XDCAM Browser explorer window question

[Don Greening]

Unless you manually make another physical copy of the video files and fiddle with those then you’re still using/manipulating the original external hard drive files.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Robin Probyn]

Thanks Don

I should be more specific.. Iam only really wanting to view the footage.. thats all.. with my Nanoflash MXF files I can just drag and drop into the preview window.. have a look and then close the file ..

But with Sony recorded footage it seems you cant just drag the footage into the preview window. you have to first “import it ” with the explorer window.. then double click to open it in the preview window..

My question being.. if i import a clip into explorer window.. (to view on the preview window) has that clip been actually physically taken off the source ..(card or HDD) ..?

Thanks again

[Don Greening]

[Robin Probyn] “if i import a clip into explorer window.. (to view on the preview window) has that clip been actually physically taken off the source ..(card or HDD) ..? “

No. it still resides on the source card or hard drive. Only way to stop that is to work with a copy (which is recommended).

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Robin Probyn]

[Don Greening] “Only way to stop that is to work with a copy (which is recommended).”

Hi Don

Thanks again.Actually thats good news for me.. I dont want to take the clips off from the source .. just to spot check.. and leave footage where it is ..

Out of interest what do you mean by your above statement.. why would you want to “stop ” that ..?

Thanks again for your time sir

[Don Greening]

You never want to work with the original clips unless you’ve made at a least one more copy somewhere else and have first checked that copy for continuity/integrity. That means it’s a copy without errors. In other words, don’t play with your clip if it’s the only one you have. If you modify it and aren’t able to return the clip to its “as shot” state and you don’t have another unmodified copy, well…….

-Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Robin Probyn]

Hi Don

Ah yes back up.. yes for sure I always do that.. I dont edit so Iam just playing the footage only..

Do you know why it is that some clips.. eg from my nanoflash can be just drag and dropped.. where as clips from Sony cam,s have to be imported through the explorer window..

Many thanks again for your time

[Don Greening]

[Robin Probyn] “Do you know why it is that some clips.. eg from my nanoflash can be just drag and dropped.. where as clips from Sony cam,s have to be imported through the explorer window..”

Sure. It’s because the XDCAM format is different that what you’ve been able to drag and drop into your NLE up ’til now. XDCAM media (depending on what you’re editing on) has to be re-wrapped with a format that your editor can use or understand e.g. with Final Cut Pro XDCAM EX footage has to be wrapped in the .mov wrapper whereas with Premiere Pro and a Windows machine it will be an MXF wrapper.

On the Mac you can edit an h.264 media file natively in FCP but not an MPEG2 file, etc. Hope that helps.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Robin Probyn]

[Don Greening] “Sure. It’s because the XDCAM format is different that what you’ve been able to drag and drop into your NLE up ’til now. XDCAM media (depending on what you’re editing on) has to be re-wrapped with a format that your editor can use or understand e.g. with Final Cut Pro XDCAM EX footage has to be wrapped in the .mov wrapper whereas with Premiere Pro and a Windows machine it will be an MXF wrapper.”

Hi Don

Sorry I meant drag and drop in the preview window of XDCAM browser.. the nanoflash is Sony XDCAM 422 and with MXF wrapper I can just drag and drop into the preview window to view clips.But actually XDCAM footage from a Sony camera seems drag and drop doesnt work.. and has to be imported via the explorer window..

Thanks again

[Don Greening]

[Robin Probyn] “But actually XDCAM footage from a Sony camera seems drag and drop doesnt work.. and has to be imported via the explorer window..”

I didn’t realize you had asked another question, but I don’t have an answer for your last because I’ve never imported files straight from a disc-based XDCAM HD camera into Clip Browser. Sorry.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Robin Probyn]

Hi Don

No problem.. thanks for your time answering the other questions.The main thing was that importing to explorer window wasnt actually taking the footage off the source.

Thanks again