vidding mkv files in premiere on a mac
If you're on a Mac, here's how to get your MKV or MP4 files into Premiere for vidding with no re-encoding and no clipping required.
This works for me on a base-level 2010 iMac with Premiere CS6 or CC.
1) Install MPEG Streamclip. It's free.
2) Dump your MKV file into MPEG Streamclip. Go to File/Save Track/Save Video Track. Choose MOV from the pull-down menu. Save.
3) Bang the resulting MOV file into Adobe Premiere.
4) (Optional) If you're starting a new vid, create a new sequence with any settings, take a small clip out of the MOV file, drop it into the sequence. When it asks, say yes, change sequence settings to match.
Note:
Putting the h264/x264 video track into an MOV container without an audio track seems to enable Premiere to work with the file much more efficiently. I vaguely guess that's because it's not trying to keep track of the audio in the file and maintain sync, but I have no real idea what the actual cause is, just that it works (and that leaving the audio in, or using an MP4 container, does NOT work -- the file can be loaded into Premiere but it is stuttery and hard or impossible to work with).
Having followed the above process, when I use the file in Premiere I can scroll rapidly through an entire episode or an entire 2.5-hour movie in the source window with no stuttering, and for previewing, I only need to render clips if they have effects applied.
Anyway, I post that for what use it may be for all of you!
You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth (
comments)
This works for me on a base-level 2010 iMac with Premiere CS6 or CC.
1) Install MPEG Streamclip. It's free.
2) Dump your MKV file into MPEG Streamclip. Go to File/Save Track/Save Video Track. Choose MOV from the pull-down menu. Save.
3) Bang the resulting MOV file into Adobe Premiere.
4) (Optional) If you're starting a new vid, create a new sequence with any settings, take a small clip out of the MOV file, drop it into the sequence. When it asks, say yes, change sequence settings to match.
Note:
Putting the h264/x264 video track into an MOV container without an audio track seems to enable Premiere to work with the file much more efficiently. I vaguely guess that's because it's not trying to keep track of the audio in the file and maintain sync, but I have no real idea what the actual cause is, just that it works (and that leaving the audio in, or using an MP4 container, does NOT work -- the file can be loaded into Premiere but it is stuttery and hard or impossible to work with).
Having followed the above process, when I use the file in Premiere I can scroll rapidly through an entire episode or an entire 2.5-hour movie in the source window with no stuttering, and for previewing, I only need to render clips if they have effects applied.
Anyway, I post that for what use it may be for all of you!
You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth (
comments)