@act why do you bother, when you can import them into Avid in the first place?
I use Adobe Media Encoder for transcoding from MTS to MOV(DNxHD) for editing at Avid MC. But you can go that way for another NLE too.
It appears you have to pay if you want I/O to ProRes, DNXHD, AVC Intra and many other formats. I think I'll hold off before jumping ship just yet
Perhaps this one is interesting, its open source/free-ware
http://www.lightworksbeta.com
Q4 2011, AVC-Intra support
Q1 and Q2 2012 Full 64 bit support
3rd Party Support
Inscriber Title-motion
Boris
Combustion
After Effects
Premiere Plugins (for who wants ColorGHear TOOLKIT but dosent have adobe :idea:
Digital Fusion
Sapphire
Tech Specs
http://www.lightworksbeta.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=108&Itemid=247
http://www.sherrodcomputers.com/products_filerenamer_download.cfm
I found this freeware, which pretty much solves my avid workflow problems. It allows for me to add a prefix to the .mts file number, which could be a shoot day number or a or b cam - anything you like. I haven't investigated the limit of how many characters you can add to the file name, but it seems you can develop a reasonably complex re-numbering system with this software, which you can incorporate into your reel names - Avid will allow up to 24 characters to describe a source reel (perfect for alexa edls, for instance) . There is a preview function and an undo function, and you can batch re-name too. Most importantly (for avid) this is a way to get unique file numbers before starting to import. You can then copy the source name into the tape name column in your bin after importing (or use any other reel naming convention you wish.)
On the alexa - shot feature I've just finished editing, we copied the source filename into the camroll column, which meant that source names and timecodes were output in the edl for the grading suite - don't forget this step!
Forgot to say this is for windows..
yes. Unique timecode is important when you use the same reel name for different clips (for instance for all clips from one SD card or from one shooting session). Avid MC always refers to reel names (Tape-IDs) rather than clip names. This is why reel names are mandatory. One can argue whether or not this is a good thing (me personally I think it is a very good thing). But it's a basic of Avid MC's design.
Now, if you have for example 10 clips in one folder (folder = reel), all beginning with TC 01:00:00:00 (or whatever), you will edit with 10 different clips from the same reel (with the same Tape-ID) and all use the same timecode. Export an EDL (or AAF) and back-import your color graded footage and Avid won't know exactly how to relink.
thanks! forgive me if i lack some vital info- but there's one question i want to make sure: why is the unique timecode THAT necessary? i mean, i can re-name all clips and simply import them once as offline, and then online, no? it's not like i use tape or batch capture, right? it's like each clip is in itself a 'tape' on it's own, no? do you mean that i CANNOT export AAF or EDL if i don't have unique timecode? aren't the clip names themselves are all i need to do all those exports?
That's ok, I'm just being lazy :)
I shall find a good renaming method and report back for Windows users
On Mac I use "NameMangler". I'm sure there are a lot of similar tools for Windows, but as I use Macs I don't know Windows tools really good, sorry.
@towi Excellent Towi, I've been trying to work out a good workflow for my Symphony. Just one question; how do you best suggest batch renaming the original MTS files?
For export (EDL, AAF etc.) the first thing to take care of from the very beginnig is reel naming, clip naming and unique timecode
So…
copy your files from your SD cards to folders on your computer
choose an appropriate naming for your folders; name the folders as you would name "reels" (for instance by shooting session or whatever)
batch rename the MTS files in your folders (00000, 00001, 00002 is not appropriate)
create QT files from your MTS files (for instance with "5DtoRGB". On Windows you can convert to DNxHD with 5DtoRGB)
buy "qtChange" to modify reel names and timecode of the QT files. You can assign the folder name (or alternatively the clip names) as reel name in batch mode to all clips within a choosen folder. Choose option to assign the shooting time as timecode. Export an *.ALE from qtChange. http://www.videotoolshed.com/product/42/qtchange
import the *.ALE into a bin in Avid MC. Ideally name the bin the same as the "reel" (the folder the QT files reside in that is)
batch import the clips with appropriate settings
Your sequences will then contain clips with propper tape-IDs, unique names and unique timecode. This is an essential precondition for export/roundtripping.
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