How to export from FCP to SxS Card

[Kevin Spahr]

I had a job where I need to do this in order to do a satellite uplink through the SDI output after editing some footage. This made me pull out the last few hairs I had left on my head. So to save my fellow EX shooters the trouble, here are my notes:

EXPORTING FCP TO SXS CARD:
Use XDCAM TRANSFER PDZK-P1 (Version 2.9.0) software from the Sony site.
Use the SBAC-US10 Sony Card Reader or connect your camera via USB by ejecting all cards, turn off your camera, connect the USB cable, turn on the camera to Media, you should now be asked if you want to connect to USB, select execute and the viewfinder should now show a USB symbol. Insert the card you want to export to.
Start FCP and select the timeline to export and choose "EXPORT">"Sony XDCAM".
The "Sony XDCAM Export" window will open.
The "Exporting 'sequence name' to:" should be something like "Untitled" which should be your camera connected via USB or your SBAC-US10 Sony Card Reader.
The "With filename:" should be checked and use an eleven character name such as "EXP_0001_01"
The "As format:" drop down should be set to "MP4 (XDCAM EX)"
The "Using settings:" drop down should be set to the the format of your time line (assuming that it is a XDCAM EX format).
Make sure the drive where the "Create intermediate files in:" has enough space to write the temporary files or you will get a failed export notice.
Make sure that the file you are exporting is not larger than 4GB in size.
Now you can click the Export button.
After your export is complete, properly eject your card.
(If you are using your camera via USB, "eject" (or unmount is a better term) the card in the Finder, turn off the camera, disconnect the USB cable from the camera.)
Turn the camera on to the Media setting. (Insert your SxS card if it is not already in the camera.) You will not see your exported clip until you go into the camera's "Others" menu and select "Clip" and then "Update". Choose the card and execute. You clip should now show up in the thumb nails and play properly.

[William Griffin]

I might be in the same boat in the fall...so why use the XDCAM TRANSFER PDZK-P1? doesnot FCP 6 have that built in? and very nice post as it does answer alott of questions.....

thanks

[Kevin Spahr]

I guess it's like a plug-in for FCP, it will put the Sony XDCAM item in your FCP Export menu.
I had an earlier version and it would not work because it did not have the "As format:" drop down menu where you could select the EX format. I think the earlier version only worked with the XDCAM HD disk writer.

Also using this method you only have to select the card you are exporting to, the export process will put the video file into the BPAV>CLPR folder on the card.

Maybe there is another method but I couldn't get any of them to work. Most of this information was gleaned from the manual and the "readme" that comes with the PDZK-P1 software. I just put it into a step by step method so I can do it again.

Hope that helps.

[Jac Chesson]

Hi Kevin,

Your post was very helpful. Thanks!

Does this work with stereo audio? I read that in earlier versions you had to sum the audio channels to mono.

Jac

[Kevin Spahr]

I forgot to add that bit.

You need to set your FCP sequence to dual mono. I believe you will get a message telling you to change the setting if you try to export a sequence as stereo.

[Joe Lawry]

Sounds like the same procedure as writing back to XDCAM Disc.

Although its a shame about the 4 File limit - i guess thats what, about 12 minutes @ 35mbs?

Cheers for posting this up.

[Andy Shipsides]

Nice outline. I made a video about how to do the same with XDCAM HD422 onto Sony ProDisc. Pretty nice feature.

The 4GB limit is in place because of FAT32 format of the SxS cards. The camera automatically splits up clips into 4GB chunks when capturing. It would be nice if the export from FCP did the same split up.

[Markus Bo]

Are there any news on solving the 4 GB limit?

Regards
Markus

[Kevin Spahr]

I can't see how that would ever be changed...