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FCPX quit unexpectedly
I am still pretty new to FCPX, I used to use FCP 7, but successfully edited a project on the FCPX trial and decided to buy FCPX.
However, this time around, FCPX keeps crashing.
My system is up-date, I’m using OSX 10.8.4
Only 8GB (with plans to upgrade), but the project doesn’t require special effects and will use minimal graphicsSo I open FCPX, create a new event and import the media that was shot with a Sony NX5 camera. I use Media Converter to convert the AVCHD files to mov (rewrap). For the other projects that I’ve edited on FCPX, I was able to transfer the footage directly from the camera’s memory cards, but this time I am using the MTS files.
I no longer have access to the files on the camera’s harddrive, as they have been deleted. I could use the footage transferred to a DVCAM tape, but would lose some of the quality. The project was shot in HD but was transferred to the DVCAM as SD.
I am assuming that FCPX keeps crashing because it needs the file structure provided by the camera’s harddrive, and since that is no longer available, what can I do to get FCPX stable enough to complete this project?
My deadline is fast approaching…
Live and Love Life
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10 Replies
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I don’t think X does AVCHD yet. It can import but it transcodes to ProRes. So if you used something to rewrap to mov files, but they’re still AVCHD, then that’s probably it. Can you get x to transcode them to ProRes? Right click on them in the event and see if it lets you transcode/optimize. I forget what phrase it uses.
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Thanks for your response.
When initially I imported the video files, I selected “create optimized media” in the transcoding section.
However I just tried to transcode a few of the clips, some did not give me the option (transcode was grey and could not be selected) and when I tired with another clip that allowed me to select transcode, FCP crashed.
Live and Love Life
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This always drives me a little nuts.
FCP-X has a really great transcoding engine inside it that can take a whole range of footage types and turn it into perfect ProRes files ready for editing – but somehow people still think that as with other less ecumenical software – they need to take a 3rd party program and transcode and re-wrap their files ahead of X ingestion.
Which inevitably leads to this kind of problem. Somebody faced with re-transcoding already transcoded content.
It always reminds me of the people who want to keep using PluralEyes for every Sync – even tho X can typically do that amazingly well right inside the software.
Anyway, search out and download a copy of the small, free utility MediaInfo and drop one of your source clips onto it.
That will tell you the actual codec contained in those streams – not just the wrapper.
Knowing that, you can at least start to figure out how far you are from the kind of properly ProRes wrapped files (without predictive or inter-frames) that X wants to see in order to fluidly work.
Good luck.
Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.
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The NEX 5 records AVCHD wrapped in an MTS container. FCPX does handle AVCHD footage without any problems. When you import AVCHD in FCPX your clips get re-wrapped to QuickTime (they are NOT transcoded to ProRes unless you choose to), which is a fast and perfectly lossless action. Of course on slower systems or with very large projects optimizing to ProRes while importing into FCPX is better as ProRes puts far less strain on your system than AVCHD.
The NEX 5 is fully supported by FCPX. So in short there is no need at all for any third-party software to bring your NEX footage into FCPX. Just import straight from the camera or copy your entire card folder onto your system and import from there (this is often the best way).
There are two conditions where importing from your NEX 5 camera or card can be problematic:
1. You have been shooting at 60fps and you haven’t converted to ProRes
In this case either FCPX will refuse to import or it will crash when you try to work with the footage. I think that’s what’s been happening with you.Solution:
– If FCPX refuses to import convert your media to ProRes using ClipWrap (Media Converter is not a good quality conversion tool) and then import the video in FCPX.
– If FCPX does import the AVCHD 60fps footage from the camera or card make sure to optimize your footage to ProRes while importing.2. You have mixed media on your card (clips with different formats, stills, etc…)
Solution: delete any stills from your card prior to importing.
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Thanks for your response!
“The NEX 5 is fully supported by FCPX. So in short there is no need at all for any third-party software to bring your NEX footage into FCPX. Just import straight from the camera or copy your entire card folder onto your system and import from there (this is often the best way).”
I think that this sums up my problem, as I no longer have access to the camera cards. The other projects that I did in FCPX i copied the cards to my harddrive and then imported into FCPX with no problem.
we shot at 30fps, but do you think that trying to convert the MTS using another converter even without all of the information from the camera cards will make a difference? Nonetheless, I’ll try and let you know what happens.
Live and Love Life
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You say you have rewrapped the original .MTS media from the card to .mov using Media Converter. What format are the rewrapped .mov files ? Select a file and press CMD+I to open the file Info window. There you will find the codec of the file.
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I just checked the information for both files, the MTS and the converted.
MTS
BDAV: 930 MiB, 5mn 51s
1 Video stream: AVC
1 Audio stream: AC-3
Overall bit rate mode: Variable
Overall bit rate: 22.2 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate: 24.0 Mbps
Streams
Video: 21.1 Mbps, 1920*1080 (16:9), at 29.97 fps, AVC (High@L4.0) (CABAC / 2 Ref Frames)
Audio: 256 Kbps, 48.0 KHz, 16 bits, 2 channels, AC-3Converted mov file
MPEG-4 (QuickTime): 940 MiB, 5mn 50s
1 Video stream: AVC
1 Audio stream: PCM
Overall bit rate mode: Variable
Overall bit rate: 22.5 Mbps
Writing application: Lavf53.0.3Streams
Video: 20.9 Mbps, 1920*1080 (16:(), at 59.940 fps, AVC (High@L4.0) (CABAC / 2 Ref Frames)
Audio: 1 536 Kbps, 48.0 KHz, 16 bits, 2 channels, PCM (Little / Signed)According to after dawn.com “BDAV refers to either the transport stream format used for all Blu-ray content, or the plain format intended for home video with no interactivity. The BDAV Container format is based on the standard MPEG-2 TS …” Read more at https://www.afterdawn.com/glossary/term.cfm/bdav
So am wondering if this means that it’s just ‘covered’ in a mov format and not really changed and FCPX notices this? Since BDAV merely contains MPEG2? How does MPEG2 and MPEG 4 relate to each other and how do they interact with FCPX?
Starting to feel like Alice, going further down the rabbit hole….
Not having any luck with ClipWrap, am going to try iskysoft
Live and Love Life
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Forgot to add, the codecs for the converted mov is H.264
Live and Love Life
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Just an update. used iskysoft to convert MTS files to mov but no the codec is ProRes 422, instead of H.264 and so far so good. Am importing the converted files and watching, etc in FCPX with no problems!
Thanks!
Live and Love Life
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Thanks for the update. Glad everything is working fine now.
Happy editing!
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