PLEASE HELP: AVI CODEC?! and of course AVID and XDCAM HD (sadly again) at DVinfo.net

Emanuel Altenburger · March 1st, 2007, 09:23 AM

Hello,

I´m using XPress Pro (5.6.4) and the F-350 and have a media composer available at a business partner´s place. Anyway my problem is: how do I get my finished off film out of the machine again by having a good picture and sound quality. I´ve spent several hours now trying to work out which codec (also avi etc.) would be best etc. Also it´s not possible to create a Quicktime Reference file any more (because of LONG GOP Avid tells me), even after have done the Video Mixdown.
The Quicktime Movie looks quite alright to me but I´m just wondering what kind of workflow this should be (also in Media Composer). You load in your stuff, edit it. Everything´s fine up to this point. But as soon as you want to get your film out of the computer, it´s getting difficult and I´m a bit stuck. The "easy" method of doing a QT reference file and then encode the film in a 3rd party software obviously doesn´t work any more. Also a writeback onto XDCAM isn´t yet supported by Avid. I have recently bought the Avid Studio package including Avid DVD, which is capable of encoding for Blu-Ray output. Anyway, I have no idea how in 100 years I should get my film into Avid DVD without losing the good image quality. Also my AVI-Exports unfortunately look sh***. Could anyone tell me which codec I should use when outputting XDCAM HD material?

Thank you so much for your replies. I´m really stuck and also of course fed up with Avid. I´ve been working with Avid so long so I´m no newbie. But I just can´t work out a good method. Thanks a lot.

Emanuel

Kevin Spivey · March 1st, 2007, 01:43 PM

This workflow may not work for you in your situation, but this method has been very successful for me.

Duplicate your Edit Sequence in Avid and put it in a new bin. I call the bin "Consolidated" so that I don't get it confused with the original. Hook up an external hard drive so that you can consolidate the edited media to it. Use the "consolidate" function under the Clip menu and it will copy all of the media (with handles) to the hard drive that you hooked up. Make sure and copy your project folder to that hard drive as well. You will end up with 2 folders on that drive: OMFI MediaFiles and Project.

Unhook the external drive and take it to your partners Media Composer or any post house that has the tape format that you want the project to end up on.

I have used this method to lay my projects off in both SD and HD.

You probably already knew this, but I thought it might help.

Emanuel Altenburger · March 2nd, 2007, 07:56 AM

thanks.

hey kevin, thanks a lot. I did this sort of stuff, but did it a little more complicated. that´s a great way. thanks a lot!

March 1st, 2007, 09:23 AM	#1
Emanuel Altenburger Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Innsbruck, Austria Posts: 134	PLEASE HELP: AVI CODEC?! and of course AVID and XDCAM HD (sadly again) Hello, I´m using XPress Pro (5.6.4) and the F-350 and have a media composer available at a business partner´s place. Anyway my problem is: how do I get my finished off film out of the machine again by having a good picture and sound quality. I´ve spent several hours now trying to work out which codec (also avi etc.) would be best etc. Also it´s not possible to create a Quicktime Reference file any more (because of LONG GOP Avid tells me), even after have done the Video Mixdown. The Quicktime Movie looks quite alright to me but I´m just wondering what kind of workflow this should be (also in Media Composer). You load in your stuff, edit it. Everything´s fine up to this point. But as soon as you want to get your film out of the computer, it´s getting difficult and I´m a bit stuck. The "easy" method of doing a QT reference file and then encode the film in a 3rd party software obviously doesn´t work any more. Also a writeback onto XDCAM isn´t yet supported by Avid. I have recently bought the Avid Studio package including Avid DVD, which is capable of encoding for Blu-Ray output. Anyway, I have no idea how in 100 years I should get my film into Avid DVD without losing the good image quality. Also my AVI-Exports unfortunately look sh***. Could anyone tell me which codec I should use when outputting XDCAM HD material? Thank you so much for your replies. I´m really stuck and also of course fed up with Avid. I´ve been working with Avid so long so I´m no newbie. But I just can´t work out a good method. Thanks a lot. Emanuel

March 1st, 2007, 01:43 PM	#2
Kevin Spivey New Boot Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 9	This workflow may not work for you in your situation, but this method has been very successful for me. Duplicate your Edit Sequence in Avid and put it in a new bin. I call the bin "Consolidated" so that I don't get it confused with the original. Hook up an external hard drive so that you can consolidate the edited media to it. Use the "consolidate" function under the Clip menu and it will copy all of the media (with handles) to the hard drive that you hooked up. Make sure and copy your project folder to that hard drive as well. You will end up with 2 folders on that drive: OMFI MediaFiles and Project. Unhook the external drive and take it to your partners Media Composer or any post house that has the tape format that you want the project to end up on. I have used this method to lay my projects off in both SD and HD. You probably already knew this, but I thought it might help.

March 2nd, 2007, 07:56 AM	#3
Emanuel Altenburger Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Innsbruck, Austria Posts: 134	thanks. hey kevin, thanks a lot. I did this sort of stuff, but did it a little more complicated. that´s a great way. thanks a lot!