Finally got AVCHD to work in Premiere Pro but have a few questions

Finally got AVCHD to work in Premiere Pro but have a few questions
by Bryce Douglass on Aug 11, 2016 at 5:34:23 pm

I was finally able to get AVCHD .mts files to work in Premiere Pro without having to transcode. I do have a few questions though.

my cameras film in 4:2:0 color space. I'm guessing that's 8 bit. Is that correct? If so how come when I try color correcting AVCHD .mts file the picture becomes pixilated? If I do transcode which I did as a test where I transcoded the same .mts file to ProRes 422 the same color was applied to that ProRes file and it wasn't pixilated. Certainly there is no way the 4:2:0 color space is getting better when transcoding right? Why would color filters in ProRes look better than .mts when the color space is the same?

I also did a test and set up my sequence setting to render out to ProRes 422 using the .mts footage files. Is this a good way of doing this or should I actually still be transcoding? It's nice I can use AVCHD .mts natively now without importing problems but the color is what confuses me.

Bryce

Re: Finally got AVCHD to work in Premiere Pro but have a few questions
by Shane Ross on Aug 11, 2016 at 7:25:42 pm

[Bryce Douglass] "Certainly there is no way the 4:2:0 color space is getting better when transcoding right?"

No...but going to 4:2:2, you are now grading in a 4:2:2 space, not 4:2:0. Even though the ORIGINAL was 4:2:0...going to 4:2:2 for grading is better. Doesn't fall apart as easily.

[Bryce Douglass] "Why would color filters in ProRes look better than .mts when the color space is the same?"

Because the 4:2:2 ProRes file is reacting to the filters and color...not the 4:2:0...which tends to fall apart if you push it too much.

Shane
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Re: Finally got AVCHD to work in Premiere Pro but have a few questions
by Bryce Douglass on Aug 11, 2016 at 10:29:49 pm

I'm still a little confused. How can I be grading in a 4:2:2 space if my footage is actually 8 bit?

Bryce

Re: Finally got AVCHD to work in Premiere Pro but have a few questions
by Shane Ross on Aug 11, 2016 at 10:32:57 pm

If you convert the footage to ProRes, it's now 10 bit. No, the footage suddenly won't look like it was recorded 4:2:2 10 bit...it'll still be an 8-bit 4:2:0 source. But when you push the colors...you are grading in a 10-bit 4:2:2 space...it won't fall apart as quickly as grading in a 4:2:0 8-bit space will.

Things fall apart sooner if you grade in 8-bit vs 10-bit. You'll be grading in a 10 bit space. HOW? Well, you saw for yourself what happens. I don't know the exact science around it, I'm a user, not a programmer. I just know what happens when you do things.

Shane
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Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def