Editing in h264

My camera shoots inH.264. I currently convert before editing (in FCP7). With FCPX, am I now able to edit in H264 for good quality and decent playback?

In your opinion, do you think it saves alot of time working this way rather than converting files usign compressor or FCP 7's log & transfer?
Yes. Absolutely. With X you can start cutting with the native files before they are transcoded ... if the import preference is set to do so then it's quietly optimizing (transcoding) the media in the background as soon as you add it to your event library. As each clip is transcoded the app automatically switches its file reference so that it uses that optmised media instead of the more processor intensive h264 native file.
Also, is it straight forward to set this up?
Very. Apple have made setting up and handling the process very plain and simple, just a couple preferences, one for import and one for playback (if you choose to transcode to and use proxy media).
Cheers
Andy

Similar Messages

What should your sequence settings be when editing with H264 in CC?

I keep getting a yellow bar when editing with H264 no matter what I make my settings as. Is there a way to fix this?

Hi jdib,
That's pretty normal for DSLR footage. Check out this article: http://blogs.adobe.com/premierepro/2011/02/red-yellow-and-green-render-bars.html
Thanks,
Kevin

Can any Apple software allow me to edit AVHDC (H264) natively ?

I can import AVHDC (H264) in to iMovie 08, then make changes, edits etc, but when I try to publish at 1080i or any of the hi def formats available to choose from the options list the iMac reports that 6 minutes of footage will take 100 minutes to export !!
I am doing something wrong ? I can share at 960x 540 easily enough from the share > Export movie menu, but on my TV this drop in resolution is noticeable.
Is there any Apple software (perhaps FCE) that will allow me to work directly with the AVHDC video and then export the edit file without loss of quality ?

Well, that did not work. I had my project export to quicktime at full res 1440x1080. It took a while but it worked. It played very well on the iMac.
However when I took the resulting.MOV file to my PS3 it would not even see the file.
This despite the fact that the codec is used is playable by the PS3 (i used H264).
iMovie only seems to allow export to .MOV at these high resolutions.
I think I have three possible answers;
1) buy Apple TV and play the full res 1440x1080 .MOV file on that.
2) buy a mac mini just to play these files
3) find some software that will convert the .MOV to another format that the PS3 can work with.
Can you see any fault in my logic ? will the Apple TV device play the full re .MOV file ?
Do i need to go to xetreme of a mini for this application.
Message was edited by: Gilesm

Editing H264 in low res

Hi there,
I'd like to know how I can edit my H264 footage from my EOS 550D in low res because I can't read more than 2 or 3 seconds in a row without automatically stopping...
Very hard to work...
thanks for you answers.
steve

I suppose what you want is to use proxy editing.
There are two parts to this:
1- create proxy media for your footage
The easiest way is to have everything set so that it is created when footage is imported: go to
Final Cut Pro->Preferences; under "Import", make sure that the box "create proxy media" is checked.
For footage that you have already imported, you can still create proxy media - select the clips in the event browser, go to File->Transcode media, make sure that "Create proxy media" is checked and click ok.
2- set the preferences to use proxy media:
go to Final Cut Pro->Preferences; under "Playback", click "use proxy media"
Remember, before final export of your edited video, to revert back your preferences to "use original or optimized media": this will ensure that you'll share from the higher quality version.

Best h264 workflow for editing multicam 1080p 24fps

I have had reasonable success in editing footage from my Canon 5D mkii in CS5 multicam on my quad-core win 7 machine. I'm finding though that the exported encoded footage (uncompressed AVI) seems to have lost some of its colour rendition (I haven't ventured into colour grading as yet). Is there a preferred workflow for lossless editing of h264 footage or should I convert it before importing into CS5? Any suggestions?

It sounds like your offline-online protocol is not what it should be.
Make dv versions of your media. Do not change the names of the clips. Be sure you are carrying over the proper timecode to the dv versions.
Do your edit with the dv versions.
Highlight the converted DV clips in the browser and make off line. Do not make the clips in the sequence offline.
Then reconnect the clips, but point instead at the HD clips. Everything should repopulate-- sequences, etc.
Does this not work?

Is there a way to edit m4v videos?

Videos I've exported to m4v with H.264 audio in QuickTime Pro, I can't seem to edit in Final Cut Pro (Final Cut Studio 2 version).
Is there a plugin or something I can add to make it work with these kinda of videos?

Are there any free open source video editing tools that will add a simple text overlay to my videos?
Final Cut Pro includes its own text generator and the Boris text plugins. As you have FCS2, you also have LiveType and Motion, both have titling functions . Compressor can also add a text overlay such as a watermark. QuickTime Player will let you add text. You can use a plain text file in DVD Studio Pro to make subtitles that are permanent or able to be turned on and off as the viewer wishes.
I did, as stated above, still doesn't work.
Of course it does. Either you are doing something wrong or your computer does not support ProRes.
Describe the steps you are taking.
Then why does it work on my friend's computer running FCS3....
Without knowing exactly what steps your friend is taking and the capabilties of their computer, who can say? H264 can be imported and it will be converted to the current Sequence setting. Perhaps their machine is powerful enough to make the conversion time seem acceptable? Whatever it is, they are not editing native H264 or m4v.

Editing (Quicktime mov H.264files) from a Canon EOS 5D mark II

Is there any easier way of editing mov.H264 clips on the timeline in Premiere Pro except rendering. When i import the clip it does not want to run if i render it does, but, it takes time ? Any answers ?

Could you give me a simple work flow in
the Media encoder ie., after importing the mov. files into the Project window?
Thanks
Bob

ProRes needed if H264 doesn't bog down?

I understand that editing in native H264 media can cause problems with render times and dropped frames and such for some people. It does for me so I always convert to prores but I have a friend with a faster computer that has no issue, in terms of time, with using H264 and gets no dropped frame notices. I shouldn't say "no issue" because clearly he spends a good deal of time rendering. My question is whether it makes any difference in quality if you edit in H264 and then output to H264 for use on youtube or create a movie for projection from your computer. Since I convert to prores, I'm unsure what the difference in render time would be if, for instance, I have a 5 minute clip and add a 30 sec. title over it using a MacBook Pro with an i7 processor. Using H264 media he has several minutes of rendering. (he lives in a different city so I can't pop over to explore this) Anyone have a sense of how much faster (if at all) it would be if he were using prores? I hope cross posting this wont' be a problem since I have this question with regard to FCPx and FCP7 and how they react to H264 media is quite different.

although your friend may edit away with h264 material, it's never (in my opinion) a wise choice. When you're in a time crunch and suddenly things go awry and you can't output, it's just not worth it. Currently, I'm working on 3 different feature documentaries to fix bad workflows (that editors who did not know what they were doing created) that were causing serious problems. Can't tell you how many times I've heard "well I've been editing months without any problems." I repeat, don't go there.

Proress 422 still needed if H264 doesn't stutter?

I understand that editing in native H264 media can cause problems with render times and dropped frames and such for some people. It does for me so I always convert to prores but I have a friend with a faster computer that has no issue, in terms of time, with using H264 and gets no dropped frame notices. I shouldn't say "no issue" because clearly he spends a good deal of time rendering. My question is whether it makes any difference in quality if you edit in H264 and then output to H264 for use on youtube or create a movie for projection from your computer. Since I convert to prores, I'm unsure what the difference in render time would be if, for instance, I have a 5 minute clip and add a 30 sec. title over it using a MacBook Pro with an i7 processor. Using H264 media he has several minutes of rendering. (he lives in a different city so I can't pop over to explore this) Anyone have a sense of how much faster (if at all) it would be if he were using prores? I hope cross posting this wont' be a problem since I have this question with regard to FCPx and FCP7 and how they react to H264 media is quite different.

This is my pet simple explanation of ProRes 422.
(I was confused by it for years, but a Ripple Training tutorial on MultiCam Editing finally cleared it up for me).
Most video cameras use very high compression to store media on cards or tape. If the native camera files you are working with play back and edit well with FCP X, strictly speaking, you don't need to transcode to ProRes (but it helps - especially if you have multiple camera angles and effects, titles etc).
ProRes 422 is also a big help when it comes to Color Correction.
If your playback is problematic, it's best to transcode the material. You can do this at any time. ProRes 422 is not so highly compressed as native camera footage, so it's far easier for your Mac to play it back (not so much unpacking to do). The downside of the footage being lightly compressed is that it takes a lot more disk space.
If disk space is at a premium, use Proxy. Native 1920 x 1080 footage becomes 960 x 540 when converted to ProRes Proxy, so it this takes a fraction of the disk space but is much lower quality. This is absolutely fine for editing - but you must remember to choose 'Optimised or Original Footage' in FCP X Preferences before you export otherwise you'll export 960 x 540.
I use some XDCAM EX footage from a couple of Sony EX1 Rs and some H.264 from a Canon 5D mk2. Until recently, I edited the XDCAM footage natively but I transcode the H.264. Now I'm using Proxy more - especially for multicam editing.
I sincerely hope your Projects, Events and Media are on a fast (Firewire 800) external HD (Formatted OS Extended). Keeping them on your system drive makes it difficult for your Mac to operate. It's also a very good idea to hide Audio Waveforms in your Timeline when you don't need them. They waste a lot of processor power.
Andy

H264 720p best output parameters

Hi community,
I recently bought Adobe Premiere Elements 11. I want to edit some H264-Ts files with it. Here are the parameters of one example file (given by MediaInfo):
General
ID :
1 (0x1)
Format :
MPEG-TS
File size :
8.87 GiB
Duration :
2h 29mn
Overall bit rate mode :
Variable
Overall bit rate :
8 466 Kbps
Video
ID :
2001 (0x7D1)
Menu ID :
1 (0x1)
Format :
AVC
Format/Info :
Advanced Video Codec
Format profile :
[email protected]
Format settings, CABAC :
Yes
Format settings, ReFrames :
4 frames
Format settings, GOP :
M=3, N=15
Codec ID :
27
Duration :
2h 29mn
Bit rate :
7 207 Kbps
Width :
1 280 pixels
Height :
720 pixels
Display aspect ratio :
16:9
Frame rate :
50.000 fps
Standard :
Component
Color space :
YUV
Chroma subsampling :
4:2:0
Bit depth :
8 bits
Scan type :
Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) :
0.156
Stream size :
7.55 GiB (85%)
Audio #1
ID :
2011 (0x7DB)
Menu ID :
1 (0x1)
Format :
MPEG Audio
Format version :
Version 1
Format profile :
Layer 2
Codec ID :
4
Duration :
2h 29mn
Bit rate mode :
Constant
Bit rate :
192 Kbps
Channel(s) :
2 channels
Sampling rate :
48.0 KHz
Compression mode :
Lossy
Delay relative to video :
-600ms
Stream size :
206 MiB (2%)
Language :
German
Language, more info :
Clean effects
Audio #2
ID :
2012 (0x7DC)
Menu ID :
1 (0x1)
Format :
MPEG Audio
Format version :
Version 1
Format profile :
Layer 2
Codec ID :
4
Duration :
2h 29mn
Bit rate mode :
Constant
Bit rate :
192 Kbps
Channel(s) :
2 channels
Sampling rate :
48.0 KHz
Compression mode :
Lossy
Delay relative to video :
-575ms
Stream size :
206 MiB (2%)
Language :
English
Language, more info :
Clean effects
Audio #3
ID :
2041 (0x7F9)
Menu ID :
1 (0x1)
Format :
AC-3
Format/Info :
Audio Coding 3
Mode extension :
CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness :
Big
Codec ID :
6
Duration :
2h 29mn
Bit rate mode :
Constant
Bit rate :
448 Kbps
Channel(s) :
2 channels
Channel positions :
Front: L R
Sampling rate :
48.0 KHz
Bit depth :
16 bits
Compression mode :
Lossy
Delay relative to video :
-663ms
Stream size :
481 MiB (5%)
I want to save the videos on a hard drive to play it on TV

Asembler1287900
Thank you for the follow up information.
I did not have a MPEG TS 1280 x 720 @ 50 progressive frames per second video to start with, so my goal for a quick look first hand at your issue was to find a MPEG TS file that I could import into Premiere Elements 11 and export to a file with the properties as close as possible to the original.
1. Source was
MPEG TS with the .ts file extension
141 MB file size
Duration = 1 min 1 sec
Overall Bitrate = 19.4 Mbps (megabits per second) - Bitrate was given as 19.4 Mbps with no Maximum Bitrate given in the readout.
Frame Size 1920 x 1080 pixels
Frame Rate = 29.97 interlaced frames per second
Field Order = Upper Field First
2. My Export was
Publish+Share
Computer
AVCHD
M2T - H264 1920 x 1080i30
Under the Advanced Button of the preset, I changed the Target Bitrate to 17.6 Mbps and the Maximum Bitrate to 20.0 Mbps
The export properties (from MediaInfo) for this H.264.m2t file (with a 1 minute duration) included
File Size = 152 MB
Overall Bitrate = 20.7 Mbps, Bitrate = 19.5 Mbps, and Maximum Bitrate = 20.0 Mbps
Then I went back to Premiere Elements 11 project and deleted half the this file on the Timeline, resulting in a 30 second instead of a 1 minute content. Then I did the same export as for the 1 minute version.
The export properties (from MediaInfo) for this H.264.m2t file (with a 30 second duration) included
File Size = 78.5 MB
Overall Bitrate = 20.7 Mbps, Bitrate = 19.5 Mbps, and Maximum Bitrate = 20.0 Mbps
I am still thinking about this and what next, but I am left with
a. Why the difference in what I found and Hunt's generalization
File size is determined by the Duration, and then the Bit-Rate. Bit-Rate determines quality. So, it is most likely that if you Trimmed out footage (decreasing Duration), then your Bit-Rate is higher, than the original, hence the larger file size.
b.How much, if any, your audio is contributing to the overall bitrate and file size. You show 3 audio files in this Timeline
MPEG Audio @ bitrate 192 Kbps
MPEG Audio @ bitrate 192 Kbps
and
Dolby Digital @ bitrate 448 Kbps
and all of them combining to Dolby Digital @ bitrate 384 Kbps
I will think about this some more. I look forward to further comments from you and Hunt on this matter.
Thanks.
ATR

Final Cut Pro X is KILLING me with the lagging! Please help!

All of my work takes about 6 times longer than necessary now that I am using Final Cut Pro X on a brand new MAC. Processoor is 3.5 Ghz, Intel i7, memory is 16G, 1600 MHZ.
I just don't understand the problem. I am working off an external G Drive with Thunderbolt - which, of course, I had to purchase since Mac did away with the Firewire where all of my previous work was located but that's another story...
I currently produce short 1 to 5 minute pieces for work but it's a nightmare trying to get them done. I can't imagine anyone being able to do a movie on this program. Should I just give up and go to a PC and Sony Vegas or learn Adobe? I like Final Cut Pro but it's litterally slowing me down and I cannot figure it out. We've spent a fortune at work on Macs and constantly changing software and cables and programs. I now just think Apple is MEAN. It's like they are out to torture us all.

We're missing some information here but I don't know what. Maybe you're doing a 6multicam edit? A typical iMac will have no problem with 5min edits using H264. You might trash FCP prefs..reinstall it...
If you have some data on your local drive and some on an external...or your external is nearly full.... or you have 20 different programs cranking away in the background...
There are things you can do to get FCPx to choke, but I have no idea what could be causing the slowdown. It's not FCPx itself....
Is it a legitimate, up to date copy of FCPx ? Do you have some nasty add-on installed on your computer...some anti virus program or could your new iMac still be working through the Spotlight checks, reading your hard drive? It's going to take some investigation but again, it's no a simple FCPx issue. Plenty of folks use it with no speed problems. You might simply optimize your clips and create proxies and go from there till you figure out what the issue really is.

External Playback

I have a brand new Mac Mini running OS X Mountain Lion and FCS 3 (Final Cut Pro 7).
I'm currently editing a H.264 codec video. The external display (thunderbolt -> VGA) works with all frames and mirrorring on in with the Viewer, but not the Canvas. Reading a couple of posts on this topic, I changed my sequence settings to Apple ProRes 422, Rendered, I toggled safe-unlimited on the RT, I've turned mirrorring off, turned mirrorring on, I've changed my User Preferences, System Settings and just about everything else I can think of. It still does not play back the Canvas (the edited piece) on the External VGA Display. Maybe I'm missing something here, but I'm a pretty thorough researcher and didn't find anything to fix this problem.
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
-JRK

I'm currently editing a H.264 codec video.
Dont edit with H264, its not a supported codec in FCP. H264 is great for distribution but very bad for FCP when trying to edit.
Convert your files in MPEG Streamclip to something FCP will work with.
MPEG Streamcip Download

Frame rate change when transcoding

Hi
I'm actually using Compressor to uprez and transcode clips from a public domain flick. The flick is 24fps. My timeline is 29.97. Should I match 29.97 or does it not really matter?
best
elmer

yeah I'm kinda limited, working with video for the web and I'm making revisions as to what has been already posted. The H264s are the originals per say as we are using a screen capturing program to obtain the video, I could re export the originals at a truer format, but with the resources I'm given, its not truly the option I can afford to take. I've found a workaround through using imovie of all things, but I rather be in FCP. I've done some editing with h264s before and this is the first time I've seen this happen, it kind of reminds me of when I had an editor a few years back digitize video that was drop frame as non-drop.

DNxHD not working with Premiere in my PC? Desperate for help!

Hello all,
So I have 3 questions. I'm absolutely exhausted of trying to figure out which codec to transcode my footage in my PC for AP (I shoot canon 5D, giving me h264 files). I will never edit with h264 (even though AP edit natively), no questions about it!
To make my story short, I migrated from Final Cut Pro in my MAC, to Adobe Premiere in my PC (no more MAC). Reasons are a long story. Anyways, I read all over that the most similar codec to ProRes is DNxHD possible in PC and Adobe Premiere, and Cineform.
1) Cool, I downloaded DNxHD, and when I go to Media Encoder, it shows something called "dnxhd mxf op1a". When I transcode, it gives me a .mxf file that is unreadable by my pc, and when I drag it into AP, it gives me an error message. What's going on? How come it isn't in .mov? what should I do then? I read there is a converter .mxf to .mov, but isn't that process going to downgrade more the quality of my footage? Please help! Which is the workflow then? I read all over that many people edit in AP in PC using DNxHD. How come I can't?
2) In the research, very frustrated, I read about Cineform codec as a 3rd possibility, which luckily it comes with Adobe for free. I transcoded to that in AME, and it changes the contrast a lot, it washes out the footage looking very bright. Actually h264 looks much better! (how is that possible?) Am I doing something wrong?
3) Please I would truly appreciate answers and, in that case, step-by-step workflows. Maybe I'm doing something wrong in the process or I'm missing a step, and I need to understand. Please I would truly appreciate any suggestions for transcoding footage in a PC before importing it to Adobe Premiere. This cannot be the end of the road!
Thanks so very much!
Elaine.-

Hi Elaine,
When you said you downloaded DNxHD...did you also actually install it? The "dnxhd mxf op1a" encoding option in AME is already there by default, and is different than the downloaded DNxHD codec, which ought to encode as a .mov file. I don't have access at this moment to check in Premiere, but I'm pretty certain you did NOT encode to the format you thought you did. Once the DNxHD codec is properly installed, it should show up when you choose "QuickTime" as the FORMAT in AME. Then under the VIDEO tab, hit the drop down for CODECS and it ought to appear there as an option. Then you can export the .mov file you wanted to.
EDIT: Verified, I downloaded and installed the Avid codec and DNxHD now appears under "QuickTime" and does render out simply as a .mov file, no fuss
Edit 2: For anyone wanting to try DNxHD for Mac or PC, available at this link, had a hard time finding it - Avid Codecs LE 2.3.9
Thanks
Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

MPEG 1/2 (MPGV) Codec? MPG movie won't play in QT

I have been given several video to encode, however, I cannot view these source videos in QT or in MPEG Streamclip. In QT the screen is black with no audio and in MPEG Streamclip the screen is white with no audio. This makes me think that I am missing a codec. I can open the videos in VLC and when I look under "Media Information" it tells me that the codec is MPEG 1/2 (MPGV). I have searched online and haven't found anything. I have the MPEG 2 component, I have Perian installed (it's installed twice, not sure if that is a problem), I have all the ProRes codecs plus many more. I am a video editor, so I have a lot of different codecs on my machine. Could the combination of different codecs be an issue? I tried opening the videos on a different machine (which has the mpeg2 component as well) and it didn't work. Can anyone help with this issue? I'm going crazy over here!

If you want to edit with them and you can successfully export from Episode I would not use Flash. I believe there is a DVCPro HD and SD setting. Even a best quality H264 would be better than Flash. You will not want to edit with H264 but it could be converted to an edit friendly file.
I read your first post again and the no audio PB didn't register the first time. In my experience you can hear audio with 4:2:2 color space MPG-2 files.
Where did these files come from? Mac, PC?

Editing in h264

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