Fast Import- Trying to Transcode before aivid

[Job Ter burg]

You need to compress with the ‘RGB’ option selected. The result may look washed out on a computer monitor, as the result will (and should) be Rec709.

Fast Import into Avid with the 709 option selected. Open the CC tool in Avid and look at the waveform monitor. It will show the right levels. Hook up a calibrated video monitor to judge the look.

[Bouke Vahl]

If you have shot 24 (or 23.976), you might try this:

https://www.videotoolshed.com/product/15/offloader/3

But also here, you need to set the codec as Job described.

Good thing is, this thing creates Avid MXF so you don’t even have a fast import, you just use the MediaTool to drag your clips in a bin.

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Michael Kammes]

I penned a handy dandy guide which can be applied to just about any transcoder for creating DNxHD files which can be fast imported into Media Composer:

https://michaelkammes.com/encoding/avid-is-self-aware-fast-import/

Hope it helps.

~Michael

.: michael kammes mpse
.: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
.: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
.: michaelkammes.com
.: twitter: @michaelkammes
.: facebook: /mkammes

Hear me pontificate: Speaking Schedule .

[Brendan Maghran]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the input. I read you’re article Michael, thanks again. But is there any codec I should select and then change the encoder to DNxHD? Compressor isn’t giving me the option to just select a DNxHD QT.

Brendan

[Michael Kammes]

As long as you’ve downloaded the Avid DNxHD codecs (avid.com/dnxhd), you can do DNxHD.

Under File Format in your Inspector tab, select ‘Quicktime Movie”.

Click “settings” next to the word “video”.

A pop up window then allow you to choose your DNxHD parameters.

~Michael

.: michael kammes mpse
.: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
.: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
.: michaelkammes.com
.: twitter: @michaelkammes
.: facebook: /mkammes

Hear me pontificate: Speaking Schedule .

[Oliver Peters]

1. Use the free MPEG Streamclip and transcode to DNxHD QT (if Avid codecs have been installed).
2. Add TC/Reel using QtChange.
3. Import into Avid using traditional import (not AMA) and assign color levels at 601/709 (not RGB mapping). This will Fast Import.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Brendan Maghran]

Thanks guys-

If I do a straight import into Avid, why do the color levels look so much more saturated? I tried MPEG Streamclip and Compressor both 709 and RBG color levels but everything seems more washed out. I thought DNxHD was lossless? Fast import works great though. I guess I’ll just have to spend a little more time coloring.

Thanks again everyone

[Oliver Peters]

Straight import is broken as far as I’m concerned when it comes to video levels and QT (MC 5.0.x and MC 5.5.1). That’s if you are talking about ProRes or H.264 files. The AMA/transcode route maintains proper levels. Direct import of converted DNxHD files (selecting 709 levels on import) IS the proper way to go there.

Even though MPEG Streamclip may appear to give you the choice between RGB/709, it really only converts to 709 when going to DNxHD. When you do a straight import (not AMA) in Avid, you can select between RGB and 709. In my testing, both settings resulted in incorrect gamma levels with ProRes files and an image that no longer matches the original. In either case ProRes and DNxHD are both codecs that adhere to professional video color space mapping – 16-235 with overshoots allowed between 0-15 and 236-255. Avid displays this unadjusted, so the appearance is “washed out”. Apple displays ProRes files adjusted for the display, so they looks “punchier”. In fact, both are the same and will look the same when displayed out through hardware to an external broadcast monitor.

As far as being “transparent”, there is no such thing. Apple does not give Avid the proprietary information to directly access the ProRes codec and nothing has been worked out from what I can tell between Avid and Canon for the H.264 codec on these cameras. As such, Avid must go through a QuickTime translation to get these files into Media Composer. There is a bit of reverse engineering involved to get to the right levels. That’s why I find the MPEG Streamclip conversion to DNxHD is a good solution.

I describe a lot of this here:

https://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/easy-canon-5d-post-%E2%80%93-round-iii/
The last paragraph is the relevant part to this thread.

Cheers,
Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com