Adobe CS5 or Avid MC5 for AVCHD

[Kenneth Maultsby]

Hello everyone this is more of a survey question more than anything else. I just purchased my first AVCHD camcorder and was wondering which editing system had a faster and more efficient workflow working with AVCHD files? I am using Avid MC5 but have not completely finish my first project. I use to edit with Final Cut Pro but now I am back on a PC. I was thing about Adobe CS5 because I already own Photoshop. Would like here from others?

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Kenneth Maultsby

Hello everyone this is more of a survey question more than anything else. I just purchased my first AVCHD camcorder and was wondering which editing system had a faster and more efficient workflow working with AVCHD files? I am using Avid MC5 but have not completely finish my first project. I use to edit with Final Cut Pro but now I am back on a PC. I was thing about Adobe CS5 because I already own Photoshop. Would like here from others?

If all you are interested in is workflow speed, then CS5 is the better NLE for you.

[Kenneth Maultsby]

Thanks Perrone your reply was interesting because I see you use MC4/5. May I ask why you like it?

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Kenneth Maultsby

Thanks Perrone your reply was interesting because I see you use MC4/5. May I ask why you like it?

It is my view that Avid is the best editor currently for cinema workflow. That is it's focus. It has been absolutely flawless for me since I installed it in June. No data loss, no failed renders, no problems. It has ingested my RED footage, my XDCam, my uncompressed, my MJpeg, my 5D/7D/550D footage. I am now setup to handle Alexa footage as well. If I need to export EDL for filmout or other purposes I am ready for that. It has an excellent intermediate codec that has yet to fail me no matter what NLE I've sent it to. I can cut faster on it than anything else I've ever used.

In short, it's been everything I ever wanted from an NLE and has yet to cause me a single problem that wasn't my own doing.

That's why I like it.

But, that said, if I was interested in bringing in AVCHD or other consumer formats, I'd choose another NLE. Avid can do it, but it requires a transcode step to do it's best. CS5 is simply better at this than Avid. If you want integration with Photoshop, CS5 is the logical choice. After Effects is a better effects package than Boris which comes with Avid. At least in my opinion. So if those things are priorities, then CS5 is a better package.

There is no one perfect NLE or editing suite. FCP is better at some things, CS5 is better at some things, and Avid is better at still others. Just the facts.

[Kenneth Maultsby]

Wow! Thanks a lot for a great feedback.