Michael Phillips
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COW Coin
Forum Replies Created
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Media Composer can mix codecs just fine, and 175, 220 etc, are actually the same codec, the data rate is reflective of the frame rate.
Are you planning on an offline/online conform process, or edit as “finishing quality?” That is a decision you make based on storage, and other needs as you can offline at DNxHD 36/40 then relink/conform at the end.
You also raise a good point about converting ahead of time, which is something to consider if you like the quality of those applications. Again, I find hardware based converters are still better overall, but are geared towards signal based workflows like tape, etc. But in either case, you are creating new submasters that are now harmonized to 25p.
I would a test of several different source clips using those apps and Media Composer’s frame rate conversion and compare. If they are all close enough, then doing it in MC directly will be less hassle.
Michael
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The frame rate conversion in Media Composer can be very hit and miss. In some cases, and productions it will do fine, but in others, the expected quality is not what productions are expecting. The default algorithms used are the best while keeping it a real time play, which is different than the best quality period. That’s why uses will recommend hardware based solutions for final delivery.
Managing different formats is a bit of a pain as well. As Part pointed out, create a project that matches the raster, frame rate, and image structure for each format used; so 23.976p, 24.000p, 25p, 25i etc. are all different from each other. 25p and 25i, for example will render effects differently (frame versus field). Again, as Pat says, AMA link to footage in its matching project type, transcode to editorial proxy, then open those bins with transcoded clips in 25fps (p or i depending on your primary deliverable) and work away.
At this point, Avid is tracking the different sources and their frame rates and will let you manage them for final conform by going back to the original projects for each source type, etc. But, should you render or transcode again for whatever reason in that 25p projct, any source that is not 25p will now become a true 25p source and you will be greeted with a nice message about how relink, EDL’s, and such for those non-25p sources will now be lost. I would highly recommend that for all formats in their native projects you add at least one custom column that indicates original project name or type (duplicate column “Project” into custom column). Newly created media gets tagged with project name in which it is being created, so a transcode in a different project takes on that project name and not the original name. Should you ever have to transcode across frame rates, you will at least have a clue as to where it came from. Also know that transcoding non-native frame rates in a project will delete any AuxTC type timecode which is a pain if you are tracking those for any reason.
Media Composer is great at editing all these different frame rates, rasters, codecs, and such together, but managing them for a conform in a different system, or in this case, a potential frame rate conversion via third party hardware, it is best to keep formats separate for those processes. While they do have modes to detect different things, it will never be as good a quality conversion than using the original format as Media Composer will have already mixed in a variety of blending and frame addition/dropping that is hard to undo, especially if blending with dissolves, supers, PIPs, etc. where two or more things are happening at once.
If you find that frame rate quality satisfactory in Media Composer, it does simplify a few things, but you still want to manage which project the clips came from for a relink conform process.
Michael
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That could be an issue, but I find that Autodetect will fall back on QuickTime AMA when stumped, and in this case, is the one to use. But I agree that directly selection QT AMA will at least eliminate that from the text matrix.
Michael
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When importing, the copies you make within Media Composer are not new copies of media, but new pointers to the same media in the Avid MediaFiles folders. So deleting “media” from any of the clips, be it the original master clips or the copies, will delete the media for all.
Perhaps you are batch importing into the wrong “version” of the master clip. Put a sequence into a bin and go to “set bin display” from the bin hamburger menu (bottom left), and check the “show reference clips” box. Click OK and you will now see all the clips that made up that sequence, including the orignal audio only master clips. You can move those to another bin if you want to have them. But highlight all those and “batch import” into them and see if that gets everything back online as expected.
Michael
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Sorry – no more ideas on this one. 🙁
Michael
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That is very strange. Are you in line with the compatability/support?
https://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/compatibility/en267087
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I would uninstall and download the 8.1 trial which is the current version. v8 did not offer anything of substance over 7.0.4 other than getting the new licensing in place. 8.1 was an actual release with features and bug fixes. I did not even deal with v8 til 8.1 came out.
Michael
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I downloaded the 4K samples that were posted a month or so ago and have had no problems linking via the QuickTime AMA plug-in. There have been a version or two that had trouble transcoding ProRes in general which might be an issue. What version of MC are you using?
Michael
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What are the problems? You don’t say. Anything ProRes comes in via the QuickTime AMA plug-in. Just don’t expect much in the way of performance. I find even 2K ProRes has a problem playing back. It’s an AMA link transcode workflow for this one.
Michael
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y o u r u s e r s e t t i n g s m a y ha v e b e c om e c o r r u p t.
😉
Try creating a new user setting; project window/settings tab;New User. And see of that problem persists.
Michael