FCPX BUG - Transcode optimized media

Question

Level 3

571 points

FCPX BUG - Transcode optimized media

Haven't seen this posted yet, so I thought I'd share.

Import a H.264 clip and choose to have it create optimized media on import.

After transcoding is complete, highlight the clip in your event browser and hit ⌘4 on your keyboard to open your inspector.

Click on the info tab and change the view to extended.

You'll notice under Codec it's showing H.264. Correct me if I'm wrong, once media has been optimze, shouldn't FCPX automatically connect to the optimzied media once transcoding has completed....! We'll that's what suppose to happen.

Anyway to make sure I haven't missed something, I've undergone a few checks.

First I checked that my Playback setting were set to Use original or optimized media

Then I checked that FCPX generated the optimized media in the Final Cut Event Folder.

With everything appearing to be fine, I decided to experiment. I quite FCPX, then in finder deleted the Original Media folder and the Render Files folder and emptied my trash. I then opened FCPX, and as expected the media was still online. I then opened inspector, to only find that the file was still being seen to have a H.264 codec.

Is this a bug?

Posted on Aug 18, 2011 7:54 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,986 points

Aug 18, 2011 9:05 PM in response to blimpmedia

I don't know if it's a bug so much as a poor decision on what to display. I think it's showing what the original media is. I think it always shows what the original media is regardless of what's used for playback.

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Answer 2

Vegas22

Level 1

45 points

Aug 19, 2011 7:48 AM in response to blimpmedia

I noticed the same thing a while back also, and was confused by it.

As I didn;t know if FCPX was using the transcoded file or original file. Turns out like you discovered that FCPX was using the transcoded file, but still referencing the h.264 file in the clip info box.

The same confusion was happening to me in regards to Proxy files, as it also showed h.264.

All in all FCPX seems to do an outstanding job at using meta data and xml to keep track of things and keep them organized. But it seems that some refinement needs to be made further to avoid confusion for the end user.

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Answer 3

blimpmedia Author

Level 3

571 points

Aug 19, 2011 3:59 PM in response to Vegas22

Tom & Vegas22,

This finding posts more problems than you think.

Just briefly, the fact that FCPX is not showing the correct meta data seems to cause issues elsewhere, for example when trying to sync h.264 media with audio recorders like the H4n Zoom.

Anyway I don't have time wright now to write up a detailed description, but plan to in the next few days. I'll explain in detail what I've found and the workaround I've been using.

The post will be titled FCPX BUG - Synchronize Clips

Stay tunned 😉

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Answer 4

blimpmedia Author

Level 3

571 points

Aug 21, 2011 8:19 AM in response to blimpmedia

FCPX BUG - Synchronize Clips: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3277834

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Answer 5

May 9, 2012 1:57 PM in response to blimpmedia

I just ran into an issue where I've transcoded on import and everything is finished. I export the XML that still refers to the H.264 which gives me problems in DaVinci Resolve. I look on this as a bug. So what this means to me is that for me to have an easy roundtrip with Resolve, I need to transcode first, then import the ProRes clips and start my project. If I don't do that, I'll end up with a mess.

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