Importing mp4 xd cam ex to FCP

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Ina,
What version of FC do you have?
You need just FCP 6.2 (or later), and the SONY Transfer tool.
The process is quite simple and fas. The MP4 gets re-wrapped as QT (EX) files ready to edit.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Ina Clausen]

Ups, sorry. We are using FCP 7 and I am using XDCAM Transfer to import the files to fcp.
So is there no need to use special software to edit this in the best possible quality? What is it that software such as Calibrated and Cinemon do then?

Ina Clausen
Videojournalist (VJ)
LeadIT ApS
Odense, Denmark

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Ina,
No need of other software at all.
I shoot EX-1 and all I have is FC and the SONY Transfer Tool.
Beside that, I have the SONY Clip Browser, which is very useful for preview, rename and copy files.
but do not take part on the L&T.

Calibrated and Cinemon, are basically for people who has not FC installed (and so the EX component), or for working directly with the MP4 avoiding L&T.
You may need to update the Transfer Tool. They have been released quite a few of versions and your may be having this issue because the version.
In the SONY Cinealta forum (here in the COW) you may find help on those issues also.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Ina Clausen]

Thanks Rafael
The reason I ask is that it is my understanding, that working directly with MP4 in FCP is preferable to log and transfer or importing through XDCAM transfer, because the quality is better. I have been working with XDCAM for a long time and have always used xdcam transfer, but then most of what I edit is for the web and it’s not all that important if image quality is superior. However this movie is high end corporate stuff for showing on big screens and we are also editing a series of commercials that are to be shown in the cinema. SO we need the best possible quality.

So I guess I could refrase my question to ask the advantages and disadvantages to using L&T or xdcam transfer as opposed to importing and editing mp4 using for instance Calibrated.

By the way I did get the calibrated software to work, so it seems I have managed to successfully import the clips bypassing the usual transfer tools.. Still answers to the above question about quality are very welcome.

Ina Clausen
Videojournalist (VJ)
LeadIT ApS
Denmark
FCP 7

[Greg Booth]

Hi Ina,

The quality is exactly the same – basically XDCAM Transfer will re-wrap (but not convert) the XDCAM HD MXF or XDCAM EX MP4 files into XDCAM HD MOV or XDCAM EX MOV files. Thus the video/audio essence is not changed at all in the file rather XDCAM Transfer is just putting video/audio essence in a MOV file wrapper – and the actual decoding of the video is handled by the Apple XDCAM codec that comes with FCP.

With Calibrated{Q} MP4-EX Import and Sony Cinemon – these are QuickTime Import components that enable FCP and most FC Studio applications to ‘see’ the XDCAM EX MP4 file like a MOV file – the actual video decoding is also handled by the Apple XDCAM codec that comes with FCP so the video quality is exactly the same.

I hope that helps!

Cheers,
Greg

Calibrated Software

[Ina Clausen]

Thankyou! I believe that answered my question.

Ina Clausen
Videojournalist (VJ)
LeadIT ApS
Denmark
FCP 7

[Philip Berman]

That’s really get information. However, our problem is that when we try to import the footage into FCP it keeps saying: “The import location at volumes cannot be found” Any thoughts on what we have done wrong?

Many thanks

Philip

[Philip Berman]

Sorry to trouble you again, but the problem might lie somewhere with this message:

WARNING:

“BPAV contains unsupported media or has invalid directory structure. Please choose a folder whose directory structure matches supported media.”

Does this mean much to anyone!

Many thanks

Philip