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XDCAM Media Detaches? After Directory Import
Hi all,
I’m using CatDV and CacheA to archive a variety of media types organized into content categories. Everything has gone seamlessly, other than still missing the back end capability to handle Ikegami MXF media, CatDV has been great. I went to archive a catalog containing a small selection of XDCAM MXF media (same structure as our JVC clips which are not displaying this issue) and noticed that the XDCAM entries were displayed as having no media attached. The original media has not been relocated or had any name changes. I attempted to re-import the directory just in case I had been shuffling the original directory location around. The media imported successfully and appeared accessible/attached between catalog and media directory. But when I click on one of those files in CatDV, it immediately refreshes the display on the selected XDCAM clip to indicate it is no longer attached. I’ve included some screen shots referring to the display changes I’ve noted here as well as the XDCAM directory file structure.
Does anyone have thoughts on this? I am handling the XDCAM media improperly? It is not a media type we record in-house, but is video from a collaborator.
Thanks,
Lindsay
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10 Replies
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These are showing up as movies (green icons) instead of metaclips (the blue.)
In order to have all the media and associated files you need to make sure they are importing as metaclips.
Can you confirm this?
bryson
bryson “at” hidefcowboy.com
hidefcowboy.com
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Hi Bryson,
Thanks for your response and defining the distinction between the green and blue ‘Type’ icons. The rest of the catalog media does have the blue metaclip icon. Going back and taking a closer look, I discovered that actual all the JVC media imported as movies, not metaclips, as well. I am importing using the same ‘Import Directory’ workflow for the other media types. Is there a way to specify Metaclip vs. movie? Or when using the ‘Import Directory’ function should I be pointing to a specific level of the media directory, instead of the top folder?
On a related side note, I have archived to data tape catalogs containing the movies not metaclips of my JVC media? Will that impact how the media is restored in the future?
Thanks,
Lindsay
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HI Lindsay
regarding your Ikegami mxf issue you should check out Telestream . They have a codec for this . I used it seamlessly a couple of years back when I was working on their Infinity camera. From re-collection , it should give you what you want ,
Kevin Duggan
CatDV/MME -
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your post. In fact you reminded me that I had plum forgot about downloading and giving Telestream Episode 6 a trial. I believe you provided this suggestion to me previously. After a 3 week edit hiatus I am back on the case,and thanks again for the reminder.
Is the media required to be transcoded? I’m trying to avoid any extra steps. Or does the installation of the telestream application provide the underlying codec needed for other applications, like CatDV, to ingest the MXF files as metaclips?
Do you have any thoughts on the main issue of this post? Importing movie vs. metaclip?
Thanks,
Lindsay
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In the end, for media, there’s not as much of an issue as there is for archive. By only “gathering” the media file, you won’t be sending the associated folders and xml files to the archive if you use CatDV to archive the clips. This happens in XDCAM EX often. You have the mp4 but nothing else from the card.
This is a huge issue and so any of you out there doing this please check your catalogs. If you try to use the footage in any other system, you will likely want that other “debris” that comes with XDCAM.
Also, if you are using an MXF format that’s not muxed with audio and video together, if you don’t have metaclips, you won’t have the audio and or video depending on what the case may be.
Check your clips to make sure when you expose the elements of the metaclip in the tree that you have all the assets that make up that clip. If not, change settings, or your license, and re-import.
I’m not sure if this is the case with your files as I’m not familiar with all the formats you have but the rules are the same.
bryson
bryson “at” hidefcowboy.com
hidefcowboy.com
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Hi Lindsay
this is what I was thinking of , should allow you to handle the mxf natively within Catdv by extending Qtime
https://www.telestream.net/mxf-final-cut-pro/mxf-component-infinity.htm
busy today
Kevin Duggan
CatDV/MME -
Thanks Kevin. I should have mentioned before this a PC based system on Windows 7…looks like this all of the MXF components are built for a Mac OS. If you have any other options, I would love to hear about them whenever you have the time.
Have a great day,
Lindsay
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Hi Bryson,
Thank for your response and clarifying CatDV’s handling of the XDCam media. Luckily I don’t have much of that, and I will likely just convert out of the MXF format.
With this greater understanding I will also go back and re-examine all of my cataloged JVC media as it has the same structure as XDCAM EX.
When you refer to changing settings, are you referring to the format of the media targeted for import? Or import settings within CatDV?
I believe I have all of the full licenses for CatDV Pro including the MXF and archiving options, thought I am running CatDV 8.1 and unfortunately don’t see an upgrade happening any time soon. I’m hoping Rolf and the guys at CatDV will hear my cries and include the Ikegami back end in a future release. Kevin Duggan did point me to a solution for a Mac based system with a Telestream product referred to in this thread, but alas I forgot to mention this is all Windows 7 PC based…
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Right now we’re just using the XDCAM Transfer app to ‘wrap’ the video in a QT container. That seems to work fine in CatDV and all our other software.
If you have to convert to ProRes, Compressor 4 is the fastest in our tests.
– Allan White, Video Producer, Luis Palau Assoc.
Quad 3Ghz Mac Pro, 10GB RAM, X1900 GPU, XSAN, CatDV Server
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Hi Allen,
Thanks for your thoughts. I recently upgraded to CatDV 9 which seems to have allowed the software to finally recognized the Calibrated XDCAM MXF plug-in and now the JVC Media imports correctly as Metaclips rather than Movies in the catalog. The disconnect issue is no longer a problem. And of course I should have mentioned this is a PC based system.
Now if only I could have a single successful ‘Archive to CacheA’ from any of my CatDV catalogs…though at this point CacheA has little room left to blame CatDV.
Lindsay
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