FS-4 HD M2T Files In Premiere Pro...NOT!
 

I bought an FS4 HD unit so that I could record and use the m2t HD files in Premiere Pro....but it does not work. When I drop the files on the timeline, the files are pixelated at the beginning of each clip and the audio is out of sync.

I cannot find any online solution....someone wanted me to try streamclip from squared5.com, but it doesn't have any HDV settings that I can see, and conversion defeats the whole purpose of getting the FS-4.

The Focus tech guy asked me endless email questions before telling me the FS4 HD won't work with Premiere Pro.

Anybody find a solution to this?? The FS-4 is going to be sold shortly if I cannot find a way to use it!

Not sure this will work... but try to rename the m2t files to mpeg

see if this helps...

Depends on your version of PPro. The m2t files don't work too well in PPro 1.5.x, but are supposed to work in PPro 2.0. If you're using PPro 2.0 and have read the help & Adobe forums, you might try the Premiere forum here ("Attend the World Premiere").

ciao,
Matt

I'm using 2.0....and it doesn't work.

is it a bootlegged copy?

No....why?? (That's an unusual question.....)

I have the following setup:
-FS-4HD
-JVC HD100
-Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0

For me, the m2t files import without issue into Premiere. I have experienced your symptoms when capturing video from the tape through CapDVHS, but that was solved with HDVSplit (it came down to an mpeg2 transport that Premiere doesn't appear to recognize).

It has worked a few times for me, but not consistently. I'm going to wait for the new CS3 version of Premiere Pro and try again, before I dump it. Also, I hear that the new Pinnacle Studio 11 handles high def m2t files (with an extension of m2ts), so I'll try that too.

I've never seen the 'HDV' files work from these units - I was one of the first to get the upgrade and I'm sure I'm subsequently one of the first to give up on it.

FS4 DV works
FS100 works
FS4 HDV is a class action suit (my apologies if I'm wrong)

I agree....by the way, the HDV files won't work in Pinnacle Studio 11 either.

A silly, ignorant and possibly a goosechase propogating question - but - I understand firestore to be written to disks formatted in FAT32, not NTFS.

Premiere Pro 2 and the operating system it resides with, Windows XP, more often operates in a NTFS file system.

I have observed when extracting files from a normal hard drive drive formatted FAT32 and temporarily fitted up to the NTFS computer to copy the files, the task will happen, but much more slowly. Maybe I am mismanaging the system.

I wonder if, rather than operating the firestore to the computer and PP2 as an external hard drive, whether copying the entire files onto another internal drive formatted to NTFS, then importing those files to PP2 may help?

Maybe not if there is a proprietary operating system inhabiting the firestore drive and essential to the playback of those files.

One step furthur would be to convert those files via HD Link to cineform .avi before importing them to PP2.

Ignore my comments at will as I am only guessing wildly.

FOOTNOTE EDIT:

Go to this discussion -

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...519#post685519

it refers to a method of copying the firestore files using DOS script which might be a solution to your problem.

I Have copied the files from FS4HD to my XP drive many times before importing and no success. The format of the drives makes no difference, it's the format of the files....but I'll check out the link you sent, thanks.

The files are in 2Gig sections because of the FAT32 format, so maybe that's the problem....maybe I have to combine them as one file before importing.......I've been trying to import the individual files, instead of the complete file....we may be on to something here, or maybe not......

"Concatenation" copying of the files via a DOS script was more extensively discussed as a genuinely viable problem solver in a dvinfo post a while back. I only remembered after having read the cineform post which I linked you to.

I could not quickly find that post which offered the solution and it may be buried fairly deep by now but it is most likely in the Firestore discussions. The DOS command in that post was accurately written as far as I could tell.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=87166

Danny Fye
www.dannyfye.com
www.vidmus.com/scolvs

Hopping Mad
 

This FS-4 Pro HD incompatibility with PP 1.51 has made me look like an ill-informed dunce at work. I convinced my superiors to purchase the HD upgrade only to find it's useless for HD capture for Premiere. Here's what I've found so far:

m2t
-File format not supported in Prem Pro 1.51(PC)
-Renaming to mpeg causes Prem Pro 1.51 to choke on import, forcing a quit (PC)
-File format not supported in FCP HD 4.5 (Mac)
-FCP imports renamed-to-mpeg files, but black screen, no audio (Mac)

mov
-File format not supported in Prem Pro (PC)
-File format not recognized in FCP HD 4.5 (Mac)
-Causes Quicktime 7 to hang, forcing a quit (PC)
-Causes Quicktime 7 to hang (white screen), forcing a quit (Mac)
(The aforementioned DOS concatenation method doesn't work for me either: Prem Pro 1.51 still does not recognize the new concatenated file.)

Can anyone confirm that m2t (or mov) files captured with FS-4 Pro HD work in Vegas 7? I used up my trial long before this issue and would appreciate some input before laying down the cash. Thanks in advance.

Sorry to hear that my concatenation method didn't work for you.

The m2t files will work with Vegas 7 but there are some exceptions.

(1) The files will not work seamlessly if the are simply put on the time-line. This is why I developed the DOS concatenation method so as to join them together to create one large file that will be seamless.

(2) If the file is longer than 1 hour the build peaks for the audio will not work and can either crash Vegas or cause an error depending on what update you are using.

One of the problems with the m2t files from the FS-4 HD is that it doesn't have the time code. This causes problems for NLE's that expect it.

(Rant On)

If Focus Enhancements ever supports this product again, which I am beginning to seriously doubt if they will then maybe there could be a better way of saving the HDV files to the hard drive. Maybe even use NTFS to allow for undivided files.

DTE? Not on my system.

Compatibility? Not on my system.

Support? Look at the threads on this site and see how many unsolved problems there are.

They seem to be more interested in developing more products instead of solving issues with current ones.

I am seriously thinking about selling my two units on Ebay and then build my own units with portable computer cases with micro ATA MOBO's. I will be able to capture HDV that will be one long file using NTFS that will actually work. Well, will work once the build peaks issue in Vegas is finally solved. Much larger, yes, but at least it will work!

Focus Enhancements had better hope that possible future customers don't visit this forum!

I have been patient long enough! It is high time Focus Enhancements got off their butts and solve these problems already!!!!!!!!!!

(Rant Off)

Danny Fye
www.dannyfye.com
www.vidmus.com
www.vidmus.com/scolvs

Yes, m2t files made with the Firestore FS-4 Pro HD do work in Vegas 7e ( the current version)...

But...

Based on a small sample size of tests there are two issues:
1. Using the Retro Cache feature can corrupt some files.
2. Joining the clips from a greater than 9 minute continuous shoot is not seamless. (Someone has written a .bat file elsewhere in this forum that merges the clips and supposedly makes them seamless. I have yet to verify that.)

Buddy

Shame on Focus
 

Thanks for the response, Danny. I meant to bring the concatenated m2t file to work to see if it would work here at work. I'll try that tomorrow. And thanks for YOUR response, Buddy. Fortunately, I WAS able to download the Vegas 30-day trial and confirmed that it reads m2t files just fine. It appears I'll have to use two NLEs: Premiere Pro for files captured with Aspect HD from tape and (eventually when I can spare the cash) Vegas 7 for FS-4 Pro files.
(mini rant on)
This sort of bahavior from vendors is what makes me want them all fall flat on their asses. Just like the Blu-Ray/HD DVD battle: until burners (players) reach an acceptable level (say sub-$175), they are both going to lose. And with NAS/virtual storage eventually being the norm, physical media will lose its importance anyway.
(mini rant off)

You are welcome.

You can use Vegas to capture from tape and get real time playback on the time-line without the need for the Aspect HD. I am doing this with two cams and am using Infiniticam from VASST to do my cam edits.

Adjusting to the way Vegas does things and workflow will be the most difficult part but once you get a hang of it you will be glad you did.

Except for the build peaks issue with m2t files Vegas has been rock solid and virtually crash free.

Meanwhile, until the numerous HDV issues are solved I am using SD 16x9 with my HC1's and am getting good enough results. The only exception is theater video which requires HDV so I can pan and scan for framing I missed which is easy to do in theater because the actors are all over the stage and rarely go according to rehearsal and rarely remember where they are supposed to be. One performance they enter stage left and the next stage right while my cam is looking at the oposite end of the stage. Fortunately cam 2 is set for full stage.

(Micro rant on)

As for sending HDV to a client, right now it would be cheaper and more compatible to send a USB hard drive to the clients with the edited video on it. A cheap 40 gig drive will do the trick. So much for blue-crap and HD-DVD-Crap! :) LOL!

(Micro rant off)

Danny Fye
www.dannyfye.com
www.vidmus.com
www.vidmus.com/scolvs

Actually, after hearing so many good things about Vegas, I just may throw my $ at it, rather than a Premiere Pro CS3 upgrade. In fact, had I known what I know now, I never would have laid out cash for Aspect HD and went with Vegas altogether. So unless someone knows of any rumors of correcting this compatibility problem in PP CS3, my upgrade budget goes to Vegas 7 and AFX CS3...