XDCAM standards and conversions

JVC Cameras

XDCAM standards and conversions

Posted by Marcello Mazzilli on December 10, 2009 at 11:23 am

I have a JVC HM700 that records in XDCAM 35mbit.
I can choose either a MOV (quicktime/final cut standard)wrapper or an MP4 (Sony standard) wrapper.
also you can convert lossly MOVs to MXF using Convergent Design’s FileConverter.
You can convert lossly MP4 to MOVs using Sony’s XDCAM
Converter.
At present I’ve not found anything to convert from MOV or MXF to MP4

Here is what works for what

————– PC ———- MAC
Premiere……..1………………2
Final Cut…….3………………4
AVID…………5………………6

1) MXF realtime but stucks on long timelines
1) MP4 realtime. Not tested on long timelines
1) MOV need plugin (80$) plays jumpy (but ok in Quicktime)

2) Same as above

3) Doesn’t exist

4) MXF Doesn’t work and I don’t know any way of converting it back to something else
4) MP4 is converted to MOV through Sony’s plugin
4) MOV works fine in realtime

5) MXF works fine in realtime
5) MP4 Works fine (through importer?)
5) Need plugin and conversion?

6) Don’t know.. same as above I think

So…

A) Can you help me fill in the empty spaces in the scheme above and say if I’m wrong in something?

B) Do you know how to convert MXF in something else or how to convert from MOV to MP4 ?

Thanks, Marcello

siRoma di Marcello Mazzilli
Corporate video productions in Italy
http://www.siroma.com

Marcello Mazzilli replied 16 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
2 Replies

Ryan Mast
December 10, 2009 at 3:28 pm

In this case, MP4 is actually an MPEG-4 wrapper around an MPEG-2 codec.

MXF you should be able to log and transfer in to Final Cut with Sony’s XDCAM utility.

What’s your goal? What do you need to be able to convert to what, and why? Part of why the HM700 is so useful is that you can change your shooting format based on what software you’re working in. Shoot .mov if you’re going to Final Cut, .mp4 if you’re going to anything else…
Marcello Mazzilli
December 10, 2009 at 5:42 pm

I know but sometimes I edit myself, sometimes I give footage to clients and some time is in between, where I edit some bits and they do some other. MXF worked fine for a TV production on AVID but same MXF was rejected by another client. I had to give them MOV and they had to buy the plugin etc… And still they don’t have realtime playback (PC – Premiere).
Anyway.. I would like to be able to re-wrap in any direction to anything I need.

Here is what I found

MP4 to MXF (Sony’s software)
MOV to MXF (Convergent Design File Converter)
MP4 to MOV (Sony’s Software)

ANd still I don’t find

MXF to MOV
MXF to MP4
MOV to MP4

Any ideas?

siRoma di Marcello Mazzilli
Corporate video productions in Italy
http://www.siroma.com

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