1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X at DVinfo.net

Andy Wilkinson · June 25th, 2011, 07:02 AM

I've tried to keep up with all the frenzy about what FCP X will and won't do but I don't think I've found a specific answer to a question I have.

Does anyone know if FCP X can handle 1080p50 files? [or 1080p60 for those of you not in PAL land], e.g. from a Panasonic TM700, TM900 or some of the new Sony cams like the CX700, NX70U etc.

This format is fast becoming an (unofficial) standard on top end Prosumer cams that also shoot in compliant AVCHD formats, a market it seems FCP X might be targeted at - so I'd hope the answer is yes.

But does anyone know for sure?

Henrik Reach · June 25th, 2011, 11:35 AM

Also looking for an answer to this, as I'm probably getting on of the 1080/60p cams for fun.

Apple - Final Cut Pro X - System Requirements and Tech Specs

Terence Murphy · June 25th, 2011, 11:47 AM

I now have 1080p60 28Mbps footage from my Sony CX700v working in FCPX. FCPX doesn't recognize the .MTS files natively, and does not recognize the camera or files on the SD card. But I can convert the .MTS files to .M4V using Remux, and then import those into FCPX. ClipWrap currently doesn't work (I'm working with them on that). I have not yet tried Media Converter, but that may also work.

Floris van Eck · June 26th, 2011, 02:13 PM

.MTS files do not work. You will need to convert them using ClipWrap or something. For this reason, I will stick with Premiere Pro for these files. Easy ingestion should be top priority for Apple.

Roger Shealy · March 20th, 2012, 07:38 PM

Any progress on getting TM900 60P (50P) easily into FCPX? I'm trying ClipWrap but unfortunately I'm a novice with Apple, being a long time user of Vegas, which eats everything.

Any advice on how to get 60P into FCP with the best value of high quality, fast, and small files?

Terence Murphy · March 22nd, 2012, 05:02 PM

Did Clipwrap not work for you? If not, I would check with the company. They're constantly adding camera support, and may just need a little encouragement and a sample file.

My workflow is now to just use Clipwrap to copy files off the SD card to a hard drive and rewrap from .MTS to .MOV at the same time. Works like a charm.

-Terence

Roger Shealy · March 22nd, 2012, 05:31 PM

Thanks for the info. I'm using the trial version and being new to Mac and FCPX, I might be causing the problems. I used ClipWrap to process the .MTS file to the desktop, then tried to copy the .mov file to the FCP folder and it doesn't copy to the folder. Used import and got it into the project, but its very jumpy. I'm using a new 13" MacAir i5, which I know is a stretch, but 7D .mov files are working fine so far.

Ronald Jackson · March 23rd, 2012, 09:39 AM

I used "Toast Titanium" to convert , 50p .mts files into MPEG 4 I think and then into a FCPX project in 1080p25. They play real time, no audio delay sort of thing. Trouble is I can't remember exactly what I did but it eventually worked. I'll be having another go.

Ron

Andy Wilkinson · March 23rd, 2012, 09:58 AM

Just to close the loop on this (from my perspective as the OP), in the end I went to Adobe Production Premium CS 5.5 towards the end of last year as there were too many unknowns about FCPX at that point.

CS5.5 works brilliantly and I can edit everything that I throw at it without any transcoding, including 1080p50 out of the TM900, Canon 7D footage and XDCAM EX3, all in the same 1080p timeline etc. Rendering out to final formats is also razor fast on this powerful Mac Pro too.

It seems a bit strange that now FCPX has been out a while (and has had the odd update) that 1080p50/60 .MTS AVCHD2 files native editing is still absent from the feature set. Footage from cams shooting in this format must be even more prevalent than when I first asked the question. About time Apple got their finger out.

Roger Shealy · March 24th, 2012, 10:26 AM

Andy, I have CS5(win7) but haven't undertaken the learning curve. Thought I'd give FCPX a try, hoping it would be a little lighter than CS. We'll see...

Terence Murphy · March 28th, 2012, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Shealy

..., but its very jumpy. I'm using a new 13" MacAir i5, which I know is a stretch, but 7D .mov files are working fine so far.

I suspect your MacBook Air can't handle the 60p footage. I'm using a MacBook Pro i7 (Quad 2.2 GHz with the AMD Radeon 6750M) running Snow Leopard -- it can handle the 60p but it's definitely working hard. FCPX works better than Premiere Elements. I don't have Premiere Pro so can't make that comparison.

I also see differences in playback smoothness between QuickLook (press space), QuickTime X, QuickTime 7, and VLC Player (which can play the original .MTS files). For some reason QuickTime X has to work harder, and seems to be worse on Lion than Snow Leopard. I needed a second computer last November that could play the raw 60p 28 Mbps .MOV files, so I went down to the Apple Store and started testing. Everything had problems playing the 60p .MOV files using QuickTime X (including systems nearly identical to my MacBook Pro but running Lion), but QuickLook was much better (even the cheapest Mac Mini worked fine). I suspect the QuickTime X problems might also show up in FCPX.

I meant to report it at the time, but forgot. Guess I should probably repeat the testing first, though.

-Terence

June 25th, 2011, 07:02 AM	#1
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X I've tried to keep up with all the frenzy about what FCP X will and won't do but I don't think I've found a specific answer to a question I have. Does anyone know if FCP X can handle 1080p50 files? [or 1080p60 for those of you not in PAL land], e.g. from a Panasonic TM700, TM900 or some of the new Sony cams like the CX700, NX70U etc. This format is fast becoming an (unofficial) standard on top end Prosumer cams that also shoot in compliant AVCHD formats, a market it seems FCP X might be targeted at - so I'd hope the answer is yes. But does anyone know for sure? __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

June 25th, 2011, 11:35 AM	#2
Henrik Reach Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Halden Posts: 106	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X Also looking for an answer to this, as I'm probably getting on of the 1080/60p cams for fun. Apple - Final Cut Pro X - System Requirements and Tech Specs

June 25th, 2011, 11:47 AM	#3
Terence Murphy Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 161	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X I now have 1080p60 28Mbps footage from my Sony CX700v working in FCPX. FCPX doesn't recognize the .MTS files natively, and does not recognize the camera or files on the SD card. But I can convert the .MTS files to .M4V using Remux, and then import those into FCPX. ClipWrap currently doesn't work (I'm working with them on that). I have not yet tried Media Converter, but that may also work.

June 26th, 2011, 02:13 PM	#4
Floris van Eck Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 993	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X .MTS files do not work. You will need to convert them using ClipWrap or something. For this reason, I will stick with Premiere Pro for these files. Easy ingestion should be top priority for Apple.

March 20th, 2012, 07:38 PM	#5
Roger Shealy Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fayetteville, GA Posts: 772	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X Any progress on getting TM900 60P (50P) easily into FCPX? I'm trying ClipWrap but unfortunately I'm a novice with Apple, being a long time user of Vegas, which eats everything. Any advice on how to get 60P into FCP with the best value of high quality, fast, and small files?

March 22nd, 2012, 05:02 PM	#6
Terence Murphy Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 161	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X Did Clipwrap not work for you? If not, I would check with the company. They're constantly adding camera support, and may just need a little encouragement and a sample file. My workflow is now to just use Clipwrap to copy files off the SD card to a hard drive and rewrap from .MTS to .MOV at the same time. Works like a charm. -Terence

March 22nd, 2012, 05:31 PM	#7
Roger Shealy Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fayetteville, GA Posts: 772	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X Thanks for the info. I'm using the trial version and being new to Mac and FCPX, I might be causing the problems. I used ClipWrap to process the .MTS file to the desktop, then tried to copy the .mov file to the FCP folder and it doesn't copy to the folder. Used import and got it into the project, but its very jumpy. I'm using a new 13" MacAir i5, which I know is a stretch, but 7D .mov files are working fine so far. Last edited by Roger Shealy; March 22nd, 2012 at 06:42 PM.

March 23rd, 2012, 09:39 AM	#8
Ronald Jackson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southport, United Kingdom Posts: 723	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X I used "Toast Titanium" to convert , 50p .mts files into MPEG 4 I think and then into a FCPX project in 1080p25. They play real time, no audio delay sort of thing. Trouble is I can't remember exactly what I did but it eventually worked. I'll be having another go. Ron

March 23rd, 2012, 09:58 AM	#9
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X Just to close the loop on this (from my perspective as the OP), in the end I went to Adobe Production Premium CS 5.5 towards the end of last year as there were too many unknowns about FCPX at that point. CS5.5 works brilliantly and I can edit everything that I throw at it without any transcoding, including 1080p50 out of the TM900, Canon 7D footage and XDCAM EX3, all in the same 1080p timeline etc. Rendering out to final formats is also razor fast on this powerful Mac Pro too. It seems a bit strange that now FCPX has been out a while (and has had the odd update) that 1080p50/60 .MTS AVCHD2 files native editing is still absent from the feature set. Footage from cams shooting in this format must be even more prevalent than when I first asked the question. About time Apple got their finger out. __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

March 24th, 2012, 10:26 AM	#10
Roger Shealy Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fayetteville, GA Posts: 772	Re: 1080p50 (and 1080p60) 28Mbps and FCP X Andy, I have CS5(win7) but haven't undertaken the learning curve. Thought I'd give FCPX a try, hoping it would be a little lighter than CS. We'll see...