MXF files at 100mbps in FCP?

[Barry J. Weckesser]

I am a PC user (Edius 5.0 and Procoder3) but have been asked to send some MXF files of a BMX (trick biking) demonstration I recently shot at a local fair (actually a Colorado Group based in Denver). Their video person uses FCP. I was thinking of sending them a blu-ray data disc of the native MXF files, however, I have read conflicting reports on this forum and elsewhere that some people have been successful using XDCAM EX transfer and others say no go. Anybody with experience in this area and what version of FCP?

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Barry,

At this time, with our latest firmware release, I do not believe there is a way to use MXF files in FCP. I would love to be proved wrong.

If one creates Sony MXF files on an XDCam unit, then those files can be used in FCP, if one has installed the free Sony MXF Plug-In for FCP.

However, this Plug-In for FCP does not currently work with our files.



We have been working, for a few weeks now, to make our files identical to the Sony MXF files. Sony has helped us greatly and we continue to work closely with them.

In a few weeks, when we have our next firmware out, our files will be compatible with the Sony MXF Plug-In for FCP.



For now, I believe the only way to work with these files in MXF is to convert them to MOV files. We could do this at our main office. This involves loading your files into a nanoFlash, then playing the files out to another nanoFlash, recording in QT (".MOV").



At this time, if one records in MOV, we have a free Mac based utilty to convert them to MXF. But, at this time, we do not have a utility to convert MXF to MOV.

We hope you understand. It takes a lot of work to make these utilities.



I would love to hear that there is a way for FCP to read MXF files (without using the Sony MXF Plug-In).

[Mark Job]

HI Barry & Dan:
Any day now, you will see Apple fully embrace the MXF file system, because of what it is and what it can do for you if you need to edit. So what is MXF ? The short answer is it is a file format *Wrapper* MXF takes any format and wraps it. Once the format (Read Codec) is wrapped in MXF, then it becomes an *open* entity. In other words, MXF makes video into an NLE I don't care less proposition ! Yup. You name the NLE, MXF works on it. Now, up until this point in time, Apple has been resisting MXF because they can't control it and didn't create it. Too bad ! The folks at Apple are not stupid ;-) The benefit to FCP is that with MXF compatibility, one can make an irrefutable argument that it's a totally professional NLE application. - Without MXF the argument can be made that it's not. Now, I don't say MXF is pro because it runs on Avid I say MXF is Pro because it runs on everything but FCP ;-)

....MXF also buys you one heck of allot of XML programming ability and header meta data payload. TC, Audio Data, User notations, Video file identifiers, and way much more. Third parties are already forcing the matter with Apple and FCP. FCP shall be compatible with MXF one way or another. Frankly, the sooner the better !

[Lance Librandi]

Hi Mark,
I hope you are right and Apple to support MXF and it would be great if the lift the 50Mb/s file limit as it is very confusing.

[Mark Job]

Hi Lance:
Don't worry it's coming. It has to or Apple look like idiots ! MXF is pretty much the defacto standard now.

[Alister Chapman]

The Calibrated-Q importer for MXF works with 50Mb NanoFlash MXF files directly into FCP. I don't have a 100Mb MXF to test but it should work.