[Craig Seeman]

BPAV for broadest compatibility.
MOV ONLY works with FCP 6.0.2 and up. That’s not a good long range plan.

[Craig Seeman]

I’d suggest 1080p24 unless you thing the extra bits per pixels gains you something at 720p24. The rest may depend on your resources and too many variables to answer since you haven’t given much info to go on. Some might want to move to ProRes or even ProResHQ for heavy compositing and color correction but I wouldn’t suggest that as an absolute by any means.

[Craig Seeman]

[Ernesto Livon-Grosman] “a) is it possible to work with no problem with FCP 5.1.4? Would it be any particular advantage to upgrading FCP in order to work with the EX3? “

Update to FCP 6.0.2 (and up).

As to using 5.1.4 . . . it may be possible to climb Mount Everest in your bare feat too.
You will spend hours/days of your life converting to another codec since one must have FCP 6.0.2 and up to have the EX codec.

[Craig Seeman]

Specific to the MP4 files. Do you have Clip Browser 2 (MUST be 2)? Can you use its import feature to import JUST THE MP4 files (NOT the BPAV)? Do that and see if they playback in that.

[Craig Seeman]

[Steve Brown] “Someone please set me straight if this is not correct!”

Not correct. I own an EX1 and I’ve shot many things that would cause HDV to crumble. EX is an XDCAM camera using the same 35mbps VBR codec. It’s wrapped in MP4 instead of MXF but that’s just a wrapper, not the codec.

Personally I think a lot of people who use EX series who make such claims are wrongly identifying other issues as codec issues. Rippling water and blowing leaves are about the toughest thing you can throw at a GOP codec and that doesn’t even have a hint of breaking. In fact I think many people don’t even understand what “motion” is to a codec. Rippling water is constant and rapid change from frame to frame and can be across the entire frame depending on framing. Motion does NOT have to be spinning the camera around.

[Craig Seeman]

There are no motion artifacts that I’ve ever seen with 35mbps VBR XDCAM codec. It’s very hard codec to break. I’ve shot rippling water, leaves blowing in the wind, fireworks, tennis players, all look great. Don’t believe misinformation.

In some cases there can be rolling shutter on camera flashes. You can get “bending” if tracking a fast moving object with a very fast pan due to CMOS chip scan. I don’t find that a problem and neither do my clients. CMOS has pluses and minuses just as CCD chips do.

[Craig Seeman]

[Salvatore Interlandi] “I do have a G4 PPC – sorry for the confusion. “
That would mean XDCAM Transfer Tool only.
Shot Put Express is inexpensive and has very good copy function. I mention this because you should copy and back up the original BPAV folders.

[Salvatore Interlandi] “How do I set sequence renders to Pro Res? Do I do that thru the sequence setting window? “
Sequences Setting, Render Control Tab, change Codec from Same as Sequence to Apple Pro Res.

[Salvatore Interlandi] “What is AJA IO? “
See this. It’ll do realtime conversion to Pro Res using its own DSP.
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Salvatore Interlandi] “Transferring to Pro Res was in hopes of gaining color space and getting around the long gop.”

For editing, changing the sequence codec render setting should be enough. All your filters and compositing will be done in Pro Res “space.” I’m not sure how Color handles this though. Magic Bullet seems to work. I know Cinema Tools requires one to get out of Long GOP so it may depend on what you need to do.

[Salvatore Interlandi] “Do you suggest shooting HQ 1080 24 P?”
It depends on your target. Shooting in 24P requires a good understanding of how movement responds to temporal motion. Some people like the look. I generally shoot 30p unless I’m shooting sports in which case it’s either 1080i60 or 720p60. 1080p24 would be good if you’re going to Blu-ray for example. It really depends on the look you want and where your final product is headed.

[Craig Seeman]

[Salvatore Interlandi] “I have a MAC book, I’m assuming I need Clip Browser2 to do that, but My Mac is not an Intel.) “

MacBook and MacBookPro are Intel.
iBook and PowerBook are PPC.

Clip Browser only runs on Intel
XDCAM Transfer Tool runs on both PPC and Intel.

[Salvatore Interlandi] “I would like to edit in HD, intraframe with a 4:2:2 color space.
What is the best and most efficient way to do that?
Is it by transferring footage to pro res? do I lose anything by doing that?”

I edit in XDCAM EX but set sequence renders to Pro Res.
You should not be able to see the loss going to Pro Res in most cases and your graphic renders may hold up better.

Compressor . . . you must have a LOT of time on your hands to do that . . . ESPECIALLY if you’re not on Intel.

Just edit native and set sequence renders to Pro Res.
Why don’t you want to do that?

Maybe if you had AJA IO you could go to Pre Res real time (on Intel).

[Craig Seeman]

I’ve heard about the firmware upgrade. Unfortunately it will not be user installable (because Sony doesn’t want it that way). It’s version 1.11. It supposedly includes more shutter speed selections. I also understand it will not be free ($100 from what I understand). When you consider the cost of shipping, insurance, upgraded cost, taking the camera out of commission for a couple of weeks, this is very expensive.

[Craig Seeman]

Unlike P2/DVCProHD where data rate is tied to the frame, XDCAM data rate is based on time. 1 second of video, regardless of frame size or rate is 35mbits VBR. There some ability for it to vary but basically the data rate is the same. In HDV compatible mode it’s 25bits CBR hence you get longer record times.

So P2/DVCProHD uses much less data when recording 720p24 compared to 720p60 or 1080 for example. This is NOT the case with XDCAM. Personally I’m glad XDCAM does NOT work that way. I can then choose my recording mode best on what’s best for the job rather than trying to extend record time to the a card. While it’s true that at 1080 you’re spreading that data over more pixels on a frame compared to 720 and the data for a given frame will be different for 24 vs 60 as well but I find those choices more reasonable then limiting myself to 720p24 to try to increase record time.