Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? at DVinfo.net

Dave Findley · January 19th, 2015, 08:28 AM

Back in November/December, a Sony rep posted that they hoped to have the plugin by late December, early January. If it's out there, I can't find it, and no FCP X update for it yet either. Anyone heard anything?

Monday Isa · January 19th, 2015, 02:28 PM

Still waiting on the plug-in for Sony Vegas Pro 13. I have the FS7 and purchased it for XAVC-L use. Been using Mpeg422 and XAVC-I for slow-mo instead and it's annoying. I feel your pain. :(

Mike McKay · January 19th, 2015, 05:40 PM

Yep, waiting on Vegas also. Have to wonder with all these variations of Catalyst if they're even going to bother. I know there's a disconnect between Sony divisions, but it's pretty silly to have a Sony camera not work with Sony software.....if I ran the company I'd fix that quick.

Paul Anderegg · January 20th, 2015, 02:31 AM

Next on Sony's to-do list, the release of their new E85 fueled car in Hawaii. :-)

Hawaii E85 Gas Station Locations

Craig Seeman · January 20th, 2015, 11:20 AM

I losing confidence in Sony personally. Since we're nearing the end of January I'm now thinking I should hold off until NAB and see other cameras coming to market.

I just don't feel confidence in Sonly keeping NLE compatibility current (FCPX user). Over time there will be OS and NLE updates and given this time span between the X70 release and still no support, I can't depend on this for professional work.

I can't help but think Sony has some very serious problems with their software support. Apparently they're not even in a position to update the development timeline for NLE compatibility.

Richard D. George · January 20th, 2015, 12:13 PM

Have you tried Catalyst Prepare (not the free one)? I do not have an X-70 (yet) but I imported files (XAVC-S, I think) from a Sony A7s and exported to ProRes and brought that into FCP-X.

David Dixon · January 20th, 2015, 05:07 PM

The free one (Catalyst Browse) works fine and will now even do batch export to all flavors of ProRes. The only thing I've heard about it is that there is a small gamma shift to a bit flatter, less contrasty look upon conversion. I shoot pretty flat anyway so have not really even noticed it. That's easily correctable in FCPX anyway, unless your situation doesn't allow any editing in post.

Paul Anderegg · January 21st, 2015, 03:33 AM

The "gamma shift" is actually a raising of blacks from 0 up to like 10-15IRE, and the lowering of highlights from 108IRE to like 95IRE. It's just a total compression of the entire image, I don't think you can call that flat and simply stretch it back down and up and expect an optimal image?

Paul

Richard D. George · January 21st, 2015, 07:06 AM

I was speaking about the paid version, not the free one. By the way, the price through B&H was $50 less than from Sony.

David Dixon · January 21st, 2015, 09:37 AM

Paul, I didn't realize the issue with Catalyst Browse transcoding was to raise blacks *and* lower highlights - thought it was just a shadows issue. For what it's worth, I just looked at some of those clips I shot recently testing some flat settings, and in comparing the luma scopes in Browse (original clip) and FCPX (ProRes transcode done by Browse) I see almost no shift whatsoever. Some things are barely lower or higher, but by nothing even close to 10-12 on the scope.

Paul Anderegg · January 22nd, 2015, 02:41 AM

I was guestimating based on my observations using the Sony Vegas histogram, which doesn't give IRE and is quite compressed in appearance. When comparing my individual transcode vs batch transcodes of the same clip, the highlights on the individual transcode exceeded the IRE mark, and the highlights on the batch version stopped right at 100IRE. The lows did similar, with individual blacks hitting down to 0, and batch clips well above 0. I would estimate you would have to set black level to around +5-7 to get that much black lift in camera.

Paul

Pedro Rocha · January 22nd, 2015, 06:11 AM

Just to inform that Lightworks 12.0.3.A can read the XAVC-L 1080/60p 50Mbps natively without any transcoding. I'm a Vegas Pro 13 user and it's a bummer that this program as such a big learning curve...

Craig Seeman · January 30th, 2015, 02:34 PM

A Sony representative posted this elsewhere regards plugin support for XAVC-L for FCPX.

"I will have a concrete update on this within the next week or two once we get done with the latest AMA plugin release."

Ron Evans · January 30th, 2015, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedro Rocha

Just to inform that Lightworks 12.0.3.A can read the XAVC-L 1080/60p 50Mbps natively without any transcoding. I'm a Vegas Pro 13 user and it's a bummer that this program as such a big learning curve...

Edius 7.4 will read without transcoding too. Edius is my main editor and is fairly easy to learn as I am also a Vegas user . Try the demo.

Ron Evans

Anthony Lelli · February 1st, 2015, 01:01 PM

month after month this xavc workflow for the x70 pictures in motion makes the old tape workflow look good in comparison . I don't remember ANY workflow made so complicated and for no reason. Where do we stand right now (February the first of 2015) ? We need to spend hours to transcode xavc to xavc . And that makes no sense, none.

January 19th, 2015, 08:28 AM	#1
Dave Findley Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Nashville Posts: 39	Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? Back in November/December, a Sony rep posted that they hoped to have the plugin by late December, early January. If it's out there, I can't find it, and no FCP X update for it yet either. Anyone heard anything?

January 19th, 2015, 02:28 PM	#2
Monday Isa Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 913	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? Still waiting on the plug-in for Sony Vegas Pro 13. I have the FS7 and purchased it for XAVC-L use. Been using Mpeg422 and XAVC-I for slow-mo instead and it's annoying. I feel your pain. :(

January 19th, 2015, 05:40 PM	#3
Mike McKay Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vancouver Posts: 125	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? Yep, waiting on Vegas also. Have to wonder with all these variations of Catalyst if they're even going to bother. I know there's a disconnect between Sony divisions, but it's pretty silly to have a Sony camera not work with Sony software.....if I ran the company I'd fix that quick.

January 20th, 2015, 02:31 AM	#4
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? Next on Sony's to-do list, the release of their new E85 fueled car in Hawaii. :-) Hawaii E85 Gas Station Locations

January 20th, 2015, 11:20 AM	#5
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? I losing confidence in Sony personally. Since we're nearing the end of January I'm now thinking I should hold off until NAB and see other cameras coming to market. I just don't feel confidence in Sonly keeping NLE compatibility current (FCPX user). Over time there will be OS and NLE updates and given this time span between the X70 release and still no support, I can't depend on this for professional work. I can't help but think Sony has some very serious problems with their software support. Apparently they're not even in a position to update the development timeline for NLE compatibility.

January 20th, 2015, 12:13 PM	#6
Richard D. George Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 351	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? Have you tried Catalyst Prepare (not the free one)? I do not have an X-70 (yet) but I imported files (XAVC-S, I think) from a Sony A7s and exported to ProRes and brought that into FCP-X.

January 20th, 2015, 05:07 PM	#7
David Dixon Major Player Join Date: May 2011 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 495	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? The free one (Catalyst Browse) works fine and will now even do batch export to all flavors of ProRes. The only thing I've heard about it is that there is a small gamma shift to a bit flatter, less contrasty look upon conversion. I shoot pretty flat anyway so have not really even noticed it. That's easily correctable in FCPX anyway, unless your situation doesn't allow any editing in post.

January 21st, 2015, 03:33 AM	#8
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? The "gamma shift" is actually a raising of blacks from 0 up to like 10-15IRE, and the lowering of highlights from 108IRE to like 95IRE. It's just a total compression of the entire image, I don't think you can call that flat and simply stretch it back down and up and expect an optimal image? Paul

January 21st, 2015, 07:06 AM	#9
Richard D. George Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 351	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? I was speaking about the paid version, not the free one. By the way, the price through B&H was $50 less than from Sony.

January 21st, 2015, 09:37 AM	#10
David Dixon Major Player Join Date: May 2011 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 495	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? Paul, I didn't realize the issue with Catalyst Browse transcoding was to raise blacks and lower highlights - thought it was just a shadows issue. For what it's worth, I just looked at some of those clips I shot recently testing some flat settings, and in comparing the luma scopes in Browse (original clip) and FCPX (ProRes transcode done by Browse) I see almost no shift whatsoever. Some things are barely lower or higher, but by nothing even close to 10-12 on the scope.

January 22nd, 2015, 02:41 AM	#11
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? I was guestimating based on my observations using the Sony Vegas histogram, which doesn't give IRE and is quite compressed in appearance. When comparing my individual transcode vs batch transcodes of the same clip, the highlights on the individual transcode exceeded the IRE mark, and the highlights on the batch version stopped right at 100IRE. The lows did similar, with individual blacks hitting down to 0, and batch clips well above 0. I would estimate you would have to set black level to around +5-7 to get that much black lift in camera. Paul

January 22nd, 2015, 06:11 AM	#12
Pedro Rocha Tourist Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 4	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? Just to inform that Lightworks 12.0.3.A can read the XAVC-L 1080/60p 50Mbps natively without any transcoding. I'm a Vegas Pro 13 user and it's a bummer that this program as such a big learning curve... __________________ Pedro Rocha

January 30th, 2015, 02:34 PM	#13
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? A Sony representative posted this elsewhere regards plugin support for XAVC-L for FCPX. "I will have a concrete update on this within the next week or two once we get done with the latest AMA plugin release."

February 1st, 2015, 01:01 PM	#15
Anthony Lelli Major Player Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: New York City Posts: 329	Re: Any word on XAVC-L plugin for FCP X? month after month this xavc workflow for the x70 pictures in motion makes the old tape workflow look good in comparison . I don't remember ANY workflow made so complicated and for no reason. Where do we stand right now (February the first of 2015) ? We need to spend hours to transcode xavc to xavc . And that makes no sense, none.