IMX format a problem with FCP??

[Mark Maness]

Well, I have never had to have more than 5 streams of IMX so I don’t know about that. The Multicam should work just fine. I did it once. BUT here’s the real problem, FCP cannot handle IMX30 very well at all. You’ll have to render it just to view it from the timeline and the screen will flicker from time to time. We use IMX50 and it works great. No problems at all.

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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions

[Mark Raudonis]

Ray,

You’re getting hosed by people spreading misinformation!

First off: The IMX format. We’ve been using IMX 50 for more than three years now. We’ve shot literally tens of thousands of hours of footage around the world with this format, both on tape and on the new XD disc. We’ve had virtually NO problems. Ever. We’ve edited hundreds of hours of network quality shows and I can safely say that we have had NO format related problems. I have no experience with IMX 30 format though, and just on priciple would suggest you go for the higher end “50” format. The difference in storage just isn’t that great. Fight to retain as much quality as possible.

The “streams of video” arguement is BS! Those restrictions have more to do with what kinds of drives you’re using, and what kind of RAID you’re using than anything else. “Multicam” not supported??? again, BS! We’re regularly cutting multicam sequences using IMX originated footage. Again, the origination format has nothing to do with this. You don’t mention what resolution you’re working in. Off-line RT? DV? IMX codec, or 8 bit. That will affect the number of streams more than anything else.

Ray, you need to speak to a qualified FCP post specialist. Not someone who’s trying to sell you an Avid!

Good Luck,

Mark

[Matt Galuszewski]

Hi,

I don’t want to spread misinformation but I believe that IMX50 is the only IMX that is supported by the RT engine.

Whilst on the IMX topic I was wondering if someone could check the following on a KONA 2 equipped system.

With mirroring to desktop enabled play back an IMX30 clip in viewer. Do you get a video level shift on SDI o/p when playing back clip.

Also, when capturing IMX clips in capture dialog with VTR control do you actually get the same in and out timecodes as entered or does the resulting media file show different in and outs. If we capture a clip with 10.00.00.00 to 10.00.05.00 we actually capture 10.00.00.04 to 10.00.05.07. Not a capture offset problem.

We are enjoying using IMX50 on our blackmagic equipped systems. We have recently switched to IMX and have had to replace a G4 to cope.

Regards

Regards

[Jose Panadero]

You can download the FCP5_HD_and_Broadcast_Formats.pdf from the Apple Web site (Support for Final Cut PRO) and know how Final Cut Pro handles IMX media.

[Mark Maness]

Don’t know about the timecode probelm you are dealing with. I’ve never had that one before but I think I would check your offset number in FCP preferences.

We have a Kona2 system using the XDCAM setup, and I have noticed a luminance shift when digitizing IMX30 and IMX40. Now, using IMX50, I have no problems at all. I feel this might be an artifact of that FCP has RT support for IMX50 only.

When you digitize the IMX30, do you notice a stutter in the playback – kinda like a field reversal issue when played back thru the viewer or canvas windows. I can reproduce it eveytime on both of my systems and they are totally different setups. One is a dual 1 gig G4 with a AJA IO and the other is a dual 2.7 G5 with a Kona2. I don’t feel that this is an issue related to the capture hardware because AJA doesn’t have a IMX codec to speak of, but Apple’s is used. On my G4 system, we have to digitize all of the IMX footage as DVCPRO 50 and the G5 handles IMX50 just fine. I’m not an engineer, but I think it has alot to do with the processing of the codecs and the IMX codec is the newer of the two so it was programmed for the G5. But this is only speculation on my part.

Don’t hang me to dry if I’m not exactly correct. I’m just giving you my experiences and workflow that we have to follow.

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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions

[Tvgsuper]

Thanks guys!!! I’m going into an Engineering/Tech meeting in about a minute. The general concensus I’m getting is that if I want to play in the IMX pool, IMX50 is my best bet to stay a float.

There is definitely a communication issue between the Post side, Engineering side, and our Vender’s IT and R&D. Our definition of ‘multiple streams’ differs from each other. Turns out that our Vender thought that ‘multiple streaming’ was the same as ‘multicam’ and was having a difficult time trying to get ‘multiple streams’ of video to play back well – mind you they were live streams, and we’ve told them from the beginning that this was something that we do not do.

Thanks again…I’ll keep you all posted (no pun intended).

[Matt Galuszewski]

Thanks Wayne – it’s amazing the differences.

We do not get the level shift.

The offset is not the problem for our timecode capture.

Our G4 does handle IMX playback and output but not capture.

Thanks again for feedback.

[Tvgsuper]

Mark,

Thanks for the info. This particular vendor is actually supplying our server. The main issue I’m having with them is the fact that they are ‘file pushers’ for lack of a better word, not Editors or anyone that understands our current post process and/or needs. We are actually attempting something that we probably shouldn’t…going with an IBM SAN solution for FCP. Why we are not going with the XSAN? Well, once we get everything worked out to the point I can share infor with you? I’ll let you all know! Wish us luck!

Ray

[Rtv Edit]

does anyone else get stuttes when you play IMX material that you just digitze at 50, 40 , or 30? I don’t have a BOB or an AJAX box. I’m going straight into a dual G5 and capture disc is my hard drive running FCP 5.0 HD

[Mark Maness]

Well…. Let me say that IMX needs some work in FCP 5.0. At first, I got that stuttering that you mentioned but it was all operator error (OE). We found out that FCP 5.0 has real time support for IMX 50 only. IMX 40 and 30 look like crap in FCP 5.0. So , in order to get rid of all the stuttering, we had to shoot everything in IMX 50. If you have already shot in IMX 40 or 30, you’ll need to use a capture device to capture it at IMX 50 and it will look just great.

Are you using the Flip4Mac plugin? If so, I sometimes still have troubles getting the stutter when importing footage. You HAVE to shoot in IMX 50. There’s absolutely no way around this. Sorry. There’s not much difference in 40 and 50 but FCP 5.0 cannot handle IMX 40.

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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions