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problems transferring HD QT files between computers
I’ve also posted this in the OSX forum.
When I open a DVCPROHD quicktime file using the quicktime player on my computers that have FCP installed, they open fine and play just like any normal quicktime file. FCP does not need to be open.
When I move that same file to a computer that has just a quicktime player, all I see is a black screen and I can hear audio.
I was trying to give some footage to someone so she could preview it for use in her project but we are unable to get it to play on her laptop. I checked and we had the same version of Quicktime.
I even “flattened” the file using quicktime pro but to no avail.The same happens when we try to import the file into a windows Avid system. I have burned it to a DVD and Avid, also running the same version of quicktime, sees only a white screen with audio after it’s pulled off the DVD.
It has something to do with the fact that they HD files, 720p30 to be exact, I can move DV files all I want.
The only difference I can think of is that the other computers didn’t have FCP installed. Any experience with this anyone?
Matt
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7 Replies
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Yup…The DVCPRO HD codec only comes with Final Cut Pro. If you want other people to see the footage, best to encode it as h.264. Otherwise you’ll have to have them invest in Calibrate’s DVCPRO HD Decoder.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Ok thanks Shane,
But what if I want other people to use the footage, not just look at,in their editing systems, in this particular case someone with an Avid on Windows? My P2 cards have naturally already been erased, is there a way to put the original content/lastclip.txt files back on the card so it can be imported into an Avid system?
Or does all this require additional software?
I guess I’m looking for an easy way to share footage when the need arises.Matt
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[Matt Schulze] “But what if I want other people to use the footage, not just look at,in their editing systems, in this particular case someone with an Avid on Windows?”
Give them the original P2 files. They need not be on the cards, but I surely hope that you backed up the entire card structure onto a separate hard drive, and didn’t use LOG and TRANSFER only. When you shoot P2 you need to back up the full card onto separate folders on a hard drive, then import into FCP from that drive. Those folders on that drive are your SOURCE TAPES. You have to keep those. This way you can import the footage into FCP, Avid, Edius, Premiere…any NLE that supports P2. If you imported the footage into FCP and DID NOT save that file structure, then you are going to have problems.
[Matt Schulze] “is there a way to put the original content/lastclip.txt files back on the card so it can be imported into an Avid system?”
NO need…if you backed up the cards. Just provide them a hard drive of those P2 card dumps. If you DO NOT have that structure and you only have the imported footage, then there is no way to export that back to the P2 format. If this is the case, you’ll need to convert the files to a codec the other edit systems can read, and you’ll want to make them so that they don’t lose quality. For that you’ll need to convert them to the large ANIMATION codec…Or PhotoJPEG 100%.
What did you do?
PLEASE watch this tutorial on the P2 workflow… P2 Workflow with FCP 6
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Shane thanks,
I have two backups of the P2 card file structure, so no problem there.
Since I’m on the mac, I don’t have a hard drive that is formatted for windows and Mac, which is what I would need to give the footage to the Avid editor. I hear that fat32 has a file size limit of 4 gigs. How will that effect my P2 files?
Just out of curiosity, the Avid editor tells me that he his files also receive a quicktime wrapper after transfer, why can’t he read mine?Thanks for your help
Matt -
[Matt Schulze] “I hear that fat32 has a file size limit of 4 gigs. How will that effect my P2 files?”
Not at all. P2 cards are formatted FAT32 and none of the recorded files are over 4GB. Just format a drive FAT32 and copy over the footage.
[Matt Schulze] “the Avid editor tells me that he his files also receive a quicktime wrapper after transfer, why can’t he read mine?”
He is mistaken. Avid imports as MXF (and therefore can work with P2 natively) or as OMFI…NOT quicktime. And the Quicktime DVCPRO HD codec that FCP captures to is only available on machines with FCP.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks,
it was probably me who was mistaken. I think what he meant was that he can also work with quicktime files, but obviously not the ones I gave him.Thanks for your help
Matt
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Have any others ever been through this? I did an 8hr tape HD film shoot using 2 HD cams and ops. The client said he does editing himself in Premiere and requested the master tapes, as uncompressed footage. I thought he had access to an HD cam as he asked for the tapes to upload the footage and a decent computer. I backed up the tapes on FCP 6.6 as tape insurance. Client now says he wants to edit off my external Hard Drive not tape as he doesn’t have an HD cam. I would have lent him my cam but I need it. His mate says its easy to convert 8hrs of HD footage from FCP 6 to QTSCMOV in one day.
I suggested dvds would be a safer platform for him to use but he wants the uncompressed hd footage which must work in Premiere on a slow lap top. He refuses to pay for the time it will take to convert it because he thinks its quick and easy. He wont go out and hire an HD cam either, so Im stuck! I only got paid for the filming.
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