AVCHD Performance in Studio

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AVCHD is a high definition recording format that requires a more powerful computer to edit than HDV or standard definition video. This format is supported in Studio version 12 and higher.


The minimum system requirements that are needed for Studio 12 and 14 for AVCHD editing are as follows:


This information is detailed in the following FAQs:
What are the system requirements for Studio 12?
What are the system requirements for Studio 14?


What to expect if your system is below the required specifications

If machine is below the required specifications, it is likely that you will observe preview freezing and/or an exclamation mark in preview window. General sluggish performance may be expected as well.

If background rendering is on (it is on by default), the preview should appear smoother once it completes. However, it would still not play as smooth as if the system met the system requirements.


What to expect if your system meets the required specifications

If more than two video streams are played simultaneously it is likely that you will observe preview freezing, dropped frames in the preview window, and/or an exclamation mark in preview window. For example, if two clips plus a push transition are on the primary video track and picture-in-picture is on the overlay video track, preview freezing, dropped frames, and/or an exclamation mark in the preview window may occur.

If many effects are being background rendered this also might happen. Background rendering is prioritized in such a way to optimize preview. This can change though if the timeline scrubber is moved around during background rendering, causing Studio to reset its rendering "plan." So when previewing a project while background rendering is underway, it is best to let Studio work and not move the scrubber around.

Summary

In summary, AVCHD Performance in Studio is linked to video preview. If below the minimum specifications, or if the specifications are met but "too much" is requested, then Studio may fail to preview. Please note that whether a system is below or above the minimum specifications, CPU and memory usage will likely be moderate to high when using AVCHD video. So for best performance, avoid running any other system intensive applications at the same time as Studio.

Tips

You may find that the following tips help to improve editing performance with AVCHD editing

  1. Ensure that the computer used to edit AVCHD video meets the required specifications.
  2. In the Video and audio preferences uncheck "Enable background rendering".
  3. In the Video and audio preferences uncheck "Enable full-resolution preview".
  4. When working with AVCHD video, do not to run any extra applications in the background.

 

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