I have a Sony XDCAM-EX clip at 1280x720p25 to be transcoded to ProRes, so it can be used as source for iMovie (for another user on another machine).
In principle it should be very simple: go on Mac, use Compressor to transcode the XDCAM footage to ProRes. But as usual, things are pernickety…
Sequence:
- First tried dragging the XDCAM [.mp4] file into compressor.
- Not recognised.
- Likewise the BPAV folder.
- Next, I transcoded the XDCAM footage to “MXF for NLEs” format, using the Mac version of Sony Clip Browser
- Not recognised.
- Next, opened the XDCAM Transfer app.
- In this app, open the XDCAM’s BPAV folder.
- The footage displays OK but how do I export it to a QuickTime [MOV] file?
- Looks like I can’t. It only offers to export to an [MP4] file.
- Instead, I guess I’ll have to open it from FCP.
- FCP
- I opened a random existing FCP project.
- The footage is 720p but the project/sequence settings are arbitrary (unknown to me)
- FCP: File > Import > Sony XDCAM…
- It imported to somewhere … but where?
- FCP Browser: file > RightClick > Reveal in Finder
- It was at [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_Media/_Projects/2010-05-30 (Esp) Alison Doggies/020 Source/Sony XDCAM Transfer/SxS_01]
- File System:
- In other words, at whatever destination was last used by some app – presumably XDCAM Transfer or possibly FCP
- The destination path was in fact specified in XDCAM Transfer, under its Menu: [XDCAM Transfer > Preferences > Import]
- Moved the file instead to [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_Media/_Projects/2009-11-22 (JRM) Lady of the Silver Wheel]
- Compressor:
- Open it in Compressor
- Drag it to the “job-strip” (my term) in Compresor.
- Compressor displays data about that clip (e.g. 1280×720, 25 fps)
- Select jobstrip settings:
- Select Setting
- Settings: Apple > Formats > QuickTime > Apple Pro
- Name: Apple ProRes 422
- Description: Apple ProRes 422 with audio pass-through. Settings based off the source resolution and frame rate
- Settings: Apple > Formats > QuickTime > Apple Pro
- Apply (Drag) Setting to Jobstrip
- Select Setting
- Destination
- Leave destination unspecified. Then it will be the same folder as Source.
- Processing (transcoding) of this footage (1280x720p25) took about 3 minutes (on MacBook Pro 2009).
- Result was not that much bigger than the original:
- Originally recorded [.MP4] file: 1.19 GB
- Rewrapped [.MOV] from XDCAM Transfer: 1.14 GB
- ProRes [.MOV] from Compressor: 1.97 GB
- Open it in Compressor