Codec

Recording

• AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) is the file-based format for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video.
  • Canon XA20 was shooting 50.00i AVCHD (equivalent to 25p)
• Could also be mp4 instead.

Intermediate / Editing

• An Intermediate Codec is a video encoding format which is specifically designed to be used for editing and post-production.
• ProRes is apple only.
• DNxHD is cross platform (by Avid) - Download codec: http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/download/en423319

• Canon XA20 Importing Example (from 50i AVCHD) - to transcode to DNxHD
  • 220X (bitrate, bigger the better, x means 10-bit colourspace which is better) 1080i (resolution, interlaced) 50 (framerate)
  • Framerate for interlace is always double that for progressive (p) cos it skips half the lines

• • In prelude, I for in point and O for out point (so you only ingest what you need from each clip)
  • You can do a rough cut and edit metadata etc
  • After this it sends it to Adobe Media Encoder to do the transcoding (like a nice front end for importing video for use in premiere)

 - Source File: /Volumes/K-01/PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM/00001.MTS
 - Output File: /Volumes/Untitled/Projects/2014-03-17_14-38-55/00001.mxf
 - Preset Used: DNX 220X 1080i 50
 - Video: 1920x1080 (1.0), 25 fps, Upper
 - Audio: 48000 Hz, Stereo, 16 bit
 - Bitrate: Target 185 Mbps
 - Encoding Time: 00:00:16
03/17/2014 03:03:26 PM : File Encoded with warning

Output / Playback

• H.264 / Quicktime