Premiere CS4 Import Failure

[William Urschel]

I have just completed a two day shoot, yesterday, without previously running any import or test edits on Premier Pro CS4, with the MainConcept MPEG PRO HD 4 plug in for Premiere, which apparently many have used successfully to edit nano files. Well! I am totally stopped from even importing! And I will be travelling on a shoot out of the country in just 48 hours for a week, without knowing if my already two day shoot is valid or if what I shoot next week will be editable!

Shooting with EX1, editing in Premiere Pro CS4 on a Boxx PC with Intel i7 overclocked at around 4 Gig, 6 gig RAM, three big, fast hard drives, and everything else runs perfectly on the Boxx.

When I attempt to import the MXF file folder into Premier, with apparently correct set-up on Main Concept parameters, receive the following message: "File Import Failure - Error Message: File Format Not Supported" When I attempt to ingest an individual MXF file, I receive the following: "Error Message - File dimensions (width/height) too large."

My settings on the nanoFlash are as follows:

System:
File Format - MXF
Maximum File Size - 100%
Unit ID - 01
Trigger - LTC?Emb TC
Duration - Unchecked
Timecode - Source - Embedded
Source - SDI
Prebuffer - (unchecked)

Video:
Bit Rate - CF HD Rate 100 Mbps
CODEC - Log GOP
Record PSF - Prog (checked)
Play Prog - PSF (Checked)
Remove 3:2 Pull Down - (Unchecked)
E to E Direct - (unchecked)
Time Lapse - (unchecked)
HDMI Rx color - Legal

Settings for the MainConcept Plug-in for PPCS$ are:

MPEG 2 Templates - MPEG 2 HD 1920x1080 Template, and then in the General Tab:
Editing Mode: MainConcept MPEG-2 Template
Timeline: 29.97 frames/second
Frame Size: 1920 1080
Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels
Fields: No Fields (Progressive Scan)
Display Format: 30 fps Drop-Frame Timecode

Preview File Format:
422P@HL 100 Mbps CBR Long GOP


Sooooo, no matter that I had spent many hours (what I thought was) thoroughly studying both the Convergent Designs and the MainConcept Plug-In Manuals - which gave me the confidence to go ahead and shoot for two days without testing! Both Manuals seem incredibly thorough and well written, and of course page 18 of the MainConcept Manual is very explicit about the specific parameters for setting up import of Convergent Designs'
written cards data into Premiere Pro CS3 and CS4 (even though a MainConcept "Engineer" did not seem conversant in any way with nano or with the appropriate procedure!).

I know that it matters not that I worked until 11 PM last night and have been working since
5:30 this morning in attempting to successfully import the nano files into Premier. What matters is finding a solution that works.

I understand that there are many of you out there who have no problem with such import (despite the evidently overwhelming use of Apple products instead of PCs). I would be most appreciative if anyone with experience could suggest where I am going so grievously wrong, and what might be the correct set up and procedure.

Incidentally, I would plug HDMI out of nano into one of my many screens and projectors, but despite my 20 or so HDMI cables, I have none with the mini fitting on one end. I will later today attempt to plug my 6 inch SDI cable into one of my units, just to try to validate what I have shot thus far!

Bill Urschel

[Dave Sperling]

Hello Bill,
Sorry, I'm a Vegas user, so no recommendations on plug-in settings for Premiere.
However --- Have you tried playing your data to check that it's there fine? I normally use the (free) PDZ-VX10 mxf player from Sony as a viewer to check my data.

https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz/son...l-PDZVX10.aspx

Once you've assured yourself that your recordings are fine, then you can go back to working on the import system, knowing that your data is safe. (or of course give Vegas a try - I think the demo version is good for a month before it stops working and you need to buy it.)

I actually use the MXF player on my laptop as my primary player if I need to show a piece to a client. It doesn't require much overhead, and the image quality is gorgeous - at least on my VAIO screen.

Best,
Dave S.

[William Urschel]

Dave - thank you!

Did what you suggested (thank goodness, because it turns out that none of my flat screens or porjectors have SDI inputs, just component, HDMI, etc.) and my video transcribed onto nano and imported to computer IS there, and you are quite right, of course, on that Sony player it IS georgous! In my latest shoot, I not only recorded EX1 to nano, but also to SxS cards in the EX1 at 35 Mbps - and shown full screen on 24 inch hi def computer monitors, the difference is VERY evident (of course some of the difference may be due to a superior Sony player, compared to Premiere's device. Some interline twitter and misquito noise seen on the results of the SxS were not evident anyplace from the nano data recorded at 100 Mbps.

Now, being reassured that the data is there, I will go forth!

Mike Shell at Convergent indicated that he and another CD person will help me out on the phone with the Premiere/MainConcept issue.

Again, thank you for your response.

Bill

[Aaron Newsome]

I'm pretty sure Premiere CS4 is limited to 35Mbps footage, unless you upgrade with a 3rd party plugin. I too had to solve this issue when I shot 100Mbps footage that could not be edited in Premiere.

[Tommy Schell]

Hi Bill,

what is the firmware version on your nanoFlash? (System->About)
Did you just purchase the MainConcept (meaning you have the latest, 4.1.1 ) ?
Or do you have 4.1.0 MainConcept?

MainConcept 4.1.0 doesn't work with all our files, make sure it is updated to 4.1.1, that one does work with all our files.

In the project setup of Premiere, I think you want to select MainConcept in the 1st window, then in the 2nd window:
MainConcept -> XDCAM HD 1080p -> appropriate 50 Mbit setting (even though your files are a higher bit rate, the 50 Mbit is the generic label for all of our high bit rate stuff)

Perhaps others who have played with it more can comment as well.

Tommy Schell