AVCHD: benign PsF and malignant PsF
I hope this helps someone. I'm re-posting this from a thread I orginally began at a Creative Cow forum. The links are worth a read if you are using AVCHD especially from a recent Canon camcorder (it appears that the files from the Canon DSLRs are genuine 30p and don't have this issue). I shoot with the Canon Vixia HF S100.
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"I spent what may have been too much time last night researching this, but here's what I came up with:
Writer Allan Tépper has a series of articles on just this issue and it's essentially new info as of the last month or so.
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In part 1 here,
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/atepper/story/psf8217s_missing_workf...
...he defines two new terms, benign PsF and malignant PsF. It appears that most of the Canon prosumer video camcorders like my Vixia HF S100 create the "malignant" type PsF file. In a nutshell, the camera creates a progressive file, but mis-tags it so that even the most recent versions of PP 5.5 and FCP X mistake it as an interlaced file. Here's more from Allan on this:
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/atepper/story/empsf8217s_missing_wor...
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/atepper/story/psf8217s_missing_workf...
It's explained that this file must be modified slightly so that the editing program can correctly identify the file as progressive. Otherwise, FCP X will try to de-interlace a file that doesn't need to be de-interlaced and will ultimately result in unwanted artifacts and lack of sharpness.
At this point, there appears to be two solutions:
http://www.rassoc.com/gregr/weblog/2011/12/02/editing-canon-30p-pf30-footag...
Solution 1 for Canon PF30 - Malignant PsF- Simply import into FCPX twice:
-Use Import From Camera to import your footage into Event 1.
-Then, use Import Files, and import the files in Final Cut Events / Event1 / Original Media – and put them into a new Event 2.
Solution 2 for Canon PF30 - Malignant PsF- Use ClipWrap to pre-wrap the .MTS files and FCP X will recognize them as Progressive.
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/atepper/story/psf8217s_missing_workf...
http://www.divergentmedia.com/blog/fullpost/announcing_clipwrap_244_update
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I will likely go with the ClipWrap solution as the free solution is just too many hoops for me to jump through to get work done. Once I've gotten the PF30 file correctly tagged as progressive, I will set up my new Project as 1280x720 HD, 29.97p and get to editing."
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I did end up buying the full version of ClipWrap yesterday and have started to re-wrap my files with the .MOV extension and it not only solves the PsF issue, but now allows me preview the files in QT 7, toss the not-needed files, and then re-name the needed files before importing into FCP X (which ultimately works better for my brain and workflow). Also, no more artifacts from my FCPX mis-interpreted 29.97p files. I have never been a big fan of the Camera Archive mess, so this also allows me to file away all my footage in a more understandable manner without having to first open FCP X.
Dave