encoding to wmv
 

What would be most efficient way to encode video files from EX1, Xr550V,hdr ax2000 to wmv format; I will have 150-200 (up to 10 min each) video files filmed in two days (sport event) and will have to sort and encode all of them to wmv. The trick is that I will need to have it done just one hour after finishing recording on second day ( of course I will have to start encoding them right after I start filming the first day) . Vegas 10 with my i7 cpu is too slow... do you know any encoder (software/hardware) or have any idea how to deal with it.

.wmv renders
 

I render to .wmv all the time because that is what the client wants even though .mp4 would be MUCH better. To achieve what you want to do can be done several ways. Shoot with on location using multiple drives or use a compact flash recorder with multiple cards. Swap out the cards or drives while shooting so you can start rendering while you are shooting. I do this all day long and it works well.
The other thing is that Vegas 10c 64 bit will take much longer to render a .wmv than Vegas 10c 32 bit.
I also use a I7 980 extreme with 24 gigs of ram. This set up is about 7 times faster than the quad core I was using last year. Hope this helps.
J.

O, great observation V 32 bit vs. V64bit.I will try it. What flash recorder do you recommend?

I don't know how much effort or money this project justifies expending, but, if I had to do it I'd seriously consider a dedicated encoder that has robust batch processing, not an NLE like vegas. I do small batches out of Vegas all the time, but, a dedicated encoding app will allow you to setup one job, send it, and set up the next job while the first is encoding, and so on. It will also allow you to apply a single template to multiple clips in one clip. Or perhaps set up a "watched" folder - any clip dropped into it will be encoded to a template of your choice.

I use Sorenson Squeeze and MS Expression Encoder. Squeeze has some of the best batch capabilities going, it can do all of the functions above, then ftp your completed files automatically. EE is a WMV/Silverlight-only encoder that allows you to choose how many processor threads will be used for encodes, and a more basic batch function. I've not benchmarked these for speed against each other, but you might want to...

Other leading "batch" encoders worth looking at are Telestream Episode and Grass Valley (Canopus) Procoder.

Workflow is king for this kind of project...