[Andy Mees]

Hi David

Its called the “poster frame” and there are number of ways to change it:

To set the poster frame of a clip in the Viewer
Double-click a clip in the Browser to open it in the Viewer.
In the Viewer, navigate to the frame you want to use as the poster frame for the clip.
Choose Mark > Set Poster Frame (or press Control-P).

To set the poster frame in the Browser in large icon view
Use the hand tool (h) to scrub through a clip until you get to the frame you want.
Press and hold down the Control key, then release the mouse button.

I’m sorry, I don’t know any obvious way to batch change poster frames.

Best
Andy

[Andy Mees]

Paul
Just a couple of quick thoughts before the big boys jump in …

>Would it be a good investment to get a G5 Quad 2.5…
No. This is old tech. Apple has been producing all Intel machines for some considerable time now and have already stopped support the G5 architecture as of the latest release of FCS (FCP7 etc). Apple are soon to release a new version of OS X (10.6 aka Snow Leopard) which similarly will not support the older G5 architecture. So if future proofing (as best as one can) your investment is an issue, then I would suggest a G5 is not your best option.

Or maybe invest in an Aja Kona card to offload (?) some of the graphics work?
You’re shooting with a selection of HDV cameras so its likely the excruciating render times you’re seeing are largely due to the format you’re working with. A Kona card or similar would allow you to get out of the HDV format quickly whilst maintaining the best possible quality, so yes, this would be a good option. Note; It won’t accelerate actually working with the footage once its captured necessarily but it will give your Mac more of a fighting chance of handling the footage for itself.

One other thing, if your target for compression is H264 then you might get some worthwhile ROI with Elgato’s Turbo.264 HD usb based device which should be compatible with your G5.

Hope it helps
Andy

[Andy Mees]

Robert

I don’t think you’ll find anything currently out there that specifically caters for ProRes quicktime movies. Certainly most automated QC systems are designed around review of content that would be in a format likely to be found on a broadcast playout server or otherwise within a broadcast server system. At present I don’t think ProRes has made it to that list. I dare say Bob Zelin might have the skinny on this tho …

Might want to approach Tektronix sales and support and find out whether their Cerfiy software solution will handle ProRes, or if if they have plans to handle it.

Best Regards
Andy

[Andy Mees]

I’d imagine Digital Heaven’s free DH_Grid plugin might be useful for approximating the screen layout so you can better judge element placement for this project:

https://www.digital-heaven.co.uk/dh_grid

[Andy Mees]

Ahh well, if were reactivating old threads …

Its worth noting that as of the latest version of Sony’s XDCAM Transfer app (now at v2.10.0) one can now (properly) name subclips whilst logging and transferring to FCP with that app. Goodness knows why it took them so long to implement this seemingly simple function, but whatever the reason it is done now.

Andy

[Andy Mees]

I guess my feeling is that its a viable monitoring solution for when other monitoring solution are either unavailable or unaffordable, Jeremy.

I don’t personally use the device as a color critical monitoring solution, never have … but I would if I needed to and had no clearly better alternative. Yes, no qualms about it. Would I use an ACD with it? Again, if that was my best available option I would. Would any of this affect my eventual edit master? No, not at all, at least not unless I was actually going to output via the device at which point it would be constrained to 8 bit (assuming I’m not recording my master off the ACD). Would my edit master be better than had I put the whole thing together with no “proper” monitoring at all? You betcha.

Although I well understand that the low cost HD monitoring function is generally the big draw card for most of the MXO’s users, and certainly for those users who fall into the “other solutions unaffordable” camp, for me its always been a means to get a live playback of (mainly) XDCAM HD timelines (either to crash record to an F70 deck and so bypass the long conform times, or to feed out directly at a satellite feed point) … its just adding 8 bit video output spigots to my MBP.

Keeping the discussion in the context of the original question, I think until the OP more clearly details the source formats he’s working with, the type of work being done, and his mastering intentions, its hard to advise as to whether the MXO/ACD combo, with all its 10 bit>8 bit>6 bit constraints, is actually going to be a problem for him, or whether, as above, its remains his best available monitoring solution.

[Andy Mees]

Yup, I should know better than to doubt The Shane™ 🙂 Thanks for the confirmation Gary.

[Andy Mees]

Nope, sadly not that simple Bouke. The XDCAM Quicktime codecs come with FCP, they’re not part of anything you can download legally for free from Sony or anyone else as far as I know. There is always the option of exporting the finished edit via XDCAM Transfer and rewrapping as an MXF in the process. Then that file could be handed off to the PC guys and gals.

[Andy Mees]

Andy,
Avid codecs, gamma issues.
Except the MpegII codecs, but those are not in the free codec package.

I think you mean Will don’t you Bouke? I don’t recall mentioning Avid codecs.

Alex what quicktime codec should I use so that all other editors can use the spot …?
Bouke Have the lesser gods install the free codecs available from Sony and you should be good.

You got a link for these free quicktime codecs from Sony?

[Andy Mees]

The MXO/ACD is a good inexpensive way for people NOT doing broadcast work to see what their footage looks like.

Gah, what nonsense. Its a darn good way for folks working who ARE doing broadcast work to see what their footage looks like too. Plenty of folks out there doing fine broadcast work with 8 bit formats.

1) When I finish the edit will the output still be 10 bit?

Yes of course. The MXO isn’t affecting the raw footage or your timeline codec/render settings, it’s just providing you with a monitoring solution … unless of course you intend to us your MXO for mastering to tape, in which case you are forcing your 10 bit timeline through an 8 bit pipe ie you’re throwing away the extra bit depth.

2) How do I correct the Canvas issue without affecting the MXO Monitor function?

Check your Audio/Video Settings window > A/V Devices tab … Make sure that the “Mirror on desktop” option is checked in the Playback Output section

I am quite happy to edit in 8 bit resolution but I do not wish to compromise the output. I could replace the MXO with a MXO 2 which is a 10 bit device, but this would be an expensive solution. In addition, the Apple cinema display (22″) would have to be replaced by a monitor compatible with the MXO 2.

Well you are editing in 10 bit (ProRes 422 HQ) and not 8 bit, so no worries on that front, even though you are only monitoring the edit via an 8 bit pipe (and to a 6 bit panel if The Shane™ is to be believed). All this does beg the question tho, what is your intended delivery for this edit, is it for broadcast, web … or? And how are you intending to master it?