7 Replies Latest reply: Oct 19, 2011 5:43 PM by Sengstack RSS

    AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification

    Sengstack Community Member

      Hi,

       

      I think some clarification about the AVCHD to Blu-ray passthrough needs to come from someone at Adobe who can give us the final word on this.

       

      From what I gather from a number of posts that have touched on this subject, the ONLY way to go from AVCHD directly to Blu-ray in Encore without transcoding, is to import a raw (unedited, untrimmed) AVCHD file into Encore as a Timeline.

       

      All along I believed that I could use Dynamic Link to import a P Pro AVCHD sequence that would not need to be transcoded. But I have not been able to do that. Even if it is cuts-only with no effects or any other kind of files.

       

      I have been able to import the files I used in that sequence into Encore, and then I do get the message that the "Blu-ray Transcode Status" is "Don't Transcode." But I haven't been able to get that message using any other workflow. And clearly that is not a workable solution for most situations.

       

      Has anyone been able to dynamically link a P Pro sequence and do a passthrough to Blu-ray without transcoding? If so, would you give us some insight into how you did it?

       

      Thanks,

       

      Jeff Sengstack

        • 1. Re: AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification
          JSS1138 CommunityMVP

          I just don't use Dynamic Link.  It's sort of a "Big Button" feature most useful to the novice or for quick one-offs.  I prefer to have more control of things.

           

          For Blu-ray projects, you can export out of Premiere Pro using an H.264 Blu-ray preset.  No further transcoding needed.  (I even keep the exported PCM as PCM on the disk.)

          • 2. Re: AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification
            Sengstack Community Member

            Jim,

             

            I appreciate your take on the "big button" concept. But what I'm trying to clarify is whether there is a way to go from P Pro to Blu-ray without transcoding.

             

            Jeff

            • 3. Re: AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification
              Stan Jones CommunityMVP

              See this thread:

               

              http://forums.adobe.com/message/3045149#3045149

               

              Note two inmportant things:

               

              a) The promotional information that the original postger refers to no longer says anything about AVCHD in the Encore section (the discussion was in the CS5 days). But my post suggests that it was there and it only claimed that Encore could take AVCHD from camera (if it was legal BD) and not transcode it in an Encore project. Premiere still does not provide smart rendering, so once the materials comes into PR and gets exported, it is not the same as was you are looking for.

               

              b) The "solution" in that thread I believe involved the edited material in Premiere being transcoded. If that is happening, it really doesn't seem to me to matter that it is something other than AVCHD.

               

              See Encore help regarding AVCHD passthrough:

               

              http://help.adobe.com/en_US/encore/cs/using/WSbaf9cd7d26a2eabfe807401038582db29-7ebfa.html #WSc1b83f70210cd101-82aadf112511d10d96-8000

               

              Note the first comment at the bottom, that explains that the additional qualifier is that the AVCHD is BD legal, and that at least one camera's output was not legal.

              • 4. Re: AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification
                Sengstack Community Member

                Thanks Stan.

                 

                I had read the post and the Help file section before making my post.

                 

                The Help section says "Encore does not transcode Blu ray legal (as per BD spec) AVCHD files (MTS,M2TS) when building a blu ray."

                 

                What has not been explained is point #3:

                1) P Pro works with AVCHD in its native format. No transcoding is needed to edit it.

                2) Dynamic Link does not transcode. It, in effect, opens a P Pro sequence in Encore without transcoding the original AVCHD files.

                3) So...why does it not follow that Encore transcodes a Dynamic Link P Pro sequence with "legal" BD spec settings and in which "legal" AVCHD files reside?

                 

                Jeff

                • 5. Re: AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification
                  Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                  3) So...why does it not follow that Encore transcodes a Dynamic Link P Pro sequence with "legal" BD spec settings and in which "legal" AVCHD files reside?

                  As you said in your first post, you're wanting someone from adobe to explain this. I do believe my answer (PR/AME does not do smart rendering) is true. As to the whys, etc, I'm not sure they will be fully answered.

                   

                  The best attempt I have seen was from Wil Renczes a year or so ago as to why smart rendering is a more difficult process to implement in PR that I had realized.

                  • 6. Re: AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification
                    JSS1138 CommunityMVP

                    whether there is a way to go from P Pro to Blu-ray without transcoding.

                     

                    Not at this time.  (At least, not if you edit it first.)

                    • 7. Re: AVCHD Blu-ray passthrough clarification
                      Sengstack Community Member

                      Jim,

                       

                      Thanks for your reply here and your two replies to another thread clarifying all this. I think I've got a handle on it now.

                       

                      Jeff