How to transfer XDCAM from EX1 using ProRes 422

Question

Level 2

315 points

How to transfer XDCAM from EX1 using ProRes 422

Ok, I'm starting to think a little above my pay-grade here, but:

My understanding is that I can directly import XDCAM files shot on a Sony EX1 by placing the SxS card in my MBP express card slot and using Sony's transfer application. However, I want to transcode to ProRes 422 because the timeline will contain P2 footage from an HVX200.

Does the ProRes 422 step require the EX1 camera itself to be connected via firewire, or can I transcode using just the cards? If I transfer using the native codec but edit in a ProRes 422 timeline, can I edit both the P2 and XDCAM footage just as well as if they had been transcoded on transfer?

Any advice welcome. Tnx!

MPB 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Posted on Apr 7, 2009 12:17 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Andy Mees

Level 6

12,610 points

Apr 8, 2009 5:38 AM in response to maxwell

There is no direct file based XDCAM EX to ProRes ingest method in FCP. You can import the footage directly into FCP using Sony's XDCAM Transfer app or through FCP's own Log and Transfer interface when using Sony's PDZK-LT1 FCP Log and Transfer plugin. Either way, its just a rewrap of the native media into an FCP friendly Quicktime wrapper.

If you want to transcode to ProRes for edit then you need to either transcode the imported clips using FCP's Media Manager > Recompress option (or some other post capture transcode method/software eg Compressor, MPEG Streamclip etc) or capture the media directly as ProRes using the camera's baseband output together with a suitable I/O device attached to your Mac.

Can you edit the XDCAM footage directly in a ProRes timeline? Absolutely ... obviously it will not be as render free / fluid as if you were editing in a native timeline, but depending on the power of you Mac it should offer no real issue. I know many who always edit with their camera native media such as XDCAM HD/EX and HDV directly in a ProRes timeline as a matter of course.

Hope it helps
Andy

Reply

Answer 2

maxwell Author

Level 2

315 points

Apr 8, 2009 9:25 AM in response to Andy Mees

Thanks Andy. Very helpful.

Miracle of miracles, it turns out they were able to shoot it all with the EX1, so I just brought it all into FCP natively using the Log and Transfer plugin.

While I have you . . . the footage was captured to the Sony hard-drive that connects to the camera. I was able to mount the drive and saw that it had one folder with all content. If I simply drag and drop that folder to another hard drive (and maybe digest into FCP for good measure), I'm all set, right? I know that I would have to import it into FCP to use it in that application. But moving that folder to another hard drive (or 2 or 3) would allow me to pop the Sony hard drive back on the camera and write over all the footage, confident that I can return to the source media for use in FCP or any other application, correct?

Reply

Answer 3

Andy Mees

Level 6

12,610 points

Apr 8, 2009 5:59 PM in response to maxwell

+But moving that folder to another hard drive (or 2 or 3)...+

Spot on Maxwell .... especially the "or 2 or 3" bit.

Reply

Answer 4

Z1User

Level 4

1,085 points

Apr 9, 2009 9:06 AM in response to maxwell

"Does the ProRes 422 step require the EX1 camera itself to be connected via firewire?"

Interesting idea, This may work but only if the camera was set to record SP (HDV) mode as the firewire port is HDV only. But why not use the EX SDI port for a real time Pro Rez capture. I realize you have your answer but this is another way to get to Pro Rez using hardware in real time.

Z1

Reply

Answer 5

maxwell Author

Level 2

315 points

Apr 9, 2009 1:46 PM in response to Z1User

Thanks for the extra info. Always helpful (and so marked).

Reply