Dan and Mike allowed me to test out the beta firmware on the nanoFlash and I had some great results. I was able to transfer nanoFlash MXF files (in 50 Mbps LongGOP) to a 23GB ProDisc via U1 drive and then play them back in a PDWF800. Read my blog about my process here -

How to put nanoFlash video on a XDCAM Disc | CineTechnica (http://blog.abelcine.com/2009/11/17/how-to-put-nanoflash-video-on-a-xdcam-disc/)

Hi Andy - this is great. Thanks for posting such a detailed blog post on this.

Couple of questions:

- Did you try modifying any metadata, e.g. IN/OUT points, clip names etc? Do these carry through to the exported clips on the XDCAM HD disc?

- Can we assume that you have FCP installed to get the XDCAM HD codecs? Have you tried running XDCAM Transfer utility using 3rd party codecs like the Calibrated Q ones?

I for one am looking forward to trying this out myself once the firmware is released.

Cheers.

Dave C

Once you write the MXF's to an XDCAM device the XDCAM device (U1, camera etc) will build the Proxy files and associated metadata XML files so you should be able to add all the metadata you want.

Thanks Alister - I'm sure that's true, but I was just wanting to confirm that if you modify the metadata on the way through, as it were, whether that 'sticks' when it gets to the XDCAM HD disc. i.e. if you change something in the XDCAM transfer app, does it stay there on the final XDCAM disc?

You would think the answer would be 'yes' as it should modify the MXF with the new data during the export from the transfer SW but it would be nice to have that confirmed.

I didn't realise that the proxies would be re-built - that's an interesting one.

Regards

Dave

Dave

It does build the proxies when it copies and data can be modified at that point. They become full fledged XDCAM clips really.

Andy

Dear Friends,

With our next firmware, one can load our 50 Mbps Long-GOP MXF footage onto a Sony Optical disk and it can then be played back properly.


While not obvious, any of our other footage, other bit rates, etc, can be stored on the Sony Optical disk, but, of course, they can not be played back. They can be used for archiving or transfer purposes.

Dave

It does build the proxies when it copies and data can be modified at that point. They become full fledged XDCAM clips really.

Andy

OK I did some tests with the sample clip posted here and got some interesting results.

I used the Sony XDCAM transfer tool, along with the Calibrated Q XD decode plugin demo and found that sure enough the transfer tool sees the NanoFlash MXF file and you can browse it etc. (it doesn't see current firmware clips at all)

Following the original workflow of 'export clip to file...' lets you export whole clips, but not selected subclips marked with in and out.
If you do an 'import' and re-wrap the clip into a .mov file then it DOES modify the clip name, trim to in and outs etc. but you would then have to use the CD MOV to MXF converter tool to re-wrap the clips into MXF again to save onto the XDCAM disc.
I didn't get a chance to try this last bit.

Nonetheless this promises to give a very usable review, select and archive workflow where you clone onto a laptop, review and select clips in XDCAM transfer, then archive onto XDCAM HD disc.

Our U1 XDCAM HD disc reader arrives next week so I'm hoping to play with this a lot more.

Regards

Dave C

I am assuming you do not have FCP installed if you are using XD-Decode. You should not install XD-Decode if you do have FCP as this will cause all kinds of errors.

Yes, that's right Alister - we don't have FCP on this Macbook - it's for cloning rushes only.
Our U1 reader should arrive tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to trying out the final step.

Regards

Dave C

I wonder if your inability to be able to export partial clips from the transfer tool is because you only have a decode codec and no encode codec? You may need the encode codec to trim files with in and out points.

This sounds like it could work out to be a very safe archive for all footage shot on the Nano. Beats using Raid 1 drives.

Yesterday we shot for CBS 60 Minutes. A segment that will air Dec 6. A three camera shoot. One 800, one 700, and an EX 3/Nano Flash. I transfered the EX/Nano files to optical and the AP at 60 Minutes has just informed me that everything worked out just great. The editor loved it. Easy, safe and secure. Thanks to Chris Tsai at Sony and Dan and Michael at CD, for taking my idea and making it happen so fast. No more Hard drive copying and worries of HD failure. A permanent archive.

Dennis that is great news.

Now where to find the best deals on the disk?

I wonder if your inability to be able to export partial clips from the transfer tool is because you only have a decode codec and no encode codec? You may need the encode codec to trim files with in and out points.

You could well be right Alister - I'll need to look into that.

Good suggestion.

Thanks

Dave C

Dear Dennis,

Thank you for posting the good news!

You could well be right Alister - I'll need to look into that.

Good suggestion.

Thanks

Dave C

OK, so I tried this out on a machine with FCP installed and it behaives exactly the same - i.e. if you chose 'export clip to folder' you get the whole clip, regardless of in and out markers set in the clip, but if you choose IMPORT and create a new .mov file you get the trimmed clip.

I've still to try doing an IMPORT to create a .mov then converting that mov back into an MXF using the CD tool, then putting that back on a Nano, or an XDCAM HD disc.

Regards

Dave

With this firmware does it limit the size of the "disk" to 23 or 50gb, or do you have to manually break it up?

As far as I know you have to split up the clips manually which is a little tedious.
I
'be been trying to work out a good 'algorithm' for this but I haven't found one yet.

Seems a shame to only put 32GB on a 50GB disc for example.

Dave

Dear Marshall,

By "this firmware", do you mean our File Converter?

Or do you mean something else?

Dear Dave,

Are you referring to our File Converter when you say:

"As far as I know you have to split up the clips manually which is a little tedious.
I have been trying to work out a good 'algorithm' for this but I haven't found one yet.

Seems a shame to only put 32GB on a 50GB disc for example."

I am going to get a confirmation before I answer questions about our file converter.
I believe I know the answers, but I want to be 100% correct.

Hi Dan - interesting.
I hadn't thought about the convertor tool having a role to play in 'packing' files onto an xdcam disc but that would be very handy if it is correct.

Since it looks like we need to do an export as mov files anyway it would be great if, in the process of converting them back to mxf the tool also warned you if you were trying to copy too many files onto one xdcam disc.

Regards

Dave

Dear Dave,

Please just send me an email with the details of what you are proposing.

I will forward it to our developer to see what we can do.