• Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

  XDCAM HD workflow question regarding ProRes codec

  Posted by Holden Kim on January 31, 2011 at 4:58 pm

  Hi,

  I want to find the most efficient and best way to edit XDCAM HD footages using ProRes 422 codec.

  This is the steps I take (without transcoding all the footages to ProRes first and edit). Is this how to edit XDCAM HD ‘natively’ and still render faster using ‘ProRes codec’? Or should I change the Compressor setting to ProRes and THEN edit so I don’t have to re-render again after it’s finished? That’s the part that I’m particularly confused about.

  1. Use XDCAM Transfer program downloaded on Sony website to transfer XDCAM HD footages.
  2. Import them into FCP browser, drag one of the clips to timeline and let the FCP match the setting automatically. That gives me (XDCAM HD 30p in Compressor setting and Same as Sequence Codec in Render Codec setting)
  3. Then change the Render Codec setting to ProRes and leave the Compressor setting alone for now.
  4. Edit and finish it then when I need to export full-res QuickTime Movie, change the Compressor setting to ProRes.

  I’d appreciate any feedback. Thank you.

  – Holden

  Mark Maness replied 15 years, 3 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  Mark Maness

  January 31, 2011 at 5:22 pm

  You can work that way just fine, but I’m not too sure about the output. Personally, I’ve never had much luck with outputting XDCAM HD to another codec without aliasing issues. If I’m going to output to another codec, I write the program to XDCAM HD disc and then capture the disc into another codec of choice.

  Some folks here will say, “Don’t do that… You’ll lose a generation.” Well, you will anyway if you convert to another codec, technically speaking.

  I’ve learned that XDCAM HD behaves much better when using an XDCAM HD deck to capture into any codec.

  A little off topic… Transcoding in FCP7 is totally out of the question. Somewhere, Sony and Apple have screwed up this process using the XDCAM Software Transfer and FCP7. I’ve tried the workarounds but they aren’t working anymore each time and update is applied.

  _______________________________

  Wayne Carey
  Schazam Productions
  https://web.mac.com/schazamproductions
  schazamproductions@mac.com

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