P2 – Mac compatability

[Ron Shook]

SBM,

[edit.heaven] “Can Apple FCP support P2 MXF native or do I need to convert on import (i.e. can I edit on the P2 card)?”

I don’t know FCP but it is my understanding from talking with a very knowledgable Panasonic Rep quite recently that the only NLE currently that can edit P2 MXF natively is Canopus Edius Pro3 Broadcast. I could be wrong but I believe you have to import the MXF files into FCP and when that happens the MXF wrapper is replaced by a QT wrapper, I assume at faster than real-time. I don’t know whether the metadata that MXF can contain is all or partially lost in this process. Avid is apparently essentially similar except the MXF metadata can be sent to the Avid database pretty much intact, but at that point this metadata is separated from the DVCPro files and won’t be contained in the edit master files but in the Avid database. With true native MXF P2 support, the metadata stays with the edit and can be read from the edit master and you can always access that metadata in the edit even if the source files are no longer available. Pretty neat, eh? That’s really the future of a a full IT workflow.

Ron Shook

[Jean-yves Le moine]

i hope fcp 6 will support mxf

jean-yves le moine

temps r

[Barry Green]

[edit.heaven] “Can Apple FCP support P2 MXF native or do I need to convert on import (i.e. can I edit on the P2 card)?”

I think Ron answered this exactly. Currently in FCP5, you have to “Ingest P2”, which copies the files off the card, unwraps the MXF and re-wraps it into Quicktime before writing it to the hard disk. Canopus Edius 3 and Avid both let you edit straight from the card. Apple is aware that full MXF support would be preferable, but there’s no indication as to if/when such an upgrade might be available.

—————–
Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available at https://www.dvxuser.com/articles/dvxbook/ and at Amazon (https://www.fiftv.com/db)

[Ron James]

Jan, are you saying you used a laptop to edit HD from a P2 HD camera??? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I’m just new to the P2 stuff (and a Final Cut Pro user, btw).

Can somebody tell me if there’s a card slot that can be installed in a PowerMac yet, that can read the P2 cards?

If not, do you take import the media straight from the camera via USB-2?

Thanks.

[Gary Adcock]

[reel2reel] “Can somebody tell me if there’s a card slot that can be installed in a PowerMac yet, that can read the P2 cards?”

yes there are PCA card readers for the mac.

[reel2reel] “If not, do you take import the media straight from the camera via USB-2?”

Not on a mac use FW for the connection USB is for Windows only at this point in time.

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA