Media Composer 5.5.3 XDCam AMA support

[John Pale]

You have to download the plugin yourself. AMA plugins are not included in the MC install. Just go to the Avid website and download it

[Jon Wright]

” No change after installing the latest XDCam plug in from the Avid website- however I noticed it only specifies compatibility up to MC 5.5.2 so I’m thinking that’s where the problem lies. “

Still no joy after going to the website and installing it…

[Richard Sanchez]

You can’t AMA just the MP4 files. You need the entire card structure. I hope your media manager copied the entire cards over into a folder and named them, as you would tapes. So, if you shot today you’d have a series of folders 110211A01, 110211A02, 110211A03 and such. You select link to AMA volume and select the folder of 110211A01 to access it.

Think of the card structure like an HDCAM tape. The tape has a plastic enclosure. If you crack it open, you have the spools and the magnetic tape itself. That’s what the MP4 files are.

Richard Sanchez
North Hollywood, CA

“We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.” – Bill Hicks

[Phillip Allerholez]

Media Composer 5.5.3 on Mac is only qualified currently for Mac OS X 10.7 and not 10.7.1 or 10.7.2 yet. I don’t think that is the problem though.

Judging by the paths you are showing in the error log, it doesn’t seem to be a valid XDCAM file structure. No sign of the Clip, Sub or any other folders where the clips would normally be kept. Were these files just dragged off of XDCam disks or did you do a copy of the exact XDCAM disk structure wise. If the first issue is the case, then the AMA plugins will not touch these. You need to either get the original XDCam disk and and copy it from the top level or recreate the XDCam structure on your own.

[Jon Wright]

Hi

Thanks for the info on xdcam as a structure, I’ve actually been working with it for a good few years now so I am aware of the need for accuarcy in the file path. I’ve the problem using two different methods now, the first was an exact copy of the xdcam folders (bpav and the like) ans that didn’t work- I had to start cutting that day so ended up importing through fcp and ama-ing the pro Res files. Now the edit is over and I’ve got more time to spebd sorting the problem out I download a sample decamped file from the Sony site which is the one that is listed in the logs.

It works fine with an mxf based xdcam file, but not with an mp4 based file, hence my reasoning that it’s a problem with the mp4 ‘Bit’ for want of a better word.

Thanks

[Jon Wright]

Hi

Thanks for the info on xdcam as a structure, I’ve actually been working with it for a good few years now so I am aware of the need for accuarcy in the file path. I’ve the problem using two different methods now, the first was an exact copy of the xdcam folders (bpav and the like) ans that didn’t work- I had to start cutting that day so ended up importing through fcp and ama-ing the pro Res files. Now the edit is over and I’ve got more time to spebd sorting the problem out I download a sample decamped file from the Sony site which is the one that is listed in the logs.

It works fine with an mxf based xdcam file, but not with an mp4 based file, hence my reasoning that it’s a problem with the mp4 ‘Bit’ for want of a better word.

Thanks

[Andrew Mckee]

I have definitely had it work if you mount AMA volume and then point it at a BPAV folder with the correct architecture, or any folder 1 or perhaps 2 folder levels above that. Not sure why its not working in your case, sorry.

Andrew McKee
Editor/Colourist
Avid Certified Instructor – MC5.5
Apple Certified Trainer – FCP7
Pixelwizard.net

[Russ Johnson]

It’s working for me in MC 5.5.3. I had to download it from Sony’s web site, strangely. I couldn’t find it on Avid’s site. The plug-in version is PDZK-MA2_Version_1.2_forMac. It doesn’t list MC 5.5.3 as being compatible, but only 5.5.2 on the Sony site. I’ve installed on two system and can confirm it works.

As I remember, this is where I downloaded it:
https://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-xdcam/resource.downloads.bbsccms-assets-micro-xdcam-downloads-XDCAMSoftwareDownload.shtml#apps

Good luck,

-Russ

[David Dean]

I’m having the same problem. I’ve just purchased 5.5.3 (I didn’t want to upgrade from Snow Leopard to Lion just yet in order to buy 6.0), and have downloaded and installed the Sony XDCAM plugin (version 1.2048). I have a harddrive full of XDCAM material that I’ve easily accessed on Final Cut (through XDCAM Transfer, of course), and I cannot get MC to link to it. No matter how far down the XDCAM architecture I go, the message reads “Unable to link to any clips.” The console does confirm that the plugin is there, but there’s also a specific message on the console reading “Version 1.2048 does not support [the folders containing the footage on my drive].” Is that simply a matter of it not being MC version 5.5.2 that the Sony website specifically mentions, and this plug-in is NOT compatible? I also do not have an XDCAM tab in the Import settings, which I thought I should be seeing. Thanks.