I dont know if PPRO is using quicktime to nativly deal AVCHD 2.0 files from the NEX. I dont think it does. Only with encoding u could choose h.264 to encode the output files ...but i use quicktime photjpeg because it gives the best quality ...
Most people use 5d to rgb because of the clipping... never heard about noise issues... and also Premiere Pro uses CUDA for AVCHD
are u saing that PPro uses quicktime APIs in windows too? Because if what ur saing is true for just MAC systems then MAC users schould use 5dto RGB then... But in windows I have never ever heared of such problems with Noise because of Premiere using Quicktime API and also have never seen such a problem
The Problem discussed in this thread is clipping ... not Andrew, Yellow, me or other user talked about this "noise issue" ur talking about. If there really is som noise issue well then let us discuss it.
But when it comes to the conversion of rgb then I can assure u PPro is doing it nativly with 32bit percision, it does it LIVE when u pusch the sliders in the Fast Colour Corrector. 5dtoRGb is same conversion step but just fixed and also 32 bit