XDCam footage in FCP

[Tom Daigon]

Consider importing the XDCAM from the HDSDI output of the PDW-F70
(playback deck) outputting in 3:2 pulldown mode (if shot at 23.97) thru a Kona 3 card, converting the video to Prores 1080 29.97. Then edit on a standard 1080 29.97 8 or 10 bit timeline. I only suggest these specifics since I have repeated success with this configuration.Your
details may vary.

[Alan Smith]

I second Tom’s workflow. We have been using XDCAM HD footage for the past year and have found that digitizing like tape to ProRes422 has been the most stable workflow. It is not as quick as transferring the footage via the Import plug-in, but it works great and we have had NO problems.

Alan

Alan Smith
Media317

Check out my blog – https://media317.com

[Roger Lansing]

I appreciate the answers and have wondered if this was a solution, but unfortunately, the camera that was used was rented for the event and no longer in our possession. The files were transferred off of the cards to an external drive and then imported into final cut using the XDCAM transfer software from there. Is there any way to convert the files to another format that FC will not have such a problem with?

Roger C. Lansing

Multi-Media Production Coordinator
National Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown, NY

[Don Greening]

[Roger Lansing] “Is there any way to convert the files to another format that FC will not have such a problem with?”

Use Compressor as a stand-alone app and cross convert the files to Pro Res HQ using the same format settings as the XDCAM files. Just do a couple of clips and see if FCP stabilizes using those for editing. If it doesn’t then we’ve solved one piece of the puzzle: it’s not the native XDCAM clips that are causing the instability.

– Don

[Rafael Amador]

There are thousands of people, included my self, editing EX-1 footage in FC without a single problem.
I would start by optimizing my system (DiskWarrior) before to blame FC or the footage for those issues.
Rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Roger Lansing]

I do appreciate all of the responses, and I have read all of the other posters in this forum in regard to this issue and I have taken the advice about optimizing the system. This problem has been plaguing us for two and a half weeks now. I have trashed preferences, uninstalled, reinstalled, optimized, etc etc etc. I actually called in the guys who designed and built the systems because my next thought was an issue with the RAID volume and with XSan. We did end up having an issue with that, but once that work was complete, I assumed that everything would work fine, but it has not. I can edit all day and all night with archival footage, new HD footage ingested through our JVC decks, new SD footage, old SD footage… I can put the “pedal to the metal” on the FC systems with that kind of footage, making both systems, simultaneously, work as hard as possible and they perform in a stellar manner. But, open a project with XDCam footage and try to scrub through video, and it crashes. Try to drag a clip to the timeline and it crashes. Try to simply play a timeline with XDCam footage in it, and it crashes. I am beginning to think that my FC system is just fine…..not so much with the Sony XDCam software or the codec or the files themselves. I just can’t seem to figure out how to get this fixed.

Roger C. Lansing

Multi-Media Production Coordinator
National Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown, NY

[Roger Lansing]

Don,
Thanks for your suggestion. I did try what you said and a couple of clips did convert and when I went to try a third clip, the computer locked up and required a restart. That led me to return to Mac phone tech support. I may have an answer to the problem, although it requires some new additions to the computer. After very long phone conversations with Mac Tech Support, it seems that the XDCam files may be too robust for use with a RAID, or external storage. After running through some exercises with the Sony software and FCP, the suggestion has been made to upgrade the amount of local storage and saving the media and files to that drive instead of using the external RAID/XSan network. I have a handful of those media files now saved on my internal HD and can edit and scrub and such inside FCP using that media. I am hoping that this will solve the issues and I can at least complete this project and then rethink the whole set-up.

Thanks to all that provided some assistance. Gotta love The Cow!

Roger C. Lansing

Multi-Media Production Coordinator
National Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown, NY

[Rafael Amador]

[Roger Lansing] ” it seems that the XDCam files may be too robust for use with a RAID, or external storage”
This makes absolutely no sense. I work with an MBP and all my EX-1 media is stored in FW800 or eSATA disks.
I think somebody is trying to sell you a “solution”.
Rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Kent Stipp]

Just Curious are we talking a true XDCam or the EX-1 2 different scenarios. I Use the EX-1 and it is not an Issue however the big brother the XDCam I have worked with i can see the issue you are talking about. Just would like to clarify which footage we are speaking of

Life Begins at 155mph
Catch it edit it View it
3am Studios llc.

[Rafael Amador]

To be precise there are four different XDCAM flavors;
– EX-1: 35 Mbps. Compressor: XDCAM EX.
– XDCAM HD CBR: 25 Mbps. Compressor: HDV
– XDCAM HD VBR: 35 Mbps. Compressor: XDCAM HD.
– XDCAM HD 422: 50 Mbps. Compressor: XDCAM HD 422.
I have a SONY EX-1 and so far I’ve only shoot in HQ so the files I get are XDCAM EX. I’ve never tried the SQ option. I guess that this one produce a kind of full raster HDV.
So far my experience editing with EX-1 in FC and Color is wonderful.
Rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com