The magic box for viewing EX footage!

Mitchell Lewis · December 21st, 2008, 10:54 AM

That sounds like a field dominance problem to me. Because you're shooting in 60i (interlaced) you need to make sure that when you're converting the video to a different format:

1) You have your field dominance set correctly. Is 60i upper or lower field dominant? I dunno.....yet.

2) If you're converting from interlaced (i) to progressive (p) you use software that does a good job with it. Honestly, this has been a real problem for us. We haven't found any software that does a great job going from interlaced to progressive.

Maybe you could upload a photo of it?

Alex Raskin · December 22nd, 2008, 11:13 PM

With all due respect, title of this thread may lead some people to believe that they can simply use WD Media Player to play their EX1 files as they come from the camera. Which is not the case, to the best of my knowledge - you still have to convert EX1 files to the codecs readable by WD player.

So this makes it not some "EX1 magic playback box", but yet another consumer media player.

My issue with WD player is that it only has digital out (HDMI).

I needed component too, so I bought Popcorn Hour A-110 (hey, I didn't name it, OK :)) ...and super happy with it. It has HDMI, but also Component, as well as RCA and S-Video, plus excellent audio output options. May be worth checking out. A-110 (A-100 before it) has a huge following, by the way.

WD Player seems to be great when you have more control over what is playing, and what TV is connected to it.

Arthur Hancock · December 23rd, 2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Raskin

With all due respect, title of this thread may lead some people to believe that they can simply use WD Media Player to play their EX1 files as they come from the camera. Which is not the case, to the best of my knowledge - you still have to convert EX1 files to the codecs readable by WD player.

So this makes it not some "EX1 magic playback box", but yet another consumer media player.

Alex that would be me. Right now I'm trying to do a one-minute best quality H.264 file on Compressor that looks like it's going to take something slightly short of a geological age to render. This on a new Mac Pro...

I'm VERY happy with the picture quality of my H.264 file created in Quicktime--except for the horizonal line issue--which happens during any motion.

Surely there's a simple way to get a good clean file conversion I can look at on this not-quite-so-magic box that doesn't require a major mastering effort.

I've got over 600G of 1080i footage on my drives that I download via the Sony File Transfer software for three upcoming projects. The best EX-1 picture I've been able to display on my 106" screen before getting the WD TV Media box (which, except for the motion problem, is the hands-down best) was (a) through component straight out of my camera and (b) a 15 minute HD-DVD burned on Compressor.

Alex Raskin · December 23rd, 2008, 12:45 PM

Arthur, my workflow with EX1 involves transcoding mp4s into Cineform Prospect HD 1920x1080 files right away, as soon as I get the footage.

Everything else happens in Cineform codec, including edit/effects/output to master.

Now, for deliveries, I encode from CFHD to blu-ray. Same BD m2ts file that goes on optical disc, also plays perfectly on my Popcorn Hour A-110.

Very happy with this workflow.

You can also encode into WMV or DivX with very close results. WMV encoding is the slowest, but is also produces the smallest file size with the same high image quality.

I use TMPGenc products to encode into DivX and all flavors of MPEG, including Blu-ray.

Check TMPGenc Express (v 4 is current, I think) - it's great. However it does Not directly accept EX1's mp4 files, sorry.

That's why I was a bit surprised with this thread's title.

Paul Frederick · December 23rd, 2008, 02:53 PM

Arthur and Alex,

Sorry if my title for this thread is misleading. I meant this device is perfect for viewing and showcasing EDITED MASTER files, once transcoded to one of the acceptable formats. I have many MASTERS that, as a MAC user (which isn't supporting Blu-ray) I couldn't show very easily, or sell to my clients. Now I can, by using this box. I would never consider it for looking at raw footage due to the long conversion times. However if you look at this whole thread, someone does mention that RAW EX files can be viewed directly without transcoding by simply changing the name to .m2ts I believe, though there will be no sound since it's 48k.

Anyway, this device is a god send for watching final masters! I could output to HDV to show people but that loses quality compared to the EX XDCAM format. That is what I meant by this is the magic box to view EX footage in it's full 1080p glory. (Again, only my final MASTERS are transcoded and put on it due to the lengthy conversion times) I have no knowledge of the Popcorn machine, and it sounds like a winner too. I'm hoping with the new firmware update to the WD (due in January) that it will handle 48k audio and possibly EX files directly (which it should it it can play 48k audio since they are MP4's).

Steve Shovlar · December 23rd, 2008, 03:44 PM

Sounds like the Popcorn Hour A-110 is better than the Western Digital as you can have a nice big 1Tb hard drive inside the unit, rather than an external drive that the WD needs.

Downside is its twice the price!

Alex Raskin · December 23rd, 2008, 04:37 PM

After installing HDD inside A-110, make sure to also install a large, quiet fan.

Original Popcorn's design does not have provisions for the fan, which is a shame since the thing runs hot.

Rigging your own fan will ensure that both HDD and the A-110's board are cool and will last much longer than without a fan.

Michael B. McGee · December 25th, 2008, 10:02 AM

excellent discovery Paul.

Arthur Hancock · December 25th, 2008, 12:51 PM

Thanks Paul,

I'm getting a great picture through Compressor but wouldn't I get a better picture from my raw footage (without further compression)?

Can anyone tell me how to rename my XDCAM files to a .m2ts file so they will play "natively" on the WD? I shoot in 1080i60 HQ. I've already uploaded my files to my Mac Pro via the Sony File Transfer software.

Steve Gibbons posted this one week ago:

"If you copy the .MP4 files off the SxS cards to a USB drive (flash, hard drive, etc) and then just RENAME them to a .M2TS extension, you can play the video NATIVELY on this Western Digital media player."

Mitchell Lewis · December 25th, 2008, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthur Hancock

Can anyone tell me how to rename my XDCAM files to a .m2ts file so they will play "natively" on the WD? I shoot in 1080i60 HQ. I've already uploaded my files to my Mac Pro via the Sony File Transfer software.

On a Mac, just click once on the file to select it (turn it blue) then about 2 seconds later click on the title again. It will turn white and you will be able to change the file name and extension to what ever you want. But maybe this isn't what you were really asking?

Alex Raskin · December 25th, 2008, 07:46 PM

Simply changing EX1 file's extension from mp4 to m2ts did not work on A-110 player - it could not play the file.

Are you sure this works with WD player?

Mitchell Lewis · December 25th, 2008, 08:06 PM

Okay, I'm going to stick my neck way out with this answer.... (probably the wrong answer)

Any chance that when he said M2TS he meant that if you stick the MP4 file in a folder labeled VIDEO_TS (like on a DVD) it would play? Because I've never heard of many 4 character extensions.

Just a suggestion of something you might try....

Alex Raskin · December 25th, 2008, 08:29 PM

m2ts is a standard extension for Blu-ray MPEG2 files.

They play just fine with A-110 player.

But not the renamed mp4 files.

Arthur Hancock · December 25th, 2008, 10:35 PM

I'm just repeating what Steve Gibbons posted on the 18th. I tried to rename a few files and they wouldn't play.

Paul Frederick · December 26th, 2008, 07:49 AM

I'm not sure and my stuff isn't fired up at the moment to try this but maybe only 720p files will play with this file extension name change?

December 21st, 2008, 10:54 AM	#46
Mitchell Lewis Trustee Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kennewick, WA Posts: 1,124	That sounds like a field dominance problem to me. Because you're shooting in 60i (interlaced) you need to make sure that when you're converting the video to a different format: 1) You have your field dominance set correctly. Is 60i upper or lower field dominant? I dunno.....yet. 2) If you're converting from interlaced (i) to progressive (p) you use software that does a good job with it. Honestly, this has been a real problem for us. We haven't found any software that does a great job going from interlaced to progressive. Maybe you could upload a photo of it? __________________ Sony EX3, Canon 5D MkII, Chrosziel Matte Box, Sachtler tripod, Steadicam Flyer, Mac Pro, Apple/Adobe software - 20 years as a local videographer/editor

December 23rd, 2008, 02:53 PM	#50
Paul Frederick Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: WestChazy, NY Posts: 291	Arthur and Alex, Sorry if my title for this thread is misleading. I meant this device is perfect for viewing and showcasing EDITED MASTER files, once transcoded to one of the acceptable formats. I have many MASTERS that, as a MAC user (which isn't supporting Blu-ray) I couldn't show very easily, or sell to my clients. Now I can, by using this box. I would never consider it for looking at raw footage due to the long conversion times. However if you look at this whole thread, someone does mention that RAW EX files can be viewed directly without transcoding by simply changing the name to .m2ts I believe, though there will be no sound since it's 48k. Anyway, this device is a god send for watching final masters! I could output to HDV to show people but that loses quality compared to the EX XDCAM format. That is what I meant by this is the magic box to view EX footage in it's full 1080p glory. (Again, only my final MASTERS are transcoded and put on it due to the lengthy conversion times) I have no knowledge of the Popcorn machine, and it sounds like a winner too. I'm hoping with the new firmware update to the WD (due in January) that it will handle 48k audio and possibly EX files directly (which it should it it can play 48k audio since they are MP4's). __________________ www.paulfrederickproductions.com

December 25th, 2008, 08:06 PM	#57
Mitchell Lewis Trustee Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kennewick, WA Posts: 1,124	Okay, I'm going to stick my neck way out with this answer.... (probably the wrong answer) Any chance that when he said M2TS he meant that if you stick the MP4 file in a folder labeled VIDEO_TS (like on a DVD) it would play? Because I've never heard of many 4 character extensions. Just a suggestion of something you might try.... __________________ Sony EX3, Canon 5D MkII, Chrosziel Matte Box, Sachtler tripod, Steadicam Flyer, Mac Pro, Apple/Adobe software - 20 years as a local videographer/editor

December 26th, 2008, 07:49 AM	#60
Paul Frederick Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: WestChazy, NY Posts: 291	I'm not sure and my stuff isn't fired up at the moment to try this but maybe only 720p files will play with this file extension name change? __________________ www.paulfrederickproductions.com

December 22nd, 2008, 11:13 PM	#47
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	With all due respect, title of this thread may lead some people to believe that they can simply use WD Media Player to play their EX1 files as they come from the camera. Which is not the case, to the best of my knowledge - you still have to convert EX1 files to the codecs readable by WD player. So this makes it not some "EX1 magic playback box", but yet another consumer media player. My issue with WD player is that it only has digital out (HDMI). I needed component too, so I bought Popcorn Hour A-110 (hey, I didn't name it, OK :)) ...and super happy with it. It has HDMI, but also Component, as well as RCA and S-Video, plus excellent audio output options. May be worth checking out. A-110 (A-100 before it) has a huge following, by the way. WD Player seems to be great when you have more control over what is playing, and what TV is connected to it.

December 23rd, 2008, 12:45 PM	#49
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	Arthur, my workflow with EX1 involves transcoding mp4s into Cineform Prospect HD 1920x1080 files right away, as soon as I get the footage. Everything else happens in Cineform codec, including edit/effects/output to master. Now, for deliveries, I encode from CFHD to blu-ray. Same BD m2ts file that goes on optical disc, also plays perfectly on my Popcorn Hour A-110. Very happy with this workflow. You can also encode into WMV or DivX with very close results. WMV encoding is the slowest, but is also produces the smallest file size with the same high image quality. I use TMPGenc products to encode into DivX and all flavors of MPEG, including Blu-ray. Check TMPGenc Express (v 4 is current, I think) - it's great. However it does Not directly accept EX1's mp4 files, sorry. That's why I was a bit surprised with this thread's title.

December 23rd, 2008, 03:44 PM	#51
Steve Shovlar Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dorset UK Posts: 697	Sounds like the Popcorn Hour A-110 is better than the Western Digital as you can have a nice big 1Tb hard drive inside the unit, rather than an external drive that the WD needs. Downside is its twice the price!

December 23rd, 2008, 04:37 PM	#52
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	After installing HDD inside A-110, make sure to also install a large, quiet fan. Original Popcorn's design does not have provisions for the fan, which is a shame since the thing runs hot. Rigging your own fan will ensure that both HDD and the A-110's board are cool and will last much longer than without a fan.

December 25th, 2008, 10:02 AM	#53
Michael B. McGee Major Player Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Santa Monica, CA Posts: 318	excellent discovery Paul.

December 25th, 2008, 12:51 PM	#54
Arthur Hancock Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Highlands North Carolina Posts: 69	Thanks Paul, I'm getting a great picture through Compressor but wouldn't I get a better picture from my raw footage (without further compression)? Can anyone tell me how to rename my XDCAM files to a .m2ts file so they will play "natively" on the WD? I shoot in 1080i60 HQ. I've already uploaded my files to my Mac Pro via the Sony File Transfer software. Steve Gibbons posted this one week ago: "If you copy the .MP4 files off the SxS cards to a USB drive (flash, hard drive, etc) and then just RENAME them to a .M2TS extension, you can play the video NATIVELY on this Western Digital media player."

December 25th, 2008, 07:46 PM	#56
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	Simply changing EX1 file's extension from mp4 to m2ts did not work on A-110 player - it could not play the file. Are you sure this works with WD player?

December 25th, 2008, 08:29 PM	#58
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	m2ts is a standard extension for Blu-ray MPEG2 files. They play just fine with A-110 player. But not the renamed mp4 files.

December 25th, 2008, 10:35 PM	#59
Arthur Hancock Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Highlands North Carolina Posts: 69	I'm just repeating what Steve Gibbons posted on the 18th. I tried to rename a few files and they wouldn't play.