Editing video. I may have missed something?

[ajdroidx]

Last year I decided to try out some HD video with my canon 5DmkII camera. I went out, shot some clips to put together in a movie. I had previously done this with windows movie maker with some time lapse shots I had put together with the help of quicktime pro. The HD video from the camera gave me some issues in windows movie maker. I downloaded cine form and that worked but it spit out some HUGE files. So I started looking into other software. Adobe premiere pro was out due to me using a 32 bit system. Premiere elements was worth a try it would work in 32 bit windows. So I got it.

Its terrible

Crashes, says out of memory and other annoying stuff

Sony vegas worked but I did not have a clue what I was doing. At this point I have not used the video function of my $2500.00 camera

So now with a Macbook pro sitting in front of me and the cost of final cut pro x (FCPX) compared to vegas and premiere pro I have started to look at video again. While reading another forum (GASP! I know ) It looks like you have to transcode your footage or convert it to something else since the h.264 file is just a container before you can edit it.

So is that what I am missing? I have to convert those movie files from my 5DmkII BEFORE I can edit them in something like premier elements or FCPX?

 

[mrspeedmaster]

Last year I decided to try out some HD video with my canon 5DmkII camera. I went out, shot some clips to put together in a movie. I had previously done this with windows movie maker with some time lapse shots I had put together with the help of quicktime pro. The HD video from the camera gave me some issues in windows movie maker. I downloaded cine form and that worked but it spit out some HUGE files. So I started looking into other software. Adobe premiere pro was out due to me using a 32 bit system. Premiere elements was worth a try it would work in 32 bit windows. So I got it.

Its terrible

Crashes, says out of memory and other annoying stuff

Sony vegas worked but I did not have a clue what I was doing. At this point I have not used the video function of my $2500.00 camera

So now with a Macbook pro sitting in front of me and the cost of final cut pro x (FCPX) compared to vegas and premiere pro I have started to look at video again. While reading another forum (GASP! I know ) It looks like you have to transcode your footage or convert it to something else since the h.264 file is just a container before you can edit it.

So is that what I am missing? I have to convert those movie files from my 5DmkII BEFORE I can edit them in something like premier elements or FCPX?

Something wrong w/ your set-up. I can edit Canon 5DMK2 w/out transcoding. It opens up the h.264 files just fine.

I forget how to do it with FCPX but Final Cut 7, you drag your first clip into your timeline and it will ask you if you want to edit w/ the same properties as the source clip. It will convert the timeline sequence to h.264 and all the same codec settings as the 5DMK2 file. No need to transcode.
All files after that will be edited in the same codec.

If your sequence is different setting than your source, it will have to transcode.

Check forums on creativecow and dpvideo

 

[ajdroidx]

Something wrong w/ your set-up. I can edit Canon 5DMK2 w/out transcoding. It opens up the h.264 files just fine.

I forget how to do it with FCPX but Final Cut 7, you drag your first clip into your timeline and it will ask you if you want to edit w/ the same properties as the source clip. It will convert the timeline sequence to h.264 and all the same codec settings as the 5DMK2 file. No need to transcode.
All files after that will be edited in the same codec.

If your sequence is different setting than your source, it will have to transcode.

Check forums on creativecow and dpvideo

I was trying to edit the files on a windows 7 machine. Not sure if that makes a difference or not. But the problems I have had (sony vegas was one of the better programs but at 650 the cost was a bit of an issue)

I have NOT tried to edit video on my mac yet

 

[lechetout]

Don't waste anymore your time to figure out which program you will be using. You have a Mac so your problem is solve. Use the iMovie. Just plug your firewire cord and you'll be ready to import your footage and start to edit.

 

[ajdroidx]

Did a bit more digging around. For those of you who interested:

http://cineform.com/products/neoscene/

Looks like I have to convert the files

 

[mikedt]

I was trying to edit the files on a windows 7 machine. Not sure if that makes a difference or not. But the problems I have had (sony vegas was one of the better programs but at 650 the cost was a bit of an issue)

I have NOT tried to edit video on my mac yet

Suggest you try it.

 

[mrspeedmaster]

Did a bit more digging around. For those of you who interested:

Cineform

Looks like I have to convert the files

Again, you need to do more research. You can edit h.264 natively without transcoding. I do it all the time on a mac.

Google it, search for it on youtube, go to vimeo.

The ONLY time you need to transcode the video is when you want to do 10-bit or higher color grading or use some fancy 3rd party plugin that requires you to work in a certain codec/bit-rate. E.G. many people convert to ProRes422.

But for regular editing, you can edit natively in h.264.

 

[ajdroidx]

Again, you need to do more research. You can edit h.264 natively without transcoding. I do it all the time on a mac.

Google it, search for it on youtube, go to vimeo.

The ONLY time you need to transcode the video is when you want to do 10-bit or higher color grading or use some fancy 3rd party plugin that requires you to work in a certain codec/bit-rate. E.G. many people convert to ProRes422.

But for regular editing, you can edit natively in h.264.

More research? Yeah, I suppose you are right. Perhaps I am confusing transcoding with converting? More so, I suspect I should just go out, acquire some test footage and play around with that as well as download some trial software. I did plan on trying out FCPX but maybe premiere too. I just hope my little macbook pro 13" can handle the files. I am sure it can, as long as I am not in the rush.