XDCAM to FCP using AV/C Mode

[Steve Cahill]

Tried to use AV/C mode from the PDW F70 to FCP. I was only able to capture 3 second clips. Got a error message from FCP that there was somethong wrong with the tape. I was trying to capture XDCAM HD footage in SD mode using this method, but FCP was not co-operating. Has anyone else seen this issue?

Also can the F350 be used to in this method to get SD footage into FCP as well.

[Andy Mees]

hi Steve

either your deck or camera should work well for this.
set the downconvert to squeeze, put the deck into AV/C moce and change the remote i/f to iLink.

then in FCP set your Easy Setup to DV PAL Anamorphic or DV NTSC Anamorphic as appropriate ... make sure you don't accidentally use a DVCPRO or DV50 setup.

hope that helps
Andy

[Steve Cahill]

Andy- Have you tried this with FCP? I might of not tried it with the DV Anamorphic settings, but you can also set deck to do a cut as well on the Anamorphic so you get 4x3, which I was trying, I did use the DVC Pro settings in FCP as the Sony manual said it would output DVCPro. I thought it a bit strange it could only capture 3 seconds clips until FCP errored. I am on MAC Intel. Will report another test latter today with your FCP settings as DV.

Does anyone know what the latest rev of software for the deck is?

My main intentions of doing this is to use the deck as the downconverter vers going through FCP or AE as a software solution to get a SD format out on tape or file base for some of my clients who want SD format. This would provide a fast solution to get the footage to SD. This in itself is the biggest challange to deliver to clients who use tape, but who are NOT using you as a post house. Deliverly of compatable material is key, but still capturing it as high-def vers using another camera setting.

I did use the SDI-SD output of the deck to the AJA IO and the AJA control pannel to output as a sd component output to either to Betacam and or DVCPRO - DV deck to tape. This method only allows a 16x9 format, so 4x3 is not possible.

I have not tried the F350 output to see what options are available on this.

[Phil Bloom]

Originally Posted by Steve Cahill

Also can the F350 be used to in this method to get SD footage into FCP as well.

Yes totally!

[Andy Mees]

Have you tried this with FCP?

yes, many times.

I might of not tried it with the DV Anamorphic settings, but you can also set deck to do a cut as well on the Anamorphic so you get 4x3, which I was trying, I did use the DVC Pro settings in FCP as the Sony manual said it would output DVCPro. I thought it a bit strange it could only capture 3 seconds clips until FCP errored. I am on MAC Intel. Will report another test latter today with your FCP settings as DV.

... that's the problem then, easy mistake to make ... you'll find it says it outputs DVCAM not DVCPRO,

Does anyone know what the latest rev of software for the deck is?

we're using firmware version 1.14 .. i beleive the latest is 1.56

[Steve Cahill]

Ok got everthing to work, Must of had some prefs corrupt,
Here is a bit of a FAQ I wrote for myself to get SD out from the deck, much better than a software solution. Thanks for the assistance.

XDCAM to SD via XDCAM deck
There are a few ways to do this:

1. Take the XDCAM decks SDI- SD output to the AJA input on a IO box.
2. Make sure that the AJA’s digital sequences are added.
3. Choose the: AJA Io:SDI A/V 8-bit NTSC to DVCPRO50 48kHz preset
4. This will allow you to digitize the footage
5. OR use the Io Control panel to convert the SDI to component to record to Beta or DVCAM
6. Note this method only allows for letterbox.

Method 2:

1. Use the XDCAM decks firewire
2. Set the deck up as AV/C mode to get signal into FCP as Firewire as 4x3 format Make sure that the decks video settings for Down Convert are set for Edge crop.
3. Use a FCP project settings as “DV NTSC” DVCAM will not work, I believe the DVCAM only would digitize for 3 sec than display error

4. To put deck into AV/C Mode
a. Setup Menu
b. Interface select
c. i.Link Mode
d. Choose AV/C or FAM choose AV/C

Now you will have the transfer of the video via firewire and deck control for logging as well as 4x3 video in a SD project that was shot as 24p in camera in a 29.97 FCP timeline. The deck does the pulldown.

[Andy Mees]

XDCAM to SD via XDCAM deck
...
6. Note this method only allows for letterbox.

not true. the output from the deck is determined by the downconvert settings.
if you choose "squeeze" then the output is Anamorphic 16:9. Although your I/O may not have a capture preset for "AJA Io:SDI A/V 8-bit NTSC to DVCPRO50 48kHz Anamorphic" you don't need it. after you capture the clip just select it, press Cmd-9, to open the clip's item properties, and then just click in the anamorphic column to make it so. (the point here is that nothing changes in the clip itself, the anamorphic flag just tell FCP that it should display the clip as 16:9). theres no need to do this everytime either, just create a "AJA Io:SDI A/V 8-bit NTSC to DVCPRO50 48kHz Anamorphic" preset ... just go to your FCP > Audio Video Settings window. go to the Capture Presets tab and select the "AJA Io:SDI A/V 8-bit NTSC to DVCPRO50 48kHz" preset and then press the "Duplicate" button ... in the settings window, put a check in the "Anamorphic 16:9" checkbox just to the right of the Frame Size settings. Give the preset the name "AJA Io:SDI A/V 8-bit NTSC to DVCPRO50 48kHz Anamorphic" and press "Save".

Method 2:

1. Use the XDCAM decks firewire
2. Set the deck up as AV/C mode to get signal into FCP as Firewire as 4x3 format Make sure that the decks video settings for Down Convert are set for Edge crop.
3. Use a FCP project settings as “DV NTSC” DVCAM will not work, I believe the DVCAM only would digitize for 3 sec than display error

if you prefer to do this 4:3 center cut (edge crop) then that is your call, however, just as before, you don't have to do this. you can capture as anamorphic, using the squeeze setting, to preserve the full frame video ... then at least if you want 4:3 you can edit in a 4:3 sequence and resize and/or reframe the source clips as you choose, not having to accept the automatic center cutting from the deck.

also note, for FCP, DVCAM = DV. You need to avoid accidentally using DV50 or DVCPRO variations for your fcp capture settings, as the output from the deck is strictly DV

hope that helps
Andy

[Greg Boston]

Weird, I posted an answer right under the original post last night and it's not here.

FWIW, I am using the F350 only, but haven't had problems ingesting HD downconverted to SD via FW. Nor have I had issues transferring footage shot in DVCAM via FW into FCP. In fact, when I got the camera last May, those were the only options I had to work with short of using an HDSDI uncompressed capture.

Latest firmware for F70 deck is 1.56. Camera firmware is also 1.56 on the latest rev.

Sounds like you got it working though. I agree with Andy on taking the full 16:9 HD for an SD 4:3 sequence. It allows 'wiggle room' for framing errors. You could also keyframe a slight tilt or pan in post by using this method. However, if you are happy with center cut 4:3, then using the deck or camera's crop to 4:3 straight out of the box is more efficient.

-gb-

[Steve Cahill]

Great information. Thanks for the suggestions!