Panasonic Avccam AG-AF100A Series User manual

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Editing AVCHD
with sony
vegas pro 9
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1
Understanding
AVCCAM Workflow

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................3
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR SONY VEGAS PRO 9.....................................................................3
Transferring AVCHD Footage to Your Computer..............................................................................3
Copying AVCHD Footage to a Hard Drive.........................................................................................4
EDITING WITH SONY VEGAS PRO 9 .................................................................................................5
Transferring AVCHD Footage Directly From The Panasonic
AVCCAM Cameras to Your Computer ...............................................................................................8
OUTPUT OPTIONS
Output to A Blu-ray Disc...................................................................................................................14
Output to A DVD Disc........................................................................................................................16
Output to iPod Or iPhone .................................................................................................................17
Output to YouTube and the Web ......................................................................................................18
THE AVCHD WORKFLOW – ARCHIVING ........................................................................................19

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INTRODUCTION TO EDITING AVCHD WITH SONY VEGAS PRO 9
Sony Vegas Pro 9 lets you edit Native AVCHD files, meaning you can start editing as soon as you have finished shooting.
It has a full compliment of editing tools designed to work flawlessly AVCHD footage. In addition, Sony Vegas Pro 9
makes creating a Blu-ray disc from your AVCHD footage very easy. This paper presents a typical AVCHD workflow for
editing with Sony Vegas Pro 9 using Panasonic AVCCAM camcorders. In addition to editing the AVCHD footage, we will
examine burning a Blu-ray disc and even creating a Standard DVD disc. We also look at alternative delivery such as iPod
and You Tube. In addition, archiving options including copying your content onto a hard drive, Blu-ray or DVD discs are
presented.
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Microsoft Windows XP 32-bit SP2 (SP3 recommended), Windows Vista 32-bit or 64 bit (Sp1 recommended)•
1 GHz processor (multicore or multiprocessor CPU recommended for HD)•
200 MB hard-disk space for program installation•
1 GB RAM (@ GB recommended)•
OHCI compatible iLINK connecotr/IEEE-1394DV card (for DV and HDV capture and print to tape)•
USB 2.0 connection (for importing from AVCHD,XDCAM EX, or DVD camcorders)•
Microsoft Windows-compatible sound card•
DVD-ROM drive (for installation from a DVD only)•
Supported Blu-ray recordable drive (for Blu-ray Disc burning only)•
Microsoft.NET Framework 3.0 (included on application disc)•
Apple Quick Time 7.1.6 or later•
(From the Sony Vegas Pro 9 website)
TRANSFERRING AVCHD FOOTAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER.
Before you can begin editing with Sony Vegas Pro 9, you need to transfer your AVCHD footage
from your camera to your computer. This is very easy. Simply remove your SDHC card from the
camera.
KEY POINT - COPY PROTECT YOUR SD CARD.
Your SDHC card has a small little slider on the left hand side of the card. Push this slider down
to write protect the data on your card. This is a critical step to protect your footage before you
insert the SDHC card into your computer.

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Many PCs have an SD card slot, and if your PC SD card slot supports SDHC cards,
you can insert the SDHC card directly into your computer. If your PC does not support
SDHC or if it does not have a SD card slot, use a SDHC-to-USB reader/writer like this
one.
Just insert your SD card into the reader and connect it to a USB port on your computer.
It will appear as a removable storage device on your computer. You will now be ready to
open Sony Vegas Pro 9 and begin editing AVCHD right from the SDHC card!
COPYING AVCHD FOOTAGE TO A HARD DRIVE
Alternatively, you can copy the footage from you SDHC card to your computer, thus freeing up the SDHC card for
additional shooting. I prefer this approach.
STEP #1 – MOUNT THE SD CARD ON YOUR COMPUTER.
Even though you can edit directly from the SDHC card,
many people prefer to copy their footage to a hard drive
before editing. This frees up the SDHC card so that you can
immediately use it again. Many PC’s have SD Card slots that
support SDHC. If so, just insert your SD card. If your PC does
not have a SD card slot, or does not support SDHC cards, use
the SDHC-to-USB reader. Once your SDHC card is mounted
on your computer, it will appear as a removable hard drive
under my computer (on a PC).
STEP #2 – OPEN THE SDHC CARD FILES.
When you open No Name you will see a folder named Private.
You will want to copy this folder to your hard drive. Do not try
to copy from any other folder within the “private” folder, as the
structure of folders inside is important. Create a destination
folder that you have named with an easily recognizable identifier,
such as the project and the date. It is highly recommended to
verify the integrity of the copy before re-formatting your SDHC
cards. Also, consider your backup strategy as you begin to
accumulate larger numbers of folders and projects. The more
planning up front, the easier your life will be when you decide to
re-visit material for different sessions (re-purposing content).
NOTE: Panasonic recommends 3rd party applications such as Shot Put Pro from Imagine Products for copy and
verification. Shot Put Pro provides a safe backup to multiple simultaneous target locations (such as hard drives and/or
Blu-ray burners) with validation of the copy. Please see www.imagineproducts.com for more information.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

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EDITING AVCHD FOOTAGE WITH SONY VEGAS PRO 9
STEP #1 – OPEN SONY VEGAS PRO 9 ON YOUR COMPUTER
Your work space will be empty.
STEP #2 – CREATE A NEW PROJECT
Let’s create a new project. CLICK FILE >NEW.
The New Project window opens.
It has five tabs across the top.
STEP #3 – SET YOUR VIDEO TEMPLATE
First we must set the template we want to use to set the frame rate
and resolution of the project. Click on the drop down menu.
Here you can pick your settings from any of the high definition settings,
which are labeled HDV. If you have shot your footage at 1080/60i, then
pick HDV 1080-60i (1920x1080) at 29.970fps. If you had shot at 720/24p,
then you would pick HDV 720-24p (1280x720) at 23.976fps.

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If you shot at 720p/60fps you won’t see a template that matches your footage. In this case, just click on the folder on
the right side of the New Project Window.
This will open a browser window where you can select a clip of your footage and match the settings to your footage.
When you find the Private folder, click on AVCHD, then BDMV and finally on Stream.
Here you will see your individual AVCHD files (they are MTS files), click on the appropriate clip and your settings will
match that file.
STEP #4 – SET AUDIO PARAMETERS
Using the Audio tab in the New Project Window, you can also set your audio parameters.

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STEP #5 – CREATE SUMMARY
It is a good idea to open the Summary Tab.
Here you can give your project a name and add any comments you like.
STEP #6 – SAVE YOUR NEW PROJECT
Go to File>Save and save your project and give it a name if you have not already done so.

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IMPORT YOUR AVCHD FOOTAGE
There are a number of ways to get AVCHD footage into Sony Vegas Pro 9. If you have a fast powerful PC, you can
actually edit native AVCHD, although the performance will vary based on the performance of your computer.
TRANSFERRING AVCHD FOOTAGE DIRECTLY FROM THE
PANASONIC AVCCAM CAMCORDERS TO YOUR COMPUTER.
You can transfer your AVCHD footage directly from your camera. The next few steps will show you how to do this.
Unfortunately, this ties up your camera and precludes you from shooting with it while you are transferring.
Note: AVCCAM cameras do not have a IEEE1394 Fire Wire output, only USB. Since the AVCHD format is file based (not
streaming oriented), there is no requirement for a Fire Wire output.
STEP #1 – CONNECT YOUR PANASONIC CAMERA VIA A USB CABLE TO YOUR COMPUTER.
Note: It is recommended to connect your camera to an AC power supply, as a low battery could damage your
transferring footage. Also, write protect the card as instructed before.
STEP #2 - TURN THE CAMERA TO THE PC ON POSITION
On the AG-HMC70 shoulder-mount camcorder, this is accomplished by moving the record
button to PC. This puts the camera into USB device mode, making it appear as a SDHC card
reader to the PC.
On the AG-HMC150 handheld camcorder, you must push the mode button on the back of the
camera. The light will change from Cam to PB for playback, push again and the PC light will turn
on. This puts the camera into USB device mode, making it appear as a SDHC card reader to the
PC.
On the AG-HMC40 camcorder, when you connect
your USB cable to your computer, the LCD display on
the camera will prompt you to touch either the PC or
Printer Device button. Touch PC. The Printer Option
here is for the still picture functionality of the camera,
and has nothing to do with this video file transfer.

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STEP #3 – TRANSFER THE FILES.
The camera will appear as a device on your computer. Simply copy the contents of the Private Folder as described
earlier, AND make sure you verify the copy.
TRANSFER USING DEVICE EXPLORER.
Alternatively, you can use Device Explorer to transfer your files from your camera.
STEP #1 – CLICK ON VIEW>DEVICE EXPLORER.
On the left hand side of the window, click on the device that is your camera, (in this example it is AVCHD Device (I:\).

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STEP #2 – SELECT AND IMPORT YOUR CLIPS
From here you can select the clips your wish to import.
Click on the import Selected Clips icon and the clips will be placed in the Project Media Window.
Once your clips are in the Project Media Window, you are now ready to begin editing.

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TRANSFER USING IMPORT MEDIA ICON.
If you have already copied your footage to a hard drive, or if you have inserted your SDHC card into a card reader and
attached it to your computer via USB, there are a couple of different methods for getting the AVCHD footage into Sony
Vegas Pro 9.
STEP #1 – CLICK ON IMPORT MEDIA ICON AT TOP LEFT OF PROJECT MEDIA WINDOW.
STEP #2 – FIND THE AVCHD FOLDER CALLED PRIVATE

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STEP #3 – CLICK ON PRIVATE>AVCHD>BDMV>STREAM
This will show your AVCHD files. Click on the ones that you wish to import. Click Open. They will then be placed in your
Project Media window.
TRANSFER USING DEVICE EXPLORER.
Another method for importing is to use the Device Explorer. I actually prefer
this approach as it allows you to see your clips immediately before you import
them.
STEP #1 – OPEN DEVICE EXPLORER.
CLICK ON VIEW>DEVICE EXPLORER.

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On the left side, you will see the folders or devices where your AVCHD footage is stored.
In this case AVCHD Device (I:\) is actually an SDHC card that I have put in an SDHC card reader and attached to my PC
via USB.
As you can see your clips are represented by thumbnails.
Scroll to the clip you wish to import.
STEP #2 – SELECT AND IMPORT
YOUR CLIPS Click on that clip, then
click on the Import Selected Clips to
import.
Shift click to select multiple clips. Then
click on Import Select Clips.
The import will start and your footage
will appear in the Project Media
Window.
Both of these methods will work from
the camera or directly from the SDHC
card
Once your footage is in the Project
Media window you can drag it to the
timeline and start editing.

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EDIT NORMALLY
No matter which way you import your footage, once it is in the Project Media window, you are editing just like you would
any other project with Sony Vegas Pro 9. Naturally, you can add transitions, music, sound effects and titles.
For more info on editing with Sony Vegas Pro 9, please visit the Sony website for detailed tutorials at: http://www.
sonycreativesoftware.com/support/trainingvids-stroud.asp
OUTPUT OPTIONS
When your editing is finished Sony Vegas Pro 9 gives you a host of options to output your project to different media.
OUTPUT TO A BLU-RAY DISC
It is very easy with Sony Vegas Pro 9 to output your finished project to a Blu-ray disc.
NOTE: YOU WILL NEED A BLU-RAY BURNER AND BLU-RAY MEDIA.
STEP #1 – CLICK ON TOOLS>BURN DISC>BLU-RAY

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This will open the Burn Blu-ray Disc Window.
STEP #2 – SET BLU-RAY BURN PARAMETERS
Here you will need select the operation of Render Image and Burn. Next, check your selected Video and Audio formats.
Choose the location of your Blu-ray drive, then pick the Burn speed and click on Eject when done. Finally, click on OK to
start the Blu-ray burn, when finished your disc will automatically eject.

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OUTPUT TO STANDARD DEFINITION DVD
Even though you have shot your material on high definition and edited it in HD, you still might need to downconvert it to
standard definition to show your movie. AVCHD footage will make dazzling standard definition DVDs. Sony Vegas Pro 9
can easily make a Standard Definition DVD from your AVCHD footage.
STEP #1 – CLICK ON TOOLS>BURN DISC>DVD
This will open the Burn DVD Disc Window.
STEP #2 – SET DVD BURN PARAMETERS
Choose your Video and Audio Formats
Pick your DVD drive. Select the Burn Speed
and click
Eject When Done.
Click OK. Your DVD will be ejected when
finished.

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OUTPUT TO IPOD, IPHONE
One of the coolest ways to display your AVCHD footage is on an iPod or iPhone. Here is how you do that with Sony
Vegas Pro 9. If your goal is to display your movie on an iPod or iPhone, you should try to match the size and aspect ratio
of the iPOD display as best that you can. In landscape mode, the iPOD touch and iPHONE display is 480 x 320 pixels,
so to preseve your movie in a 4:3 aspect ratio 480 x 360 pixels would be a good choice.
STEP #1 – RENDER
CLICK ON FILE>RENDER AS.
STEP #2 - CLICK ON QUICKTIME AND THEN SAVE
When finished your file can be added to your library in iTunes and the
resultant movie can be displayed on your iPod or iPhone.

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OUTPUT TO YOU TUBE AND THE WEB
You might want to share your movie with the world on YouTube or other locations on the Web. This is easy to do.
NOTE: TO USE YOUTUBE, YOU MUST HAVE A YOUTUBE ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO UPLOAD YOUR MOVIE.
To prepare your movie for YouTube uploading follow these simple steps. For more detailed information on YouTube
specifications and instructions on uploading your video, please visit www.youtube.com and click on Help.
STEP #1 – RENDER
CLICK ON FILE>RENDER AS.
The Render As window opens.
You can select AVI, MPEG, QuickTime, or Windows Media. For this example, we will pick Windows Media.
STEP #2 – SELECT WINDOWS MEDIA AND SAVE
Your file will be saved and ready to upload to YouTube.
STEP #3 – SIGN ONTO YOUR YOU TUBE ACCOUNT.
For more information on uploading videos to You Tube, please
visit www.youtube.com

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THE AVCHD WORKFLOW – ARCHIVING
Once your project is finished, you will want to archive your High Definition AVCHD footage.There are a number of options
available at this time depending on your budget and how long you want to keep the footage. How long you want to keep
your footage is a very important question when dealing with Archiving. The answer to “How Long You Want To Keep It?”
will determine what media you store it on today. If you want to keep your data for 1-10 years, you have many options,
but if you must keep your material for 20 years or longer, then your options decrease. And regardless of the media you
choose today, be prepared to move your data as new improved storage becomes available.
KEY POINT #4. THE SECRET TO SUCCESSFUL ARCHIVING OF ANY FILE BASED MEDIA IS REDUNDANCY AND
MIGRATION. Make multiple copies and move your data as technology advances.
ARCHIVING TO HARD DRIVE (SHORT TERM STORAGE)
The quickest and least expensive way to archive your AVCHD footage is to copy your files to a hard drive. NOTE: THIS
IS SHORT TERM STORAGE. This is accomplished in the same way as copying any other data to a hard drive. Copy
the Private Folder of your AVCHD to your drive. There are a number of manufacturers who make inexpensive USB hard
drives. I suggest copying to two different hard drives, be redundant. Also these hard drives should not be considered
permanent long-term storage. Create a regular schedule to move your data to newer hard drives. Migrate your data.
ARCHIVING TO BLU-RAY DISC (MID-TERM STORAGE)
To archive to a Blu-ray, you will basically be making a Blu-ray Rom data disc. To do this, you will need a Blu-ray burner,
Blu-ray media, and specific Blu-ray burning software, such as Roxio Toast 10 or Adobe Encore (part of CS4/CS5 suite).
Remember, in order to retrieve your data from this archive in the future, you will need a Blu-ray drive. Keep your eye on
how technology advances and migrate your data to new storage technology as needed.
ARCHIVING TO STANDARD DVD DISCS (MID-TERM STORAGE)
Although DVD-R media is technically not specified as archival media, you can archive your data onto standard DVD
discs. Since these discs do not hold high amounts of data, this is very time consuming and requires a lot of discs.
Remember, in order to retrieve your data from this archive in the future, you will need a DVD drive.
ARCHIVING TO DLT OR LTO TAPE (LONGEST TERM STORAGE)
If you have to store your footage for a very long time and want absolute confidence in your archival media, do what
financial and medical institutions have been doing for years, back up your data on either DLT (Digital Linear Tape) or the
newer LTO (Linear Tape Open). These are more expensive options than those listed above, but they are time tested. A
number of companies, such as Quantum (www.quantum.com), Cache-A, (http://cache-a.com/products.php ) and others
make DLT and LTO tape drives and media. (See WWW.LTO.org for more info)
SIMPLE, QUICK, FLEXIBLE AND INEXPENSIVE! THAT IS THE
AVCHD PRO EDITING WORKFLOW.
Please see the AVCHD WORKFLOW ACQUISITION White Paper. You will find that shooting and transferring AVCHD
material is again simple, quick, flexible and inexpensive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bernie Mitchell is President of Silver Platter Productions, Inc. an Emmy nominated Producer/Director, a Multimedia
Person of the Year and member of the DVD Association Hall of Fame. Bernie is the Panasonic AVCHD Evangelist and
a paid consultant to Panasonic. Panasonic provided AVCCAM cameras and Dell Computer for this white paper. Sony
Vegas Pro 9 Software was provided by Silver Platter Productions, Inc.