installing codec for P2 confusion

[Matthew Stamos]

Are you running the trial off the website? If so send me a note off list and we will get you some temp keys with MXF enabled.

matts@jbanda.com

[Rolf Howarth]

For dealing with P2 (and related formats such as XDCAM) within CatDV there are two distinct aspects involved:

a) Media playback: CatDV uses the QuickTime APIs to play media, so to play MXF files you need a suitable QuickTime MXF decode component and/or codecs installed. These are available from a couple of 3rd part companies, Calibrated and MXF4Mac (in both cases for a fee, though free demo versions are available also)

b) Metadata support: if you have the CatDV MXF Option, CatDV has built-in support for reading metadata from MXF files, including P2 camera metadata, technical information such as codec, timecode, and duration, plus the ability to automatically sync up video and audio information that is commonly stored in separate files, but you still need a 3rd party decode component installed to be able to play the files.

To fully support P2 files you might require a number of additional components therefore:
– MXF import component, to open MXF files from within a QuickTime application
– video codecs for specific formats such as AVC Intra, DV100, IMX, etc.
– the CatDV MXF Option to properly “understand” MXF files and folder structures, including reading metadata and synching up video and audio

[Steve Bushko]

Rolf thank you for taking time and posting to me. I understand and following you but it\’s like dream fog to me. I need to get these codec installed within CatDV just so I get the P2 thing cooking. I\’m following the vague steps off the sites but I just clueless why it\’s not clicking

P.S. I\’M running Win7

[Bryson Jones]

Steve,

P2 is no problem, but CatDV currently doesn’t support the blah,blah,blah files you mentioned.

I think there’s a codec coming after NAB. 😉

Once Matt turns on the MXF, you’re golden.

bryson

bryson “at” hidefcowboy.com

hidefcowboy.com

[Steve Bushko]

Hey thanks Bryson
Comforting words to this missouri hillbilly

I can’t wait to battle this blackhole of media he’ll. If this works I just might get to keep my job, dam cutbacks.

[Bryson Jones]

Ok, now for the serious answer.

What Matt was getting at is that the MXF “option” is the option to actually create the MXF clips in CatDV.

Calibrated just gives you the ability to see/play the raw media, but the CatDV MXF option actually stitches the video and audio together into a clip (metaclip) that you can play.

As you know P2 and XDCAM MXF are nice hodgepodges of audio and video. CatDV lets you make sense of them, but once they are gathered into a clip, you need Calibrated to allow your computer to play them back.

The web download demo doesn’t have the option to “gather” the elements into what we call a metaclip so you just get a big list of gibberish if you try to import.

When you have the MXF option enabled and you drag a CONTENTS folder into CatDV, you get a clear list of clips that you can play instead of the individual audio and video and xml files that I’ll bet you now see.

Matt is the answer, buzz him and get the full demo version.

bryson

bryson “at” hidefcowboy.com

hidefcowboy.com

[Elan Dassani]

hey bryson,

This is Elan here (how’s it going :)?) from over at Master Key Post.

So with P2 files, I’ve installed the Calibrated MXF plugin (works great). Once we’ve installed CatDV with the MXF option, I’m just going to import each of my SAN drives, and hopefully it will all work swimmingly with the P2 files. The demo works great so far with any other kind of file. Hopefully this will also solve my black hole of media problem too . . .

hope all is well,
Elan