-
AVCHD just stopped working in FCP7? (then works again, then doesn’t?)
Hi y’all,
I have run into an issue that is confounding me. I hope someone here can offer some advice.
I have some AVCHD footage I need to import into FCP7. I copied it over from the memory card onto a hard drive (yes, I copied the entire directory structure), but when I try to mount it I get the dreaded “contains unsupported media or has an invalid directory structure” message.
Here’s the thing: I was able to mount this footage two days ago, and I haven’t touched this folder since then. (I have already verified the drive in Disk Utility, just to check)
I notice that this was true of another AVCHD I imported a few days ago, then went to re-import some stuff and was given the “unsupported media” message. But now this footage once again mounts fine.
This seems to be very strange behavior and I can’t find a reason for it.
Does anyone have any idea what might be going on, or a suggestion on what to check into? Any advice would be super helpful. Thanks!
-
11 Replies
-
FCP7 doesn’t handle AVCHD well natively: convert to Prores 422 first.
-
Thanks for the quick response. However, I should have mentioned that I have been using the AVCHD plugin through Log and Transfer. (That’s how I convert to 422) I have been doing this for nearly two years with perfectly fine results. Just looking to find out why things are behaving different since yesterday…?
-
Mark…that’s what he’s trying to do. Log and Transfer won’t recognize it. IT does…then doesn’t.
What OS are you running?
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Hi Shane,
I’m on 10.9.5
-
FCP 7 isn’t supported on Mavericks. That OS wasn’t written taking FCP 7 into consideration, making sure it was compatible. Because of that, some things work, some don’t. And they might work one day, but not the next. This is what happens when you run incompatible software. FCP 7 is Quicktime based…QT is the engine. Apple is dropping QT, moving to AV foundation. Mavericks is the first version to not have the pro level Quicktime 7 included in the OS (it too was discontinued). Instead, they have the unfinished QTX player.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Hi Shane,
That is a thorough answer. Thank you for that. I can’t help but feel a little disheartened. My beloved FCP7. My beloved QT7.
Looks like I’m going to have to seriously consider moving to a new editor. Would you have any recommendations for a smooth transition to something new? (I know FCPX is an option, and may even let me keep all of the projects I created in FCP7 over the years?)
-
FCX is an option. Know that it is VERY different from FCP 7. Completely different NLE. The only thing it shares with FCP 7 is the “Final Cut” name, and that it’s made by Apple. And no, you can’t really keep your old projects and open them fine…not without third party support. You’ll need 7toX…and even then it’s not 100%. They are that different.
Adobe Premiere Pro, on the other hand, is VERY similar. That’s the smoothest transition…there are even keyboard settings for FCP so you won’t get lost. And all you need to do to transition a project is export an XML from FCP and open that in PPro. The text will have to be redone, but everything else comes over well. And the plugins available for it are comparable to what you had with FCP 7…and what you can get with FCX.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Once again, thanks for the detailed response. Adobe Premiere Pro sounds like the best option, given everything you’ve said (and that all my friends talk about using it)… I will look into it, and I’m sure I’ll be an APP user before too long.
Thanks again, Shane. You’ve been super helpful and informative.
Cheers!
-
Hi Eric,
Your problem isn’t FCP7. it’s Mavericks. FCP7 works fine for me on all sort of machines running os10.9. A new Mac Pro, iMacs, macminis.However, mavericks/quicktime has done something strange with AVCHD. When i copy the entire folder structure of an SD card from an AF101 to our media server, using a computer with mavericks installed, it copies it over fine, but creates the AVCHD as a ‘file’ rather than as a folder.
When i copy exactly the same card to the same server, using a computer with os10.7, it creates an AVCHD folder.
The one with the folder can be read in FCP7 log and transfer, the one as a file can’t be read. Very weird, and obviously a minor change in the background, that affects FCP7. I haven’t found a decent way round, unless you have a spare older computer you can use for copying. Or using another bit of software to transcode like iSkysoft media deluxe, but that will ruin the online/offline workflow that log and transfer does so well.
Am still looking for work arounds.
Hope this helps, thanks
nick -
Hi Nick,
Sorry to hear you’re experiencing the same frustrations. I do believe you’re right, that it’s Mavericks (as Shane explained above). But I think I’ve also seen earlier versions of OSX sometimes only have an AVCHD file, and other times have a folder. I’m not sure what distinguishes when things happen one way or another.
I also know that you can right-click on the AVCHD file and choose “open package contents” to get at all the folders inside that you’re used to, but I don’t think there’s a way to do this from inside FCP.
– Eric
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up