Archive for the ‘XDCAM EX’ Category

Tuesday, February 18th, 2014

Suppose you have timecoded footage etc. from an intermittent shoot of a long event.  Perhaps there were also multiple cameras, but for whatever reason (e.g. huge outdoor site) there is no common audio with which to synchronize them.  Wouldn’t it be nice if the NLE (or whatever) could auto-populate a Sequence with clips placed appropriately in (timecode-) time on it?

As noted in an earlier post, Adobe Premiere can’t do this, but Avid and Edius can.  I already use Avid, so that will be my auto-arranging tool of choice.

In Avid (Media Composer 7.0.2):

  • Set Project Settings for media type as per source footage
    • Unlike Premiere, Avid doesn’t have such Sequence-specific settings.
  • Import the footage
    • I found it ok to use AMA – no need to Ingest to MXF etc.
    • And yes, at the end of all this, it transferred (by AAF) from Avid to Premiere ok.
  • Menu:[Windows > Workspaces > Source/Record Editing]
    • To reinstate the Timeline – after it closed when I deleted the bad seq
  • Bin:
    • Sort the clips into order by Timecod
      • Shouldn’t matter in principle but it did appear to in practice…
    • Select all required clips
    • Do [Bin > AutoSequence]
    • A new sequence gets created, with the clips placed in time.
      • The sequence gets auto-named as per the last clip in the selection.
      • The sequence’s starting-timecode is auto-set to that of the earliest clip in timecode-time (among the selection)
  • Tip:
    • Timeline Zoom in/out = Ctrl-] / Ctrl-[ respectively.

I will post separately on how to Export from Avid and Import to Premiere via AAF (Advanced Authoring Format).  It worked, even for my AMA-linked footage (Sony XDCAM EX  / BPAV) – though  it wasn’t as straightforward as I expected – due to “a known issue with AAF in Premiere Pro CC (7.2.1)“.  It did succeed with Premiere CS6 (6.0.5), though even then some clunky wrangling was found necessary.  Thereafter I opened an existing Premiere CC project and Imported the CS6 sequence successfully.  Again I had to double-check the Sequence (this time in Premiere) matched the footage (clips).

Adobe Premiere CC: [Undo]: Media non-Unreplace (& Work-around)

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013

I discovered by accident that, although one can do ProjectPane:[aClip >RtClk> Replace Footage…], a subsequent Undo will not un-replace (restore previous) footage.  I raised this topic at http://forums.adobe.com/message/5778585, and subsequent discussions resulted in a confirmation that indeed this is Premiere’s normal behavior but that there is a reasonable work-around.

So what was the work-around?

  • My footage happened to be XDCAM-EX, denying me the possibility of simply doing a further [Replace Footage…]. This is because the browser associated with [Replace Footage…] was only a File-Browser, not a Media Browser.  Consequently it would list individual component files of the XDCAM-EX folder-structure, but not the single overall high-level sense of “Clip” represented by that structure.
    • XDCAM-EX footage needs special treatment because it is file-structure based and spanned, broadly like AVCHD.  To get such footage properly into Premiere, it is necessary to use the Media Browser, and not simply to drag in the [.mp4] “essence” files within that file-structure.  It is ok to drag from Media Browser to Project pane, because that operation recognizes all relevant information in the file-structure, displaying it as a single clip at the highest level, possibly spanning over more than one [.mp4] file.  The Media Browser hides such detail from the user.
  • My next (unsuccessful) workaround-attempt did work but was clunky.  This was to re-import the original footage via Media Browser, so it appeared in the Project pane, then select it, then go down to each relevant clip on the timeline and in each case do a [Replace with clip] using [From bin], i.e. the original footage in the Project pane.  However, while any metadata (e.g. “Log Notes”) on the original item (prior to replacement) got transferred to the replacement footage, that metadata was not “inherited” by the fresh import of the same original footage, so it had to be copied across manually.
    • Ugh!
  • The best work-around was explained (by Jim Simon, in a thread on the Adobe Premiere forum) as follows:
    • In Project pane, do an offline-and-relink, e.g. via [aClip >RightClick> Make Offline] followed by [aClip >RightClick> Link Media…], which does give the option of using Media Browser.
      • NB: When I initially tried that, the Locate Media Browser (a fresh instance of Media Browser, in a pop-up window) opened in File mode.  However, by clicking that browser’s “eye” button, it was possible to select XDCAM-EX mode (among others). This behavior is unlike that of the main Media Browser, which selects the camera-specific mode automatically.

After Effects (etc.) CS6: Workflows for XDCAM-EX Footage

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

As remarked in an earlier blog entry, I was concerned about how best to import/use XDCAM-EX footage in an After Effects CS, especially when that footage could be spanned across more than one [.mp4] file, especially given that their contents can overlap.  In Premiere this is not an issue, because its (new) Media Browser feature provides instead a higher-level view, of clips rather than lower-level [.mp4] essence-files.

Sadly, as yet, AE CS6 has no equivalent of the Media Browser.

Best workaround:

  • In Premiere, use Media Browser to import an XDCAM-EX clip, then copy it and paste that “virtual” clip into AE.

Workflows involving Adobe Prelude:

  • The web-search record (below) not only provides the foundation for the above statements, it also contains an explanation of the different workflows (e.g. whether or not to sort/trim/rename clips in Prelude).  Some workflows are best for short-form (typically involving tens of footage-clips) while other workflows may be more appropriate for long-form (hundreds or thousands of clips).

(more…)

Adobe After Effects CS6: XDCAM-EX Readability Glitch (Solution: Reboot)

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

While editing an Adobe Premiere CS6 project based on XDCAM-EX footage (from an EX3), I thought I’d enhance the footage in After Effects (where more sophisticated enhancement effects than in Premiere are available).  Should be easy I thought, taking advantage of the CS6 suite’s Dynamic Link feature.

In Premiere, I selected the relevant clip and did [RightClick > Replace With After Effects Composition].  As expected, this opened After Effects, with the appropriate dynamic link to Premiere…

…BUT…

All I got on the Preview in After Effects, and indeed back in Premiere,  was Color Bars.  I assumed this indicated some kind of failure in After Effects.

Naively, I concluded that, on my system at least, After Effects CS6 could not read XDCAM-EX.  A brief web-search (further below) revealed user experiences and video convertor article-adverts implying that I was not alone with this problem.  But an Adobe blog entry suggested that no such problem existed in AE CS6 and some and Adobe documentation (pdf) said so explicitly.  For the moment then, I was confused…

Then I rebooted and tried again.  This time it worked.  I succeeded in making AE projects both by directly importing the footage (as mp4 files) in AE and via Dynamic Link from Premier.

The direct import dialog was slightly weird though: it claimed it was listing “All Acceptable Files” but these included not only [.mp4] files but also e.g. [.smi] files, which, when I selected one of these it complained: “…unsupported filetype or extension”.   Incidentally, the reason I tried it at all was that XDCAM-EX is a spanned format, where a single recording can be spanned/split/spread over multiple [.mp4] files. Furthermore, there can be an overlap of content from one [.mp4] to the next (in a span), so in principle (I haven’t tried it), simply placing one [.mp4] after another on the timeline would give rise to a (short) repetition at each transition (from one [.mp4] to the next).

But this is already over-long for a single blog-post, so I’ll deal with that issue in a separate post.

(more…)

Adobe Premiere CS6: Nested Sequences: Slow Response to Play-Button (Re-buffering? Re-parsing?)

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

Context:

  • I had a Sequence  containing two video tracks, each having a pair of (associated) audio tracks.
    • Sequence Properties: 1080p, square pixels, 25 fps.
    • One track contained a single continuous clip of duration just over one hour[01:02:46:10].
      • Properties: 1080p, square pixels, 25 fps.
      • Format: Sony XDCAM-EX: MPEG2 @ 35 Mbps VBR: MPEG2HD35_1920_1080_MP@HL
    • The other track contained a number of discrete clips, intermittently spaced over that time.
      • Properties: 1080i, fat pixels (PAR=4/3), 25 fps (50 fields/sec), UFF.
      • Format: Sony Z1 HDV: MPEG2 @ 25Mbps CBR
  • This sequence, as it stood, played fine.
  • Then I nested that sequence (seqA)  inside another sequence (seqB).
    • Still played fine

Problem:

  • Then I did some multicam “music video” edits, mostly near the end of the sequence
    • Now, when I hit the spacebar to play seqB, there is a delay of several seconds before playing actually begins.
  • If I try re-creating from scratch, by nesting seqA inside new seqC then seqC plays fine.
  • If I try copying the multicam-edited elements of seqB (the multicam edit-sequence) into new seqD (a new multicam edit-sequence) then the sluggish response to [Play] still occurs.
    • Doh!  I had hoped that would be a simple workaround..

Partial Workaround:

  • Following web-advice regarding a broadly-similar issue with multicamera sequences comprising spanned clips (e.g. AVCHD or Canon’s H264) , I tried transcoding the footage to GoPro-Cineform
    • Based on Adobe’s workaround-advice regarding broadly similar problems with long hence spanned AVCHD footage.  My footage is not AVCHD, but the main clip is Sony XDCAM-EX, which has some features (like spanning) in common with AVCHD.  Worth a shot!
      • On a 4-Core i7 PC with GPU, it encoded at about real-time, which in my case was about an hour.  CPU was only 25% i.e. equivalent to a single core
    • Replaced the relevant clip in seqA.
      • To my delight, the clip-markers (in that clip in seqA) were retained/applied in that replacement footage.
  • However, the sluggish [Play]-start remained, though possibly shortened, from about 6 seconds to 4 seconds.

Further Workaround:

  • Duplicate seqA
  • Nest it in a separate multicam sequence (seqE)
  • Do multicam edits on further segments of the event in that (seqE)
    • Intend later to nest/sequence usable bits of each multicam edit-sequence in a Master sequence.
  • Where there’s a will, there’s a workaround…
    • Still, I expect better of Adobe…
    • I lost about 3 hours to this (including web-searching, waiting transcoding and general experimentation).

Further gripes:

  •  God it’s clunky!
    • Every time I stop multicam-preview to tweak the multicam cut timings, then return to multicam editing, I have to remember to activate the multicam monitor, not the timeline (where the tweaks are done).  Unfortunately my reflex is simply to hit the spacebar.  It is a nuisance to have to fight that reflex…
    • Every time I stop multicam-preview, it leaves a cut at the final position of the playhead.  Not useful and simply clutters the timeline, distracting from real cuts.
    • Zoom [+] only affects the Timeline, not the multicam monitor.  As a result, I tend to set the playhead position using the timeline.  Doh! must remember to click (activate) back to the multicam monitor once more…
    • Ranged (duration not zero) markers are great but adjusting their right-hand end can be tricky, since this can change the playhead and/or timeline-display.  Things snatch and interact that shouldn’t (I feel).
    • Sony Vegas is far better in these respects, though not in some others, so I’m sticking with Adobe…
  • Unexpected Preview-Rendering is happening…!?  How come?
    • In principle, that shouldn’t be happening?   I have a state-of -the-art (4-core i7 & GPU) laptop specifically for CS6, no effects applied, just cutting between two cameras, some plain dissolves (between segments of the multicam sequence) – but surely the Mercury Engine should take them in its stride?  (or can’t it cope yet with multicam?).

    (more…)

    Adobe Premiere – Source Media Adulteration

    Saturday, November 10th, 2012

    Sometimes Adobe Premiere may write to a source media file or proprietary folder-structure.  This may be considered a non-problem in most situations, but it is nevertheless worth being aware of.

    This is nothing hidden, surreptitious or unheard-of, it’s explained in Adobe’s Help text and documentation.  However the potential consequences may not be obvious to a new user.  It may arise at various points of what we may regard as the greater process (workflow/manual) of ingesting media, consisting not only of Premiere’s Import of media but also subsequent manual updating of metadata or indeed automatic analysis such as speech recognition.  As of CS6 it can also occur as a result of adding Markers in Adobe Prelude.

    Premiere likes to add and manage metadata for each media file.

    • The good side of this is that it value-enhances these files, making them easier to locate, navigate and use, potentially increasing workflow productivity and asset usage.
    • But there’s also a dark side – not necessarily Adobe’s fault (e.g. their approaches may well adhere to official media specifications) – but it may be that so-adulterated media files may cause difficulties to other applications (e.g. that may not fully take on board such standards).
      • In my experience, in the past, some (possibly poorly-written, but nevertheless useful) applications have refused to work with metadata-augmented files, again holding up productivity, in this case while the user figures out the issue and works out how to strip this data out, in order to progress.
      • Technically a non-problem, but potentially consequential to a workflow, backup software will (rightly, from its point of view) see the metadata-change as a file-change (e.g. as a consequent file-size change) and consider that the files have been updated.   Left to itself, the backup process (depending how it works/configured) will overwrite any previous copy of the files (e.g. the original files).   Even if the backup process prompts the user to confirm this, the naive user may be uncertain what to do,

    Also, the user has the option at their discretion for Premiere to automatically store additional files (such as cache files and metadata sidecar files) alongside source media files.

    • In the case of media represented as a straightforward single file (like a .jpg or .mpg file) this does not affect that media.
    • However some media (e.g. TV-playable DVDs or XDCAM-EX video media) are stored as proprietary folder structures with defined contents, part of these contents being essence files (e.g. .vob files or .mp4 files) while other files alongside them etc. in that structure (e.g. DVD’s .IFO files or XDVCAM-EX’s .SMI files) contain metadata or index into them etc.  In this case, the consequence of adding further files into the structure will (in my experience) be acceptable to some applications and media players but not to others, which regard it as “pollution”, and may then reject such structures.  Certainly in the past I have seen this happen in some software applications and also even some (mostly old) TV DVD players.

    This is a case for “situational awareness”: if one is aware of the nature and potential consequences of the adulteration (be it regarded as pollution or enhancement, depending on the workflow situation), one is then in a better position to be able to avoid or fix any asociated issues. (more…)

    Sony EX3 Noise & Bits-Resolution

    Monday, November 5th, 2012

    It looks to me like it is worth recording from a Sony EX3 in 10-bit when there will be subsequent Neat Video -type temporal denoising in post.

    I tried a quick-and-dirty experiment, confirming that, despite the relatively high noise of the Sony EX3 (as compared to mainstream broadcast video cameras), high bitrate 10-bit 4:2:2 recording offers a greater potential than 8-bit 4:2:0  when the Neat Video type of temporal denoising (motion-compensated, I think) is applied in post.

    I have yet to dig-down into this, e.g. to see how it would be affected by dropping down to “8-bit but still high-bandwidth” recording, hence I can only conclude that the combination of high bandwidth, 10-bit and 4:2:2 is beneficial.

    The experiment:

    • Make an extremely low-light recording on the EX3, in 1080 50i mode.
    • Import it to a SD resolution project in Adobe Premiere.
      • No “scale to project size”, hence pixel-for-pixel, with the HD clip therefore appearing to be “zoomed”.
    • Compare the original to a copy that had the following affects applied:
      • Fast Color Corrector
        • Input-range (0, 1.6, 114), to brighten the (deliberately) under-exposed image.
        • Increase Saturation to 200.
      • Remove Noise (Neat Video)
        • Temporal noise reduction only, radius 4 (frames).

    Make the comparison via Preview:

    • Set resolution to 100%, image size to Full.
    • Render the result, i.e. so timeline had green lines not red.
    • Compare by eye.
      • The unprocessed 8-bit (XDCAM-EX) and 10-bit (Cineform-High) recordings appeared identical i.e. very noisy.
      • The denoised 8-bit looked slightly better but the denoised 10-bit looked very significantly better, indeed just about usable.

    Using an XCDAM-EX Video Camera as a Webcam

    Thursday, September 20th, 2012

    If you put an XDCAM-EX camera in 1080-SP mode then it generates HDV, which is 1440×1080 but with brick-like pixels and data is at Constant Bit Rate (CBR), a requirement of HDV.  For an XDCAM-EX3, there is a small iLink/Firewire connector at the back, it can be enabled/disabled by the camera’s menu.If you then run Skype, it sees the image, scales it down to Skype-format, namely 640×480 with square pixels, hence 4:3 aspect ratio.   However it does not allow for the difference in pixel shape, with the result that the image looks squashed horizontally.  A nuisance!So I wonder, is there any  interposing software that can e.g. map the pixel shapes properly or even allow some kind of zoom/pan of a (e.g.) 640×480 frame within available (e.g.) 1920×1080 (equivalent, when pixel-shape converted) image from HD or HDV camera?

    • http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/479844-need-help-doing-webcast-shoot-ex3.html
    • http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/142/864423
      • The EX in HDV mode (SP) and iLink has worked for me. I’ve done it with Telestream Wirecast (another COW forum you’ll find my floating head) for live streaming.
    • http://www.b-roll.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26269
      • Someone having difficulties, others offering advice on XDCAM-EX settings, though I’m not convinced that all of them are necessary)
    • http://www.ehow.com/how_12174693_use-hdv-camera-skype.html
      • Debut Video Recording software (free)
      • Instructions:
        • Connect the video cable plug on the USB video-capture device to the video input on the camera cable. Video cable plugs and inputs are usually color-coded yellow.
        • Plug the camera cable into the camera.
        • Plug the USB video-capture device into an open USB port on your computer.
        • Download “Debut Video Recording Software 1.42” or a later version and install the application on your computer.
        • Launch the software.
        • Click “Device” from the toolbar menu and then go to Step 7. If the software doesn’t recognize your HDV camera, click “Options.” Click the “Video Capture Device” arrow and select your camera from the list. Confirm that the “Format” and “Device” settings are correct or make changes, if needed. Click “OK” to continue.
        • Click the “Skype” icon on your computer’s taskbar and select “Open Skype.”
        • Right-click the person you want to call under “Contacts.”
        • Navigate to “Share Your Screen” and select “Share Selection.”
        • Use your mouse and drag the black box down to the inside of the video-capture software’s display area.
        • Resize the black box to fit within the display area.
        • Click on the “Start Screen Sharing” box in the upper left corner of the video display area.
        • Click “OK” in the Screen Sharing dialogue box. A “Starting Video” message will appear.
        • Wait until the person you are calling picks up. The “Screen Sharing Active” message confirms the connection
        • Read more: How to Use an HDV Camera for Skype | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_12174693_use-hdv-camera-skype.html#ixzz272JXfJGR

    XDCAM-EX in Adobe Production Premium CS5.5

    Saturday, January 14th, 2012

    I have a project shot on a Sony EX3.  SO I have XDCAM-EX footage.

    Opened an Adobe Premiere project, set its Sequence settings to XDCAM EX HQ 1080i50

    • Wondered immediately what that implied.  Like OK the source is XDCAM-EX which is Mpeg2 encoding inside a MP4 container, but why does the Sequence care how the source is stored?  Surely it only needs to know things like the format is 1080i50 then it can store any intermediate files in DNxHD or Cineform or whatever Adobe prefers.  I am very confused by this kind of thing, just as I was in FCP.  Maybe it’s obvious or maybe “I think to much”.
    • Adobe has a thing called Import and it can (I discovered) accept MP4 files from XDCAM-EX’s BPAV folder-structures (deep down within the CLIPR subfolder).  But I know that is a stupid way to go. The MP4 files are but the “essence” that is “stitched together” (mixed metaphors or what?) by the likes of SMIL and XML files.  It’s only at the latter level that smooth continuum happens.
    • Enter Adobe Premiere’s Media Browser. I “knew” there had to be something like that.  I discovered it via http://wwwimages.adobe.com/www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/products/premiere/pdfs/cs5-premiere-pro-sonyxdcam-wfg.pdf which itself I discovered via Bing search on [sony xdcam-ex adobe premiere cs5.5 workflow].  OK to get XDCAM-EX footage into an Adobe Premiere project you do [WIndow >Media Browser] or else Shift-8, then don’t expect some window popping-up or anything, just instect the [Media Browser] tab at the lower-left of the GUI screen.  Drill-down to the required recording and double-click.  The media appears in a Source Preview window (I wonder but don’t mightily care what Adobe calls it).
      • OK I do care a bit really, and according to an Adobe video tutorial, it’s called a Source Monitor.
      • Initially it was too zoomed-in, presumably displayig at 1:1 (pixel).  “Zoom to Fit” was but a right-click away…
    • You can drag from Source Monitor to the Timeline or to other places.
    • I tried that with some EX3 footage where I pan across the front of the famous Wembley Stadium, UK.  In Sony Vegas (my erstwhile “comfortable old shoe”) it snatches and drags.  In Adobe Premiere, as in Sony Clip Browser, it pans smoothly.  Guess where I’m heading…

    FCP MultiCam: PreRes not always the best standard?

    Friday, December 23rd, 2011

    When multicam-ing in FCP 7, one user reports <<I have found it much better to convert the 5D footage to the XDCAM EX codec instead of converting the EX footage to a ProRes 422 as the file sizes are absurd and there is still a gamma shift problem)>>.  It’s the gamma-shift that would bother me.

    Additionally the user explains how to convert DSLR footage to XDCAM-EX format:

    • http://mrmagicproductions.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/multi-cam-editing-with-a-sony-ex1-or-ex3-and-5dmk-ii/
      • To Convert the DSLR Footage:
        • Copy the exact file structure from the 5D card to the desired place on your hard drive.
          • Example tree should read:  5DCAM/”DCIM”  ”MISC” (both of the previous words in quotes are two separate folders as one will see in the native card structure)/100EOS5D/”MVI_0001.MOV”  ”MVI_0001.THM” (Again…multiple files in this folder)
        • Open MPEG Streamclip (Just google it to find and download the free program) and go to “File”, “Open Files” and select as many of the .MOV files from your hard drive that you need to convert for a multi-clip.
        • Go to “File”, “Export to Quicktime”
        • At the top of the dialog box where it says, “Compression” choose one of the XDCAM EX compression methods that fit with how your footage was shot.
        • Example:  I shot at 1920 x 1080 at 24 frames per second so I will choose, “XDCAM EX 1080p24 (35Mb/s VBR)” since this also matches the settings of the EX footage.
        • Make sure your frame rate in Streamclip on the lower right area is set to 23.98 if you shot at 24fps in your session
        • Click “Make Movie” and select your target destination
      •  The following will explain how to get the footage into FCP
        • After using Log and Transfer for your EX footage, simply select “Import” under the “File” menu and browse to your new media.
        • Double click your EX clip so it opens in the Source window.
        • Go to a point you would like to use as a sync point, stop playback and hit the letter “I” for “In-Point”  Repeat this exact process with your 5D clip.
        • Select both your 5D and EX clip in the Project area where your clips are listed, right click and select, “Make Multi-Clip”.
        • Select for the clips to be synced using In-Points and you now have a multi-clip.
      • Editing in Multi-Cam Mode
        • Drag the new multi-clip into the main timeline.
        • In the main timeline, click the “RT” button to the upper left of the video tracks.  Make sure that “Multi-clip Playback” is checked.
        • In the source window, look for the button with two playback heads and an “X” between them.  It is located at the top of the window directly in the center.  Click this button and choose, “Open”.  This will sync the source and canvas windows.
        • Double click your multi-clip in the main timeline; this should open both camera views in the source window.
        • Click anywhere in the main timeline and hit the space bar.  You should now see both videos in the source window playing and available for you to click on the angle you want.
        • When you’re done you should highlight everything in the main timeline, right click and select, “Collapse Multi-Clip”.  Don’t worry, you can easily turn it back on to continue multi-cam editing; this will just save on RAM.

    Faux Log (Camcorder Response Profiles)

    Friday, December 16th, 2011

    I’ve heard of S-Log from Sony, C-Log etc.  Also on a forum I came across a reference to a Log-like matrix config for the Sony XDCAM-EX cameras.  Alister Chapman has been experimenting with this, and apparently makes some profiles available as zip files, in his article at http://www.xdcam-user.com/camera-setup/log-style-picture-profiles-for-pmw-f3-and-ex1r/.

    The zip files contains a SONY folder with [.suf] (settings) files as follows:

    •  SONY
      • PRO
        • CAMERA
          • XDCAM EX
            • PMW_EX1R
              • PPDATA.SUF
            • PMW_F3
              • PPDATA.SUF

    No settings files for the EX3, but Alister Chapman advises that If you manually copy the F3 settings into the EX3 (folder) they should be extremely close.

    • Folder: PMW_EX3
    • FileName: SETUP.SUF

    However he indicates that for EX1/EX3 camera, the log profile’s advantage (just under a stop of extra latitude) is marginal, given their noise issues (when used in this way), requiring -3dB gain and possible use of a good de-noiser like Neat Video (my favourite) in post. He lists other picture profiles at http://www.xdcam-user.com/2011/06/ex1-and-ex3-picture-profiles/ and also at http://www.xdcam-user.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=107.

    Just now, leafing through Philip Bloom’s blog, I came across a reader response with:

    <<<

    …I’d love to see a flat profile on the FS-100. Perhaps something like:

    G-LOG B:
    Black Level: +11
    Gamma Cinematone1
    Black Gamma: High, +7
    Knee: 75, -3
    Color Mode: Standard, +8
    Color Level -5
    Color Phase -7
    Color Depth: R-1, G+2, B-3, C+5, M+1, Y+3
    WB-Shift: LB-7, CC+1
    Detail-7

    These are settings from Frank Glencairn’s blog.

    >>>

    The original Frank Glencairn blog article, which features more than one variety of G-Log profile, is at http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/new-free-g-log-s-logish-picture-profiles-for-the-sony-fs100-version-1-0/

    XDCAM-EX to ProRes: How

    Saturday, December 10th, 2011

    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
        • Apply (Drag) Setting to Jobstrip
      • 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

    iMovie: Import/Ingest

    Saturday, December 10th, 2011

    I wanted to pass on some of my XDCAM-EX footage (from my Sony EX3 camera) to someone using only iMovie. But would/could iMovie recognize that format, or possibly the “MXF For NLEs” rewrapped-format offered by Sony Clip Browser?

    The best route is to provide iMovie with a ProRes version of the footage, because it converts anything else to (the older inferior format) Apple Intermediate Codec (IAC).  I can convert to ProRes (and deinterlace) via Apple’s Compressor, which comes as part of Final Cut Studo.

    Web-search:

    • Google: [xdcam ex imovie]
      • https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1882215?start=0&tstart=0
        •  iMovie converts all assets to Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC).
          • So does Final Cut Express. Only Final Cut Studio uses Apple ProRes as codec.
          • When going the Full HD and BluRay route you WILL see this. For instance when panning, you’ll see that Final Cut Studio is superior over AIC.
          • Yet I use the iMovie and Toast route because it is fast and good. Toast delivers better results than iDVD08. I havent tested iDVD09 yet but am about to do so. Remember that Toast can handle BluRay and iDVD not. Even for normal DVD you’ll see that Toast renders better than iDVD. The menus have improved in Toast10 but still cannot match iDVD. DVDstudioPro is very nice in results, but has a learning curve. Consider the Ripple Training DVDs to tackle the possibilities.
        • iMovie will edit many QT codecs directly including ProRes 422, H.264/AVC, DVCPRO HD. It converts to AIC only when you import from a camera.
          • So if XDCAM EX is converted to ProRes outside iM — then iM will edit the ProRes. Even HQ.
          • You do have export correctly — to ProRes — in order to get full 1920×1080 from iM for burning BD.

    Avid Media Composer 6: The Installation Experience

    Thursday, December 8th, 2011

    First I installed it to my MacBook Pro, on the Mac OS side, where I have not previously installed any Avid applications.  The latter is significant because from reading forums, it appears wise to remove all traces of any previous Avid installation (beyond what Avid’s Uninstaller does).

    Installing and testing the basic Media Composer application:

    • Installer stated (correctly) that I had MacOS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) yet the application was qualified for 10.7 (Lion).  From searching, I discovered that some others were nevertheless running it under 10.6.
    • The installer stated that the space requirement would be 6 GB.
    • Installation took about 15 minutes.
    • Then it did a system restart.
    • On restart, an Avid MC icon was present in the Dock.
    • Double-clicking the icon produced a prompt asking if I wanted on-line activation, use hardware dongle or 30-day trial.  I selected the latter as it seemed the least-hassle option.
    • Avid launch paused on an error message whose significance was not clear to me:
      • “ArthurQuinell-DataTrans” is in use by another application and cannot be used by Deck Control.
      • I am not sure what that means but vaguely remember naming one of my previous mobile phones as that (after an aldershot cat that used to “invade” our art-centre stage during performances, then sit washing in the spotlight – a born entertainer…).
    • Clicked [OK] to let it continue…
      • Got the same message about “Arthur…”.  Clicked [OK] to continue…
    • Finally the initial launch completed.
    • Got the usual Project dialog.  Chose [External]
      • Actually, before that, it asked for a Projects Path.
        • I defined it to be on my main external hard drive, a GRAID Mini, at the following location: [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_App_Specific/Avid/Projects]
        • I wonder if people generally tend to put their Avid project-folder somewhere like in their Documents directory.  But my logic is that if I plug the hard drive into another Mac, it should still work there.
    • Prompted for some basic project settings.
      • Quaintly, its default display aspect ratio is 4:3 (how nostalgic!)
    • As usual, clicked the wrong thing at the wring time, resulting in a new project called [New Project].  Oh well, I am only playing/testing…
    • Selected the default Bin, [New Project Bin].
    • With that Bin:
      • Import an short existing MOV-DNxHD file.
      • Double-click that file.  It opened in the Monitor pane.
      • Clicked the [Overwrite] button, it laid-down in the Timeline as expected.
    • BUT there’s a missing expected pane at bottom-left corner.  I can see through to the desktop background (purple galaxy-space etc.).  Presumably OK but unsettling…
    • Window panes act independently e.g. re being above/below any other apps.  Similar to Final Cut.  I hated that about Final Cut also…
      • Is there a Preference for getting the whole app to work like “Single Document” ?

    AMA Plugins

    Effects

    • AvidFX 6.0.1 64-Bit
    •  Boris?
      • BCC
      • Boris has FEC = Final Effects Complete for Avid = Visual Effects Filters and Transitions for Avid
        • Installer said “FEC5 AVX 2   MC 2.5, XPressPro 5.5 or later:”
          • Makes me wonder if there is a later version for MC 6.0
          • I installed it but no “FEC” items showed up in Avid’s Effects Pallete.
            • Maybe it’s 32-bit and MC 6 only recognises 64-bit effects?

    Training: Den Lennie’s “Music Video” Experience

    Thursday, October 27th, 2011

    I attended, working on one of the camera units.  Had a great time, learnt lots, at all sorts of levels.  Even how to make good use of the Movie Slate application on my iPhone!  Link: http://www.fstopacademy.com/

    XDCAM-EX: Picture Profile by Marvels Film

    Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
    • http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/142/864634
      • (Looks like a modification of Bill Ravens’ profile I found a couple or so years ago, except that profile had G-B = 32 and no white offset or ATW+2, and the Detail was not set.  Gamma was -40, STD1, Black was -12, Black Gamma was 0)
      • Matrix: On, High-Sat, Level 0, Phase -5, R-G 75, R-B 0, G-R -18, G-B -23, B-R -27, B-G 13. This gives a beautifully balanced color matrix.
      • White: on, Offset A +2, Offset B +2, Offset ATW +2. This will give you a beautiful warm picture, by elevating the reds a little bit
      • Detail: On, Level 0, Frequency +65, Crispening 0, Black limiter +75, White limiter +75. This gives a very nice definition without the artificial sharpening artifiacts. Ideal for DOF adapter shooting.
      • Gamma: Cine-1 for rich-contrast situations, Cine-3 for low-contrast situations. Make cine-1 your standard and avoid cine-4 (too noisy in the shadows).
      • Black: -3 or -4
      • Black gamma: -2. Will help to reduce noise in the blacks.
    • I choose instead the following Detail settings:
      • On: Level -5, Freq +25, Crisp +20

    Sony XDCAM-EX3: ISO Rating(s)?

    Monday, September 26th, 2011

    ISO is about sensitivity.  Useful to know when using a lightmeter – e.g. the iPhone’s “Light Meter” app, where if you enter ISO it tells you the required aperture f-stop.   For the EX3 the ISO depends on several factors, such as Gain, Gamma, Recording Mode (definition and interlaced/progressive).  But a reasonable rough conservative working figure is 400.  More specifically:

    • 400 for 1080p
    • 500 for 720p
    • 800 for 1080i
      • (some say this surprising result derives from the interlaced lines each being derived from the sum of a pair of neighbouring lines)

    Links:

    Sony XDCAM-EX Hard Disk Recorder

    Thursday, September 1st, 2011

    I am interested in a new PHU-60 hard disk for my Sony XDCAM-EX video camera.  So what’s around, and what’s the cost?  While I’m at it, what other options are there, e.g. for recording off HD-SDI ?  From my web-research today, the answers seem to be:

    • PHU-60 is no longer supplied or supported by Sony, or hence their authorised service centres.
    • PHU-120 is however available, at just under £1K.
    • At that price I’m willing to consider alternatives… Depending on price and capacity of course.
      • Mend it?
      • Record to a standard hard disk?
      • Go instead for SxS etc., e.g. the cheaper alternatives.
      • Think bigger – go for a HD-SDI recorder, get better quality and more gradeable recordings!  But at what price?
    • (To be completed)

    (more…)

    Avid MC: Now there is an upgrade to 5.5.3

    Saturday, August 20th, 2011

    Doh! I only just finished installing MC 5.5.2…  Shouldn’t take long though…  On the other hand it apparently introduces a problem with GenArts Sapphire.

    • http://community.avid.com/forums/t/99771.aspx
      • This is a “maintenance release” of the Media Composer (Mac and PC) , Symphony (Mac and PC) and NewsCutter (PC) editing software.
      • Customers currently running Media Composer 5.5.x, Symphony 5.5.x or NewsCutter 9.5.x are entitled to download and install the 5.5.3 or 9.5.3 release free of charge.
      • There are well over 75 + bug fixes and enhancements in the 5.5.3/9.5.3 Maintenance release.  You should download and read the ReadMe file before installing.
      • There are both  full installers (Mac and PC)  AND patch installers (PC) provided for the v5.5.3 and v9.5.3 release.
      • For PC Users: If you are using any of the Helper Applications (Avid EDL Manager, Avid FilmScribe, Avid Log Exchange, Avid MetaSync, or Avid Media Log), you must install the patch updates for these applications. Further, if you are using Nitris DX, Mojo DX, or Avid DNA hardware, you must update the hardware drivers. Download the installer for your appropriate hardware and OS on the
      • Sony has released a new version of the AMA plug-ins for XDCAM and XDCAM EX.  Version 1.2 is now available from Sony’s website and is supported with MC 5.5.x, Symphony 5.5.x, and NewsCutter 9.5.x releases. More information can be found on the Knowledge Base here:  http://avid.custkb.com/avid/app/selfservice/search.jsp?DocId=394827
    • http://community.avid.com/forums/t/99876.aspx
      • GeorgeD: AFter I installed the upgrade patch the Sapphire effects stack won’t pass through the Alpha channel. Any other effect put on top of MakeRGB does not see the Alpha channel anymore. MakeRGB by itself still works.
      • Larry Rubin: Reported to GenArts Product Support

    Avid Workflows with AMA & Offline/Online Combined

    Saturday, August 20th, 2011
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb8LqUY1q34
      • AMA and Media Management – Media Composer Cutting Edge
        • Suppose you start with a Project having a Sequence of clips from a Bin, these clips directly linked (via AMA) to original media-recordings in a camera’s native format.
        • “There are still going to be times when you want to integrate that media in your local or shared AVid storage”.
        • This can be done easily via the Consolidate and Transcode features:
          • Sequence: RightClick > Consolidate/Transcode
          • Consolidate/Transcode:
            • I THINK BUT UNSURE:
              • Select Consolidate if you just want the camera’s native format re-wrapped in MXF
              • Select Transcode if you want it transcoded e.g. into DNxHD
              • In both cases, you end up with a new sequence, of clips which are now:
                • On the Avid Media storage (MXF).  Better performance (?), better media management (by Avid) and ability to do some things that AMA can’t, such as multi-camera.
                • Only the subsets (of original footage) needed by the sequence (plus handles).  Saves disk space.
            • Settings:
              • “Video and audio on same drive”: YES
              • Select required target drive
              • Define Handle Length (e.g. two seconds’ worth of frames).
                • (Implies that Consolidate will only ingest the subsets of clips actually referenced in the Sequence)
              • “Create new sequence”: YES
              • “Delete original media files when done”: NO
              • “Skip media files already open on the target drive”: YES
                • (Thinks: what if they already exist on some other drive (that’s connected) ?)
              • “Relink selected clips to target drive before skipping”: YES
            • Click “go-button” (labelled Consolidate or Transcode).
        • If at any subsequent stage you want to re-edit:
          • Re-mount the original camera volumes (e.g. disk drive/drives).
          • Re-link your sequence to them (via AMA ?).
          • {Subsequently, presumably re- Consolidate or Transcode }
            • {Presumably if all you did was add something, the only action performed will be the Consolidate/Transcode of that very addition}
            • {What if existing clips are trimmed (up or down) in the sequence?  Will the corresponding existing Consolidate/Transcode product be appended/reduced/replaced as necessary (is AVid “clever” about all this?  Or will a new one co-exist alongside the old one (which then just wastes space) ? }
            • {Does an Avid-managed file act like an object, i.e. exists so long as something (bin or sequence) points at it, otherwise is deleted by some “garbage collection” ?}
        • ReLink is also handy for Offline-Online conversion.  Example:
          • A remote cameraman delivers (e.g. via DigiDelivery) a set of XDCAM-HD Proxies.
          • Editor receives proxies and Imports them into Avid.
            • No AMA used here.
          • Some time later the Online files arrive (e.g. by physical delivery of disks).
          • Avid’s ReLink function matches the offline proxy sequence, frame-for-frame, with the newly-avaiable HD footage.

    Avid MC: Decomposing/Consolidating XDCAM-EX Sequences

    Saturday, August 13th, 2011

    http://cstest.avid.com/forums/p/88725/504312.aspx

    Avid MC: XDCAM-EX

    Saturday, August 13th, 2011

    Avid Knowledge Base article on “XDCAM EX Support in Avid” [272715] : “How do I use Sony XDCAM EX on my Avid system? ”

    Avid: Ingesting XDCAM-EX

    Sunday, May 8th, 2011

    How to ingest XDCAM-EX.  The following methods exist:

    • Quick:
      • But this leaves it long-GOP and it remains outside AVid’s managed media database.
      • Avid AMA link to XDCAM-EX’s BPAV folder.
        • Avid: File > Link to AMA Volume (e.g. folder containing BPAV folder)
    • Robust (or not?):
      • But this leaves it long-GOP and loses some metadata ?
        • http://dylanreeve.com/videotv/2009/xdcam-ex-workflow-in-avid.html
          • Basically if you import clips this way you are absolutely locked in to those specific media files. No backup will allow a recovery or relink, short of storing the actual files (exactly) as they are created in the Avid MediaFiles directory.
          • The easiest way to avoid this problem is actually to use the older process:
            • Using Clip Browsers ‘MXF for NLE’ export setting.
            • This will create OP-1A MXF files that you can then import into Media Composer
              • (the Avid will rewrap them as OP-Atom and relocate them to it’s media directory).
            • It is a slower process, but as it’s a standard import process all the necessary Metadata will be stored with the clips to allow a Batch Import later.
      • Rewrap to AAF (the “newr process”
        • http://dylanreeve.com/videotv/2009/xdcam-ex-workflow-in-avid.html
          • Essentially this method unwraps the MP4 XDCAM-EX files and re-wraps them as MXF Op-Atom (Avid’s mediafile container) and places those files directly into one of Avid’s media directories (such as F:\Avid MediaFiles\MXF\2) and then creates an AAF file that contains a clip describing that shot (basically the easiest way to get the shots into a bin).
        • ClipBrowser Help
          • [Export Avid AAF] converts to the following two file formats (AAF containing pointer(s) to MXF containing media).
            • AAF file: Use to load clips into Avid editing system.
              • The extension is AAF, and the output destination is the media or folder specified in the Export dialog.
              • AAF files produced by the conversion can be registered in your Avid editing system project by dragging from Windows Explorer to a bin in the project.
            • MXF OPAtom file:
              • The extension is mxf
              • The output destination is the media or folder specified in the Conversion tab of the User Configuration dialog.
                • Normally this is the media folder of your Avid editing system project.
        • http://pro.sony.com/bbsccms/assets/files/micro/xdcamex/downloads/Media_Composer_XDCAM_Workflow_v9_6.pdf (2009 article recommended on CreativeCow in 2010)
        • ClipBrowser: File > Export > Avid AAF
          • But first must define the Avid project’s media location?
            • [Avid MediaFiles/MXF/nn] where nn is an integer ?
            • e.g. [F:\Avid MediaFiles\MXF\2].
    • Luxury ?:
      • Convert to DNxHD
        • http://community.avid.com/forums/p/75837/552748.aspx
          • If you do not have a Nitris DX system then you will have to transcode the material to DNXHD after import. I find that doing a rough cut in Native XDCAM will reduce the amount of material (and therefore time) that I have to transcode for final effects and finishing.
          • Clip Browser … not needed now that AMA is working great.
          • Use AMA to link to the clips/volume.
          • Take a look and edit instantly onto a sequence,
          • …or use the consolidate command to copy the clips at the native resolution into the AvidMediaFiles folder (aka Managed Media).
          • …or use the transcode command to import the clips at an AVID DNxHD resolution of your choosing.

    (more…)

    XDCAM (incl. EX) Workflows in Various NLEs

    Sunday, May 8th, 2011

    ffmpeg to transcode XDCAM-EX [.mp4] files to QT-DNxHD

    Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

    It is possible to use the open-source ffmpeg to transcode XDCAM-EX files to other formats, such as DNxHD.Information from http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/112018-mfx-details-compatibility-what-about-ffmpeg.html as of 2010-12-23:

    •  ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec dnxhd -b 60Mb -acodec copy output.mov
      • 60Mbit is a 720p bitrate.
    • This is a good ffmpeg for pro users help site:
    • This is the command line I got from Baptiste who is developing the DNxHD stuff in ffmpeg.
      • Progressive:
        • fmpeg -i inputfile.mp4 -vcodec dnxhd -b 185Mb -acodec pcm_s16le outputfile.mov
      • Interlaced: (The difference is the -flags +ildct)
        • ffmpeg -i inputfile.mp4 -vcodec dnxhd -b 185Mb -flags +ildct -acodec pcm_s16le outputfile.mov
    • And this is a link to a DNxHD white paper:
    • We are thinking of using 36Mbit DNxHD but all people we talk to say to use 185Mbit or maybe 120Mbit and that 36Mbit is for offline.
    • But if you don’t have a problem using allot of GB on disc then go for Max Mbit for the specific resolution and framerate you use:
      • 1080p/25 DNxHD 185 1920 x 1080 8bit 25fps = -b 185Mb
      • 720p/50 DNxHD 175 1280 x 720 8bit 50fps = -b 90Mb
      • 1080i/50 DNxHD 185 1920 x 1080 8bit 25fps = -b 185Mb
    • More settings for other framerates:
      • http://www.itbroadcastanddigitalcine…#Encoding_VC-3
        • Had many commandlines and DNxHD settings, though sadly none for 1080p50 (as I require).
        • …and link is dead – as of 2016-08-18

    Information from http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=130781

    •  FFmpeg is now providing Avid DNxHD (SMPTE VC-3) encoding and decoding features

    Sony XDCAM-EX & Letus Extreme

    Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

    Canon 5D mk II DSLR vs Sony XDCAM-EX and RED One

    Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

    Great comparison of Canon 5D mk II DSLR against Sony XDCAM-EX and also Red-One etc.:

    XDCAM-EX3 Picture Profiles for filmic look

    Monday, August 30th, 2010

    http://marvelsfilm.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/marvels-ex1-and-ex3-profile-settings-for-filmic-look/

    XDCAM-EX in-camera compensation for Tiffen T1 “green tint”

    Monday, August 30th, 2010

    Great article:

    • http://marvelsfilm.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/all-new-sony-ex1-picture-profile-for-cinematic-look/
      • “(These are) picture-settings that are tailored to my personal taste, with post-processing in mind. I’ve been able to use shots right out of the camera without the need for CC, but it does ask for contrast adjustment to taste.”
      • “…the matrix corrections in the first profile are to compensate for the green hue the IR filter casts, even after taken a white balance. I use the fluorescent light matrix, simply because it does exactly two things to the picture (and in measurements) that this specific camera demands; it remove the “green Sony hue” and it is the lowest-noise matrix. It shifts the colour balance towards red/magenta, removing the green hues and preventing your cast from looking terminally ill.”
      • “I use Cine 1 gamma almost exclusively because it’s clearly the most lownoise gamma. I sometimes use Cine 4 indoors with low / existing light. …adjust Gamma on a per-scene basis.”

    XDCAM-EX Gamma Settings

    Monday, August 30th, 2010

    I worried about and noticed in practice an effect where if I was using CINE gammas on the XDCAM-EX and exposed for faces at 70% (by zebras) then the gamma rolloff would result in “pasty-face” appearance.  It does …and did…  The solution for good looking faces is one of the following:

    • Under-expose in shoot, raise in post.
    • proper-expose in shoot, use standard gamma (not cine gamma), be careful not to let the face hit the knee (?) e.g. set knee to 90% or 95%.
    •  take a given gamma curve (or even a flat standard one) and tweak it using gamma level & black-stretch adjustments etc. until it fits the scene.

    (more…)

    FCP inherent (unwanted) level & gamma changes – unlike Avid’s AMA

    Monday, August 30th, 2010

    Someone noticed that XDCAM-EX footage imported to FCP appeared different as compared to Avid (AMA import).  Addressed in an Avid forum thread started May 2010, referring to FCP 6.06 and Avid 4.02: http://community.avid.com/forums/p/84153/473798.aspx

    • What AMA gives is, is _exactly_ what the camera has captured. What FCP shows you, is a remapped image, most often with a gamma shift. 
      • (For Avid AMA imports, Avid settings for RGB or 601 etc. make no difference – it’s always as-recorded).
      • … imports (to FCP) will look different (to expected), because FCP/QT “corrects” the gamma when bringing in footage (even if you would not want that).
    • Most people seem to agree that FCP works in 0-235, not 0-255, not 16-235. And without the option to leave things untouched. So if you import something into FCP, there’s no getting it back to the original levels anymore.

    I guess I’d better do some experiments with ramps & scopes etc…

    Sony XDCAM Transfer

    Monday, August 16th, 2010

    What happens when Sony XDCAM Transfer is used, within or without FCP, to import XDCAM footage (BPAV folders etc.)?  The following is my best guess at the moment, based on my experiences and web-searching.

    • Logging is best done via ClipBrowser.  That updates the meta-info of this “master source”, which may then feed downstream to other formats (mxf?  mov?)
    • The main function is to re-wrap to [.mov] files.
    • Each time you start XDCAM Transfer, check the settings in Preferences, in particular for Import Location.
      • The Cache location can instead be an application-specific, project-independent location.
    • To import to FCP:
      • Start XDCAM Transfer, by doing one of the following:
        • From FCP, do one of the following:
          • Menu: File > Import > Sony XDCAM
          • Browser: RtClk > Import > Sony XDCAM
            • Sadly, only ever imports to root of project, not to bin you right-clicked from…
        • From MacOS:
          • Start [XDCAM Transfer.app]
          • Optionally, in Preferences, tick [Open imported files with: Final Cut Pro]
      • Can mark-up selected clip(s) – e.g. OK/NG – affects all (selected) clips straight away (no ‘go’ button…).
      • XDCAM Transfer is not just an application but a package, including File Access Mode (FAM) Driver (for XDCAM disks), FCP Import and Export plugins and FCP Sequence presets.
      • It can import not only raw BPAV folders (etc) but also MXF-Sony (I tried it).
      • There is a Fetch Metadata option, but I have yet to see it have any effect – because as far as I can see all the metadata is displayed anyway.  Possibly only useful for obscure situations e.g. if some data or thumbnails fail to appear http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/142/865859 or for a “clip or disc that contains modified essence marks” http://www.tapelessmadeeasy.com/2008/11/xdcam-transfer-update/
      • Opinions are divided on whether or not to retain BPAV folders, but the balance is in favour of doing so [http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/480547-ex-workflow-do-you-keep-bpav-files.html]

      Glide-shots: Steady-Shot / Smooth-Deshake-Stabilize / SteadyCam

      Sunday, July 25th, 2010

      Which is best?   Depends on the camera, scene and shot dynamics I guess.  The same point is queried at the following thread:

      Some general advice from a computer-post-savvy author: definitely use the camera’s SteadyShot:

      Limitations of post

      • Stabilization necessitates motion estimation and image reconstruction, which are extremely CPU-heavy, hence really slow to execute.
      • Most stabilization apps (in post) can’t currently cope with motion-blurred edges or parallax effects (though both should be possible in principle, by deconvolution and 3D modelling both informed from multiple frames).
      • For rolling-shutter-ed footage (e.g. CMOS sensors as in Sony Exmor as in Sony XDCAM-EX e.g. EX1 & EX3), there exist options to reduce the effect (don’t expect perfection, but may suffice):

      My experiences:

      • Stabilizing Tools:
        • Gunnar Thalin’s Deshaker works really well.  And it is multi-threaded, really speeds up the process.  The author says it is more intended for handheld pans etc. than fast-shaking shots from vehicles etc. (but has nevertheless seen good results in such situations).
          • The author says [http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1418923] to try “to stabilize only on the most distant parts in the frames, since the moving inwards-effect is less there”.  And “you should probably increase the value for [discard motion of blocks that move > X pixels in wrong direction]. That’s to allow the blocks to move “freely” a little, since Deshaker can’t handle the “moving inwards”-effect.
          • Possibly equally applicable to other smooth/stabilize/deshake tools ?
        • Boris’s Optical/Motion Stabilizer (in Boris Red 4.3.3 on XP) is only single-threaded and I find it slower, clunkier and less intuitive than Deshaker.  Has a Smooth mode, which is like the others here, as well as a Stabilize mode (try to keep frame static, no good for motion then).  The other tools can be configured to do the same thing.
        • Mercalli in Sony Vegas has no mode for 720p50 but otherwise is pretty good and very intuitive and configurable.
        • FCP’s SmoothCam Effect worked best for a challenging clip for wobbly-hand-held camera tracking close past an object (a Formula-1 car) hence huge degree of moving-inwards effect.  The default settings worked straight away.  The result quality was way above that of the other tools.  On the other hand sometimes it’s not the best (sorry, forgot the exact situation).
      • Cameras & Shots:
        • Historically, using a TRV33 DV HandyCam indoors (hence low-light hence long shutter time):
          • Way back in the past, using a (now ancient) TRV33 DV handy-cam (which has huge sensor margin i.e. spare pixels), when I shot big zooms to lecture audience individuals (e.g. question-time) I had the camera’s steady-shot (digital, not mirror) enabled  and used Gunnar Thalin’s Deshaker (VirtualDub plugin) also.  The result was astoundingly steady.
          • The same arrangement worked OK with hand or shoulder mounted cam for walk-throughs past nearby objects (e.g. walls, people, furniture).
          • An attempt to do the same thing without steady-shot enabled on the camera resulted in seriously motion-blurred edges.
        • Now, using a Sony EX3:
          • With camera Steady-Shot set to Medium, hand-held pans and motion past nearby objects seem to acquire a positional instability, as if the camera feedback mechanism needs greater damping. Maybe the camera’s internal mirror “suspension” has to be tighter (than the TRV33 digital equivalent) because it lacks the generous pixels margin of the TRV33?  or maybe something to do with the mirror’s inertia?  Or (real-time-constrained) processing-power?
            • Experimentation is needed with the camera’s other SteadyShot modes (High, Low).
            • In the absence of more generous sensor pixel margins, I wish it could be loosened-up e.g. to allow black borders (to crop in post) so as to permit smoother rides overall.

      Capture to HFS+, Use from Windows 7: Experiences

      Monday, May 3rd, 2010

      On MacBook Pro, used Sony Clip Browser (ClipBrowser) to import footage from a Sony XDCAM-EX to Mac OS HFS+.  This machine had MacDrive installed, enabling Windows apps to directly access files on the HFS+ file system.  On same machine, under Boot Camp (BootCamp) and Windows 7, ran Sony Vegas NLE.   Successfully imported and used footage by both of the following methods:

      • Sony Vegas’s Device Explorer [View > Device Explorer].
        • This took several minutes to import.
        • Importing resulted in copying the [.mp4] file (and other files) to the NTFS partition.
      • Direct use of [.mp4] on the HFS+ partition.
        • No need to import as such, just constructed waveforms etc.
        • This completed in seconds.
        • Only downside is that it ewas unable to save the waveform files etc., due to my config of MacDrive (read-only), so it would have to do this every time I opened the project.
          • Have yet to try the same thing when MacDrive has config for full read/write access.

      MacBook Pro ExpressCard Slot: Unreliable?

      Saturday, May 1st, 2010

      Using the ExpressCard slot for SxS cards (XDCAM-EX) in Mac OS, I noticed that sometimes they dpn’t appear to “seat” properly, removing and reinserting the card normally fixes this.  I wondered if it was just my machine, but I just read of a similar experience by others: [http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/144158-sxs-cards-mount-inconsistently.html].

      SxS in ExpressCard slot on MacBook Pro invisible to Windows 7 Boot Camp

      Saturday, May 1st, 2010

      On a MacBook Pro, official SxS card in ExpressCard slot is seen OK by Mac OS. However on same machine running Boot Camp Windows 7, it is not seen.SxS drivers have been installed in both cases (OS X & W7). For W7 I tried a couple of versions, including the one from SXS Drivers, stated as “Updated for Windows 7”. The webpage also says “This OS must be factory-installed”, so I wonder what special things they do at the factory!I see at an apple forum some comments (at [http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2306364&tstart=0]) that “there is still no ExpressCard support in release 3.1 (of Boot Camp)” and “At the moment I’m aware of exactly zero Firewire ExpressCards that work in Windows 7 on Boot Camp”. Not familiar with this territory – maybe implies that the Sony drivers are not sufficient?Posted my problem at DvInfo: [http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/477958-mbp-boot-camp-w7-cant-see-sxs-osx-can.html].  Response confirms Apple not only do not support ExpressCard (EC) under Boot Camp on a MacBook Pro, they may never do so, given that the new model lacks any EC slot.

      SxS Card Driver for Mac OS X “Snow Leopard” 10.6

      Thursday, January 28th, 2010

      In a post at http://www.macvideo.tv/BLOGS/index.cfm?blogid=101658&entryid=3201452 Matt Davis links to Sony’s page offering the latest SxS driver which is compatible with Snow Leopard.  Also he points out is bugs/features, irritating rather than show-stopping.   There is also a driver for Windows, I’ll try it under Boot Camp.

      The following has a FAQ about it:

      Add the XDCAM Transfer plugin to Final Cut

      Thursday, January 7th, 2010

      The XDCAM Transfer plugin allows FCP to easily ingest footage in the format generated by XDCAM-EX cameras such as the EX3.   Unlike FCP6, where it was also advised to load a “FAM Driver” (as a separate plugin), this is not appropriate for FCP7 (explained below)

      From the ReadMe phase of the ‘Install XDCAM Transfer’ installer dialog:

      XDCAM FAM driver and tool.
      Mount Professional Discs in XDCAM devices connected by FAM (i.LINK) in the Finder.
      Note: The XDCAM FAM driver and tool are not compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and are not installed.
      •    XDCAM Transfer main application.
      Preview clips from XDCAM and import your selected material as QuickTime movies. XDCAM Transfer supports the PDW-U1 XDCAM Drive unit and Professional Memory Cards recorded with the PMW-EX1 camcorder.
      •    Sony XDCAM Import and Export plug-ins for Final Cut Pro.
      Initiate transfers from XDCAM directly into a Final Cut Pro project and render your Final Cut Pro sequence directly onto a connected XDCAM disc.
      •    Final Cut Pro XDCAM presets.
      Configure your sequence and export settings to be compatible with XDCAM. The XDCAM HD422 presets replace those installed by Final Cut Pro 6.0.3.
      •    XDCAM Transfer User Guide.
      Found in the Documentation folder of this disk image and also available from the Help menu of the XDCAM Transfer application after installing the software.

      Mac video production: Framerate Conversion Strategies & Tools

      Friday, November 27th, 2009

      Gleaned from Philip Bloom’s presentation on using a 30p native cam to produce to other standards (e.g. 24p):

      • Edit native, convert the edit result, not the source (rushes). Saves render time (& space)
      • Don’t edit H264 – current machines are not fast enough to avoid jerkiness.
        • Before edit, convert to ProRes (standard is sufficient, no need for HQ).  If disk space at a premium then could instead use XDCAM EX format but that is not compatible with Cinema Tools.
          • Conversion to ProRes is done twice as fast by Mpeg StreamClip (free) than by Compressor.
            • Mpeg StreamClip:
              • [File > Open Files, File> Export to QuickTime, choose format ProRes 422, change top-slider to Full 100% Quality (default is less)
              • Can also use it to batch-convert, result can be either separate files or all concatenated in sequence.
      • (DO THE EDIT)
      • FrameRate Conversion:
        • Simplest: speed change – change the timebase (the rate at which the existing frames are presented).  OK when speed change does not matter (e.g. static scene).
          • Can be done e.g. via Cinema Tools.
            • Stages: Analysis then select desired new framerate then Conform.
            • (or [Cinema Tools: File > Batch Conform],  select a folder containing set of files, select any example file in it, Open, change speed, go: all the files are done)
        • Speed-preserving frameRate conversion can be done by Compressor or by JES Deinterlacer (free)
          • Compressor
            • Open Compressor
            • Drag file to job-strip
            • Create a Setting if needed
            • Geometry (5th icon along) – set Frame Size to “100% of source” (to ensure Compressor setting doesn’t re-scale)
            • Frame Controls: Unlock
            • (ignore settings that don’t apply e.g. resize method)
            • Rate Conversion: choose the fastest you can get away with
            • It is not compulsory to set a Destination.
              • (what happens if not? same directory as source?  what filename gets generated)
                • If no destination specified then file goes to same directory, auto-named as the original filename plus the name of the export format Setting.  Example: From TRV 12-39 AvidGrade.mov it generated TRV 12-39 AvidGrade-QT ProRes Interlaced.mov, where QT ProRes Interlaced was a compression setting (previously defined by myself).  Incidentally the QT-DV was 35MB, the generated QT-ProRes was 47MB.
          • JES Deinterlacer
            • Choose >  (input your file)
            • Output > Compressor > Export
              • (nothing to do with Apple’s Compressor, at least I assume…)