PMW-200: exporting clips for import into Avid. Advice?

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Hi there,
I've been exporting mxf clips from a Sony EX1 and then importing them into Avid Media Composer for years... always worked well and happened pretty fast.
But I have an hour-long clip (an interview) shot with my new Sony PMW-200, and it's taking forever to import into Avid (v.6.2) Does anyone have any suggestions?

A bit more info, in case it pertains:
I first exported the clip (MPEG2 HD Long 35Mbps) from my SxS card to a hard drive (attached to my MacBook Pro, which has an ExpressCard slot). I did what I've always done before, which is to export: MXF for NLEs...

The export (this is using Sony's Content Browser) happens very quickly (faster than it used to with my EX1 clips), but, as I've said, the import of this clip into Avid doesn't seem to want to happen.

There are some others settings I can use to export the PMW-200 clips (using Content Browser). The full list is:
MXF for NLEs...
MXF for XDCAM HD
MXF for XDCAM HD422

Would one of those work better? Or... any other suggestions? How is it that something that used to happen so nicely isn't working anymore?
Thanks for any advice... Malcolm

[Chris Medico]

Don't import it. Instead copy the full contents of the card (bpav folder) into a folder on your hard drive and do an "AMA link to volume". You can edit away with the AMA files or you can consolidate them into the media library. You will need to create a folder for each card on your hard drive. You can not combine contents of multiple BPAV folders together.

How I do it is create a folder for the project then a RAW video folder under that. If I shoot multiple cards I'll normally name the folders with the shoot date and card number.

Project Name > RAW Video > 01-20-13 - Card 01

You select the RAW Video folder when you open the dialog box for "AMA Link to Volume". Avid will link to all video files in the subfolders. You can have it bring everything into a single bin or it will create bins based on the subfolder names. That is selectable in the dialog box when you start the process.

That is the preferred method versus import. You don't need to use the Sony clip browser software. It is a faster workflow once you get the hang of it.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Chris—thanks so much for this. I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I've never used the AMA route before... partly because I'm not in news and don't need to edit immediately after shooting. I've always felt safer importing everything into Avid, and then editing. From what you say, I can still sort of do this... if I do an "AMA link to volume" and then consolidate?
Malcolm

[Chris Medico]

That is correct. If you consolidate the media Avid will rewrap to MXF and do a quick import.

I've talked to quite a few that haven't tried AMA. Once they see what it can do it becomes a normal part of their workflow. It is especially important to use AMA to import any MOV media. Importing MOV media directly can be a problem due to gamma shifts and clipping from a bug in QuickTime for Windows.

You also have the option to do a rough edit on a timeline then consolidate the timeline itself. That way you save some space by only importing the specific parts of the files you expect to work with in the final edit.

With XDCam you don't need to do the consolidate if you don't want to. Most computers can handle editing it via AMA with no performance issues. I no longer import any of my XDCam material. I edit it directly via AMA and it works fine.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Wow... very glad you know about XDCam and Avid (seems that all of my fellow camera operators here in Ottawa are Final Cut users)... can you tell me what's different about the files that the PMW-200 records than the ones that my old EX1 recorded? I did ask, before getting the 200, whether I'd be able to work in the same way, and the Sony/Avid reseller said yes, it would be just the same.
I take what you say... that my using AMA and then consolidating, I'll be fine, and thank you so much for that (it means I can get back to editing), but I am wondering why Export to MXF for NLE worked so well before and now doesn't work. Does the PMW-200 record a different type of MPEG file?
Thanks again,
Malcolm

[Chris Medico]

The 200 records 4ch audio but the EX1 does 2ch. I have found problems with Avid importing files with 4ch audio. Specifically it was when I was using the newer xdcam browser with the EX1 which adds 2 channels creating 4ch mxf files.

Make sure you have the most recent AMA files for xdcam in your system and will be fine.

Avid | Avid Media Access Plug-ins

[Chris Medico]

The 200 can also do 50mb files. That is different from the 35mb from the EX1.

Which bitrate are you using on the camera?

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Hi Chris,
I was using what I thought I'd been using before: MPEG2 HD Long 35Mbps
But yes, there are now four channels of audio.
I'll see if I've got the right AMA setup in Avid, and get going this morning!
Thanks again,
Malcolm

[Robin Probyn]

If its BPAV folders its not 50mbps.. I get 9 items total downloaded with 500 in XDCAM HD..

[Chris Medico]

Originally Posted by Robin Probyn

If its BPAV folders its not 50mbps.. I get 9 items total downloaded with 500 in XDCAM HD..

Exactly why I wanted to ask since I had assumed above when I made the BPAV reference that the recording mode was 35mbs.

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Hi Chris,
O.K., I installed the latest Sony AMA Plugin (PDZK-MA2.1), then restarted my Mac Pro and relaunched Avid.
But no luck!
Checking a few settings, I see that in Import, the Video Resolution selected is J2K 1080p 29.97 MXF
Is that correct?
In the 'Link to AMA Volume' Bin Selection window, I've tried various choices, but nothing seems to work.
No matter what setting I choose, I get a window saying:
'Unable to link to any clips at /Volumes/RAW MEDIA/INTERVIEW'

Hoping you see this...
Malcolm

[Chris Medico]

In the folder "INTERVIEW" is there a BPAV folder in there from the card or did you rename the BPAV folder INTERVIEW?

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Aha! This is where I'm probably bungling things. I renamed the BPAV folder 'INTERVIEW' (everything inside this folder, eg. CPLR folder, TAKR folder, etc., is untouched).
Is that my mistake?
Malcolm

[Malcolm Hamilton]

Yes, you're right. I moved the BPAV folder back into the INTERVIEW folder (with all the same folders in the BPAV folder), and it just linked in lightning speed!
Thanks so much!
Now, Chris, if you don't mind: do I right-click on the interviews clip(s) in this bin, and choose Consolidate/Transcode?
Malcolm

[Chris Medico]

Before you consolidate give a simple edit a try with the clips as is. You may find it works just fine and you don't have to anything but get straight to work.

Use them as you would any media.