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Level 1

10 points

FCPX not importing audio track from DV files.

Not sure what's going on here. I used iMovie 11 with my camcorder to import from minDV tape 6 months ago. The files created were .dv 720x480 using iMovie's codec called "dvsl" - (as shown using VLC player information menu.) iMovie imported the audio tracks with "s16l" codec 2 channels at 32khz. I spend 299 on FCPX and another 98 for the compression and motion apps hoping to use FCPX to finish my imovie project. I'm thinking I cant. I imported about 25 1-hr tapes and I can't hear the audio - the audio track shows NO MOVEMENT on these clips.

Ironically the few clips I recorded with my iPhone 4 are fine - audio and video imported just fine - but the dv imports are video only audio silent.

I did an OSX software update after installing FCPX and motion/compressor and downloaded more stuff - but that didn't fix the prob.

Anyone out there have a clue? I'm lost - no idea what's going on here. Did i make a mistake buying FCPX? I don't plan on making any silent movies with FCPX and would like it to play the audio tracks from my dv files. There's got to be a way. We're talking 25 hours or so of clips.....

Final Cut Pro X-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jun 22, 2011 5:41 AM

54 replies

umbasa Author

Level 1

10 points

Jun 23, 2011 6:07 AM in response to crh24

What handbrake setting details? I'm using compressor - does the same thing except it's a batch processor.

crh24

Level 3

930 points

Jun 23, 2011 9:04 AM in response to umbasa

I was using High Profile with Handbrake but I switched to MPEG Streamclip where the output can be DV. Stream clip encodes faster to DV because the video doesn't need to be recompressed.

JirSoft

Level 1

0 points

Jun 24, 2011 5:10 PM in response to crh24

I think it should be possible just (on example with QT Pro or free MPEG Streamclip) open this .dv file and save as QT (.mov extension) with DV as video codec and PCM as audio codec (this is same way as FCP7 save .dv files), it will be no transcoding needed, so just an copy...

Jun 24, 2011 8:40 PM in response to JirSoft

That was my point (above) ... why recompress and take a quality hit with mp4 or other coedc when you can change to QuickTime DV? But I suppose image quality isn't a concern in this discussion.

-DH

mrstep

Level 1

0 points

Jun 24, 2011 9:29 PM in response to David Harbsmeier

I'd obviously rather not run it though a video re-encode either for quality's sake, so exporting as DV or QuickTime DV sounds like the best option there. Of course, I decided to look at something out of curiousity - I have 7476 dv clips (it was a lot of tapes and iMovie auto-split them...) that would need this treatment. iMovie has been too sluggish dealing with the library, FCPX is clearly MUCH faster at dealing with it - maybe because of the memory savings of not dealing with the audio? (Just kidding...)

Hmmm. So, I wonder if Apple will fix this. 😐

Jun 25, 2011 9:54 AM in response to umbasa

Here is what kills me. After importing the events from iMovie some have audio and some don't. EVEN the ones that don't have audio when I go to the FINAL CUT EVENTS and click on the original media---THERE IS AUDIO. Just can't hear anything inside of FCP.

umbasa Author

Level 1

10 points

Jun 25, 2011 10:37 AM in response to Boan Rubalcava

I understand that some have reservations with re-encoding so you can hear the audio on dv tracks. However FCPX works very quickly with Apple ProRes 422 HQ codec and the video quality is excellent/unnoticeable from original IMHO. I recommend creating a custom export using "compressor" app. Select Quicktime Movie using Apple proRes 422 for video, and apple lossless for audio, and you'll have zippy FCPX rendering and a great output from your work while in FCPX.

recap:

.dv file > compressor app using custom settings:

> quicktime movie

> Apple ProRes 422 for video

> Apple Lossless for audio

> Leave plenty of HD space on original hard drive for new .mov files that will live inside the source folder.

> Delete the original .dv files

> import the new .mov files into your events.

I challenge anyone to a better way to deal with .dv audio problem.

umbasa...

crh24

Level 3

930 points

Jun 25, 2011 11:10 AM in response to JirSoft

JirSoft wrote:

I think it should be possible just (on example with QT Pro or free MPEG Streamclip) open this .dv file and save as QT (.mov extension) with DV as video codec and PCM as audio codec (this is same way as FCP7 save .dv files), it will be no transcoding needed, so just an copy...

I originally did this but then I found another 'problem' with FCPX---it will not analyze and correct DV clips that are interlaced. I don't know if this is a bug or a feature (I've reported it as a bug).

I just started using Streamclip so I may have missed something but I was unable to get Streamclip to produce a DV file that wasn't interlaced so I switched to using ProRes 422 files which are progressive and the Analyze problem is 'solved'.

mrstep

Level 1

0 points

Jun 25, 2011 2:55 PM in response to umbasa

umbasa wrote:

...

recap:

.dv file > compressor app using custom settings:

> quicktime movie

> Apple ProRes 422 for video

> Apple Lossless for audio

> Leave plenty of HD space on original hard drive for new .mov files that will live inside the source folder.

> Delete the original .dv files

> import the new .mov files into your events.

I challenge anyone to a better way to deal with .dv audio problem.

umbasa...

Hopefully Apple accepts your challenge since the best way to deal with the .dv audio problem would be for them to fix their bug.

Jun 25, 2011 4:28 PM in response to umbasa

It seems like there should be a way to ingest directly into ProRes 422 from DV. I am not at home but I will try it later.

Jun 25, 2011 4:39 PM in response to AppleMan1958

if you find out let us know

Jun 27, 2011 3:53 AM in response to AppleMan1958

Yes, you can ingest directly into ProRes 422 from DV (or from any other codec for that matter), without going through Compressor. Details are here. You just select the Transcode option on the import screen.

Also, You can import it as DV and transcode it later to PreRes, without using Compressor.

umbasa Author

Level 1

10 points

Jun 27, 2011 7:50 AM in response to AppleMan1958

You definitely can using "optimize media" option, however if your original .dv file cannot be heard without the optimize option, it still cannot be heard WITH the optimize option.

Two other necessary steps when using compressor to make the .dv file be heard by FCPX.

1> make sure the pixel size is correct on your custom setting or it will come out distorted - I found out that although the app selected 720x480 by default, my original content was ACTUALLY 853x480 - or a 16:9 version of 720p.

2> use the command line "touch -t YYYYMMDDssmm filename" to re-date your files - or else it will take dv files originally created in, say dec 2008 at 4pm, and import the new files with the current date (when you re-compressed them).

recap:

> compressor app- recompress .dv files with MP4/H.264 (small file size) or Quicktime movie ProRes 422LT (bigger file size but more FCPX friendly) custom profile you create

> make sure pixel settings match original .dv files in the profile/settings

> open terminal and type "touch -t YYYYMMDDssmm filename" << for a bunch of files, use * at end, like img*.mov and the any .mov file starting with img will be re-dated, and drag/drop file from finder instead of typing it all out

> in FCPX > import files *.mov (so it doesn't import the .dv files too) and do NOT select optimize media nor copy files to FCPX folder checkbox

> make sure you select the correct event because moving them to another event is a hassle and crashed FCPX (this s/w needs a serious patch fix) too many times

hope it helps.

Ken Hart

Level 2

185 points

Jul 10, 2011 11:56 AM in response to umbasa

I used compressor to import the DV files to ProRes 422 directly.

Set up compressor as normal then go to the encoder tab in the inspector window and change the audio setting from "pass-through" to "enabled" . I saved it as a custom setting for use in the future.

I wonder why this option is not just defaulted to include audio instead of having to enable it. Wouldn't it seem logical that people would want both audio and video when transcoding.

Jul 10, 2011 12:33 PM in response to Ken Hart

>Wouldn't it seem logical that people would want both audio and video when transcoding

Yes, but it also seems logical that Apple would want to keep its professional customer base. And look what happened to that.

-DH

FCPX not importing audio track from DV files.