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Should compressor settings be different in Sequence Settings?
I’m shooting a JVC camera that outputs clips as Apple XDCAM EX 1080i (35Mb/s VBR). I drop a QuickTime into the timeline and FCP says “For best performance your sequence and External Video should be set to the format of the clips you are editing. Change sequence settings to match the clip settings?”
I say yes. It does, and when I open the Sequence Settings, I find all of the information for the video, (1920×1880 HDTV 1080io (16:9) etc. The compressor setting is set for XDCAM EX 1080i.
QUESTION – Should I leave as-is, or switch to Pro Res 422? Or something else? I keep reading that Pro Res 422 is an editing codec, but I’m not exactly sure what the Compressor setting does. If setting it to Pro Res 422 will make it easier to edit, I’m all for it.
Thanks –
ddDennis Dean
The Dean Group
-It’s about results-
http://www.deangroup.com -
4 Replies
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For faster editing, have the “auto conform” prompt you get, do it’s thing. This will allow you to edit the XDCAM footage, and you won’t have to render (much).
If you put the footage in a ProRes timeline, you will have to render everything. However, the quality of the render will be better.
I like to pre-encode the XDCAM into ProRes prior to bringing into FCP, then edit in ProRes…which, at this point, would be native.
I wrote a nice article on this very scenario: https://michaelkammes.com/editorial/i-bet-i-can-save-you-hours-of-waiting-in-the-edit-bay/
~Michael
.: michael kammes mpse
.: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
.: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
.: michaelkammes.com -
GREAT article. I finally understand why you shouldn’t be editing with some codecs!
It sounds like the XDCAM isn’t too bad for editing, but Pro Res would be best?
Should I use Compressor for the conversion? Or – ???
Thanks –
Also – can you point me to a chart, list or magic bean that will tell me which codecs are good for what?
– thanks again,
DD
Dennis Dean
The Dean Group
-It’s about results-
http://www.deangroup.com -
Glad you enjoyed.
NLE’s are finally at a point where XDCAM editing can be done relatively easily (provided your machine isn’t a dinosaur) and native at the same time. It’s great for ENG, news, and run and gun type people.
I find that it doesn’t give the latitude one needs for color work or advanced graphics work. That’s the trade off, however, for being able to go tapeless.
Pro Res will definitely give you better results if you are keying, adding graphics, concerned about gradients, etc. There is just *more* data and latitude – plus, it’s not Long GOP. XDCAM, at a common data rate is 35 Mb/s (about 4.375MB/s). ProRes 422 HQ is 150Mb/s (31MB/s) So – there is a trade off – more drive space, for more quality and latitude.
If it helps, any media that is XDCAM that I have to do ANY kind of efx work or color work too, I flip to Pro Res without hesitation.
Apple’s Compressor (heck, Quicktime Pro!) as well as more robust solutions like Telestream’s Episode (my fav) can do this transcode from XDCAM to Pro Res for you. I caution to research prior to buying, as many different cameras can shoot XDCAM, and save it in different formats. These formats may or may not be understood by the transcoder. JVC, for example, saves XDCAM in a MOV wrapper, while Sony uses the more traditional MXF folder hierarchy.
Worst case scenario, FCP can do your transcode.
I don’t know of a chart per se. When I lecture about it, I spend almost an hour just on the just the concept of pre-encoding and codecs.
A basic rule of thumb (and I await flames!): most camera acquisition formats (XDCAM, P2/AVC, H.264/7D&5D, etc.) look great, but fall apart in post when there is a good deal of efx and color work. This is not a 100% rule (Alexa, for example, shoots ProRes!). Virtually very complaint and problem I have heard regarding NLE performance in the past few years has always been related to new(er) codecs and underpowered machines.
As always, I recommend testing it and seeing if the quality trade off is worth the time waiting for the transcode.
Good Luck!
~Michael
.: michael kammes mpse
.: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
.: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
.: michaelkammes.com -
Michael – Incredibly valuable information ! Thanks very much. It is now printed and hanging in my edit suite!
DD
Dennis Dean
The Dean Group
-It’s about results-
http://www.deangroup.com
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