To Transcode or Not to Transcode

With the release of Premiere Pro CS5 earlier this year, the topic of native editing, and more specifically, native DSLR editing has been a big one…worldwide. From literally every country I’ve visited, people are discovering the power of DSLR video and leveraging it to it’s fullest. But the questions I’m continually asked are, “Why does Final Cut Pro/Avid Media Composer force you to transcode? Why don’t you transcode in Premiere?”

This is generally followed by, “Surely, transcoding to an intermediate codec leads to better/more accurate color grading, higher bit depths, faster performance, etc…right?”

Well, the short is answer is: No. There are many misconceptions about transcoding, largely stemming from its long-standing traditional use. But as Dylan once sang, “The times, they are a-changin’…” and the same can be said for the way we work in our NLEs specifically, Premiere Pro CS5.

So, I decided to record a short (less than 9 minute) tutorial on ‘Staying Native or Going Intermediate’ to try and clarify some of these misconceptions, and educate users as to when, how, and why you might/might not stay native or move to an intermediate codec.

Staying Native or Going Intermediate? Transcoding and Premiere Pro CS5 from Jason Levine on Vimeo.

As mentioned in the video, this is not meant in any way to ’slam’ or ‘cut down’ on anyone’s personal choices for editing/workflow, nor am I stating that there’s no place for transcoding~there most definitely are great benefits in certain workflows. These are simple truths that I hope will provide some clarification.

Blog on.

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