DNxHD footage transcode in Final Cut Server?

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DNxHD footage transcode in Final Cut Server?

I'm looking at setting up a directory watcher which will automatically transcode footage from HDV to Avid DNxHD.
Is this possible at all within Final Cut Server? It seems Final Cut support all of the codecs I have installed except that one.

Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Oct 6, 2010 6:47 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 7, 2010 9:14 AM in response to mrwinter

You should download the Avid DNxHD codecs for Mac OS X, then you can decode and encode to any Avid flavor via Compressor.

Hope this helps.

Nicholas Stokes
XPlatform Consulting

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Answer 2

mrwinter Author

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Oct 7, 2010 1:28 PM in response to Nicholas Stokes

I am running version 2.3 of the Avid DNxHD codecs and was looking at using the watcher capabilities in Final Cut Server to do the transcode whenever the original media was transferred to the watch folder.
The codec works as a valid export codec in Quicktime Pro 7 on the same machine but does not show up as an option in Final Cut Server.
Do I have to create a workflow in Compressor and then run a watcher script or something to call that? There are no obvious, automation settings in Compressor.

I'm finding it difficult to find any correlation between Compressor presets and any presets in FCS. Am I missing something obvious here?

Sorry if this is simple stuff - I'm new to FCS.

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Answer 3

Oct 8, 2010 5:51 AM in response to mrwinter

Look at creating a custom transcode setting using the new Avid 2.3 Codec. Create a copy response that uses this transcode setting and try attaching that to a Watcher.

Nicholas Stokes
XPlatform Consulting

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Answer 4

mrwinter Author

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Oct 8, 2010 6:00 PM in response to Nicholas Stokes

The codec doesn't show up as a valid codec in the list when I try to make the custom transcode setting.
I'm doing the following:
SysPrefs -> Final Cut Server -> Automations -> "plus" -> File System Watcher -> Set up the watcher filter -> Responses -> "plus" -> Copy Response -> Transcode source to -> NO AVID CODEC in list.

Am I in the right place to be setting this up, or is there somewhere else I can make sure the codec appears?

We have set the threadsafe bit to see if that made a difference but there is still nothing from Avid in the list.
It shows up just fine in the other apps on the mac, is it an incompatibility with FCS and that codec?

Your help is greatly appreciated,

Chris.

Message was edited by: witchrinser

Message was edited by: witchrinser

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Answer 5

Oct 10, 2010 4:39 PM in response to mrwinter

That list doesn't show codecs, it shows defined Compressor transcode settings. You have to create a new one for your new codec.

The Admin Guide briefly mentions that you have to do this in the "Adding Transcode Settings" section, but doesn't really tell you how (it just references the Compressor documentation).

The ReadMe for the FinalCutServerIntegrationSample on the developer site explains step by step how to do it:
http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#samplecode/FinalCutServerIntegrationSamp le/Introduction/Intro.html

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