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MXF vs. QT
So here’s my question:
If I’m recording to a Firestore FS-100, do I try to set it to record MXF files (if that’s even possible) and then create QT ref files, as suggested in some posts I was reading, or just set to record .mov QuickTime files and create reference files.
I’m editing in FCP Studio 1 right now, upgrading to Studio 2 (v. 6) next week, and looking for the best quality and smoothest interface.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!Robert
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4 Replies
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P2 setting is MXF files
This is more of a what works best for you workflow.
Now that version 4 of the firestore software makes a ref movie or the quicktime files, they are easier to handle long clips.
My question for you would be to you want to log your footage in a tradition manner, so you name unique names and description on transfer. Also wanting to trim and view the footage before getting it into FCP. – Useful for documentary and film type work. Then P2 is better.
If you film long clips and you just want to bring in the entire clip and start working on it then – concert footage then Quicktime maybe best.
One thing to remember is always make a backup copy of the footage. The p2 method more or less force you to do this, while you can (but shouldn’t) bypass it with the QT method.
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Well that’s very helpful-thank you.
So is there any difference in the quality of each? I’ve been finding that in a project I just started, I recording in th QT setting and it looked great (very smooth) in 1080_60i playback on the camera, but a little 24P-like when watching via QT player on the MAC on both the computer screen as well as via dvi output to 26″ HD LCD tv/monitor. Is it just the video card in my fairly new macbook pro, or did the quality change somewhere along the way?
Sorry, this is all so new for me.Thanks again!
Robert
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There is no difference in quality between QT and P2 setting, both give you DVCProHD just a different wrapper.
Have you viewed the files out from FCP?
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I hadn’t tried viewing it thru FCP, which was probably dumb on my part, BUT I did try it this afternoon and it still looked a little like 24P, or maybe a little smoother, like 30P. The strange thing is that I viewed the playback today from the Firestore, thru the camera, playing back the same clips onto an 8″ field monitor on location. The images (and pans) were beautiful. Now I know that the smaller screen is deceiving, but this was really perfect.
So my next experiment is to connect the composite camera output to the large LCD and see what it delivers.
Now I have to confess that the footage I viewed on FCP was footage that I backed up to an eSata drive. Maybe that’s having a problem keeping up with the bandwidth of the HD footage, although i really doesn’t “look” like a hard drive speed issue.
I’ll post my results, but any suggestions would be appreciated.Thanks again,
Robert
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