Workflow for AVCHD media?

Hi guys! I'm about to start a new project (I'll talk about that later, I'm a little busy right now) and I have a question about AVCHD media workflows.

I need to import media from a Canon Vixia HF-S21 camera which records AVCHD (.MTS files), I have the full card structure saved in a hard drive. One folder for each of the 11 days of shooting.

And I don't know which is the best workflow to use with this kind of media. For what I found online, I should just import the media using FCPx import media dialog box, but I think it's not safe, because after a little testing I found that if I have a problem with my media/hard drive and I have to relink back to the originals, it would be impossible because the relink dialog box ask for the transcoded/rewrapped files instead of the original AVCHD card.

Is there any software to rewrap the cards to real .mov files as XDCam Transfer does? So I can import real .mov files and if I have a problem I can rewrap the card again and I'll have the same data again if something wrong happens. I know I can import and then copy the media FCPx rewrapped in my Events' Original Media Folder, but I'll having duplicated media backed up.

Thanks in advance!

I have a panasonic HMC 150 which records with an AVCHD codec. I store the cards (preserving the structure) on an archive drive. Then when I import using FCPX I copy the media to the FCP events folder and have it transcode to prores. I have not had any problems.


I believe the program you may be refering to is called clip wrap but i am not possitive as I have never used it.

Thanks DSvodoba356, I'll have to take a look at ClipWrap. I can't trust a system where I can't relink back to the original media if I have a serious problem. I'll be working on this project for the next 5 months, so I need to be sure that everything can be recovered if the computer fails.

If anyone knows another alternative...

You can always copy the media out of the FInal Cut Events folder

Hello

I find this to be the best for my situation... rarevision.com/5dtorgb/

The above mentioned link will take you to their free version. If you want their batch process version (which i own a license for) it is a App Store purchase. Quite a bit of good reading and explanation on the benefits of not using the quicktime conversion available on the product website.
With regards to saving the card data copyCrds is the way to go... www.spherico.de/filmtools/
Regards

K

Yes, I think I'll do that, DSvodoba356.

I tested a clip with ClipWrap and after applying just a ReWrap the rendered file duration is 1 frame shorter and some metadata was eliminated.

I'll import all the cards to FCPx and then move the media outside the Original Media folder and then relink to it. I just tried with one card and it worked fine. Is a little more work than I wanted but it gives more security to the workflow. The thing I don't like about this is the filename FCPx adds to the imported files, but... sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

You don't need to do this. If there is a problem with the file (I don't know where you read that importing AVCHD into FCP is unsafe, but you should not believe most of what you read on the Internet), you use the reimport from camera function and reimport from the archive folders.

"I'll import all the cards to FCPx and then move the media outside the Original Media folder and then relink to it."

This is completely unnecessary and does absolutely nothing at all except add work.

I agree with Tom, Reimport from camera works perfectly fine.

Mmmm... This is weird. Because before opening this thread I tried relinking and reimporting and none of them worked.

Now that you are telling me this again, I tried again and it worked reimporting the media.But just to be sure I deleted the media again, tried to reimport and it didn't work. So maybe is something I'm doing wrong while importing or a bug in my system.

The good thing is that importing, moving the media out of the Event Folder and reimporting works every time, so I'm sticking with that system for now.

Thank you guys for your help!

Tom Wolsky wrote: (I don't know where you read that importing AVCHD into FCP is unsafe, but you should not believe most of what you read on the Internet)

By not safe I meant that if my hard drive fails, not being allowed to reimport/relink the media and have my project up and running like nothing happened. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

If you have a backup of your projects and events or a backup archive of your media you can reimport or relink, whichever is needed.

First, I never put events and projects on my system drive.
Second, like Tom says, a consistent, reliable backup system if vital. Nothing can protect you from a drive failure besides a reliable, good backup.

Yes, all the media imported for the project is in the 8TB fiber channel raid drive, a backup is inside an external hard drive and the client has another backup at his place.

I still don't know why the reimporting is not working, but the workaround fixes this, so I'll take a look at that next time I have to work with AVCHD, is not a very usual format for us.