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Rendering xdcam hd — video speeds up like crazy
I’m cutting a project shot on xdcam hd, but some of the disks were shot on different settings. Most is shot on an xdcam hd camera but in hdv 1080i/60, while some disks are set at xdcam 1080i/60. I’ve set the sequence to hdv 1080i/60, so those shots lay down fine. The xdcam ones need rendering, which is a pain. But even worse, the video speeds like about 30x the normal speeds, zips through the images and then leaves black on the timeline over real time audio tracks.
I have absolutely no idea why this is happening or how to fix it. I’ve tried every setting I can imagine, nno luck.
Thanks,
Peter -
10 Replies
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Peter
It sounds like you are saying some of the footage was shot 1080i60 using the SP camera setting, and others shot using the camera’s LP or HQ settings, but you don’t tell which.
So first, please explain how you captured/impoted this footage into FCP.
And second, please confirm the clip item’s properties. Select a clip of each type, and press Cmd-9 and list down the Format settings.Was all this footage shot on thesame camera or different camera’s?
When you play the clips individually, in the Viewer window, do they play correctly?
Cheers
Andy -
If you are using XDCAM HD, you need to using Sony’s Easy Setups that are included with the Sony Transfer Software v 1.1.
You can’t mix HDV and XDCAM HD unless the XDCAM HD is recorded SP quality, which is the standard for HDV – 25 mb/s
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com -
I’m not sure if the video was recorded at SP or not. I’ve installed the xdcam transfer software, but no easy setup for xdcam came up. I do see the xdcam hd sequence preset in the pulldown menu in sequence settings. This allows me to play the xdcam compression video, but leaves the HDV setting video unrendered, and when I render it the video has that sped up effect.
Is there any way to convert the xdcam compression video to HDV? The Xdcam HD compression video is at a data rate of 622.7 K/sec, and the HDV is at 3.3 MB/sec.
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Thanks Andy. I’ve never worked with this format before so it’s all
new to me. I brough the material in by importing it in Final Cut
through the xdcam in the pull down, which launches xdcam transfer.
The same camera and cameraman shot everything, but he admits he had a
different setting early on in the shoot.The early material is in the following format:
vid rate 29.97 fps
1440×1080
compression xdcam hd 1080i60 (35 Mb/s VBR)
Data Rate 622.7 K/sec
pixel aspect HD (1440×1080)The later footage is:
vide rate 29.97 fps
1440×1080
compression HDV 1080i60
Data Rate 3.3 MB/sec
pixel aspect HD (1440 x 1080)So the compression and data rates are different. Both types of clips
play normally in the viewer, but once you put it on the canvas only
the one that matches the sequence setting plays (if I set HDV, that
one plays. If I set xdcam, the xdcam plays.) The other one needs
rendering, and after I render it the video zips through all the images
in a matter of seconds and leaves minutes of black over the audio
tracks. -
It sounds like you don’t have teh software installed properly. Go to this address and download the second link for the software.
https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz/sony-software.aspx?model=PDZKP1
When the software is installed, your Sony Easy Setups will be at the bottom of the list.
You are using FCP 5.1, aren’t you? If not, that’s a major problem since earlier versions of FCP don’t work with XDCAM HD.
[pwkvancouver] “Is there any way to convert the xdcam compression video to HDV? The Xdcam HD compression video is at a data rate of 622.7 K/sec, and the HDV is at 3.3 MB/sec.”
As for converting the video, your only option is to use Compressor. But I have to ask… what is the majority of your footage shot on?
As for your workflow with XDCAM HD and HDV… We use both of these formats all of the time. We capture everything at DVCProHD and edit on a DVCProHD 1080i29.97 sequence. This is the only way of true compatibility between the two formats that doesn’t eat up all of your time converting files.
BTW, the Sony Transfer software will run independently of FCP and it will tell you of your clip settings.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com -
I’ll try reinstalling the software, but I did that once already. I’m using FCP 5.14.
I don’t see how you can capture at a diifferent compression than what the material was shot in, unless you’re going through sdi and capturing it straight into FCP. I’ve been using the xdcam transfer software. Do you use that or capture from the deck using SDI?
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I’ve found a work around to this problem. XDCAM and HDV are not compatible on the same timeline, so I took the XDCAM material, exported it as HDV and reimported it into the project. Now everything is the same compression and works well together on the timeline without rendering.
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interesting find. i’ll test later and see if i get the same results.
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This is what I have been trying to say…
Yes, they are the same flavor but very different and not compatible on the same timelines. This is the issue that we are ALL having with FCP. Nearly all of the other NLEs can mix formats on timelines but FCP cannot STILL. Even Sony’s Vegas can mix anyting on a timeline and you can buy this software at BestBuy or Circuit City.
BTW…. A little word of warning. You cannot export XDCAM HD and expect to do anthing with it. You cannot use AfterEffects with it. And if you had a converter box for your HDV machine, you cannot digitize into XDCAM HD.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com -
[pwkvancouver] “I don’t see how you can capture at a diifferent compression than what the material was shot in, unless you’re going through sdi and capturing it straight into FCP. I’ve been using the xdcam transfer software. Do you use that or capture from the deck using SDI?”
Yeah… There are times when I have small projects like commercials where I will import the media from disc and when I am editing a show, I digitize through my Kona 3. For programs, I digitize so that I can have full compatibility for anything that I may need and so that I don’t have to wait on those very long conforming times before I send to disc or write to disc.
XDCAM HD is very much like HDV in the sense that you have to conform your sequence before outputting to whatever source you need. AND, the render times on this can be very long on a 35 minute program (bars, tone, slate, program content and black trailer).
Most all of us here on the COW capture our HDV into the DVCProHD codec for ease of use and overall compatibility.
BTW, I would suggest that you look into a capture card like the AJA Kona 3, if you are in the business to make money. Its a very worthy investment.
_______________________________
Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com
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