XDCAM clips from a MAC to a PC

Craig Seeman · June 3rd, 2008, 03:20 PM

Before I got my Intel Mac I backed up the MOVs too.

It's easy to back up the BPAVs.
My current workflow
Clip Browser copies BPAVs to hard drive
Clip Browser splits 16GB folders at 7.9GB
Burn BPAVs to DL-DVD
BPAV to MOV using XDCAM Transfer Tool.

I then have
BPAV on DL-DVD
BPAV on hard drive (which I do delete after confirming the MOV files are OK)
MOV files on hard drive

Keep in mind thought that since I've confirmed you can export the MOV from FCP to MXF you have portable files. You'd have to import the MOV into FCP first and then export them to MXF though.

Those MXF files can be played with MPlayer and VLC cross platform. A system without FCP6.0.2 or higher would need an NLE than can handle MXF to use in such.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Chiu

you're beginning to scare me as my first few jobs had been backup to hard drives with MOV files only through my macbook pro and onto 2 mirrored RAID servers.
i don't remember the mac XDCAM transfer application saving anything other than those MOV files as i now have on my hard drives.

concerned!

Shaun R Walker · June 5th, 2008, 01:50 AM

I exported my .mov files from FCP as MXF files for my client, which worked OK, but when we watched it back through his Edius the images looked terrible- juddering pans and severe interlacing issues on any horizontals. I am at a loss to know how to get pristine images to my client, other than down-converting to 10bit uncompressed and then burning to DVD through Studio Pro. Help!!!

Craig Seeman · June 5th, 2008, 07:12 AM

If you're using the Sony XDCAM export in FCP then all you're doing is re-wrapping the files. Your client is getting them as pristine as they can be so I'd suspect an issue with the playback settings on the Edius. Keep in mind these MXF are at 1920x1080 and not XDCAM HD's 1440x1080 (assuming you're shooting 1080). The MXF is whatever your source is which can be progressive or interlace 1080 or 720 at the various possible frame rates.

Shaun R Walker · June 6th, 2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig Seeman

If you're using the Sony XDCAM export in FCP then all you're doing is re-wrapping the files. Your client is getting them as pristine as they can be so I'd suspect an issue with the playback settings on the Edius. Keep in mind these MXF are at 1920x1080 and not XDCAM HD's 1440x1080 (assuming you're shooting 1080). The MXF is whatever your source is which can be progressive or interlace 1080 or 720 at the various possible frame rates.

I think you are right Craig. My client is mixing SD DVCAM footage with my HD footage, so I reckon it is Edius's handling of the down convert that is the issue. The only solution we have been able to come up with for my client to do the edit is for me to convert all of the footage onto DVD and then he can do the SZd edit from there.

Alister Chapman · June 9th, 2008, 10:43 PM

The problem you have is that DV and DVCAM uses the opposite field dominance to most other interlace formats. DV and DVCAM use the lower field first while just about everything else including uncompressed and XDCAM HD use upper field first. So if your project is a DV project and you are importing XDCAM you will need to swap the field order of the XDCAM material. If you are using an XDCAM, uncompressed or other non DV project you will have to swap the field order of the DV material.

Desmond Sukotjo · June 14th, 2008, 03:59 AM

Continuing this thread. I have a question. I am planning on shooting using EX1 next month but haven't got the workflow yet. I've been thinking of doing it this way.

- Shot on EX1 to SxS card.
- Transfer SxS card to MacBook air with ClipBrowser software.
- Then move all clips to PC and convert to CineForm Prospect HD.

If I trasnfer the clips from SxS card to Mac with the Clips Browser software, does it automatically put the wrapper as .MOV? Can we keep them in their SxS native format (.mp4 or .mxf) perhaps?

Craig Seeman · June 14th, 2008, 07:06 AM

Clip Browser on Mac does not rewrap the files.
Clip Browser 2 (when released) will allow the OPTION to rewrap or encode to many formats.

Desmond Sukotjo · June 15th, 2008, 09:44 PM

Craig. The orgininal post by Jean-Francois Robichaud said that he was using MacBook and that how he got all the clips wrapped in MOV.

"...Clips were transferred from the memory cards to a Macbook, using the XDCAM transfer utility, so they're wrapped in quicktime (MOV) files..."

So if I transfer all the clips from the SxS to MacBook does it give us an option to make them MOV or keep them in their native format?

What is their native format/wrapper in the SxS memory card anyway? Is it .MXF or .MP4?

Thanks Craig.

Craig Seeman · June 15th, 2008, 10:36 PM

Format on SxS card is MPEG2 long GOP wrapped in .MP4.

On Windows, Clip Browser ca rewrap to .MXF.

On Mac, XDCAM Transfer rewraps to .MOV.

On Mac, Clip Browser copies and/or combines or splits BPAV folders. Clips remain wrapped in MP4 until XDCAM Transfer rewraps. You can now use FCP Log and Transfer Tool to import and rewrap with the proper plugin from Sony.

Clip Browser 2 will have additional rewrap and encode features for both Mac and Windows.

Desmond Sukotjo · June 15th, 2008, 11:50 PM

So.. Craig.
Are you saying that after the SxS card gets full, I can transfer all clips to MacBook, then backup the BPAV folder (or perhaps the entire folder structure for Clip Browser software) then move them to PC, I will get the native SxS wrapper which is .MP4?

Because we use Premiere Pro on the PC wth CineForm. I'm planning to convert the Format from SxS card .MP4 to CineForm .AVI without converting them to some other wrapper first (.MOV .MXF) Only .MP4 to CineForm .AVI

Or I should better buy another PC notebook instead? But that's another buying.

Craig Seeman · June 16th, 2008, 08:05 AM

Copy BPAV with Clip Browser to hard drive. Use Clip Browser to split 16GB at 7.9 GB point to create smaller BPAV folder. Back up to DL-DVD

Use BPAV from hard drive or DL-DVD to input into PC just as if coming from SxS cards.

It all stays MP4.

BTW, from Final Cut Pro you can export the .mov wrapped files to .mxf if such were needed (Clip Browser on Windows can rewrap .mp4 to .mxf also).

Clip Browser 2 will allow many more rewrap types and encodes on both Mac and Windows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desmond Sukotjo

So.. Craig.
Are you saying that after the SxS card gets full, I can transfer all clips to MacBook, then backup the BPAV folder (or perhaps the entire folder structure for Clip Browser software) then move them to PC, I will get the native SxS wrapper which is .MP4?

Because we use Premiere Pro on the PC wth CineForm. I'm planning to convert the Format from SxS card .MP4 to CineForm .AVI without converting them to some other wrapper first (.MOV .MXF) Only .MP4 to CineForm .AVI

Or I should better buy another PC notebook instead? But that's another buying.

Desmond Sukotjo · June 16th, 2008, 09:20 PM

Craig do you know as to when the new Clip Browser 2 will be out?

Craig Seeman · June 17th, 2008, 04:17 AM

Juan Martinez of Sony said July but wouldn't be more specific than that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desmond Sukotjo

Craig do you know as to when the new Clip Browser 2 will be out?

Chris Medico · September 27th, 2008, 08:13 AM

Sorry to dig up an old thread..

I am wondering if anyone has ran across a way to use ffmpeg to convert one of the mac generated mov files and have the audio work?

I have no problem extracting the video but the audio is only static. I can hear the audio in the mov file when played on the pc version of quicktime but I can't seem to find a way to get the audio extracted from the mov file using ffmpeg.

Any ideas?

Jon Braeley · September 27th, 2008, 08:41 AM

Is there any reason you cannot create a new folder on the laptop - MacBook Pro in my case, and then just drag the BPAV folder into this - bypassing the clip browser?

Thats what I have been doing. I then work straight from FCP with this folder.

June 9th, 2008, 10:43 PM	#20
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	The problem you have is that DV and DVCAM uses the opposite field dominance to most other interlace formats. DV and DVCAM use the lower field first while just about everything else including uncompressed and XDCAM HD use upper field first. So if your project is a DV project and you are importing XDCAM you will need to swap the field order of the XDCAM material. If you are using an XDCAM, uncompressed or other non DV project you will have to swap the field order of the DV material. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

September 27th, 2008, 08:13 AM	#29
Chris Medico Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Efland NC, USA Posts: 2,322	Sorry to dig up an old thread.. I am wondering if anyone has ran across a way to use ffmpeg to convert one of the mac generated mov files and have the audio work? I have no problem extracting the video but the audio is only static. I can hear the audio in the mov file when played on the pc version of quicktime but I can't seem to find a way to get the audio extracted from the mov file using ffmpeg. Any ideas? __________________ http://www.LandYachtMedia.com

June 5th, 2008, 01:50 AM	#17
Shaun R Walker Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Central Coast, NSW Australia Posts: 119	I exported my .mov files from FCP as MXF files for my client, which worked OK, but when we watched it back through his Edius the images looked terrible- juddering pans and severe interlacing issues on any horizontals. I am at a loss to know how to get pristine images to my client, other than down-converting to 10bit uncompressed and then burning to DVD through Studio Pro. Help!!!

June 5th, 2008, 07:12 AM	#18
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	If you're using the Sony XDCAM export in FCP then all you're doing is re-wrapping the files. Your client is getting them as pristine as they can be so I'd suspect an issue with the playback settings on the Edius. Keep in mind these MXF are at 1920x1080 and not XDCAM HD's 1440x1080 (assuming you're shooting 1080). The MXF is whatever your source is which can be progressive or interlace 1080 or 720 at the various possible frame rates.

June 14th, 2008, 03:59 AM	#21
Desmond Sukotjo Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 88	Continuing this thread. I have a question. I am planning on shooting using EX1 next month but haven't got the workflow yet. I've been thinking of doing it this way. - Shot on EX1 to SxS card. - Transfer SxS card to MacBook air with ClipBrowser software. - Then move all clips to PC and convert to CineForm Prospect HD. If I trasnfer the clips from SxS card to Mac with the Clips Browser software, does it automatically put the wrapper as .MOV? Can we keep them in their SxS native format (.mp4 or .mxf) perhaps?

June 14th, 2008, 07:06 AM	#22
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Clip Browser on Mac does not rewrap the files. Clip Browser 2 (when released) will allow the OPTION to rewrap or encode to many formats.

June 15th, 2008, 09:44 PM	#23
Desmond Sukotjo Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 88	Craig. The orgininal post by Jean-Francois Robichaud said that he was using MacBook and that how he got all the clips wrapped in MOV. "...Clips were transferred from the memory cards to a Macbook, using the XDCAM transfer utility, so they're wrapped in quicktime (MOV) files..." So if I transfer all the clips from the SxS to MacBook does it give us an option to make them MOV or keep them in their native format? What is their native format/wrapper in the SxS memory card anyway? Is it .MXF or .MP4? Thanks Craig.

June 15th, 2008, 10:36 PM	#24
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Format on SxS card is MPEG2 long GOP wrapped in .MP4. On Windows, Clip Browser ca rewrap to .MXF. On Mac, XDCAM Transfer rewraps to .MOV. On Mac, Clip Browser copies and/or combines or splits BPAV folders. Clips remain wrapped in MP4 until XDCAM Transfer rewraps. You can now use FCP Log and Transfer Tool to import and rewrap with the proper plugin from Sony. Clip Browser 2 will have additional rewrap and encode features for both Mac and Windows.

June 15th, 2008, 11:50 PM	#25
Desmond Sukotjo Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 88	So.. Craig. Are you saying that after the SxS card gets full, I can transfer all clips to MacBook, then backup the BPAV folder (or perhaps the entire folder structure for Clip Browser software) then move them to PC, I will get the native SxS wrapper which is .MP4? Because we use Premiere Pro on the PC wth CineForm. I'm planning to convert the Format from SxS card .MP4 to CineForm .AVI without converting them to some other wrapper first (.MOV .MXF) Only .MP4 to CineForm .AVI Or I should better buy another PC notebook instead? But that's another buying.

June 16th, 2008, 09:20 PM	#27
Desmond Sukotjo Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 88	Craig do you know as to when the new Clip Browser 2 will be out?

September 27th, 2008, 08:41 AM	#30
Jon Braeley Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 528	Is there any reason you cannot create a new folder on the laptop - MacBook Pro in my case, and then just drag the BPAV folder into this - bypassing the clip browser? Thats what I have been doing. I then work straight from FCP with this folder.