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Sony ENG / EFP Shoulder Mounts
Sony PDW-F800, PDW-700, PDW-850, PXW-X500 (XDCAM HD) and PMW-400, PMW-320 (XDCAM EX).

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Old October 7th, 2007, 08:44 PM   #1
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XDCAM Transfer for FCP question

Is it possible to just install Sony's XDCAM Transfer app on a Mac computer without FCPro? I just want this for one of my client who would like to be able to load low res dailies on his Mac laptorp at the end of every shoot day.

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Old October 8th, 2007, 03:04 PM   #2
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The XDCAM codecs are a part of FCP. You can install the software, and probably view the proxies since they're MPEG4, but forget unwrapping to full res QT. Exporting proxies might work okay though.

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Old October 8th, 2007, 07:46 PM   #3
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I use the XDCAM Transfer software on my Mac notebook with no FCP installed. We use it to let clients make selects. When finished they return the Mac and we copy the software's "database file" found in the XDCAM/database folder to our main FCP workstation placing it in it's database folder.
All of their selects show up and we then import the Hi Rez.

Before handing off the notebook, I attach the camera and let the notebook import all the proxies and thumbs as you normally would.

When starting the Mac notebook, an error message is displayed that says
"Pro Codecs Required", But as Greg states, that does not hinder from viewing proxies and creating the selects list.
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Old October 9th, 2007, 12:50 AM   #4
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Thanks for confirming what I suspected, Richard. I really couldn't 'uninstall' FCP from my system to verify. (grin)

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Old October 11th, 2007, 10:07 AM   #5
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Thanks guys for your suggestions. I will give it a try.

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Old October 12th, 2007, 10:42 AM   #6
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Version 2 software should really help

The problem with version 1 software is that you could not easily save any of the work you did. There simply wasn't a "Save" function. Version 2 is supposed to fix that and make the software more "logging" friendly. Your client should be able to view the dailies, make selections, choose in-points and out-points, make comments etc. and easily save all of this work.

All of this information is what I've been told by Sony folks. I haven't actually seen this software for myself.
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Old October 12th, 2007, 12:28 PM   #7
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The 2.0 version was supposed to happen in September.
Does anyone besides Sony have an idea when this may be released?

Thanks
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Old October 12th, 2007, 02:47 PM   #8
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I think it will come out when the first EX's ship as it will include the EX tansfer tools. The new version is a really nice upgrade with many useful features. It makes much more use of shot markers allowing you to hide clips marked as bad takes for example. It also tracks which clips you have transferred and will allow logging without FCP.

I have to say Sony have impressed me with XDCAM by the way the cameras and software has been continually improved for free.
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Old October 13th, 2007, 01:43 AM   #9
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>I have to say Sony have impressed me with XDCAM by the way the cameras and software has been continually improved for free.

not wishing to be negative just for the heck of it Alister, but whilst the camera and deck firmware has indeed been regularly updated, the transfer software for Mac very quickly stagnated, neither improved nor updated since 1.1, not even for a much needed bug fix. an interim version 1.1.1 update would have gone a long way.

not to worry tho', the v2.0 upgrade is on the way and very much anticipated.
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Old October 18th, 2007, 11:00 AM   #10
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Is the version of xdcam import in fcp 6 buggy in that regard?

Or are you talking about the standalone xdcam software?


while we're on the subject how well does fcp 6 deal with xdcam.
is it similar to HDV where you need a pretty beefy system
for smooth playback?
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Old October 19th, 2007, 02:28 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Silva View Post
Is the version of xdcam import in fcp 6 buggy in that regard?

Or are you talking about the standalone xdcam software?


while we're on the subject how well does fcp 6 deal with xdcam.
is it similar to HDV where you need a pretty beefy system
for smooth playback?
Hey Mark

FCP 6 does not yet directly support XDCAM import , although that is something that is expected to be added in the next point release update. At present you need 3rd party add ons to access XDCAM materia in FCP, either using Sony's free XDCAM Transfer software, or Flip4Mac's MXF quicktime components. The import using XDCAM Transfer is not buggy in and of itself. In fact version 1.1 is reliable and works very well... lets just say that the imminent 2.0 release is set to realise some much anticipated latent potential :) hopefully it'll also address an interface bug which has been a major thorn in my side.

As to the system requirements for smooth playback, you can safely assume that if HDV wont work on your system then neither will XDCAM HD ... any of the newer Mac's are more than sufficient. Certainly the MacPro's and MacBook Pro's handle it with ease.

Hope its helpful
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Old October 19th, 2007, 10:09 AM   #12
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Andy are you sure we're talking about the same thing?

They're are built in easy setups right now in final cut pro 6 (final cut studio 2)
and there was a white paper from apple and sony about how great it works.

further, I've been hearing from some XDCAM HD users that the workflow is fantastic the best thing since sliced bread.

are we talking about the same thing?

I'd really like to be enlightened because I was under the impression that XDCAM HD was very easy to deal with as of fcp version 6.

Please educate me if I'm wrong in that.
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Old October 19th, 2007, 10:27 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Silva View Post
Andy are you sure we're talking about the same thing?

They're are built in easy setups right now in final cut pro 6 (final cut studio 2)
and there was a white paper from apple and sony about how great it works.

further, I've been hearing from some XDCAM HD users that the workflow is fantastic the best thing since sliced bread.

are we talking about the same thing?

I'd really like to be enlightened because I was under the impression that XDCAM HD was very easy to deal with as of fcp version 6.

Please educate me if I'm wrong in that.
Not to jump in for Andy, but the easy setups you refer to are present in FCP 5.1 as well. Those are pre-defined sequence settings for properly working in native XDCAM HD. That's the codec support side.

The import side, where the XDCAM material is removed from its MXF wrapper and re-wrapped as a QT file that FCP understands, is still done via the external XDCAM Transfer application. If you click to import XDCAM HD from the file menu in FCP, this is the application that will launch.

I am beta testing the new version now, but I'm not at liberty to talk about features or show any screen shots as things may change between now and the release. I'm pleased with the things that have been added, but there are a couple things I'd still like to see included.

Like Alister, I am grateful for the way Sony continues to upgrade the XDCAM HD product line at no additional cost via firmware and software updates.

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Old October 20th, 2007, 02:53 AM   #14
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FCP offers by far the best XDCAM workflow in my view. It works very well with a very good import routine. I have used version 2 of the importer and it has many small improvements.

As far as I know I don't think there will be an option to import XDCAM HD directly into FCP. It will be possible to import XDCAM EX material directly. but not XDCAM HD. Certainly at IBC this is what we were showing. I like the Sony importer, one adaantage it gives you over a direct import is that you can start editing and work in FCP while the files are being imported by the importer in the background. You should think of the importer as an extension of FCP as that is the way it works.
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