Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? at DVinfo.net

Malcolm Hamilton · October 10th, 2019, 02:54 PM

Hi there,
I just updated to Catalina, and realized that the old Content Browser (that I was using to export MXF files from my SxS cards) no longer works.
Can anyone kindly advise if there's something else I could use?
thanks,
Malcolm

Doug Jensen · October 11th, 2019, 05:04 AM

Catalyst Browse replaced Content Browser five or six years ago. It is free but you have to register.
Why are you exporting clips anyway? All the latest NLEs can edit any Sony files natively.

Christopher Young · October 11th, 2019, 06:04 AM

Doug you may remember. I would guess they might be the old 35Mbps EX type XDCam clips in BPAV folders on the cards. If so they all come in with the FAT 32 bit file size limit. Using the old Content Browser enabled you ingest them and to stitch them all together as one complete long MXF clip across the file size limitations and across 'spanned clips.' Any clips that had contiguous time code from clip to clip got joined together as one long clip. Other shorter clips came in as they were. That's my guess. Of course the XDCam 50Mbps 422 disc clips were MXF UDF format so never had that file size limit where you ended up with dozens of clips when recording long takes. Maybe Mal wasn't aware this could be achieved with Catalyst Browse as you said.

Chris Young

Doug Jensen · October 11th, 2019, 04:28 PM

Chris, you may be right, but I've been working with SxS cards and BPAV folders since 2007 (EX1) and not once did I ever have to join spanned clips.

Christopher Young · October 12th, 2019, 04:44 AM

Depends on what software NLE you were using. Nowadays most NLEs handle BPAVs without any issues but I do recall but can't remember which NLEs would only see the first clip. Content Browser got around that.

Chris Young

Doug Jensen · October 12th, 2019, 05:49 PM

Things have definitely gotten more sophisticated over the years. It is amazing the power we have in our hands with software like Resolve.

Malcolm Hamilton · October 13th, 2019, 07:14 AM

Doug and Christopher—thank you for your help with this. Doug, I will try Catalyst Browse... again (I think I did try it a number of years ago and, for whatever reason, I couldn't get it to work. Until I updated my Mac OS to Catalina, the old Content Browser continued to work for me for I left things as they were).
I use Avid Media Composer, by the way, and if there's a way for me to import all my camera files without first exporting them to MXF, I'll have to see if I can do that.
I'm not someone with a technical background and I seem to just stick with what works. I still record onto my old SxS cards (even though I could record onto SD cards), and the footage format is just what Christopher describes—35Mbps clips in BPAV folders—the same one I used years ago I'm pretty sure.
I have upgraded my camera—from the Sony EX1 that I bought eleven or twelve years ago to the PXW-X200 that I use today, but I follow the same camera-to-computer steps that I learned away back when.
But... Mac OS is now a 64-bit world and I'd better hurry up and get on board.
Thanks for the advice,
Malcolm

Malcolm Hamilton · October 13th, 2019, 08:36 AM

Hmmmm. Just checked the Catalyst Browse sony site and it says: "Catalyst Browse, a cross-platform viewing and logging tool for all Sony Pro formats".
What I need to do is to import my clips into Avid Media Composer (I never bother to view or log them first).
Does Browse also allow a person to export clips to (in my case) MXF?
Thanks again, Malcolm

Malcolm Hamilton · October 13th, 2019, 08:39 AM

(sorry for the barrage of posts!)
I see this: "Nowadays most NLEs handle BPAVs without any issues".
I guess I should see if Avid Media Composer can 'see' these BPAV folders, and import the clips directly.
I'll try this as soon as I get a chance and report back.
Malcolm

Doug Jensen · October 13th, 2019, 06:47 PM

Malcolm, I don't know anything at all about the Avid workflow so I can't be of any assistance there. But I will say that if you have an X200 you shouldn't be shooting with that old 35Mbps XDCAM codec. You need to be shooting on the superior XAVC codecs, which will be MXF files automatically. Possibly that solves your export problem right there and gives you better image quality all at the same time.

Malcolm Hamilton · October 14th, 2019, 01:18 PM

Wow. I will check this out, Doug. It will solve all of my problems! Thank you, and—today is Thanksgiving in Canada so let me add one more thank you... to this forum, and forums like it. They're invaluable.

October 10th, 2019, 02:54 PM	#1
Malcolm Hamilton Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 844	Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Hi there, I just updated to Catalina, and realized that the old Content Browser (that I was using to export MXF files from my SxS cards) no longer works. Can anyone kindly advise if there's something else I could use? thanks, Malcolm

October 11th, 2019, 05:04 AM	#2
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,450	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Catalyst Browse replaced Content Browser five or six years ago. It is free but you have to register. Why are you exporting clips anyway? All the latest NLEs can edit any Sony files natively. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools

October 11th, 2019, 06:04 AM	#3
Christopher Young Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,572	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Doug you may remember. I would guess they might be the old 35Mbps EX type XDCam clips in BPAV folders on the cards. If so they all come in with the FAT 32 bit file size limit. Using the old Content Browser enabled you ingest them and to stitch them all together as one complete long MXF clip across the file size limitations and across 'spanned clips.' Any clips that had contiguous time code from clip to clip got joined together as one long clip. Other shorter clips came in as they were. That's my guess. Of course the XDCam 50Mbps 422 disc clips were MXF UDF format so never had that file size limit where you ended up with dozens of clips when recording long takes. Maybe Mal wasn't aware this could be achieved with Catalyst Browse as you said. Chris Young

October 11th, 2019, 04:28 PM	#4
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,450	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Chris, you may be right, but I've been working with SxS cards and BPAV folders since 2007 (EX1) and not once did I ever have to join spanned clips. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools

October 12th, 2019, 04:44 AM	#5
Christopher Young Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,572	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Depends on what software NLE you were using. Nowadays most NLEs handle BPAVs without any issues but I do recall but can't remember which NLEs would only see the first clip. Content Browser got around that. Chris Young

October 12th, 2019, 05:49 PM	#6
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,450	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Things have definitely gotten more sophisticated over the years. It is amazing the power we have in our hands with software like Resolve. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools

October 13th, 2019, 07:14 AM	#7
Malcolm Hamilton Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 844	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Doug and Christopher—thank you for your help with this. Doug, I will try Catalyst Browse... again (I think I did try it a number of years ago and, for whatever reason, I couldn't get it to work. Until I updated my Mac OS to Catalina, the old Content Browser continued to work for me for I left things as they were). I use Avid Media Composer, by the way, and if there's a way for me to import all my camera files without first exporting them to MXF, I'll have to see if I can do that. I'm not someone with a technical background and I seem to just stick with what works. I still record onto my old SxS cards (even though I could record onto SD cards), and the footage format is just what Christopher describes—35Mbps clips in BPAV folders—the same one I used years ago I'm pretty sure. I have upgraded my camera—from the Sony EX1 that I bought eleven or twelve years ago to the PXW-X200 that I use today, but I follow the same camera-to-computer steps that I learned away back when. But... Mac OS is now a 64-bit world and I'd better hurry up and get on board. Thanks for the advice, Malcolm

October 13th, 2019, 08:36 AM	#8
Malcolm Hamilton Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 844	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Hmmmm. Just checked the Catalyst Browse sony site and it says: "Catalyst Browse, a cross-platform viewing and logging tool for all Sony Pro formats". What I need to do is to import my clips into Avid Media Composer (I never bother to view or log them first). Does Browse also allow a person to export clips to (in my case) MXF? Thanks again, Malcolm

October 13th, 2019, 08:39 AM	#9
Malcolm Hamilton Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 844	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? (sorry for the barrage of posts!) I see this: "Nowadays most NLEs handle BPAVs without any issues". I guess I should see if Avid Media Composer can 'see' these BPAV folders, and import the clips directly. I'll try this as soon as I get a chance and report back. Malcolm

October 13th, 2019, 06:47 PM	#10
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,450	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Malcolm, I don't know anything at all about the Avid workflow so I can't be of any assistance there. But I will say that if you have an X200 you shouldn't be shooting with that old 35Mbps XDCAM codec. You need to be shooting on the superior XAVC codecs, which will be MXF files automatically. Possibly that solves your export problem right there and gives you better image quality all at the same time. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools Last edited by Doug Jensen; October 13th, 2019 at 07:28 PM.

October 14th, 2019, 01:18 PM	#11
Malcolm Hamilton Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 844	Re: Sony Content Browser for Catalina OS? Wow. I will check this out, Doug. It will solve all of my problems! Thank you, and—today is Thanksgiving in Canada so let me add one more thank you... to this forum, and forums like it. They're invaluable.