Category: avchd lite

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VoltaicHD 2.0: Edit, Convert, Upload AVCHD / AVCHD Lite video

Shedworx‘ essential AVCHD tool VoltaicHD just took a healthy step forward in functionality with the recent release of VoltaicHD 2. Highlights of the new features in the update are the ability to preview AVCHD / AVCHD Lite clips, the ability to edit native AVCHD video and the ability to upload video to YouTube and output to presets like iPhone, iPod etc.

Native AVCHD / AVCHD Lite editing

Version 2 of VoltaicHD increases the scope of the app from simply being a tool to convert AVCHD format video footage to now include basic native editing of AVCHD footage. You can now preview AVCHD / AVCHD Lite video clips within the application and then set simple in and out points to define a section of raw AVCHD / AVCHD Lite video clips which can then be trimmed down and converted.

The interface is reminiscent of the new Quicktime X player that comes with the Mac OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard. It’s very easy to set the position of the start and end as the position in seconds within the movie is shown in a little tooltip when sliding them around. My own criticism with it is the same that I have with the new Quicktime X player in that you can’t use the mouse to fine-tune the position of these points. That’s a little thing that I miss from the old Quicktime Pro player’s editing capabilities.

Overall though the ability to trim down clips before conversion is a massive timesaver, instead of having to convert a whole chunk of AVCHD footage you can just roughly trim down to the section you want and then convert only the bit you want. Definitely a great and helpful improvement!

Upload to YouTube, output to iPhone / iPod and AppleTV.

Along with the new preview / edit capability there is also the ability to convert and upload trimmed clips to YouTube directly from VoltaicHD 2.0. There are also preset output options for iPhone / iPod and AppleTV.

One of the things you’ll notice when you run VoltaicHD 2 compared to the previous version is the new drop-down menu options at the top of the window. From this menu you can select the specific option that you want, then combine that with a little bit of previewing and trimming in the clip details panel and you’re ready to go.

Both of these options make it really easy to get footage off your camera and online or onto your devices, take it with you or watch it on TV. Shedworx make another application called RevolverHD which enables you to create AVCHD DVDs that will work on most blu-ray players, however I find the ease of exporting video that’s ready to go onto my iPhone really convenient. As blu-ray players become more commonplace then I think I’ll use RevolverHD much more as a perfect way to send HD footage to my extended family.

Worth the upgrade cost for existing users?

It’s most definitely an upgrade I’d recommend for any VoltaicHD user, it’s worth noting that this is the first paid upgrade to Voltaic since it was released in July 2007. Don’t forget that VoltaicHD is available for both Mac OSX and Windows operating systems too.

If you’re an existing VoltaicHD user then you can upgrade to version 2 for only $9.99, or if you happen to have bought the previous version since July 2009 then you’re eligible for a free upgrade to VoltaicHD 2.0. First-time customers can buy VoltaicHD 2.0 for $39.99 which is still a great deal for a great bit of software!

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AVCHD Lite – What is it (and why can’t I edit it in iMovie or Final Cut)? (updated)

After a few years of being available there are now many hard-disk based video cameras that use the AVCHD format for video, support for the format in video editing software is well supported now on both Mac OS X and Windows by apps like Final Cut Pro / Express, iMovie, Adobe Premiere, VoltaicHD and more. This all leads to a much simpler experience for users of AVCHD cameras than it was a couple of years ago.

AVCHD Lite – Throwing a spanner in the works?

Image of Panasonic Lumix camera that uses the AVCHD Lite format

More recent digital stills camera have started coming with the ability to shoot HD video, for many of the small compact cameras there became a need for high-quality efficient video format that could be used in small compact cameras with less capable hardware. The solution to this was a variant of the AVCHD format called AVCHD Lite.

The main differences between AVCHD Lite and the regular AVCHD: a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720p in AVCHD Lite compared to 1920 x 1080p in regular AVCHD and a less-intensive compression method – both of which make the format more suitable for less powerful camera hardware.

Why can’t I edit AVCHD Lite in iMovie or Final Cut?

AVCHD Lite throws a spanner in the works because many of the existing AVCHD editing packages are incapable of supporting it without an update to the software. At the time of writing none of Apple’s video editing applications such as iMovie, Final Cut Pro or Express support the AVCHD Lite format. Adobe’s Premiere and Premiere Elements applications also do not appear to support AVCHD Lite at this time.

The only solution for AVCHD Lite on Mac OS X at the moment is the one that saved many an early adopter like myself a couple of years or so ago when AVCHD cameras first came out – VoltaicHD by Shedworx. This is a $35 app that will convert your AVCHD Lite footage to the Apple Intermediate Codec format that can then be used in any of Apple’s video editing applications.

Some Handy Links / References…

Here’s a few links to some handy information about AVCHD Lite:

Update:

As of 04/06/09 iMovie now supports editing of AVCHD Lite files with the iMovie 8.0.3 update!

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State of the Union for AVCHD: Premiere CS4, MotionBox, VoltaicHD and AVCHD Lite

I thought it would be good to take a quick look at how support for AVCHD video has progressed over the last year. When I first wrote about AVCHD back in June 2007 there was very little support, cameras had been out for quite a few months but with no real support for the AVCHD format, not even within Sony’s own Windows-only Vegas editing software, never mind any kind of Mac support.

Since then however support has improved and there are quite a few options for working with AVCHD and cameras are in widespread use. Here are a few notable developments surrounding AVCHD video format.

Adobe Premiere CS4

With the release of Adobe’s new CS4 suites brought back a Mac OSX version of Adobe Premiere CS4. What is interesting about Premiere CS4’s AVCHD support is that it is native and doesn’t require any conversion of the video footage when importing. Interestingly it will also support playback of mixed media types all in the same timeline.

Premiere was the first digital editing software I ever used and in it’s day was awesome. This new release does sound like Adobe have made some great improvements and have made a worthy rival to Final Cut and Avid.

Here’s a few links relating to Premiere CS4:

MotionBox Announces Full Support for HD Video Format (AVCHD)

MotionBox is a video sharing site that was the first to implement support for uploading AVCHD format video. It’s actually quite a handy way to share video online and in the process convert your AVCHD video clips as MotionBox will also create Quicktime compatible MP4 versions of your video for your computer and your iPod.

Here’s a link to the feature announcement on the MotionBox blog:

Shedworx’ AVCHD applications – VoltaicHD, RevolverHD and FlamingoHD

I’ve blogged about the Shedworx applications a few times, but where would many owners of AVCHD cameras be (especially the early adopters who bought them in late 2007!) without VoltaicHD?

Although VoltaicHD was originally just a Mac OSX application it has also been available as a Windows PC version for some time too. Among the many benefits that VoltaicHD brings is a low cost way to edit video on Mac, especially for users on older Macs running PowerPC chips that aren’t supported by either iMovie 08 / 09 or Final Cut Studio. Windows PC users can also edit HD footage from their AVCHD camera for a low cost by using VoltaicHD and Windows Movie Maker. VoltaicHD has helped make AVCHD a practical format for video editing.

Shedworx are soon to release the first version of a media management application called FlamingoHD which is intended to complement VoltaicHD and provide management and workflow of HD footage.

Here are links to the VoltaicHD and FlamingoHD product pages:

AVCHD Lite

AVCHD Lite is a new variation of AVCHD which supports only the lower 1280x720p HD format. It actually uses a variation on regular AVCHD so many applications may require a software update to support cameras using the Lite variation. AVCHD Lite is generally targeted as a format for small point-and-shoot digital cameras that take a step up to HD video from the regular 640×480 standard definition video found on many of these cameras until now. Panasonic’s Lumix ZS3 and TZ7 are examples of cameras using AVCHD Lite.

Here’s a few links relating to AVCHD Lite: