Fastest Encode Format using CS5?
 

I'm trying to export a 30min sequence from my Sony NXCAM AVCHD format. Yesterday i tried exporting to H.264 "HD 1080p 24" and the estimated time after 2min was 3hours! On top of that everyone knows that the time goes up somewere around the halfway point. Thats more than 5x longer than realtime! Am i doing something wrong? What is the fastest export format that i can use that will keep the best quality? I've been told F4V might be a good option. Anyone have this problem?

On my rather beefy machine a calculate encoding time like SourceInMinutes*3 when using any HD format - so with a less powerful machine I guess SourceInMinutes*5 is plausible.

AVCHD is a "hard to encode" format.

// Lasse

Exporting a complex timeline with 4 tracks and a mix of formats consisting of AVCHD, XDCAM EX, HDV and DV, both PAL and NTSC, progressive and interlaced, fully loaded with CC, blurs, and other effects, most of them keyframed, takes around 130% to 360% of the sequence length with H.264 BR, at least on reasonably fast computers.

If you have a fast computer a 52 minute timeline will take 67 minutes, if your system is not so fast, it may take 180 minutes.