Converting footage with mpeg streamclip, something odd is happening.

[Jeff Troiano]

Hi,

I'm trying to convert some footage, to Prores LT, using mpeg streamclip. For some reason it is taking clips that are 10 to 20 sec long, and after conversion, the clips are more then a couple min long. With the actual clip playing until its end, then a freeze frame of the last frame for the remainder of the time. I can import the original clips, into Final Cut, and they are all there in the time they are suppose to be. But the file I created with the converted clips are all extended. Its taking a file that has 61 clips, ranging from 9sec to 2 or 3 min, and extending everyone. The file size is almost 400 gig, after conversion. Is there a setting I'm missing? This footage is 30p720, from a JVC HD-100, recorded in a quick time format, onto a hard drive unit (not to tape).

Any thoughts as to why this might be happening? I'm not 100% I can't work in their native format, I was just converting to prores, to make sure the footage wouldnt have any problems in FCP.

Thanks for any help or advice,
jeff

[William Hohauser]

Why are you using MPEGStreamclip instead of Compressor for this particular task?

[Jeff Troiano]

You do have a point. And I am very new to Mac's and FCP, and saw someplace that streamclip was faster and easier then compressor. I will go that route and see if there is better results.

[William Hohauser]

Faster and easier in some ways. Compressor is better in other ways. If you have an iMac, they are the same processing speed. On a dual-processor MacPro, Compressor can be quite a bit faster.

[Jeff Troiano]

Thanks, I'll give that a try, when I get home. I do, infact, have a dual processor Mac Pro. I was just put off why, with footage from 3 different cameras, only the footage from the jvc was doing this? I'll see if the same thing happens when I try in compressor.


Thanks again,
Jeff

[Marty Jenoff]

I'm having the same problem. I have a JVC HD200 and the MRHD100. I'll try compressor also and see what happens.

[Jeff Troiano]

Hmmm...I wonder if this is a JVC problem. Might have to post in the JVC forum and see if anyone there might have an idea. Ive tried compressor, and get the same results.

[William Hohauser]

I have a HD100 and never have this problem with Compressor. Are you trying to make multicam clips? If not then don't bother transcoding these files. Work with them as QuickTime HDV in your ProRes sequence. The files you use will have to be rendered but that will save a lot of space.

By the way, I stopped recording in QuickTime on my FireStore. It would occasionally corrupt the files. I now record the files as MPEG2TS (m2t) on the FireStore (which is the way it's recorded on HDV tape) and use ClipWrap to quickly convert to QuickTimeHDV. Never had an error that way. I only convert the files to ProRes if I have a multicam edit to do.

[Jeff Troiano]

Thanks William, I will email the guys filming this stuff, and have him switch over to the m2t files. I had posted in the JVC forum, before they left on this trip, and mentioned the situation. Over there, they said to have them film in the quicktime files. I am doing as you suggested, and not converting anything. It still baffles me, I have shots that are as little as 10 or 15 seconds long, but (with out doing anything, just playing what they sent me) it thinks those shots are much much longer, and gives me the freeze frame thing I mentioned.

[Marty Jenoff]

I tried recording in Quicktime and just using those HDV files, but I got a warning from FCP that said
"The following media files are not optimized for FCP. It is highly recommended that you either recapture the media or use media manager to create new copies of the files to improve their performance for multi-stream playback"

I that's why I started using MPEG streamclip to transcode to Pro Res.

I tried recording M2T but that gave me a new set of problems. I rolled a few seconds of bars and the drive was responding correctly. After shooting about 10 or 11 clips, I looked at the drive and saw that it wasn’t recording. The camera view finder showed the connection said “trigger sent to drive” (forget the exact words). I tried recording several more clips and the drive display showed record pause. I turned the camera and drive off and back on again and the problem continued. I switched to quicktime and the problem continued.

When I got home and hooked the drive up to the computer, it showed about 20 clips (not sure how many I actually shot). I tried importing the HDV clips into FCP and go the same quality issue as before. I transcoded the MTS and quicktime files to ProRes. All the clips look fine, but I am missing several shots, probably 6 or so.

[William Hohauser]

Something is wrong with your FireStore. I just used mine today with a Sony HD1000 and only had a problem when the camera shut off after being in pause too long.

[Marty Jenoff]

I think it is my Firestore. I watched the original clips Quicktime HDV clips and they play, and then the last frame is frozen for a few minutes.

I tried using Compressor and the same thing happened.

I'd say that about 1/2 of my clips are OK and the rest have this last frame frozen problem.

I contacted Firestore and they told me to send it in. I purchased it in August so it's still under warranty. Units not under warranty have a $395 flat repair fee.

[Jeff Troiano]

Originally Posted by Marty Jenoff

I think it is my Firestore. I watched the original clips Quicktime HDV clips and they play, and then the last frame is frozen for a few minutes.

I tried using Compressor and the same thing happened.

I'd say that about 1/2 of my clips are OK and the rest have this last frame frozen problem.

Marty,

Do you know, on the clips where you get the freeze frame problem, is it showing all the footage you filmed, and then freezes on last frame, or are you losing footage?

As I stated, when I originally posted. I have a whole usb drive, with a months worth of footage, with about 2000 clips from the jvc camera, and drive. Most of the ones I've viewed have this freezing problem. Now I'm trying to determine if there was loss of material when it freezes. (Im uploading back to back clips onto youtube, so the guys down on location can view them, and try and remember if there was more there.

Thanks, Jeff

[Marty Jenoff]

to the best of my memory it freezes on the last shot and I didn't lose any video.