When can we expect the MXF format to be available?

Dear Douglas,

Good Afternoon and Happy New Year!

We are currently debugging our MXF code at this time.

The MXF code is incorporated into the firmware of the Flash XDR. This was accomplished just prior to the holidays. Of course, this release is for in-house testing at this time.

We have created MXF files using the new firmware, but we are debugging the files as I write.

While I hesitate to give an exact date, but when we were at this stage in our development of Quicktime, it was about a week before we released a tested Quicktime release.

Our internal "CDV" format is MXF data, but without the "MXF" wrapper (the header files).
So, we are now testing (and debugging) the header files to ensure that everything is correct.

Everybody who owned the FLASH XDR are expecting the MXF!GO!GO!GO!

Dear Jerry,

We are excited too.

Initially we had one parameter wrong and our file sizes were too big.

We found and solved that problem yesterday.

One less problem to solve!

Everybody who owned the FLASH XDR are expecting the MXF!GO!GO!GO!

Hi Jerry-
I can report that we are very close to finishing MXF support. Our MAC program, which is the basis for this code development, successfully converted a Quicktime file to MXF this afternoon (it played in Sony Vegas). So, now we just need to wring out the last few issues in the embedded microcontroller version of the same basic code.

I think we'll have firmware in a few more days.

being a FCS and Vegas editor this is excellent news. please make it available as soon as you feel confidence in it.

Dear Alan,

We have two projects involving MXF in progress at this time.

1. Native MXF support in the Flash XDR.

2. A MXF to Quicktime converter.

3. A Quicktime to MXF file converter.

Items 2 and 3 will be incorporated into a one program, which will be separate from the Flash XDR.

We have successfully used our Quicktime to MXF converter to create an MXF file that was successfully placed on a Vegas Pro 8 timeline.

This is significant since the same code used in this converter forms the basis of our MXF support in the Flash XDR.

The main changes are due to the program running on the Flash XDR platform instead of a separate computer, and we are not first writing a Quicktime file then converting it, the clip is created as an MXF file.

We are expecting a beta firmware release with MXF support next week.

Thanks for the update.

The native MXF in the XDR is a priority for current needs. The quickest way of getting MXF files transfered to another media in the field for shipping to the client is the goal. When the cards come down in price enough to have several sets available, the transfer will no longer be needed.

I can see that the converter programs will help in post and is an added benefit.


Cheers,
Scott

Mike,

I'm excited you're testing MXF in Vegas, as this is the NLE I'm using most of the time.

However, correct me if I'm wrong but the highest bitrate MXF Vegas can handle seems to be the 4:2:2, 50 Mbps HD; how are we supposed to edit the 100 Mbps mxf files from Flash XDR, or Nano Flash?

Dear Piotr,

Before we had our Quicktime format working, we theorized that Final Cut Pro would accept 100 Mbps footage just as well as 50 Mbps footage.

This turned out to be true.

We expect the same for Sony Vegas Pro.

I know that we successfully converted one of our Quicktime files to MXF and placed it on the timeline in Vegas. At this time, I do not know if the original footage was 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps.

So, we do not think getting the footage into Vegas will be a problem. We will know soon.


When doing a final render, we are limited to the codecs and bit-rates that Sony supports. We hope that they will support 100 Mbps soon.

In the meantime, if you have a way to render out to HD-SDI, you can use the Flash XDR to record your completed project at 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps.