Archive for the ‘XDCAM EX’ Category
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
Posted in Media Composer, XDCAM EX, Avid | No Comments »
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.
- 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.
Posted in offline, consolidate, transcode, Media Composer, XDCAM EX, Avid | No Comments »
Saturday, August 13th, 2011
Posted in Media Composer, XDCAM EX, Avid | No Comments »
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? ”
Posted in Media Composer, XDCAM EX, Avid | No Comments »
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…)
Posted in AAF, MXF, XDCAM EX, Avid, Sony EX XDCAM | No Comments »
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:
Information from http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=130781
- FFmpeg is now providing Avid DNxHD (SMPTE VC-3) encoding and decoding features
Posted in ffmpeg, transcode, AviSynth, DNxHD, XDCAM EX | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
Posted in Letus, XDCAM EX | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
Great comparison of Canon 5D mk II DSLR against Sony XDCAM-EX and also Red-One etc.:
Posted in Canon, RED, XDCAM EX | No Comments »
Monday, August 30th, 2010
Posted in XDCAM EX, Sony EX XDCAM | No Comments »