Editing Canon HF100 movies to MKV/264 files

[LEEIOM]

Hi all,

As per the title, i have a couple hrs worth of footage off my camera, and i am becoming frustrated to try and find software that will convert the edited footage to either X.264 or MKV format.

Can i ask if anyone can please recommend a good all round editor that can do this (what i thought simple!) task for me.

I dont want to be spending out on unnessary software.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Lee

[rogs]

When you say 'convert the edited footage,' I'm reading that as you have already edited it, but are currently saving in some other format, but not x.264.
What format is your 'edited footage' in at the moment?

Or do you mean that you need something to both edit the raw footage, and then convert it to x.264, in an MKV wrapper?

I store all my AVCHD edited footage as x.264, or Xvid, in an MKV wrapper, and I do that by converting to 'Canopus HQ', and then importing that into 'Virtualdub'.
Output from there as x.264, and put it into an MKV format using 'mkvmergeGUI'

There is a free Canopus AVCHD2HQ application from the Grass Valley website, but you'll need the Canopus HQ codec for it to work. It's not difficult to find a freeware version of that codec, but there is some discussion on the web as to whether it's supposed to be out there as freeware. You'd have to make your own mind up on that one!

Virtualdub is free anyway, but can take a bit of learning. You can Google for tutorials if you need to.

'mkvmergeGUI' is also free.

There maybe other ways, using some of the NLE's out there --maybe someone can suggest an easier way?
It's unlikey to be a cheaper way though!

[LEEIOM]

I do have some already edited stuff but i am not to worried about that at present.

From what you say (i am pretty new to this lark so excuse me if i am wrong) it seems to would edit your movie and then save in a particular format, and then re-encode(?) it into the x264 afterwards?

Is that correct?

If so what format do you originally save in?

If you can give me any pointers it would be appreciated, i have tried numerous programs and it seems there isnt an all singing dancing one that does it all in one, so i will have to do it bit by bit.

Thanks

Lee

[senu]

x264 and mvk arent gennerally incorporated into mainstream software for obvious reasons
You will have to use more than one ( albeit fee) GPL to do the final conversion
You don't have to go via the canopus HQ method if your PC is happy with editing native AVCHD files but it is a way to edit them without a " modest" PC breaking out into a sweat
Apart from size and possible ease of play on less powerful PCs why do you need to be in mkv or x 264?

[LEEIOM]

Ease of play really, as x264 is pretty much a standard for HD content now much like xvid is for SD i thought it would be good to edit then encode to a specific standard and keep it that way.

i am not after flash effects or anything to that manner, just simply edit the crap out (which would be alot then!) and then keep it as a X264/mkv file.

hope that makes sense.

but if someone can offer a quick "edit as XXX save as XXX convert as XXX" it would be very helpful.

Thanks

Lee

[LEEIOM]

Hi all,

I am just wondering if anyone can give me some simple advice as to how to get my AVCHD footage into a X264/mkv file?

If there is someone that does it, if you can give me a quick rundown as to the programs used and to save the files as what it would be a massive help?

Thank you!

[rogs]

Editing Canon HF100 movies to MKV/264 files

Or, if you have trouble finding the Canopus programs, you could try Cineform Neo Scene (free trial here: http://estore.cineform.com/products/NeoScene.htm)

The point is, you need to convert the AVCHD into another format, like Cineform or Canopus HQ, before you can import that into Virtualdub, edit the bits out you don't want, and export as x.264.