How to view your MXF files?

[Dave Nystul]

I have been using VLC player for a while now to view my Avid ready MXF files. I cannot get smooth playback on my MacBook Pro 2.5 Ghz Core 2. I shut down all other programs without any better results. Can anybody give me some pointers on how I can watch these clips without the freezing and stuttering?

thanks,

Dave

[Luben Izov]

Dear Dave,
NF Manual is your best friend...

From NF Manual:

......
"Viewing Options
Recorded file format is set in System->File Format, as Quicktime (MOV), MXF, or MPG.
In general, Quicktime has wider compatibility on the Mac, MXF on the Pc.
To view nanoFlash Quicktime files on the Mac:
> from Quicktime Player with Final Cut Pro 6.0.3 or better installed. (HD/SD files)
> If Final Cut Pro is not installed: from Quicktime Player with Calibrated Software's XD Decode (HD
files): Calibrated{Q} XD Decode
To view nanoFlash Quicktime files on the Pc:
> from Quicktime Player with Calibrated Software's XD Decode (HD files) :
Calibrated{Q} XD Decode
> from Quicktime Player with Calibrated Software's IMX Decode (SD files) :
Calibrated{Q} IMX Decode
To view nanoFlash MXF files on the Mac:
> Sony XDCAM Transfer software (combined with Final Cut Pro 6.0.3+ or Calibrated XD Decode):
https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz/son...el-PDZKP1.aspx
Calibrated{Q} XD Decode
> From Quicktime Player with Calibrated MXF Import (with Final Cut Pro or Calibrated XD Decode):
Calibrated{Q} MXF Import for OSX
> VLC Media Player: VideoLANVLC media player - Open Source Multimedia Framework and Player
> MXF4Mac (also for editing in Final Cut Pro) : MXF4mac - MXF solutions for Mac OS X
To view nanoFlash MXF files on the Pc:
> Free Sony XDCAM Viewer software:
https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz/son...?model=PDZVX10
> VLC Media Player: VideoLANVLC media player - Open Source Multimedia Framework and Player
> Open Cube: http://www.opencubetech.com/
nanoFlash MXF files (50 Mbit HD, 50 Mbit SD only (ver1.5.126) ) are also now compatible with XDCAM Optical
Equipment. The “Free” naming convention may need to be set on the XDCAM equipment to accept nanoFlash
files. Note: XDCAM Optical equipment will only import files greater than 2 seconds in length.
To view MPG files on the Mac: use VLC Media Player or Quicktime Player.
To view MPG files on the Pc: use VLC Media Player.
** See NLE Support, below, for more viewing options."

[Dave Sperling]

Haven't tried this because i'm already on a PC, but if you run Windows on your Mac, then I would think you should be able to use the PDZ-10 MXF viewer which runs under windows. I've been consistently amazed how much better this viewer is for playing MXF's on a PC than any of the other options I've tried.

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Friends,

I agree completely with Dave.

The Sony Clip Viewer is very good software.

The only problem that I ever had was viewing 720p60 (True 60, not 59.94) where the Sony Clip Viewer reported the frame rate as 25p, thus I got slow motion instead of regular motion.

[Andrew Stone]

Dave VLC player just got a major update today. It now hooks into the GPU on the Mac. I haven't put it through it's paces yet but in theory it should "scream" as they say as it uses the horsepower of the GPU to do the heavy lifting. Link below...

VideoLAN - VLC 1.1.0 Test Release Candidate

If you try it out. Let us know if VLC has improved or not.

-Andrew

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Dan Keaton

Dear Friends,

I agree completely with Dave.

The Sony Clip Viewer is very good software.

The only problem that I ever had was viewing 720p60 (True 60, not 59.94) where the Sony Clip Viewer reported the frame rate as 25p, thus I got slow motion instead of regular motion.

I also agree the Sony MXF Viewer is the best (and free) application for on-PC playback of the nano-recorded clips. It's even better than VLC in that (at least on my hardware) it's completely free from the infamous "judder" of progressive files (such as 1080/25p).

Dan,

I have no idea why your 720p60 files play at 25fps; I just tried my 720/50p clips and they play as expected, i.e. with full 50 fps speed.

Piotr

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Piotr,

Nomal 720p50 and Normal 720p60 play fine.

Normal 720p60 is actually 720p59.94, we just use 720p60 as it is easier to say or type.

But to be precise, it is actually 720p59.94.

There is also 720p60 (true), actual 720p60 not 720p59.94. This is not working perfectly in Sony Clip Viewer.
It reports the footage as 720p25, and then plays it 25 frames per second creating slow motion.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Hmm...

Hopefully the next player version will have it right!

Piotr

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Piotr,

720p60 (True) is very rare, in my opinion.

I have only come across this twice.

Once for a goverment radar system and once at NASA.

NASA wanted true 60 since it is easier to calculate elapsed time at exactly 60 frames per second versus 59.94 frames per second.

We designed the Flash XDR and nanoFlash to work with 720p59.94 and 720p60 (True).

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Dear Dan,

It's funny how "True" is still not "Normal" in the TV/Video Industry, isn't it?

But as I said - from the pure logic's point of view, true should become normal... Well, it always has been in the PAL area :)