[Max Chernyaev]

[Rafael Amador] “It doesn’t exist such a “Field Flag”.
by default FC will recognize any 8/10b 1080 as Upper and any 8/10b 720 Progressive.”

Sorry Rafael, that’s not correct. FCP is a bit smarter and looks for a tag called ‘FIEL’ in ‘STSD’ group of a .mov file to determine original picture structure. You can trick FCP modifying this field. Look.
Take one short mov (in my case – fragment of HDCAM footage), name it FIEL-test-original. Dropping it to FCP we get Field dominance set to Upper.
Ok. Duplicate that file, call it FIEL-test-mod. Modify FIEL tag using Dumpster: set FIELDS=1, Details=0. Save. Drop it to Cut.
Got FD “NONE”.

Tags for original mov
…and modified

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1018146
‘trak’ > ‘mdia’ > ‘mdhd’ > ‘vmhd’ > ‘stbl’ > ‘stsd’ > ‘fiel’
Fields = 1
Details = 0

The above values will provide a progressive flag in the QT file.
Michael Magallon

[Max Chernyaev]

Thanks, but in my case that is really a pain. I guess there must be a way to make Cut treat HDCAM media as progressive.
Right now I see 2 ways of dealing with that.
1. Transcode 50i to 25p with Compressor. No changes applied to picture, just format change.
2. Tweak ‘fiel’ flag in source .mov file (many thanks to Michael Magallon for his post)
I consider both as useable but not completely correct and universal, so I ask for colleagues’ opinion.

[Max Chernyaev]

Sorry, that’s a bit more complicated than dragging. Sequence have about 380 cuts plus effects etc.

[Max Chernyaev]

I was absolutely sure in that until saw QT “info” box.
Guess that’s just QT’s bug

[Max Chernyaev]

I found several applications for that like TitleExchange Pro and I’m interested if somebody have an experience of working with it.

[Max Chernyaev]

Tom, FCP is doing exactly the same: force limiting max file size to 2GB if it cannot recognize the partition type. It’s a normal thing.
Yes, creating a single self-contained movie will solve the problem!

[Max Chernyaev]

Really? When you drag the first file to a FinalCut window it reports a I/O error? Very strange, I always do it that way.
I guess one of these solutions may help:
1) Try copying all files (reference and referenced) to a local HFS+ drive and open. This might help if there are some network issues;
2) You say QT plays back the movie. So make a “save as” as a self-contained movie. You’ll get all files joined to one. If necessary you can save it even to a network Editshare drive, everything should be fine.

[Max Chernyaev]

Editshare is a network drive. Final Cut treates any non-local drives as drives with no large file compatibility, so it write files spanning them by 2 GB.
To playback the movie you should open the first file in sequence (like [basename].mov; not [basename]-1.mov, etc.). Technically that file looks like a reference movie, you can check it in Movie Info in QuickTime (you’ll see references to the rest of your files).

Good luck!

[Max Chernyaev]

We usually do that using CMX3600, works fine. Speed control, crossfades, flip-flops are natively supported, also Final Cut likes to add some commented tags that enable some additional effects but only if you open it back with Final Cut.
You generate and open EDL with FCP, right?

[Max Chernyaev]

Thanks, Walter, your advice is exactly what I need! We’ve got M25 deck and desiring to digitize video to ProRes with Kona LHe to have it later downscaled to widescreen PAL later. I guess we should get a near-4:2:2 picture that way. I hope that’ll work.
Don’t I have to set up some capture or timecode delay in FCP?