XDCAM import to MC4 on PC

[Hans Sieber]

Hi David,

I can`t add anything to what Mark and Kris wrote. Concerning the pixel aspect question: If you import the HiRes Clips there`s no change to the pixel aspect ratio. Just when importing the proxy files you don`t see the whole image. They are square pixel. Nothing wrong if you`re working in HD but in SD you can miss stuff that is happening at the horizontal edges of your proxy. The x after DNXHD185 means 10Bit instead of 8 bit.

Hans

[David Lewis]

Mark:

It seems that consolidation is the route to go for me. The current project is a series of short movies (2-3 minutes each) with some FX usage, but pretty straight forward. Getting the XD footage into MFX files sounds right.

I’ll give it a shot on my test footage and see how that goes.

Again, much appreciate your very helpful input.

David

[Kris Anderson]

You only need to have the footage stored locally (or attached in some way) while using AMA. If you import using XD proxies (lo-res) Avid imports/converts them, but they’re very small files. I was amazed how quickly a whole disc could be brought in when we first looked at going XD. My assistant did 12 x 23gb XD’s in an hour the other day. Used to be Digi Beta’s or HDCam in real time but never again…. tape is definitely dying as an acquisition format.

The only thing I don’t like about the XD proxies is that along with lo-res video, which is fine, I also get lo-res audio (8 bit) but that will be fixed in MC5, lo-res pics but access to hi-res audio.

[David Lewis]

Kris:

Thanks for the input. Good point about the lo res Proxy File sound issues- that can be problematic in many siutations.

I seems that the XD format can be so heavy that some edit situations will require using Proxy files for editing a program.

I’m thinking that for many other programs it seems that transcoding to DNxHD is a real problem solver in that it is a “lighter” file to work from, making the computer work less, yet still keeping the visual quality of XD material.

Certainly for the commercials/PR clips I’m doing now, which will be no more than 2 minutes a clip ( and a maximum of 10 clips so far) the DNxHD will work fine.

Yet, I have a large documentary project (close to 75 minutes final show) that may require Proxy file editing…. don’t know how DNxHD will hold up with the large amount of raw footage I’m going to be working with on that show. Although some of that material will be archival material and in the off-line stages I’m use burned in t/c DV or VHS analog work tapes until the final cuts are chosen (there is a whole sub issue on this project on working with 4:3 material and XD material which I haven’t even begun to deal with yet!).

It would be interesting to know at what “weight” (or time amount) will DNxHD files begin to slow down the editing process.

I also wonder if DNxHD “holds up” as well when the final product is exported to the desk top and made into a media file or authored onto a DVD.

[Kris Anderson]

DNxHD is more than fine in my experience. When I online these reality shows I will be conforming at 185x. I’ve done some tests, batch imported the sequences from the XDCam discs and it really looks good. Plus it’s something I can leave running over night instead of needing someone to sit in the suite feeding tapes.

For what it’s worth, I don’t notice any real slow down in performance with any of the resolutions available in Avid, but if you’re going to be cutting a long form program then the lo-res proxy workflow would be the way I would go with it.