Transfering EX files to XDCam Disk

[Ian Cook]

Hi Vince,

The files can be stored to XDCAM discs in one of two ways:

1) as data, in the ‘User Data’ folder on the disc

2) as playable video in an XDCAM optical disc format, in the ‘CLIP’ folder on the disc

To save the files to XDCAM disc in a way that would make them viewable on XDCAM optical hardware, they have to be transcoded using Clip Browser 2.6 to an optical disc MXF format (e.g. “XDCAM HD 422”) and saved to the Clip folder.

In most cases they are saved as data. In this case they can still be accessed and played back using XDCAM Transfer, Clip Browser, Avid AMA etc. To do this, save the BPAV folders on the SxS cards to the User Data folder on the XDCAM disc. Each BPAV should be placed in a parent folder (e.g. “card 1,” “card 2”) within User Data. Do not rename or otherwise alter BPAV or any if its subfolders. What you should end up with would be something like:

User Data/Card 1/BPAV
User Data/Card 2/BPAV

You can then view each cards contents by linking to the correct folders (Card 1, Card 2 etc) within XDCAM Transfer, Avid etc.

Hope this makes sense. If this isn’t what you’re trying to do or need more info on saving to XDCAM Optical MXF, let me know.

A USER DATA folder is automatically created on XDCAM discs formatted on the PDW-U1, PDW-HD1500, PDW-F1600, PDW-700, PDW-F800 and PDW-HR1 as long as software and firmware are up to date. Older PDWs like the F70/F75 do not create or support the User Data folder.

Best,

Ian

[Vance]

Thanks for the quick reply Ian. I spoke with Sony support and they filled me in on the Data folder and process. Clip browser looks promising for making playable files. Thanks for the lead, time to go play!

-Vance

[Geof Gilland]

Just to clarify some information in case others search for this topic again. Both methods listed above work to archive SxS cards.

I was interested in determining if there was any quality loss between the two methods. I imported clips from the SxS card using XDCAM transfer. I then transferred the same clips via XDCAM Clip Browser to an XDCAM HD disc and imported these clips using XDCAM transfer.

Opened a Final Cut Project and placed them side by side and there was no noticeable difference. The only difference I could determine was the file size. The original SxS clips were 1.5 times smaller than the XDCAMHD clips after transfer.

So if you are archiving a full 16GB SxS card, you’ll need to use a 50GB XDCAM disc.

[Ian Cook]

Did you transcode the files using CB? If so, do you know which codec you used (i.e. ‘MXF for XDCAM HD 422’)?

[Mick Mcintyre]

Ian,
I want to archive clips from my EX 1 onto an XDCAM HD disc.
I have
Sony XDCAM EX clip browser V 2.06
Sony XDCAM Transfer V2.12
Sony F350 XDCAM HD camera V.930
MacBook Pro 10.6.4

is it possible with this older camera ??
if so can you please step me through the process
thanks very much
thanks
Michael

[Ian Cook]

Hi Mick,

You can archive EX files back to XDCAM discs in 2 ways– as generic data (files in a folder, not ‘playable’ video files that you can view on the camcorder/deck) or as MXF files (these can be played on XDCAM optical camcorders and decks).

The 350 has a slightly different directory structure than the newer models. Discs formatted on newer models (PDW-U1 drive; PDW-HD1500, PDW-F1600, PDW-HR1 decks; PDW-700, PDW-F800 camcorders) get a ‘USER DATA’ folder which can hold any amount of generic data up to the remaining size of the disc. This is usually where EX files are archived when saved as data. Older models do not support this directory. The 350 will have a ‘General’ folder but this can only hold 500MB so it’s not really useful for large media files.

The other means of archiving is to use Clip Browser with the Main Concept plug-in to transcode to an optical MXF format (Export–>MXF For XDCAM HD) which is saved in the /Clip folder of the disc. This can be done using the PDW-F350/F355. If you go this route, keep in mind that XDCAM HD 420 is a 1440 x 1080 format and that any XDCAM EX ‘HQ’ files will get resized from 1920 x 1080 when transcoding to XDCAM HD.

Alternately, you could use the PDW-U1 drive, which is a low cost bare drive unit and format-agnostic. With the U-1 you’d be able to use the XDCAM HD 422 export/transcode option which would maintain the 1920 x 1080 raster size of XDCAM EX ‘HQ’ recordings. Also the U-1 supports the ‘User Data’ folder so you’d have that option as well.

Hope this is helpful…

Ian Cook
Sony Broadcast and Professional Company

[Mick Mcintyre]

Ian,
yes, very helpful,
to further complicate things I have just learnt about the upcoming Quad 128 GB XDCAM disc !!!
Can you confirm what our options are for those new discs ??

Regardless we have an immediate need and we will look at either investing in a PDW-U1 drive or PDW-HD1500 VTR.

thanks again,

Mick

[Mick Mcintyre]

Ian,
I have recently purchased an HD 1500 XDCAM VTR
I want to transfer my EX files in their BPAV folders onto 50GB discs
I am doing this for archive purposes

When I attempt to drag them over into the User Data folder (of the disc on the desktop) it tells me I dont have permission ???

can you advise next steps

thanks
Mick

[Herbert Forsberg]

Greetings,

I’ve recently added a PMW F3 to my collection of tools. I work a lot for a client that uses XDCAM Pro SD DVCAM. I want to be able to record DVCAM on the F3 on SxS and then transfer the data to XDCAM Pro DVCAM, using a PDW-U1, so that it can play as if it had been record in a Sony camcorder like the 510, 510, 700, 800 which had been using the DVCAM setting. I’ve been successful using XDCAM Browser to transfer HQ data to the U1, but it won’t do the .AVI files recorded by the F3 when its set to record DVCAM.

Anyone have a solution?

Thanks much,
Herb Forsberg

Herb Forsberg
Cinematographer
NY/NJ
Local 600/NABET 16

[Ian Cook]

The more advanced transcode options in Clip Browser are only available when working with HD files. Best option would probably be a round trip through FCP or Avid (if you’re not talking about too many clips) or else a Transcoding app like Episode.