Offline to Online with XDCAM footage

[Victor Perez]

If you have the original XDCam folder structure from the XDCam Discs on the drive. You can download the XDCam Transfer plugin to convert the files to Quicktime.
https://www.servicesplus.sel.sony.com/sony-software-model-PDZKP1.aspx

Not sure how it would work for XDCam EX.

Victor
http://www.editvictor.com
http://www.hbhm.tv
http://www.itvisus.com

[Shane Ross]

This is a workflow you really should have tested first. Because XDCAM doesn’t import into FCP the same way P2 does. The workflow is not the same. You cannot BATCH CAPTURE like you do with P2. The only solution I have found is to import all of the footage at full resolution, and reconnect. Sorry, there really is no good offline/online workflow with XDCAM EX. XDCAM from disks is a bit different, as you have a deck and can use log and capture.

Shane
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[Michael Gissing]

The cost in time trying to do an offline/ online workflow for a highly compressed format like XDCam must be far greater than the cost of extra hard drives to have done this in native codec. This is particularly the case if you used a different frame size in the low res files as any reframes or adjustments will have to be manually redone.

How much time was also spent converting from XDCam to the low res files? I see almost no reason to try an offline/ online with codecs like XDCam

[Marcus Carter]

Yeah, wonderful thing that hindsight isn’t it? Fortunately for me, i wasn’t involved in the decision making, I would’ve gone with Panasonic…

Importing all the footage may be an option though..

Cheers..

Marcus T
12 Core MacPro, 8Gb Memory, FCP 7.0.3

[Andy Mees]

Hi Marcus

Why not just finish the offline / online procedure the traditional way ie create an offline cut using Media Manager then recapture from the original source (using a deck and I/O device) at high res?

Or maybe check out Bouke Vahl’s various XDCAM tools from VideoToolshed, which may offer the missing links for the workflow you’re looking to establish.

Do agree with Shane, you really should have checked all this out before you jumped in :/

Given that your high res media is on a drive in MXF format (and assuming you no longer have the source discs) then you may want to start by rewrapping it in FCP compatible MOV containers (using XDCAM Transfer). Not ideal as you are rewrapping ALL the media rather than just the bits you used, but at least after that you should be able to use Bouke’s FCPreconnect app to relink to the high res as needed.

Hope it helps
Andy

[Marcus Carter]

Thanks Andy, SONY really don’t make the ride a smooth one, not like P2….

Regards,

Marcus

Marcus T
12 Core MacPro, 8Gb Memory, FCP 7.0.3

[Alvin Santos]

Sorry to butt in my question but I guess my problem is similar to this one.

We are doing a series using:

Canon 5d MarkIII – (they only sent us the h264 files and not the whole folder structure so i cannot log and
transfer)
Panasonic AF102 – no problem
Sony F3 – log and transfer’s only option is xdcam

Now, we are discussing an offline/online workflow using prores proxy then upres to full res due to possible lack of space but when I think about it, there’s no offline/online for xdcam and for my 5d footage.

any solutions?

[Marcus Carter]

Hey Alvin,

Here are some answers for you:
1. H.264 files off of a Canon 5D need to be converted to ProPes 422 in Compressor of MPEG Streamclip before you can edit with them..
2. Panasonic and FCP work together beautifully when going off/online..
3. Yes you’re right XDCAM does not support the Offline/Online workflow in FCP. What we have done is to use SCRATCHLAB to generate proxy files for offline off the cards, then export an EDL, and recapture in Online Res.. complicated, but it saved the production…

Good luck..

marcus.

Marcus T
12 Core MacPro, 8Gb Memory, FCP 7.0.3