Avid Xpress Pro (Mac) + EX1: do they work together in real world?

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Hi there,
I am champing at the bit to buy the EX1, but I want to know for sure that if I shoot my next project on an EX1, I'll be able to edit it. I run Avid Xpress Pro (version 5.7.5) on a Mac (10.4.10).
I know there's been discussion about how compatible this camera might be with Avid Xpress Pro, and talk about files having to be "wrapped" or "re-wrapped", etc., but that was before the camera was released. Now that it's out, would someone who has the camera, and has AXP on a Mac (if there is such a person on this forum) be able to tell me how well, or how badly they work together... is they work together at all?
thanks,
Malcolm

[Malcolm Hamilton]

... I'll add this advice that David (not sure of his last name) provided on this forum a few weeks ago:
"Avid Xpress and Media Composer has been able to use MXF for sometime now. I'm thinking though that HQ files might have to be converted, after the MXF rewrap, to a DNXHD type file because currently there isn't an MPEG 2 35mbit codec for those platforms. So I'm guessing that may end up being a slow process. On import you'll have to choose a DNXHD codec like DNXHD 145 or DNXHD 110. Hopefully Avid will quickly adopt a new long GOP 35mbit setting like they did for HDV "smart splicing" in a "near future" release.
But, I'm sure you will be able to edit in any number of project types, including 720/60p, 1080/24p, etc.using DNXHD and use MXF vs. OMF.
However, the SP datarate 25mbit should currently work fine, and should be much faster injest in an HDV project setting"

I don't mind editing my first few projects using 25mbit files, if indeed this will work. He did say (see above) "should currently work fine", though, so I'd love to know whether in fact it is working fine.
Can anyone confirm that an EX1 and Avid Xpress Pro will get along fine, if I shoot (and edit) 25mbit?

Thanks,
Malcolm

[Ola Christoffersson]

[QUOTE=Malcolm Hamilton;784988I don't mind editing my first few projects using 25mbit files, if indeed this will work. He did say (see above) "should currently work fine", though, so I'd love to know whether in fact it is working fine.
Can anyone confirm that an EX1 and Avid Xpress Pro will get along fine, if I shoot (and edit) 25mbit?

Thanks,
Malcolm[/QUOTE]


Malcolm, I am right now editing HDV-material (25 Mbit) from the EX1 using Avid Media Composer 2.7.7 on a PC. It works very well! I cannot definately confirm that it will work with Xpress Pro on a Mac though but it should. However - Xpress Pro does not have support for XDCAM HD 18/35 which probably means that it will not have support for the 35 Mbit XDCAM EX resolution either, once Avid has support for it.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Originally Posted by Ola Christoffersson

Xpress Pro does not have support for XDCAM HD 18/35 which probably means that it will not have support for the 35 Mbit XDCAM EX resolution either, once Avid has support for it.

Thanks for the note, Ola... but would you mind clarifying what you said above? Do you mean that Avid Xpress Pro won't be supporting 35Mbit, or will be supporting it, at some point?
The good news for me is that, even if I have to wait for 35Mbit support, I'll be able to edit in 25Mbit.
Can any others on this forum weigh in on this as well?
Cheers,
Malcolm

[Ola Christoffersson]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Hamilton

Thanks for the note, Ola... but would you mind clarifying what you said above? Do you mean that Avid Xpress Pro won't be supporting 35Mbit, or will be supporting it, at some point?
The good news for me is that, even if I have to wait for 35Mbit support, I'll be able to edit in 25Mbit.
Can any others on this forum weigh in on this as well?
Cheers,
Malcolm

Sorry if I was unclear! Avid Xpress Pro did not use to support XDCAM HD - only Media Composer did this. However I just checked Avids site and found this on the Xpress Pro list of supported codecs:
"XDCAM HD video codec (MPEG HD) selectable bitrates: 18, 25, 35 Mb/s NEW"
As Avid has committed themselves to support HDCAM EX "in the future" it should logically be supported on both the Media Composer and Xpress Pro since they now both support XDCAM HD.
At least that is my conclusion.

/ola

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Thanks Ola for your help. I'm feeling a little more secure about this now; still concerned about some workflow issues, but I'll continue gathering information before I take the plunge.
Cheers,
Malcolm

[Andreas Johansson]

You never said what kind of Mac you have. This is the workflow on PC and I guess its the same for Avid on Mac but it would only work on Intel Macs if I understand correct that the Sony Clip Browser is Intel only.

Shoot with EX1. Set it to SP 1080i50 (I guess SP 1080i60 would work to)

Hook up EX1 and computer using USB.

Start Sony Clip Browser, look at clips you want to use.

Export the clips you want from Clip Browser to a folder on the computer. They will be .mxf files.

Import the .mxf files into Avid.

I tried this on Avid Media Composer 2.7.2 and on PC. I do have a solution on how to get HQ 1080p25 and HQ 1080i50 into DNxHD on ex.bolanski.com and some thread here at the forum.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Thank you Andreas, for your reply.
I apologize in advance if I seem slow on the uptake, but that's just because I worry that one change in the hardware/software equation might mean something works for one person, and not for another (you're on a PC, I'm on a Mac).
I just got this information from a dealer who spoke with a Sony rep:

“According to Avid's site 18, 25 and 35 Mb recordings are supported, but not necessarily from an EX1. I was told by a Sony rep that the formating of the video from the EX1 is different than that recorded on to XDCAM discs. There are no proxy files on EX1 recordings. I think that is the reason why Apple had to patch FCP in order to use it, even though a separate application needs to be used for ingest. 25 Mb video may work (or maybe only in Media Composer) but it isn't officially supported”

So... 25Mb/s MIGHT work. I know you're making it work on a PC, Andreas... but will it work for me on a Mac? (and does it have to be an Intel Mac?)

Thanks for your patience...
Malcolm

[Andreas Johansson]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Hamilton

I know you're making it work on a PC, Andreas... but will it work for me on a Mac? (and does it have to be an Intel Mac?)

Hard for me to say, I do have files you can try for your self with at http://ex.bolanski.com. I don't know for sure but I think Sony Clip Browser are Intel only.

Download my files and give it a try. There is also tips on how to use ffmpeg to get HQ formats into Avid.

/Andreas

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Thanks Andreas... I have your site bookmarked. Which file should I try?
Malcolm

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Hi,

I just heard from a guy who's got the EX1 and Avid Xpress Pro... but on a PC.
He can do this:
- shoot 25Mb/s
- export MXF files (via clip browser) to his PC
- import these MXF files into Avid Xpress Pro.

Just as Andreas has been doing, but with Media Composer, and not Xpress Pro. So now we know it works with Xpress Pro. Great.

The only question now is:
will clip browser (for the Mac) export MXF files?

Cheers,
Malcolm

[Andreas Johansson]

Malcom, I have a zipped file called BPAV.zip under the the article called Test shots for ffmpeg. It has all formats but one and have the complete file structure of the SxS card.

They are only 9-12 frames long but do well for testing import into NLE's.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Hi Andreas,
I've got Avid Xpress Pro running, and I've tried to import both MP4 files and XML files, and get the 'file type not supported' message.
I guess maybe I need the Sony clip browser to rewrap the MP4 files first?
If this is what I should do, should I download it... from where, the Sony website?
Thanks,
Malcolm

P.S. Do you know if the Sony clip browser works with PowerPC Macs (like mine), or does it work only with Intel Macs?

[Andreas Johansson]

Donwload somewhere on www.sonybiz.net

All other questions are answered in my original post.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Thank you Andreas.
Malcolm