I tested it by dropping an XDCAM EX MP4 file in it. Selected a codec. The results an HD file with Video and Audio.
While the output codec support is limited, it'll do a reasonable quality of producing a full sized HD file.
Of course it's a re-encode and that's going to be some loss. It can encode to H264 though. You can then take that source and encode to something your NLE can handle.
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Craig Seeman on May 3, 2008 at 7:47:57 pm
Just did a test where I took XDCAM EX MP4, encoded to MPEG2 Transport Stream at 35000kbit/s. Took that source into Episode Pro 5 and used it to Encode to XDCAM EX 1080p30. I then took that file and dropped it into XDCAM EX 1080p30 timeline in FCP 6.0.3 and it worked!
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Craig Seeman on May 3, 2008 at 8:11:16 pm
It really really really works!
If you don't have Episode Pro 5 you might have to render the ffmpegz in your timeline in FCP but you can certainly create a high data rate file in ffmpegz. Episode Pro 5 actually allows one to encode to XCDCAM EX (all flavors) MOV which works in FCP but Episode Pro can't handle the MP4 source.
In any case ffmpegz can handle XDCAM EX MP4 source and both the audio and video came through.
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by yves groenen on May 23, 2008 at 6:11:42 pm
hey Craig I'm going to edit my 2 final schoolworks next week. So I don't have the the time to wait on the new clip browser. (stupidos) I'm going to convert tomorrow with ffmpegx. My question was what compression would you recommend? I've tried the mp4. mov conversion: the image was almost the same (although I'm watching it on a samsung 24" syncmaster which isn't that reliable) but 1/4 of the size
the thing worth saying is: the final movies are going to be watched on SD monitors or beamers so I'll have a lot of image information downcompressed anyway.
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by yves groenen on May 3, 2008 at 7:49:25 pm
Hi Craig read about ffmpeg before but thought it wouldn't do the trick. I'm going to try it tomorrow (gotta go in a sec) And if it's working damn man I'm gonna send you a nice Belgian beer ;-)
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by yves groenen on May 23, 2008 at 5:37:03 pm
hey Craig I'm going to edit my 2 final schoolworks next week. So I don't have the the time to wait on the new clip browser. (stupidos) I'm going to convert tomorrow with ffmpegx. My question was what compression would you recommend? I've tried the mp4. mov conversion: the image was almost the same (although I'm watching it on a samsung 24" syncmaster which isn't that reliable) but 1/4 of the size
the thing worth saying is: the final movies are going to be watched on SD monitors or beamers so I'll have a lot of image information downcompressed anyway.
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Michael Slowe on May 4, 2008 at 10:31:45 am
Craig, at present I shoot in SP (HDV) and push it through Convergent Design's HD-Connect and edit in HD with Media 100 (won't for the time being support EX files). Do you think that your new magic idea would result in better picture quality bearing in mind your warning of some quality loss?
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Craig Seeman on May 4, 2008 at 2:12:33 pm
It may well depend on whether your material benefits from being shot at 35mbps VBR vs 25mbps CBR. There may be little difference for talking heads but it might be significant for sports or images that change from frame to frame such as rippling water or billowing leaves.
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Andy Mees on May 6, 2008 at 1:00:15 pm
Hey Craig
You might want to have a gander at this possible solution posted by an FCO user on the Apple Discussions forum ... I don't play with EX1's myself but it sounds worth a go, and pretty nifty if it works
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Craig Seeman on May 6, 2008 at 4:45:45 pm
While I didn't follow the linked method Andy points to I did attempt what might be Sony's procedure and it failed.
Failed procedure:
Use Import function in Sony Clip Browser (Intel Mac). In Sony Clip Browser Manual it says you can do this with "unregistered" MP4 clips. It creates a BPAV folder with metadata. Such folder shows in XDCAM Transfer tool 2.5.1 as containing 0 clips.
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Craig Seeman on May 6, 2008 at 6:45:55 pm
Contacted Sony.
Clip Browser SHOULD allow you to import an MP4 file an create a BPAV folder. It apparently doesn't correctly create the XML and other metadata. They discovered this last week so they told me.
There will be a Clip Browser 1.5 that should fix this. When that happens you'll be able to import MP4, create new BPAV folder, rewrap to MOV using the XDCAM Transfer Tool (Mac).
Re: If all you have is the MP4 - A Solution by Craig Seeman on May 8, 2008 at 6:58:48 pm
I vaguely remember someone at Sony saying they went with MP4 rather than MXF for the EX series because they thought it would be easier for many NLEs to handle.
At least they say they're going to fix the Clip Browser (Mac at least) so it'll create a proper BPAV folder from an orphaned MP4 file.
