Importing using XDCAM log and Transfer

[Don Greening]

Your screen grabs tell me you’ve got XDCAM EX footage in a XDCAM HD timeline. What does your clip look like when you put it into an XDCAM EX sequence? I don’t have any XDCAM HD footage or I’d try it myself. You can also try to put your EX footage into a ProRes sequence, render it and then look at the result.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Christina Ricci]

I typically like to use a Apple Pro Res sequence settings which is what I outputted to. I just tried the XDCAM sequence to see if it would make a difference. what I have it typically set at is below in screen shot. Better rendering and no crashing. I used the XDCAM to import and then dropped onto the ProRes timeline. The problem is the footage when converted using the XDcam doesn’t appear to be great quality. Artifacts on the edges and low data rate 4.3 MB/sec when imported into FCp browser window. When I open same footage in QT the data rate is higher (36.29). Again, not sure if data rate has anything to do with it but my friend says his are around 12mb/sec.

Current settings:

Thank you for your help!

Christina

[Craig Seeman]

[christina ricci] “Artifacts on the edges and low data rate 4.3 MB/sec when imported into FCp browser window. When I open same footage in QT the data rate is higher (36.29).”

Confusing bytes with bits. 4.3 MegaBYTES perso second is about 35 MegaBITS per second.

[christina ricci] “The problem is the footage when converted using the XDcam doesn’t appear to be great quality.”

Converting? That doesn’t make sense. The files are just being rewrapped to .mov. That’s a lossless procedure. It has no impact on the media data quality at all.

Transcoding to ProRes also has minimal impact on quality. It gives you more color space to work with as ProRes can withstand FX processing better than XDCAM. Also I-Frame codecs are a lot easier on the decoding resources used by the computer.

[Christina Ricci]

I apologize, I am fairly new to these terms. So that makes sense. However, I do know that on my FCP timeline, the quality of the video is poor. Viewed at 100 percent, I can clearly see the artifacts on the edges. I cannot figure out where in the process I am going wrong.

I used the XDCAM Transfer. I then imported into a ProRes timeline maintain other clip’s settings

Is there another setting I am missing that would cause this: ?

Thanks!

Christina

[Don Greening]

[Craig Seeman] “Also I-Frame codecs are a lot easier on the decoding resources used by the computer.”

Indeed. And since you’re using a laptop to edit with this becomes an important issue.

Data rate is inexorably tied to the codec you’re using to edit and view with. If I understood your reply (and I’m not sure I do) if you use the XDCAM HD to import you get the artficats but using XDCAM EX instead you don’t. You use an XDCAM HD timeline because an XDCAM EX timeline crashes and produces inferior renders.

My playback and rendering of native XDCAM EX footage is stellar at the lower data rate, so I don’t know what is happening at your end. In an XDCAM EX timeline set your renders to ProRes in prefs. A friendly recommendation about ProRes: there is no discernible difference that I can see (and certainly your clients) between ProRes and ProRes (LT). Unless you’re doing heavy CC or green screen work I go with the LT version because it needs less storage space. Let your editing requirements be your guide on this.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Michael Palmer]

Try this, take and drop your EX codec into a new sequence and allow FCP to set the settings, then go to Sequence/Setting/RenderControl and set to ProRez.

Good Luck
Michael Palmer

[Christina Ricci]

Michael,

Yes, tried that as well. In fact, that is my work flow process. I must admit that my final QT output looks decent (not great) (screen shots below), but when I pull into Compressor and prepare for DVD Studio Pro, the final DVD output is a horror, artifacts galor. Not on every clip though. For ex, the top clip is bad in final and the middle (girl with blue shirt (me)) is ok. The third (girl with yellow shirt) is bad as well in final DVD output.

Compressor setting are the DVD 90 Minute Best Quality.

Final Output before going to Compressor

Final Output before going to Compressor:

Final Output before going to Compressor:

[Michael Palmer]

Are you exporting the native EX sequence directly to Compressor or are you exporting as ProRez first then reimporting to FCP and sending to Compressor?

Good Luck
Michael Palmer

[Christina Ricci]

Michael,

I export the entire timeline with ProRes settings as self contained movie maintaining timeline settings, so full 1080. Then I drop that into Compressor and apply the DVD 90 minute Best Quality settings.

HOW I EXPORT:

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it.

Christina

[Michael Palmer]

When you export do you confirm the Options settings and choose a ProRez setting. For me I’m right in the middle of DVD hell myself and I have for whatever reason wanted a ProRez file to send to compressor, so I would export Using Quick Time Conversion and set in Options the codec (PR) and size I want, then I use that .mov for Compressor. My thinking is that Apple Prorez will make a better compressed movie.

Good Luck
Michael Palmer