Help guys, I'm at a total loss here.

I've been plonked in front of a machine with Liquid 7.2 on, having been told it can work with DVCProHD content. I've also been given a music video in DVCProHD format which was rendered on a Mac with FCP (unsure as to which version, most likely the most recent). I've got no other info about the file, and as it's from a Mac it doesn't even have a file extension!

The file's not corrupted, I've verified it via SFV with the original file from my source (one of the band's members who got it from the AV company who originally supplied it to them).

If I add .dv to the file, Liquid imports it and lets me add it to the timeline, but it just shows as garbled nonsense in the preview window and there's no soundtrack to go with. With no file extension, it just barfs and gives up.

What am I doing wrong? Do I need to make some kind of wrapper file with which I can open the DVCProHD file in Liquid? Should I try another app? I don't have a machine with FCP on here, I will next week but by then it'll be past the deadline for this render I've been tasked with doing, and I'm at a complete loss.

Help please someone :( what's the best course of action I can take which'll end up in me being able to import, read and work with this DVCProHD file?

Thanks in advance...

Help guys, I'm at a total loss here.

...If I add .dv to the file, Liquid imports it and lets me add it to the timeline, but it just shows as garbled nonsense in the preview window and there's no soundtrack to go with. With no file extension, it just barfs and gives up.

What am I doing wrong? Do I need to make some kind of wrapper file with which I can open the DVCProHD file in Liquid? ...

DVCPRO HD XReceive from P2

I haven't tried a DVCProHD file yet ...but, I don't believe that you are supposed to import it the traditional way. I believe that you need to use the "X-receive" method to access the files.

Select P2 and browse to locate the files to Xreceive.

Well, I gave that a go yesterday, and it was asking for an XML file - so I'm guessing it supports direct import from P2 cards, but my DVCProHD file was a file presented to me on a DVD-R from the band which had been rendered out in Final Cut Pro, and it wasn't having it. I think all this was revolving around the issue that the content was in Apple's FCP DVCHDPro format, however that differs from the stock DVCHDPro format (I'm thinking it's most likely something to do with the stream format? Though correct me if I'm wrong, I have far more experience with SD editing than I do with HD editing, it's primarily a hobby for me).

I ended up having to resurrect a dead installation of FCP 5 on one of the G5s at work, and it accepted the file fine and let me render out an anamorphic, MPEG-2 version in a Quicktime wrapper. Liquid accepted that fine and let me render a plain ole DVD, but it was driving me mad for a few hours. Doubt I would've been able to get round this problem if I hadn't had a Mac and some persistence to hand, the only other alternative was buying Raylight Decoder, but for the one-off job I couldn't justify the cost.


Thanks for your reply though dude, even if it didn't solve the problem it helped close one avenue of investigation so it's all appreciated.

... I think all this was revolving around the issue that the content was in Apple's FCP DVCHDPro format, however that differs from the stock DVCHDPro format ...

Your right. FCP doesn't work natively with XML files. They re-wrap it with a Quicktime wrapper that inherently makes it incompatible with other editing systems. Which, by the way...is really stupid.

I constantly bump into that type of stupidity when I work w/ Final Cut Pro.

Honestly, I enjoy editing more on a liquid system than FCP. Just find it to be more intuitive and quicker to make my edits. I love the background rendering and the ability to work natively with different formats.

It just takes a couple days to get past the learning curve.

Have fun!