User Manual

50 | CHAPTER 2

After importing is complete, the video from the disc is added to the Project Media window. Each chapter is imported as a separate

file. You can then add the imported video to your project just like any other media file.

Working with AVCHD video

You can edit files recorded with AVCHD camcorders just like any other supported media type on the timeline.

This section will guide you through the process of using AVCHD video in your Vegas Pro project.

Shoot your video with a Sony AVCHD camcorder.

Use the Device Explorer to browse and import clips (.m2ts files) from your camera to your local hard drive. For more

information, see Using the Device Explorer on page 60.

Start a new Vegas Pro project, and set your project properties to the format that most closely matches your desired output

format. For more information, see Modifying project video properties on page 284.

For example, if you intend to burn the video to an NTSC DVD, choose NTSC DV (720x480, 29.970 fps) from the Template drop-

down list on the Video tab of the Project Properties dialog. If you want to create a 4.8 Mbps high-definition Windows Media

Video file, choose HDV 720-24p (1280x720, 23.976 fps).

Add the AVCHD files that you copied in step 2 to your project. For more information, see Getting media files on page 41.

Drag your clips from the Project Media window to the timeline to create events.

Edit your project as needed. For more information, see Editing events on page 78.

Render your project to any supported rendering format. For more information, see Rendering a project on page 365.

If you want to render to AVCHD format and export the rendered file to an AVCHD camera, please use the following steps:

Verify that your Vegas Pro project is set to 5.1 surround mode.

In the Render As dialog, choose Sony AVC/MVC in the Output Format box.

Use one of the following templates:

• AVCHD 1440x1080 NTSC 5.1 Surround

• AVCHD 1920x1080 NTSC 5.1 Surround

• AVCHD 1440x1080 PAL 5.1 Surround

• AVCHD 1920x1080 PAL 5.1 Surround

Note:

5.1-channel audio will be downmixed to stereo when importing into a stereo project. When importing into a 5.1 surround

project, audio will be added to separate tracks for the center, front, rear, and LFE channels.

Note:

If you want to render to AVCHD format and export the rendered file to an AVCHD camera, use the following steps:

Verify that your Vegas Pro project is set to 5.1 surround mode.

In the Render As dialog, choose Sony AVC from the Save as type drop-down list.

Use the AVCHD NTSC 5.1 Surround or AVCHD PAL 5.1 Surround rendering template.

If you choose to use the Custom Template dialog to customize your rendering template, leave all settings at their default values

except for the Bit rate control. The default Bit rate setting should work for most applications.

To save the rendered file to your camera, you’ll need to use the software that was supplied with your camera.

Tip:

If you have a supported video card, Vegas Pro can use your GPU to improve AVC rendering performance. You can turn

GPU-accelerated encoding on or off by adjusting the Encode mode setting on the Video tab of the Custom Settings dialog for a Sony

AVC rendering template. Choose Automatic or Render using GPU if available to render using the GPU, or choose Render using

CPU only to turn off GPU-accelerated encoding.

GPU-accelerated rendering performance will vary depending on your specific hardware configuration. If you have an older CPU and

a newer GPU, rendering using the GPU may improve render times. For the latest information about supported hardware, please see

our Web site at http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro/gpuacceleration.