NXCAM - how to keep AVCHD version and a quicker ingest into FCP

[Brooke Roberts-Webb]

Using the Sony NXCam and trying to find a better workflow from camera to NLE
So far we've ingested the cards using a card reader directly into FCP7. It takes about three times as long as the length of the footage.
So I have two questions:
1) What's the best way to get the footage saved for archival purposes as AVCHD
2) How best (and quickest) to get it from the camera to Pro Res in FCP

thanks

[Adam Welz]

1) Copy the *whole contents* of the card into a folder on a harddrive -- I use a system of naming the folders with the date first and a reminder word or two e.g. 20100317_JamesWedding

2) Navigate to the folders you want via the Log and Transfer window in FCP before ingesting. The AVCHD clips are archived, and you can access them any time this way.

3) Search this forum -- you'll find that FCP has trouble ingesting long clips recorded with PCM audio. I guess this is an issue that Apple and Sony still need to figure out. That's possibly why your ingest took so long. Either that, or you have a slow computer.

Cheers

Adam

[Daniel Paquin]

I had a 1h22 minutes clip which I imported in FinalCut Pro with "Log and transfer".

Originally, the HQ 720P 60i clip was 13GIG on the FMU and once converted in ProRes it now uses 94GIG of disk spaces. It took close to 2 hours to ingest the video clip.

I had the FMU disk connected to my MacBook Pro via the USB port and the internal disk of my laptop is only a 5400rpm. Not the best environment. However, I am very pleased with the result, everything was OK. There were no issues.

At the moment, I am recording hours and hours of filming in both SD and HD format. I've got the GPS turned off and the audio is set to Dolby.


Regards!

P.S.: I am currently shooting images coming up my 1080i HDTV plasma 42" and the images coming out of the NXCAM are just fantastic. Keep in mind, I was shooting with XL2s before, I've then liked the result but now what I am getting I find it to be impressive. I've filmed with HVX200, HVX170 and I have to say I am impressed with the NXCAM so far. Just have to find out where the Overflow and the Data Error messages are coming from. It is for me a question of trusting the cameras.

[Fred Davis]

Nice I was wondering how to do my time lapsed shooting, but I see you have to turn the GPS off and switch to dolby

[Daniel Paquin]

Hello fred,

I've turned the GPS off because I do not need this feature at this time. As per the audio with Dolby, I've done this after reading other thread which was dealing on that subject.

[Fred Davis]

Thanks...I will try it out

[Matt Lawrence]

Does just copying the whole contents of your card allow you to get it into FCP again via Log and Transfer, if that's your workflow? I've heard of mixed results with some other AVCHD cameras (I don't actually own a NX5U...yet!). With my HF100 I just make a disk image of the SD card on the Mac using Disk Utility. Then you just mount it and FCP treats it as the original card. That's also a safer way to archive.

Toast also allows you to archive AVCHD folder structures, either as a toast image or to disk.

[Adam Welz]

Copying the whole contents of the card does enable me to get in there with log and transfer, yes. I just create a folder, dump the whole contents in there, and navigate to the folder by making a path in log and transfer. Easy.

Adam

[Daniel Paquin]

I'Ve imported four long video shots (1h40 minutes each) via log and transfer with FinalCut pro.

First, I've copied (1h30 minutes) the entire directory structure of each FMU128 dives on an external hard drives. The log and transfer takes about 2h10 minutes each clip to process. Once transcoded in ProRes the files are about 112 GIGs each.

The parameters used on my camera were GPS - Off, Audio - Dolby, Format - 720/60p FX. I was filming HD on the FMU128 and SD on a SDHC card. I had both cameras set in auto mode and was filming a show with a lot of down and up with the lighting. I am currently impressed with the outcome.

As per video editing, I will try later on, once I've synched the clips taken from the two cameras.

[Paul Fairhurst]

The point about FCP not liking PCM audio on long clips is interesting. I find it frustrating the length of time it takes to ingest long clips from my NXCAM. Is there a downside to recording in Dolby if the final production is Standard DVD?
I film in 1080i Fx mode put the AVCHD files onto an internal HD then log and transfer but it takes forever.
My Mac Pro can handle it no problem it's the time converting to ProRes422. When I spoke to Apple (FCP7) support, they had never heard of the NXCAM so guessed it would be 12 months before any updates for it were available.
Anyway back to the question is there a downside to recording Dolby audio.

Thanks

[Joe Goldsberry]

Dolby compresses the audio. From the Sony brochure "LPCM audio recording provides uncompressed audio quality. Customers who needs high quality audio, such as in music videos will be able to acquire CD quality audio data."

I've tried the Dolby and didn't like it. There's a noticeable difference between it and LPCM.

I'm really disappointed so far with the incredibly long transcoding of long clips in FCP 7. I shot a wedding Sat. with typical various clip times including a 45 minute ceremony clip. It took ALL DAY to transcode the footage. 12 HOURS for an 85 minute SD card!

No, it's not my computer, I have a one year old MacPro 2.8 OctoQuad with 16 GB of ram going to an internal raid.

Part of the reason I bought this camera was a dance recital I have in June. I wanted to use the NX5U as the main audio recorder so there would be no breaks in the audio. Last year's show was 3.5 hours long. I wonder how many weeks it will take to transcode that audio?

We all have to email Sony and Apple and let them know this is not acceptable. I should have bought the JVC that records Quicktime files.

Joe

[Ron Evans]

Originally Posted by Joe Goldsberry

We all have to email Sony and Apple and let them know this is not acceptable. I should have bought the JVC that records Quicktime files.

Joe

Well you could just use another NLE rather than FCP. Edius or Vegas PRo 9 will edit the files native. Run a 32 bit version of Windows on your MAC and run Edius Neo, Edius Pro 5.5, Vegas Pro9 all will edit the LPCM audio AVCHD files native. Edius will retain the time code too and has the best multicam. I don't have Premiere CS5 but I think that too will edit native files.
I use Edius Pro 5.5 and also Vegas Pro 9 and there is no conversion or rendering needed to edit. Output to MPEG2 HD for Bluray is close to realtime. Conversion to SD takes about 3 times realtime depending on method chosen.

Ron Evans

[Steve Kass]

Good news a new version of Final Cut will be out by the end of the year and will work great wth the new AVCHD format.

[Adam Welz]

Steve, where did you get this info from?

Adam

[Steve Kass]

Originally Posted by Adam Welz

Steve, where did you get this info from?

Adam

Here is one link of many were Steve Job has replied to E-Mails and Final Cut

Steve Jobs: “Next Final Cut Studio Will Be Awesome” Mac Soda

and yet another link
AppleInsider | Apple scaling Final Cut Studio apps to fit prosumers

I would not be surprised is at the upcoming developing conference Jobs unveils the new final cut.

PS I use IMOVIE 9 it works great with avchd files while their is problems with FCP