XDCAMHD to ProRes422

[Bouke Vahl]

FCP can do it.
Just media manage with transcode…

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Deleted User]

Would you mind elaborating on that? Are you saying to use the Sony Transfer utility like I do now, import the XDCAMHD clips into FCP as native files and then use Media Manage to transcode? If so, I would appreciate any details about the specific setup in Media Manager.

Lee
SAMDOG Digital Post
Calgary, Alberta
Mac Pro 2.66 12-core 16gb ram • FSI LM1760W Monitor • Matrox MX02 • Caldigit HD One 8tb Raid • Euphonix MC Transport • Final Cut Studio 3 • Premiere Pro CS5

[Richard Cooper]

Hi Lee,
Nothing that I am aware of that works like Log and transfer does this from the raw BPAV folders but… Another option is to use compressor through a “droplet” set to encode your XDCAM to your ProRes codec of choice. This way you can utilize all of your cores through Q Master which will really speed up the encode…..

In all honesty though, this is adding an extra step and time commitment in the post process that, in the end, does NOTHING to improve your quality.

Here is our work flow with XDCAM and ProRes…

Edit on a XDCAM time line with native XDCAM files…then set your user preferences in FCP (under the Render Control tab) to render to ProRes, which speeds up the renders greatly…. Then trans code everything through Log and Transfer that does not originate in XDCAM, like 5D and 7D to ProRes 422. Which, by the way, edit quite nicely, and in real time on the XDCAM Time line. Then when we send this through Color for grading we set color to render to ProRes 422 and now when you send back to FCP your final product is a nice neat ProRes 422 final master sequence.

This is what we do to end up with ProRes 422 master and has worked for us quite well. We have used this workflow for 7-1 hour national shows and countless smaller projects and it is always flawless, and all without the extra steps in the beginning…. It should give you the final results I believe you are looking for.

Hope this helps.

Richard Cooper
FrostLine Productions, LLC
Anchorage, Alaska
http://www.frostlineproductions.com

[Deleted User]

Thanks Richard,

It looks like your current method is pretty much my method as well. I have been experiencing intermittent crashes and I was investigating transcoding the XD files to ProRes to cut down the frequency. In a recent 8 hr session FCP crashed 4 times while cutting with XDCAMHD 422 50Mbps ftg. I’m fairly new to the Mac world but not to NLEs. Been doing that since ’92 with DVision Pro. I was expecting more stability from FCP with a big beefy desktop. I am also suspecting that my Matrox MX02 may be partly to blame. The current 2.1 driver is pretty buggy. I downgraded to v2.0 but others have backed off to v1.9.

Lee
SAMDOG Digital Post
Calgary, Alberta
Mac Pro 2.66 12-core 16gb ram • FSI LM1760W Monitor • Matrox MX02 • Caldigit HD One 8tb Raid • Euphonix MC Transport • Final Cut Studio 3 • Premiere Pro CS5

[Bouke Vahl]

No, i won’t elaborate.
You got your native files as QT, from there, go where you want to go.
It’s up to you.

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Rafael Amador]

[Lee Warner] “In a recent 8 hr session FCP crashed 4 times while cutting with XDCAMHD 422 50Mbps ftg.”
Hi Lee, those crashed is what you should fix.
i work like silk with every kind of XDCAM stuff on a MBP.
A bit of system maintenance could fix this.

For using the media manager to go Prores, sure, you need to use L&T first to get your EX QT files on your HD.
There is no way on doing the Transfer and converting to Prores at the same time.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Deleted User]

I am trying to track down the cause of the crashes, but in my research I have found many testimonials from experienced editors that have various playback issues with XDCAMHD. Other than running Disk Manager and repair permissions, what system maintenance would you suggest to “work like silk”?

Lee
SAMDOG Digital Post
Calgary, Alberta
Mac Pro 2.66 12-core 16gb ram • FSI LM1760W Monitor • Matrox MX02 • Caldigit HD One 8tb Raid • Euphonix MC Transport • Final Cut Studio 3 • Premiere Pro CS5

[Rafael Amador]

[Lee Warner] “I have found many testimonials from experienced editors that have various playback issues with XDCAMHD”
So they may be not that experienced with XDCAM.
I work with EX stuff since 2007, and now since a couple of years with XDCAMHD-422 from the NANO-Flash. Some times at 280Mbps. I’ve never had any issue.
The only thing I do that most people seems are reluctant to do, is keeping my System and HDs optimized.
Repairing permissions is one of the two fundamental routines; the other one is keeping clean HDs directories. To get this i use Diskwarrior. TechTools is also a very great tool. More options than DW, but also a bit more complicated to manage.
Try, you won’t regret it.
rafael
BTW, I paid some 80 bucks for my DW license back in 2005. Since them I’ve been having all the updates for free. The best software investment of my life.

http://www.nagavideo.com