FCP & XDCAM?

Hi Guys,
New to the community, my question is,
I imported footage from XDCAM EX with the XDCAM Transfer software, as said in the manual, but I think something is wrong, because I went to check the file specifications and my data rate is just like an SD footage. It is around 4-6 Mbps.
Can somebody tell me if this is correct, because of the Mpeg4 format, or am I doing something wrong?
By the way I am not exactly thrilled with the quality of the image.
Thanks guys for you help in advance!
kolman

Hi David,
The Camera was on the highest quality settings 36Mbps CBR. I double checked the file in the finder and it does show it is at 36Mbps so I presume It appears in FCP like that because of the MPEG-2 compression.
My other concern is what I said about the quality before, I know this is not exactly FCP thing but if you using this camera maybe you know the answer.
I was shooting on the same day with an NX70, I was comparing the footages from both, and the NX70's footage has less noise on the same gain settings.
I just can not believe that a much more expensive pro line camera is giving a noisier footage than an entry level touch screen pro camera.
If you have input on this I would appreciate it!

Similar Messages

  • FCP / XDcam Transfer 2.70

    Has anyone successfully imported ALL metadata written to an XDcam HD disc into FCP using Sony's XDcam Transfer software?
    The metadata is viewable in XDcam Transfer 2.70, but only the Status Flag and Title fields make it into the FC project - not sadly, the Comment field - which is the only field with enough room to accurately describe a clip.

    Hi, I have the same problem and installed both drivers. However, I have been unsuccessful at importing clips into FCP using EX1. Everything is up to date including FCP.
    Here is the message I get when in FCP I go to File > Import > SONY XDCAM...
    Window pops up: "Installed Components"
    XDCAM Transfer needs the following QuickTime and system software components to provide complete support for the XDCAM product range. If any of these components are not currently installed, some features of the software will not be available.
    (here is the list of components with a green check mark at the left)
    - MPEG IMX Codecs
    - XDCAM HD (25Mb/s CBR) Codecs
    - XDCAM HD (VBR) Codecs
    - XDCAM EX Codecs
    - XDCAM HD422 Codecs
    - FAM Driver
    - XDCAM Drive-Compatible UDF Driver
    (and then there is the last component marked with a red exclamation point)
    - XDCAM Drive Software
    Which is:
    The XDCAM Drive file system driver from Sony is required to write to a PDW-U1 XDCAM Drive connected via the USB interface. This driver is part of the XDCAM Drive Software which is a free download from Sony.
    The Apple UDF driver in Mac OS X 10.4.11 and Mac OS X 10.5 is sufficient for read-only access to PDW-U1.
    I can't seem to install the driver and make this work.
    Do I need to do something in the camera to get the computer to recognize it? Does it need to be in camera mode and connected via USB?
    How do I get the files transfered to FCP from the EX1?
    Thanks you so much for any help.

  • FCP - XDCAM HD Transfer???

    Hi,
    Does anyone have any definitive info on how to rename discs (after shooting) while injesting footage via Sony XDCAM HD transfer software?
    Mac Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.10)  

    Name the Disc
    For best results, name the disc in the Finder before attempting to import the clips into Final Cut Pro. This prevents the possibility of having duplicate discs and clips with identical names. Rename the disc by selecting it in the Finder and choosing Get Info (Command-I). Type the new name in the Get Info window inside the Name & Extension box.
    Note: If the disc is write-protected or the deck is in Record-Inhibit mode, you will not be able to rename the disc. Once the name has been changed, eject the disc and reinsert it. This step is necessary in order for the XDCAM Transfer software to recognize the disc.
    You can seee the PDF here
    http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/markets/10014/docs/FCPXDCAMHDwhitepaper.pdf
    Even I have tried it & got it worked.

  • Why does a H264 mov looks better with FCP then with compressor

    Hi all,
    I was wondering why I get better results with making .mov in FCP/ QT Conversion then with Compressor 3.
    I've made a movie in FCP -(XDCam EX1080p 25 (35mb/s VBR). It must be exported to a H264 mov. 480x270. When I export it using FCP/QT Conversion it looks good.
    After exporting a movie with the same settings in FCP ((XDCam EX1080p 25 (35mb/s VBR), I use it in Compressor. But after rendering it looks aliasing, even with the same settings as in FCP.
    I want to work with compressor, so I can still work with FCP when I'm rendering a movie.
    Any ideas?

    does anybody know why?
    In simple terms, in order to edit your footage, iMovie needs a certain amount of data about each frame.
    In the compressed form stored on the all the necessary data isn't present, so the missing pieces have to be filled back in to allow you to edit. This process increases the file size.
    Once you've edited your movie it can then be re-compressed.
    Matt

  • Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere?

    Can comment which is better? Tks!

    While Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro might be similar in their feature sets, one thing that sets them apart is native codecs. While I've never personally used a Premiere PC, my workplace is a split-platform house, utilizing both PPro and FCP.
    So another question to ask yourself prior to purchasing either platform is, "what format do I plan on editing?". For example, my production facility is incorporating XDCAM HD as our primary field acquisition format. Thanks to Sony's free PDZK-P1 Transfer App written specifically for FCP, XDCAM HD can be edited natively. On the other hand, Adobe currently offers no native support for XDCAM HD, and has no plans to offer native support in the near future. They are relying strictly on 3rd party solutions, which can get really costly. Matrox Axio is a $4000 hardware-based solution for PPro. Quite a steep price to pay for "native editing".
    Just make sure you do your homework prior to any purchase.

  • XD CAM XML IMPORT ISSUE Deadline, please?

    Hi, tried to avoid the board, but have looking for hours.
    Tonight I received a project on an external for a project cut in XDCAM 1080p 30. As I'm on a lower version of FCP (5), I had the editor include an XML file of the cut project. I'll just be doing color correction within FCP.
    I've installed every codec plugin I can find for XDcam (the initial one time install as well as transfer plugins, and even a Perian component and still... CODEC NOT SUPPORTED, hardware etc. I've worked in 1080p before, on my G5 dual 2.0, 256 mb video card, 4gb, without issue, but it's late and I'm almost out of coffee. Pretty stressed, time crunch. Was hoping someone had an answer.
    Is it the XML? ...It's pretty late in the game to do an offline of the scratch, and I understand the color space or gamma might be different.
    Help? Please? Thanks!

    XDCAM comes in a variety of flavors .. at HD resolutions you're looking at XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX and XDCAM HD 422
    FCP's support for those different flavors was introduced as the formats were introduced and hence are or are not implemented depending on your version of FCP
    XDCAM HD support was available as of FCP 5.1.2
    XDCAM EX support became available as of FCP 6.0.2
    and XDCAM HD 422 support was introduced with FCP 6.0.3
    I'm guessing you've got the popular XDCAM EX variant .. which means you need an upgrade (btw $299 for FCP7 = great deal)

  • FCP 6.0.3 & XDCAM EX-1 - How are xdcam MPEG4 clips processed by FCP

    Greetings,
    I've been using XDCam Ex-1 clips in FCP for a while now.The FCP Sony XDCam import option is seamless, however now I need to send clients the QT .mov files of the clips for them to use on their systems - both FCP and Avid. I thought these were standard QT files but after importing they can see them in the viewer but when edited to time line its just black. I've had other problems with clients saying the QT files look 'jagged'. I've searched for a concise explanation of how FCP handles the BVAP files from the SXS cards but can't seem to find. Pls can someone explain what happens and what the limitations are or further exporting to enable the QT files to be user friendly. I need to know how does FCP unwrap the MPEG4 to make QT files. Are these standard QT that can can be viewed on any system or only Mac.? Current .mov files give the format as Apple XDCAM EX - does this mean without this codec others cannot import. If so, how can I send them the correct codec/version>?
    Very confused at this stage.
    Thanks
    Belinda

    Hi, He has FCP 6 operating on 10.4.11 and current QT 7 .4.5. He wants to pull .mov clips into FCP to edit with. I had the same problem with another client - also on Mac and they couldn't read the .mov files either. Also Mac based system but using AVID. Their comment was that its the XDCAM codec which prevents it even being played back on QT and that I needed to provide standard QT files??? This would mean exporting every single clip as a QT movie (so that the format doesn't read Apple XDCAM).
    I have hundreds of clips so this could take forever.
    Any suggestions?
    Thanks
    Belinda

  • Sony EX XDCAM from FCP MAC cannot be recognized by PC

    Not sure if this is a quick fix, but my CGI guy - who works by remote - cannot get his PC to recognize my XDCAM EX 108024p clips from my MAC - which I have exported as MXFs using the SONY XDCAM export option in Export>using qt conversion. I sent him the link to the driver, and he said it installed fine - but still his computer was not recognizing the MXF file. Does he need a program to convert?
    Basically, I am looking for a lossless way to give him my Sony EX1 files that he can work with on his PC (in studio max) and then export to a lossless format that I don't have to render in FCP.
    Any tips or suggestions most welcome. This is my first time editing a program with EX 1 files in FCP.

    I'm using the Sony XDCAM transfer 2.5.1 to bring in the clips from card into FCP. The clip browser I downloaded yesterday and I tried to get it to recognize an MXF file that I had exported from FCP using the sony xdcam plug-in (but it did not). I guess I can only use the MP4s to convert to MXF? Is there a difference going from FCP compared to Clip Browser? I want to be able to export cut sequences so that the CGI guy can composite...
    Message was edited by: thecuz

  • XDCAM EX and FCP 6

    Loaded footage from the new XDCAM EX directly into my Macbook Pro and Intel Mac. FCP 6 worked perfect and editing is great (very fast). I imported each type of video recording format and had no problems. The only issue I ran into was when I sent footage to Color. The grading, rendering and export back to FCP went smooth, but for some reason playback on the timeline was very jerky. I'm still testing it out, but so far I'm very content. All the footage I loaded was HQ 35mbit and ranged from 1080/30p to 720/24p.

    yes, the colors are as brilliant but would probably not stand up to be pushed as far as you can with images that are native 4:2:2 ... its all horses for courses gogi. if your world revolves around a hardwired necessity for 4:2:2 then any current flavour of xdcam hd wont float your boat. the next generation is due to bring 4:2:2 xdhd starting with the F700. for the time being the EX1 just brings true full raster 1080 HD ... you can read Adam Wilts review here at cinematograher.com:
    http://www.uemedia.net/CPC/cinematographer/articles/article_16640.shtml

  • FCP 7 crashes on XDCAM full HD edit

    Final Cut Pro 7 crashes unexpectedly while editing on Full HD (1080i50). I copied the data directly from and SXS card of AN EX3 XDCAM. I was using n AZA KONA 3 with the following system configuration-
    12GB DDR2 RAM
    2 X Intel Xeon Quad Core 2.6 ghz
    3 x Internal Seagate Barracuda XT on Striped RAID (6tb)
    1 x standard mac drive (640gb)
    NVIDIA GT 120 (512 MB)
    i moved in from 6GB RAM and had to buy 3 additional drives just to sort out the problem but stil i am not able to edit HD with ease so i had to go about changing my card.
    now i upgraded to a BLACKMAGIC DECKLINK EXTREME HD.
    But instead of solving the problem, now my FCP is crashing even more.
    Please Help.

    Hi there and welcome to the forums,
    sorry for your woes, couple of things to check first
    1. whats your clip and sequence settings, do they match? you did use l&t to get your material in yes?
    2. tried trashing prefs etc?
    3. re XDCAM, there are several incidents of this nature about - do a search on this forum and here
    http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1108980
    IMO mixing XDCAM and any other format in the project/timeline is a recipe for disaster so if you have mixed formats either transcode all to pro res or if thats not practical, transcode non xdcam cam to xdcam.
    Also try turning off thumbnails and only having 1 sequence open at a time. and try taking your I/O box out of the equation to see if that helps.
    Good luck
    Andy
    Andy

  • SONY XDCAM LOG and TRANSFER CRASHING FCP

    I am trying to log and transfer xd cam footage. every time i open the log and transfer window, FCP crashes. What is the cleanest way to get rid of the xdcam plugin.
    the error message reads:
    The application Final Cut Pro quit unexpectedly after it was relaunched. The problem may have been caused by the SonyXDCAM plug-in.
    I have tried to get rid of it and obviously failed because i keep getting that message which tells me it's still there.
    Can someone give me a step by step on how to get rid of it?
    Model Name: Mac Pro
    Model Identifier: MacPro3,1
    Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
    Processor Speed: 3.2 GHz
    Number Of Processors: 2
    Total Number Of Cores: 8
    L2 Cache (per processor): 12 MB
    Memory: 8 GB
    Bus Speed: 1.6 GHz

    Shane's Stock Answer #44: FCP acting weird or unusual. Just not like is normally should
    If the program was working fine, and now isn't, or just isn't working the way it should, the first things to do are:
    1) Trash your FCP preferences. Download the Preference Manager from Digital Rebellion: http://www.digitalrebellion.com/pref_man.htm
    http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/trashing_fcpprefs.html
    2) Open the Disk Utility and Repair Permissions.
    3) Shut down for 10 min. Go for a quick walk around the block and get SOME exercise today. Come back, turn on the computer and see how things are.
    4) (optional) Do the Hokey Pokey and turn your self about. Results may vary.
    Shane

  • XDCAM movs from FCP

    I'm currently working on a project in Premiere Pro CS5 with material originally sourced from FCP as XDCAM-EX 1080p 25fps. Unfortunately the original BPAVs are currently unable to be located & I've had to use the transcoded .movs which FCP creates. I have purchased the Calibrated XD Decode codec & installed & this appears to work (the watermark has disappeared at least). However playback is stuttering after a couple of seconds of playback. I know my laptop has enough processing power as it can playback the clips in Quicktime Pro without stuttering.
    FYI Laptop is a G73JW with Intel i7940QM running 8gb RAM, 500GB drive, nVidia GTX460M graphics. Normally this handles the BPAVs without any issues affecting performance. I'm wondering whether it's the 32bit Quicktime translation that might be causing this.
    Once rendered these clips playback fine but obviously this would not be an ideal workflow. As I am creating split screen effect edits & plan to export them for another FCP editor to work on I'm all ears for any ideas on the best way to do this.
    Thanks

    As chance would have it, I was just discussing this issue with Greg from Calibrated Software (very helpful guy!) yesterday via email. I'm going to be purchasing the DV50/DVCPROHD decoders, but had previously tried XD Decode, and noticed the slowdown. This is what he had to say:
    Per the XML file - yep it can be used with Calibrated{Q} XD Decode for Windows too.
    Basically
    the XML file is modified from the one that comes with PPro - and it
    just tells Adobe CS5 applications (AE and PPro) that our Decode codecs
    support native YUV decoding - thus PPro will ask our Decode codecs for
    YUV frames which in turn makes the performance/playback much much
    faster.
    Without the XML file, PPro asks our
    codecs for 8-bit RGB frames - which then takes a big hit on playback -
    as our codecs must first decompress the data to YUV and then convert the
    YUV to RGB and then hand to PPro. The XML file let's PPro know that it
    can just ask for the YUV frames directly.
    You can get the XML file and instructions here: Why are XDCAM/HDV MOV files not playing back in realtime on my computer?

  • Comparing options for editing XDCAM in FCP?

    Hello, I'm setting up an edit with 200+ hours of footage for a 90 minute project. It's shot mostly in XDCAM HD 60i. My goal is to get 2 or 3 editors through a multi-month edit while minimizing crashes as the assembly gets longer and the FCP projects get bigger... We expect to have a few other sources that come in as Apple Pro Res 422 or HDV. As far as delivery, we don't know of any reason why we'd have to deliver in XDCAM. We think it'll be graded in Pro Res 422.
    Here's what I think I understand from poring over the forum... 3 project setups to choose from, The question is, if you can afford to do it, is C the preferred setup in terms of project stability for a long-haul edit?
    (Setup A) The most basic route, editing natively in an XDCAM sequence, with render setting switched to Pro Res 422, has worked for some editors... but not if they start mixing codecs in their sequence...
    (Setup B) Shane has suggested a few times to just edit in a Pro Res 422 Sequence. Shane, or others--could you clarify please, do you mean keep the XDCAM media but edit it in a sequence with Apple Pro Res 422 Preset? Also, what does it do better than the above? (Is it less crashy or does it let you mix formats?)
    (Setup C) Several  editors here have suggested transcoding all the XDCAM camera footage to Apple Pro Res 422 and editing in that... If you can afford the storage space and the transcode time. Is that the clear winner?
    If so, what's the best way to transcode in terms of video quality & workflow -- Media Manager, Compressor or any other software? Within compressor, is it better to choose "Apple Pro Res 422 for interlaced media" or just plain "Apple Pro Res 422"? (Again, shot in 60i) Would anyone recommend modifiying a Compressor setting for better results?
    Also, this last one is just for curiousity... why is a clip in .MXF so close in size to the .mov that is produced when you import to FCP with XDCAM browser? My colleagues and I were thinking of .mxf files as "compressed" versions of the clips you'll edit with, but do they have the same  amount of compression, just one is in an .mov wrapper?
    Many Thanks to all!
    Jen

    >(Setup B) Shane has suggested a few times to just edit in a Pro Res 422 Sequence. Shane, or others--could you clarify please, do you mean keep the XDCAM media but edit it in a sequence with Apple Pro Res 422 Preset? Also, what does it do better than the above? (Is it less crashy or does it let you mix formats?)
    Yes, that is what I mean.  Make a 1920x1080 ProRes 422 sequence, and edit the XDCAM in that sequence. If you have other formats, convert them to ProRes 422 if you can, or if they are other native formats like DVCPRO HD or HDV, they will mix fine. AVCHD, H.264...those get converted to ProRes.
    This is better than Option A when mixing footage types. So if you have ProRes, XDCAM, HDV, DVCPRO HD, DV...this is the way to do it.
    Setup C...if you have the time and space....is a fine option too.  But Setup B has always worked fine for me and I see no benefit to transcoding, other than not having a render bar.
    >Also, this last one is just for curiousity... why is a clip in .MXF so close in size to the .mov that is produced when you import to FCP with XDCAM browser?
    MXF and Quicktime are just "wrappers" that house the footage CODEC.  Like AVI is the Windows wrapper of choice.  MXF can be DVCPRO HD, XDCAM...a host of other formats.  What FCP does is take the MXF media, the codec, and just wraps it into Quicktime so FCP can read it better.  Just changing how it is housed, not the codec. So the sizes are exactly the same.

  • What earliest version of FCP will handle XDCAM EX?

    A client is wanting to work with footage I've just shot ... the footage is XDCAM EX ... the client has FCP 6.06.  I have whatever the latest FCP is so I don't know if ver. 6.06 will handle the XDCAM-EX.  If it does I can just send him the .mov files burned to DVD and he's on his way.
    If the ver. 6.06 doesn't handle the XDCAM-EX I'm wondering what might be the best codec to convert everything to before sending it?  What codec his 6.06 could cut comfortably (as close to XDCAM as possible)?
    All ears,
    Ben

    Just FYI:
    Support for XDCAM EX CBR codecs was inherent in FCP since version 5 and augmented in releases 5.1.2 and 5.1.4 (basically we're talking about the Apple HDV codec bundle here).
    Support for XDCAM EX VBR codecs was introduced in FCP 6.0.2
    Regarding import methods, you can use the free Sony XDCAM EX Log and Transfer plugin for FCP to allow you to use FCP's built in tapeless media ingest system ... but that is (apparently) flawed as it doesn't allow you to really do anything with FCP whilst it is doing its thing, you have to mark up your clips in L&T, set them to import, and then walk away till its done ... to my mind, that blows much of the advantage of a tapeless workflow out the water.  Instead you can use the free Sony XDCAM Transfer application. This allows you to log and transfer your clips to FCP in it's standalone interface ... you can mark up a clip or clips, press import, and those clips are then imported in the background whilst you continue to work in XDCAM Transfer and/or edit in FCP without issue. Or there is a newer tool from Sony called XDCAM Browser (aka XDB)  - this is not Sony's EX Clip Browser app, thats a different app meant for managing you original EX footage (good for making verified copies of your camera originals) but its not for making QT files. XDB is Sony's new unified app approach, combining the functions of Clip Browser and XDCAM Transfer in a single app, but presently does not allow for background importing whilst continuing to work in the app itself (ie its modal, but you can still work in FCP tho as thats a separate app). I'd personally tend to continue to recommend using XDCAM Transfer 2.12 for best functionality at this time, or the Log and Transfer plugin if you don't mind the current limitations inherent in FCP's Log and Transfer interface
    Hope it helps
    Andy

  • FCP 7 L & T, pro res or XDcam?

    Hi
    When I use log and transfer in FCP 7 latest, do I need to bring the video in as Pro Res into the bins since I'll be making my sequences Pro Res? Or do I just bring the material in via L & T as is, which is XDcam 1920 30p, and edit easily on Pro Res timeline?
    In fact is there even a way to bring it in as another codec than what it was recorded in? Not used L & T before.
    Thanks
    K

    Hi K
    The current crop of file based ingest options for XDCAM HD are all native ie without transcode. You have Sony's free XDCAM Transfer tool or (via a free Sony authored plugin) you can use FCP's own built-in Log and Transfer interface, but in both cases it is the native source footage being brought in to FCP albeit with a new "wrapper" added to the which makes them accessible to Quicktime, not a transcode to an altogether different intermediate codec. Alternatively you can adopt a commercial solution such as MXF4Mac's or Calibrated Software's MXF Import, either of which will allow you to work directly with the raw MXF files in Quicktime without the otherwise necessary rewrap, again no transcode.
    As to your questions, my personal answer would be "No" you don't need to transcode to ProRes. You can easily work directly with the XDCAM HD files in a ProRes timeline, or you can edit with them directly in a native XDCAM HD timeline (but if you do that I would recommend you set the render codec to ProRes).
    If you do want to capture to another codec then you can use an I/O device like those provided by Matrox, AJA, Blackmagic Design, Motu etc Or you can bring the footage in as per the above and then recompress to your target codec using FCP's Media Manager tool.
    Hope it helps
    Andy

Maybe you are looking for