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How do I import Panasonic P2 Media in to Avid
I’m starting to edit a documentary film.
How do I ingest P2 media into Avid?
The media has been copied from the P2 cards on to external hard drives by the field crew.
So the footage will be deliverd to me on external hard drives . . . How do I get it in to the Avid???
I think the media may already be in MXF files on the card. If not how do I convert the media to MXF?
I need to know everything . . . what’s the procedure for coying the files on to the Avid media hard drives? . . . . How do I get it in to bins? . . . . How do I manage it in the media tool? . . . . what resoloution should I use inside the Avid project? . . . . Is there a transfer tool that’s different from the “Capture Tool” (like the “Log & Transfer tool” in FinalCutAny tips from someone with P2 experience would be appreciated.
The media is shot in HiDef 960×720 24p
On a Panosonic P2 cameraWe are using:
A Macintosh Pro (dual Quad Core Intel Xenon)
Adreniline
Media Composer 3.0 -
21 Replies
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There’s very detailed info here: https://www.avid.com/P2/
Make sure to read it thoroughly.
In short, under the File menu, you have an “Import P2” option, with two tabs, “Import Clips” and “Import Media”. You’ll have to first import the clips (metadata) into a bin, then either choose to import media (natively), or Transcode/consolidate to a resolution of your choice.
After that, you’re editing.I’ve often read that editing 720 on MC is not a joy per se, but I can’t really say, since I’ve only done 1080 P2.
Also, you might want to know about the existence of Raylight MXFX, application that lets you convert MXF files from and into various formats and framerates.
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When creating the project . . . what format (and frame rate) do I choose (trying to stay close to native)???
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Watch the tutorials, the info is all there. Make sure to work in the right framerate. Be absolutely sure about the framerate of the footage.
Then decide whether you want to edit in the native resolution (DVCPRO-HD) or if you want to transode (to a DNxHD resolution that has more or less the same bandwith). Pesonally, I’d opt for DNxHD, since that is likely to be more flexible in post production, but it does take more time to transcode than to simply copy the media. -
I used the import clips to bin, but when I closed the app all clips went offline and would not relink…..so here is what got them back online :
I did a star-search for MXF files in the directory containing the P” files (*.MXF), then copied all of these clips into the Avid MXF folder. Mc then rescanned my drive and voilà all clips were back online. I worked in the native resolution, but when i had to go to After Effects I transcoded the final edit to DNX.
mark
Mark Harvey
Senior Editor
Le Réseau des sports -
As said, you should not only import the clips, but also import the media. It is a two step process. The copying of the files is a different way, but I got the impression that it was not recommended.
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I wnated to import the media, but unfortunately the option wouldn’t do anything…was really weird. Anyhow, the manual copying of the MXF files worked perfectly. Everything relinked in the project, the media tool saw the media, and of course the producer sitting next to me was more than happy that we did not have to recut.
Mark
Mark Harvey
Senior Editor
Le Réseau des sports -
Thanks for the link you sent (I’m checking it out)
Why do you perfer DNxHD over DVCPROHD?
Does the Avid choke in the DVCPRO resolution (and is it the DVCPRO codec that you are weary of or is it the 960×720 resolution)?
I guess I’m asking is the system less likely to choke when working in DNxHD?
Does it choke at all??Has anyone had experience with importing (or converting) to a low resolution for off line to save drive space and improve performance?? Is this worth it??
And how difficult is it to then relink your final sequence to the originial HD footage??
What is the procedure??Has anyone tried this, and if so did it work smoothly or were there snags??
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I mostly prefer DNxHD over DVCPRO since DNxHD is Avid’s own codec, and it has been built to stand some compressed compositing, plus DVCPRO is thin raster, and I just felt better posting in full raster. Also, I’m on classic Nitris, and that machine is built for DNxHD. It does handle DVCPROHD since v3, but since it has hardware based codecs for DNxHD, it works much faster with that.
I haven’t done extensive testing, but read several folks recommending the transcode for long form. -
Rory,
DVCPROHD is a good acquisition format. The codec is clean, and the 4:2:2 color space holds up well for green screen work. But the file sizes can be large, and you can have dropped frames or choking, especially if your project has multi-layer compositing, etc.
DNxHD is an efficient mastering codec. The file size for DNxHD video is not much larger than DV, for instance. It composites well, and holds up to multiple generations without much degredation. A lot of broadcast shows like Survivor and Late Night with Conan O’Brien distribute their shows to the network via DNxHD.
Regards,
Joe Womble
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I forgot to ask if I need a NITRIS to work in HD resoloution (or will an Adreniline work for HD) .
I currently have an Adrenelin box.
CPU is a Macintosh Pro, dual quad-core Intel Xenon processorsCan I work in either DVCPRO-HD or DNxHD resolutions on an Adreneline??
Or does the Adreneline require me to work in a lower resolution then re-link the final sequence to the HD footage??Bottem line: Can I work in DVCPRO-HD or DNxHD with an Adreneline??
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