about 800MB, looked great, but how do I store or play a 20 minute version of it? iMovie is inadequate to do anything other than produce smaller size files for an iPod or lower quality, unless it is going to be a very short HD movie if doing true HD quality. One of the reasons I took the MAC plunge was the better multimedia capabilities. In this case, Apple (iMove and Final Cut) is behind.
I ended up shifting my HD editing back to a PC with $100 Sony Vegas software that can edit the AVCHD files and author in it. I can produce a DVD with about 25 minutes of edited HD in AVCDH file format and play it. I can also store the finished product in a much smaller space using AVCHD files. I have a 1 TB drive on my Mac that would be consumed if I worked in iMovie with converting all these AVCDH files and kept them in HD quality since it looks like it needs to expand them 12-16 times the AVCHD file size.
Yes, I know I could lower the quality to better work with them in iMovie, but that makes no sense to me. I want to record and edit in the HD format. Seems like these AVCHD cameras are becoming a standard since they are so efficient at storing HD content, iMovie needs to figure out how to edit and store them the same way. Very disappointed in how iMovie handles HD, to me it is NOT very good at handling HD, no good way to store or distribute it.
Am I missing soomething here? I have spent hours looking for a different answer, but have not found one yet? Maybe the next version of iMovie will be better. I like using it for SD DVD authoring, but for HD, did not work at all for me.
Jon

Interesting you say it is not meant for editing, but there are about a half dozen editor's for windows that will work on these exact files. I know with Sony Vegas that I have the same level of control with frame precision as I do with iMovie so I think there must be more to the story why Apple has not been able to support it like other software manufacturers who support windows. Don't get me wrong, i would love to do the work in iMovie and not have to learn something new. I don't have the storage space to use the HD apple format, that 2 hr of HD in AVCHD would turn into about 500GB then what do I put it on to play it. If the BlueRay standard calls for 25 or 50G disc's and we can get full two hour movies on them today, then they must be using a file format similar to AVCHD to fit on a disc, they cannot be using anything close to what Apple uses for HD files, it is just simple logic and math. So why doesn't Apple finure it out before everyone who starts working in HD comes to the same conclusion that the Apple QT file formats for HD is going to be an issue with space, you can create content, but cannot afford the disc space to store it or play it.

Compress HDV to 5Mb file size to send per email?

Hi there,
I'm doing an HDV film in FCS2, its 2 mins and 20 secs long and I want to send it per email to the client just for them to see how it would be to get the OK, what Compressor settings allow me to get such a small file size at the same time that I save some of the quality? (just good enough to understand what's on the video)
PS: mpg (specially), wmp or QT would be the best file formats to deliver to the client
FC 6.0.4
Compressor 3.0.4
Best regards
Javier

Any of the general QuickTime settings for QT 6 or 7 can produce nice results. The presets are for different bandwidth (from LAN on down) and try a couple to see the differene. Usually LAN or the one right below it will do a fine job for what you are sending. You can tweak the size down (width and height) if needed and also adjusting frame controls can help if you do not like the quality.
As to emailing, some places may limit sizes of email attachements sent/received and I find the easiest way is just make a small video and post it on the web, with an email with a link.

Rendering AVCHD files to H.264 causes file size to go up!!

Hi everyone,
I have a Sony HDR-SR11 camcorder that produces files in AVCHD format (.mts file extension). The camera natively produces file which are approx 100mb for every 1 min of video (1440x1080 setting). My issues is that when I add files to the timeline and then render them in Premiere Elements 7 using the H.264 1440x1080i format (creates a M2T file) the file size actually doubles (1 min is now approx 200mb). I'm only bringing the files into PRE 7 so I can add transitions, but I cannot afford the disk space if the program will double each videos size.
Is there a different setting I should be using to just do basic editing and not change the source quality? I know the camera adds significant compression to the file, but why would it grow in size when I render.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Mark

Update:
If I go in the Share Tab and click the advanced button I am able to fine tune my rendering settings. I found that changing the Bitrate Settings on the video tab will allow me reduce the file size. The default settings is 21 Mbps for both target and Max, I think it is WAY higher than the Sony Camcorder does natively so that is why the file size was growing??? is this correct?
Anyways, changing the Maximum Bitrate slider to about 10.1 Mbps gave me a file size equal to the original file from the Sony camcorder. The quality looks a tad softer than the original, but it's really hard to tell.
Anyone know if this is the solution to the problem described above? And, anyone know what bitrate these Sony HD cams output normally?

Regarding importing HDV video/file size

Hi, since Final Cut Pro HD won't recognize my Canon HDV camera (a problem for a different forum), I'm using iMovie for the first time.
I'm noticing that the file sizes for the clips I'm importing via firewire are unusually large (ie 1.2 gigs for a 3 minute clip). Is this unusual for HDV?
Also, could it be slowing down the importing process? It keeps saying "capturing at 1/8 speed" and doesn't get off it.
Thanks!

a SD video has ~13GB/h on miniDV.. and in iM.
a HDV uses a different codec on tape.. so, on tape, it is again ~13GB/h, but to make it editable, iM has to convert it (automatically) into AIC.. which has ~40-50GB/h ..
FCP should 'notice' HDV devices, it should offer you to choose 'AIC' or 'proRes' as 'inbetween' codecs .. but, import into FC and esp in FCP is a very different cup of coffee.

How can I reduce imported AVCHD file sizes

Help! I have a Sony HDR SR1 video camera (AVCHD format) and I import files directly into imovie for editing. the problem is that imovie is creating massive files that are rapidly filling my 500GB disk. One minute of imported HD video (which imovie stores as a quicktime file) takes up about 32GB. It hasn't taken long to wipe out my disk at that rate.
Does anyone else have this issue? Is there a more appropriate way of storing the raw footage? The video camera only store 30GB on its internal disk and this is meant provide around 7 hours of HD footage. If the file sizes really do need to be that large is there anyone out there who's sorted out storage and backup routines?

One minute of imported HD video (which imovie stores as a quicktime file) takes up about 32GB.
If you are going to play with the big boys (full HD) you need big big equipment (LOTS of hard disk space).
Why not ask the question in the iMovie or FCP/FCE forums.

Why is DV and HDV files the same size?

Why is DV and HDV files the same size?
One 60min tape of DV is around 10gb and a 60 min tape of HDV is also 10-11 GB
Why the same size?

A working number to calculate file sizes is 3.62 mb/sec for both DV and HDV. HDV can vary somewhat as it is compression dependent.
3.62 mb/sec = 13.03 gb/hr
have fun.
x

AVCHD/HDV files with a MacBook Pro

I'm trying to decide between a AVCHD and HDV camera. A lot of people warn against the hardware needed to work with AVCHD files. But, are AVCHD files any more processor heavy than HDV? Once the files are imported, aren't both AIC at that point?
I am on a 2.16ghz Core 2 Duo with iMovie 8?

I have cut/pasted this from another thread where I posted it following a question from a Canon HV20 owner. The info applies to all HDV and AVCHD cams though. Might help you decide.
Compression (7.0)
The Canon HV20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903) uses HDV compression, a very efficient MPEG-2 codec with a fixed data rate of 25Mbps, identical to the data rate of standard definition DV compression. HDV excels in capturing stunningly high-resolution video, but it is inferior to DV in terms of rendering motion realistically, due to its dependence on interframe compression. This means that at 1080i, only one in fifteen frames is a full-frame picture, while the intervening frames are compressed in relation to each full I frame. Interframe compression is much more efficient than intraframe compression, and allows HDV to squeeze a full 1920 x 1080 picture into a 25Mbps stream, recordable to inexpensive MiniDV tapes. DV uses intraframe compression, so each frame is a fully independent picture, allowing much better motion capture. DV also uses a superior 4:1:1 color space while HDV encodes via a truncated 4:2:0 color space.
The inherent weaknesses of HDV have led many networks to deem the format sub-standard for broadcast, but it is still the best high definition format available on the consumer camcorder market. Most consumers find the stunning resolution of HDV trumps the superior motion handling of DV. A professionally lit HDV interview (or any HDV shot without too much detail or motion) can look nearly as good as footage shot in a professional HD format on a $20,000 camera. AVCHD, a new HD format that uses H.264 compression was introduced in 2006 and compresses video even more aggressively than HDV. Our tests of Canon's UX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $729.95) and SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) last fall show that while AVCHD video is very sharp, it suffers from grain and artifacts much more than HDV compression. The wildcard in the consumer high definition arena is a new MPEG-2 format developed by JVC, the MPEG Transfer Stream codec, which appears for the first time in the Everio HD7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1529). MPEG Transport Stream compresses video at up to 30Mbps, and may rival or even outclass HDV compression.
Media (6.0)
Like other HDV camcorders, the Canon HV20 records to MiniDV cassettes, the same inexpensive and widely available format used by standard definition DV camcorders. MiniDV cassettes have a run time of 60 minutes in SP mode, but can hold up to 90 minutes of more compressed LP video. Unlike the DVD, memory card, and HDD formats, MiniDV tapes are linear media so moving clips to a PC from tape is a real-time process. For anyone serious about the quality of his or her video, HDV recorded to MiniDV cassette remains the best consumer HD option available. To date, consumer non-linear video formats do not support the highest-quality video compression codices for high definition (HDV) and standard definition (DV).

AVCHD to FCP big file size?

I know it says that converting to Apple Pro Res codec will increase file size by 4 times using log and transfer in FCP, but I've converted using the Apple intermediate codec which is supposedly the lesser of the two, and what was originally 25g worth of original media is now 150g in the new quicktimes. 6 times the size??!
Is there anything that can be done? Thank you very much
Nick

Convert to ProRes instead of AIC. It's a much more efficient codec. Oh yeah ... buy some more hard drive space.
-DH

AVCHD to HDV

Premiere Elements can import AVCHD but not export. Right?
Which means that editing AVCHD means convert to HDV. AVCHD is mpg4 compressed with resolution 1920*1080. HDV is mpg2 compressed with resolution 1440*1080, which at playback is interpolated to 1920*1080.
As far as I can see, this means that editing AVCHD means loss of data. Because the film must be recoded to another technical standard, which has lower resolution.
And after creating an HDV file, it may be relevant to turn that file into BLU-RAY, which should mean one more change of technical standard. Right?
How to minimize loss of information?
And yes, I understand that if I first create one HDV file, and then cut away part of it, there will be a new recoding, which should mean more loss of information.

There would be virtually no loss of data in interpolating frame size. Certainly no more so than in going from AVCHD or HDV to BluRay disc.
And, in Premiere Elements 9, the program edits AVCHD natively, if you select the right project preset for your camcorder. So there is no file conversion until you output your video.

File Size Question: Browser vs. MediaManager vs. Finder

Not an earth-shattering issue, but am just curious as to why the Browser, MM, and the Finder each offer different opinions as to the size of a given media file (or group of files).
I've just finished capturing a couple of hours of HDV footage from a friend's Sony cam (model HDR-HC7). Used Capture Now with the pref to create new media files at any TC break. (Will later do selective shot-by-shot logging and transcoding into ProRes422, so this B-cam material can be easily combined with AVCHD-originated footage which is being ProRes'd on ingest. For now just had to get it all on disk, since my friend needs his camera back!)
Anyway, everything went smoothly, but to use one file as an example, I happened to notice that in FCP7's "Size" Browser column, it's 78.2 MB; whereas MediaManager sees it as 77.1 MB; yet the Finder shows it as 82 MB.
All the other captured files show a similar variation. Everything's in the same ballpark, of course -- and these days what's a few MBs between friends? -- but the differences total a couple of GBs by the end of day; still not a big deal in the grand scheme, just more of a variation than I would have predicted.
So -- does anyone happen to know why this is the case? Do the Browser, MM, and the Finder each have different ways of evaluating how much space a particular media file is actually occupying, or are they each measuring subtly different things?
Like I said -- just curious.
Thanks,
John B.
Toronto

+Is there a particular reason why it makes sense for the Browser to use one way, and the Finder to use the other?+
Most likely it is down to which particular call is used by the programer to ascertain file size and therefore the way that file size data is returned to the app. Don't forget that the FCP's basic code is pretty darn old now and predates current best practices for file size reporting.
+And why, staying with the above example, does the Media Manager come up with its own unique measurement altogether, different from BOTH of the others (or is that just part of its charm)?+
Weird huh? And here's the bit you won't like ... I don't see the same discrepancy. On my system Media Manager and the Browser seem to report file sizes consistently.
+Also -- am I correct in noticing that under Snow Leopard, Disk Utility has switched from one measurement scheme to the other? (DU suddenly seems to be seeing my 500GB drives as having a single-volume partition of -- gasp -- 500GB! Who would've thought?)+
Yup, its a brave new world.

ERROR importing AVCHD H.264 files on Windows

I have a problem that is preventing my students from moving forward with their work, and I am STUMPED as to what the issue is. Computers are all the same, Windows 7, 64bit Enterprise (Octo-Core Xeon 3ghz with 11GB of RAM). CC is installed with the the CCP Enterprise installation tool, and all apps have been updated via Adobe Updater to the latest revs, Premiere happens to be at 7.2.1(4).
All our digital cameras are Sony’s that shoot to AVCHD H.264 (I have provided a profile of a sample clip, below).
Video ingests into Prelude when the material is simply copied from the SD card to a local drive. However, when we attempt to send the video to Premiere Pro, the files all come up as OFFLINE (question mark icon). When I attempt to import the file manually, the following error is received "The file has an unsupported compression type.".
The next thought was to attempt to transcode the files to another codec (in this case, I used DNxHD as a test). When the files are sent from Prelude to Media Encoder, the same error occurs (Media Coder is unable to determine the compression type) and all transcodes fail. As an aside, After Effects is also unable to import the same media.
This has happened now on numerous computers, and (obviously?) seems to be related to a lack of installation or support of AVCHD/H.264 compression. What’s odd is that students have been using these cameras and compression types all year, so I am guessing a recent update killed support?
If anyone could offer any help/ideas/support/thoughts it would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks!
General
ID                                                                                : 0 (0x0)
Complete name                                                  : /Users/sethchambers/Desktop/Ronnie Beirschmidt/Source/2014-04-23_08-24-22/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM/00002.MTS
Format                                                                      : BDAV
Format/Info                                                            : Blu-ray Video
File size                                                                      : 16.4 MiB
Duration                                                                      : 12s 962ms
Overall bit rate mode                                        : Variable
Overall bit rate                                                  : 10.6 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate                              : 18.0 Mbps
Video
ID                                                                                : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID                                                                      : 1 (0x1)
Format                                                                      : AVC
Format/Info                                                            : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                                                            : [email protected]
Format settings, CABAC                                        : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames                              : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP                                        : M=2, N=15
Codec ID                                                                      : 27
Duration                                                                      : 12s 946ms
Bit rate mode                                                            : Variable
Bit rate                                                                      : 9 917 Kbps
Maximum bit rate                                                  : 16.0 Mbps
Width                                                                      : 1 440 pixels
Height                                                                      : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                                        : 16:9
Frame rate                                                            : 29.970 fps
Color space                                                            : YUV
Chroma subsampling                                        : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                                                      : 8 bits
Scan type                                                                      : Interlaced
Scan order                                                            : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                                                  : 0.213
Stream size                                                            : 15.3 MiB (93%)
Audio
ID                                                                                : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID                                                                      : 1 (0x1)
Format                                                                      : AC-3
Format/Info                                                            : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension                                                  : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness                              : Big
Codec ID                                                                      : 129
Duration                                                                      : 13s 24ms
Bit rate mode                                                            : Constant
Bit rate                                                                      : 256 Kbps
Channel(s)                                                            : 2 channels
Channel positions                                                  : Front: L R
Sampling rate                                                            : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth                                                                      : 16 bits
Compression mode                                        : Lossy
Stream size                                                            : 407 KiB (2%)
Text
ID                                                                                : 4608 (0x1200)
Menu ID                                                                      : 1 (0x1)
Format                                                                      : PGS

OK, I am flummoxed. I just worked with out IT guy for about 40 minutes trying to narrow down the issue. So far, NOTHING is reliably reproducing the issue. Here's what we've done so far...
1) Deleted all local user profiles except for admins, then deleted all registry keys relating to those profiles.
2) Students log in and a new profile is created, we then opened up their existing Premiere Pro project files. Problem still presents itself.
3) We create a new Premiere Pro project and attempt to import the material from the copy on the local hard drive (not the original SD card). Problem still presents itself.
4) We open a new Prelude project to import footage again directly from the SD card again, and Prelude is able to "see" the footage that is copied over to a new folder on the local hard drive (no transcoding). This is promising, so we open up Premiere Pro, and only 4 of 15 files are viewable (the others present the same error that no supported compression type is available).
5) I try reimporting some of the 11 files that don't work again through Prelude, and this time they work! I note that the video files that DO WORK were imported into a folder that DOES NOT have a space in its name. However, the folder that DOES NOT work DOES have a space in its name. I think I am onto something. So...
6) I have the same student log into a DIFFERENT COMPUTER and we import the SAME FILES into Prelude and create a sub-folder that HAS A SPACE IN IT like the other computer has (we are trying to replicate the problem). And... It works just fine. We can see the files in a folder with a space in its name. So...
7) At this point, I am attempting to reinstall the Adobe CC suite on the affected computer, and we will see if that solves the problem. Fingers crossed...

Output file size restrictions - HD Video for YouTube

For over a year YouTube has removed restrictions on file sizes for individuals that want to do so. The preset output in Premier Elements 11 for "Online - HD Video for YouTube 1920X1080" will not allow a video longer than 15 minutes. I need to remove this restriction and be able to produce files to upload to YouTube without file size restrictions. How can I do this?

TheBanjoNut
You cannot. And, Premiere Elements 12 has the same YouTube limitations as 11.
You need to export your Timeline to a file saved to the computer hard drive, and then upload that file to YouTube at the YouTube web site.
At YouTube, you would need to explore the opportunities that it offers in the way of "extended times". It may require special accounts.
Without further details of your Premiere Elements project preset and the properties of your source media, I would generalize and suggest that you look at the follow choices for creating this file for upload to YouTube at the YouTube web site...
Publish+Share
Computer
AVCHD
with Presets =
MP4 - H.264 1920 x 1080p30
or
YouTube Widescreen HD (changing the settings under the Advanced Button/Video Tab of the preset)
Please review. If you have any further questions on this, please do not hesitate to ask.
Thanks.
ATR

AVCHD vs HDV file sizes

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