Why can't I bring edited CF HDV AVI files into 3rd party encoders?
 

Okay, so I film with a Sony FX-1 and find capturing and editing hdv footage with Premiere Pro 1.5.1 and the Aspect HD plugin fairly easy. The problem is that I need to export and encode my edited movies mostly for the web into multiple formats and frame sizes, incl. WMV, Real and Quicktime and sometmes Flash. So that necessitates a professional batch encoding app working overnight while I sleep just like when I used to use my edited and exported standard definition DV AVI files as a source in Cleaner XL which worked great for years.

The problem is none of the popular pc encoding apps will accept these CF HDV AVI files that I export from P Pro 1.5.1 using Export Movie- Settings- "Cineform HDV AVI" to make a valid WMV, Quicktime or Real file. I think that this is because the avis comes out as 1440 x 1080 size and with the dreaded 1.33 pixel aspect ratio properties! Only Cleaner will accept these files and that only can make a (screwed up looking) wmv, not a real or quicktime file. Neither Procoder 1.25 trial or Sorenson Squeeze 4.3 will accept these files at all!

Is there any way to export a usable 1920 x 1080 CF HDV AVI file or alternate high quality file using export-movie-settings- directly from Premiere Pro that I can then use as a source to then batch encode- preferably in Cleaner XL 1.5- to a half dozen different formats and frame sizes (WMV, Real, Quicktime, Flash) while I sleep since it is going to take forever anyway? Or must I skip export movie and instead use Adobe Media Encoder to make an inttermediate format?

I am absolutely stumped by how to progress beyond this problem. Any help with my workflow is appreciat

Canopus Procoder 2 definitely works, and I'm sure I've read on these forums that Sorenson Squeeze does work (maybe do a search there?). I doubt that the pixel aspect ratio makes much of a difference - more likely that your programs are fussy about the AVI codecs that they support.

An option if you want to "go nuclear" as it were would be to export as an AVI with no compression at 1920x1080. But assuming it's a long video, you'd need a very large hard disk area.

Thanks for the input Richard. Everyone keeps telling me all these three batch encoding programs should work but nothing actually does! I wish Cleaner XL 1.5 did as I am familiar with it. Please be specific, first: exactly how should I export the edited movie from Premiere Pro 1.5.1 with Aspect HD? Do I use the "export movie"- settings- "CF HDV AVI" which *only* lets me export as a 1440 x 1080 file with a 1.33 p.a.r.? Or do I use export movie-CF HD settings instead which also limits me to 1440 x 1080 export? There are no 1920 x 1080 square pixel export options available from export move-settings-CF HDV AVI or any other settings are there?

I downloaded the Procoder 1.25 trial demo (there is no 2.0 version trial available on Canopus's website despite the fact that they are about to relesae ver 3.0 soon) and it does NOT accept CF HDV AVI files as an input, it crashes immediately.

Sorenson Squeeze 4.3 full version that I borrowed from a friend to test this also crashes immediately if I try to import a CF HDV AVI.

How do I export a AVI with no compression from Premiere? What settings exactly must I use? Any other suggestions? I have spent the last three days running dozens of tests from Premiere Pro 1.5.1. to CF HDV AVI and then to either Cleaner XL or Procoder 1.25 and Squeeze 4.3 and none of these can handle the CF HDV AVI exported movies!

There's something wrong with your installation(s) or vesions or something - those 3 programs all work fine with CHFD avis (I'm using Procoder 2 though, not 1.5, so can't speak to that specifically).

The pixel ratio thing doesnt prohibit import, and is an adjustable menu item on output.

Try the Procoder Xpress trial, perhaps? ....

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling AspectHD? It has separate Directshow and VfW codecs, and perhaps one is installed correctly while the other isn't?

Hi,

TMPGEnc Xpress 4 works well - give it a go, as does the new Sorensen Squeeze 4.5 (although the preview window doesn't work for me).

If I were you, I'd try TMPGEnc - I've done a few tests, and got some great results... compresses to divx, mpeg2, mpeg4, quicktime, wmv etc...

Cheers, Doug.

Cinefrom files crash everything except Vegas and WMP
 

Hello,

I am having the same problem. I can open Cineform .avi files in Vegas and render from Vegas with zero problems. I just purchased Quicktime Pro and upon importing Cineform .avi files into Quicktime, I get an error or just a black screen. I've been keeping up with the posts so I downloaded a trial version of Sorenson Squeeze 4.5. It will import the Cineform file, but errors out upon rendering to any format. Something is definitely wrong because several different people are having the exact same problem. I filed a trouble ticket with Cineform so I hope we will hear back soon.

For those of you who are successful in rendering Quicktime HD files from Cineform, what is your workflow? I have .wmv and .mpeg workflows figured out, I am just trying to get the h.264 and Quicktime file workflow figured out.

Thanks,

Michael