Michael Hancock
Forum Replies Created
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If you’re delivered Quicktime files then you’ll just have to do a regular Import. Avid will convert the files upon import to Avid MXF media in the resolution you choose. I’d suggest you pick DNxHD because it plays back better than DVCProHD (DNxHD will unstretch the DVCProHD footage to full raster, so your system won’t have to waste CPU cycltes unstretching the DVCProHD footage).
In addition, if you have Quicktime files from a FCP system (or any other system) and you’re not on MC3.5 or higher, Avid won’t retain the timecode. I think timecode retention was added in 3.5, maybe 4.0.
If the shooter transfers just the P2 contents off the card and doesn’t convert them to Quicktime,the file structure will look like the following. (I’m calling the first folder Card01, for the sake of this example):
[Card01]
—->LASTCLIP.txt
—->[CONTENTS]
————->[AUDIO]
————->[CLIP]
————->[ICON]
————->[PROXY]
————->[VIDEO]
————->[VOICE]Inside the Audio folder will be MXF audio files.
Inside the Clip folder will be XML files.
Inside the Icon folder will be BMP files
Inside the Proxy folder you may or may not have anything.
Inside the Video folder will be the MXF video files.
Inside the Voice folder you may or may not have anything.If you get this file structure, select “Import P2–>Clips to Bin” and point to the [Card01] folder. Avid will populate your bins with masterclips for the media from Card01. Repeat this with all other cards.
If you have a folder with all the Card01, Card02, Card03 folders in it (for all the different P2 cards), you can point to that folder and Avid will read down. For example:
[P2Project]
—-> [Card01]
—-> [Card02]
—-> [Card03]Just point Avid to the P2Project folder and it will populate your bin with masterclips from Card01, Card02, Card03, etc… You can preview these files and select only the ones you want, or just select them all and choose “Import P2 –> Media” and Avid will consolidate all the Audio and Video from the P2 cards to your media drives.
Have your friend with the HVX200 shoot a test and deliver the footage on a hard drive, or bring their camera by. You can install the P2 drivers (download them from the Panasonic website) and use the camera as a deck if you don’t have a P2 card reader. I’ve been using our HPX170 as a P2 card reader and it works fine.
Hope this post makes sense. Let us know if you have more questions or run into any issues.
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
The Adrenaline is just the I/O box. What version of Media Composer will be running with the Adrenaline attached? If it’s the same version as you have on your laptop, just transfer the project.
If it’s a newer or older version of MC than your laptop, I’d suggest making a new project on the Adrenaline machine with the exact same name as the laptop project. Then, at the desktop level (I’d suggest doing this with Avid closed, too), transfer the bins from the laptop project to the Adrenaline project. Open Avid, edit.
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
What version of Avid will you be working with?
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
Nice! I didn’t realize Calibrated’s software could read Avid MXFs. Glad you found a workable solution.
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
Make your audio tracks bigger. Turn on the tracks you’ll be keyframing and hit Ctrl+L on a PC or Cmd+L on a Mac. The more times you hit it, the larger (taller) the track gets. This makes it easier to move your keyframes up or down in smaller increments. Ctrl+K and Cmd+K make them smaller again.
EDIT: Ed beat me by about 40 seconds.
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
If you have Avid installed you should already have the Avid Quicktime codecs, but Quicktime can’t read the MXF files.
Do you have Media Composer 4, 3.5, 3, 2.7, etc? If you aren’t running Media Composer 4, download the Media Composer 4 trial. Back up your project files, uninstall the version of Media Composer you currently have, and install the trial. Activate the trial for the 30-day option and you’ll have 30 more days of Avid while you sort this out with Avid corporate. That should at least get you through the next week without having to try and convert all the MXF files for use in FCP.
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
I’m not sure that there is a program that converts Avid MXF files to Quicktime.
I found these numbers on the Avid site regarding software activation issues:
If you are calling from within the Americas – Dial 1-800-800-AVID (2843)
If you are calling outside of the Americas – Dial +31 20 654 5530I’d give them a call. Hopefully they have someone who answers 24/7 (unlikely, but I’m trying to be optimistic).
Also, what version of Avid are you running?
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
[Paul Dougherty] “The HPX170 my shooter uses delivers P2 and AVCHD(yes?)”
The 170 records to P2 media and shoots in the DV, DV50, or DVCProHD codec. If they’re shooting HD, you’ll be getting DVCProHD. AVCHD comes from the HMC150.
[Paul Dougherty] “Transcoding to bring in a shot is one thing but I need to bring in an hours worth and retain original TC values to intercut with lo-rez SD in my Avid project.
“
With P2, you won’t be transcoding anything. Have the shooter deliver an exact copy of the P2 card and it’s entire structure. Open Avid and switch your Project to HD in the Format tab (the HPX170 footage will need to shot in the same framerate as your SD material for this to work on 3.1.3) and choose Import P2–>Clips to Bin. Navigate to the top level folder of the P2 footage and hit OK. It will populate your bin with MasterClips of the P2 media. If you want, watch the clips and select only the ones you want/need. Then choose Import P2–>Clips to Bin. It will consolidate the P2 media to your media drive, leaving the original P2 footage alone (this could be considered your “tape”, or backup). Switch your project back to SD and edit away. All timecode will be preserved on the P2 media.If the SD material is a different framerate, you’ll want to upgrade to MC4.0 (which may not be possible on a G5 – I think it may be Intel Mac only). MC4.x can mix and match framerates. If you need to mix and match framerates, there is software that can add/remove pulldown to the HPX170 footage. Will you be mixing framerates?
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
Oops. Yeah, that should have said “write Apple and tell them to release a ProRes encoder for Macs and PCs.”
Thanks for the correction.
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com -
You have to buy a Mac and FCP to get the ProRes encoder.
Export an uncompressed quicktime from your Avid and take it to the Mac you have access to. Run it through Compressor to get it to ProRes. Check for gamma issues.
Then write Apple and tell them to release a ProRes decoder for Macs and PCs. Remind them that production does not always happen on an FCP island.
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Michael Hancock
http://www.oswaldcommunications.com