XDCAM playback on Bluray?

[Steven Thomas]

Has anyone been able to confirm if making a Bluray data disc, saving the XDAM 35mb .mp4 files and changing the extention to .ts will play on Blueray players (PS3)?

If so, this would make a decent way to archive and be able to play the files via bluray for review.

[Craig Seeman]

I can't confirm it but several Sony reps have told me this will work.

[Paul Dhadialla]

Hi all, (Craig especially you sir)

I'm picking up a EX1 next week (supplementing my z1u's). I do mostly weddings so I need to show the customer the master hdv so they can get a glimpse of the day. I usually just play from a deck and show them on a hd tv

Now with XDCAM EX it changes.

I saw some posts (like those below) where we take the mp4 clip stright from the camera and rename into a .ts and burn it to blu-ray for playback on a playstation 3

So say the file is called clip1.mp4 - I rename that to clip.ts (or is it clip.m2ts) and "burn it" to a blu-ray disk.

Questions.
1) When we say burn it - is it just a data disk or a bdav disk
2) since there are literally dozens, if not hundredes of clips would they just play "end to end" in sequence on the ps3 if we burned

I guess alternatives would be to output to hdv tape or maybe some hardware is recommended.

Ulimately i just want to play all the clips for review - in sequence.

Any other solutions / recommendations or past posts I may have missed that explain that would be greatly appreciated.

Much thanks in advance!
Paul

[Bernard Racelis]

On a PS3, there are at least 2 ways to play a HD MPEG-2 file:

1) Create an MPEG-2 file:
For example, convert the MP4 file into MXF using the EX clip brower, import the MXF file into Sony Vegas, and render as MPEG-2.
Then transfer the file to the PS3 using a USB flash drive and play the video from the USB drive or copy the file to the PS3's hard drive and play the video from there.

I tried the above and it works. PS3 can also play WMV(VC1) or AVC files.

However, simply renaming the original MP4 file (which is supposed to be an MPEG-2 file) to ts/mpg/m2t does not work.



2) "Author" a blu ray format disc (BDMV):

For example, the blu ray movie "Ratatouille" contains the following data in the BDMV directory:

F:\>dir BDMV

 Volume in drive F is RATATOUILLE
 Directory of F:\BDMV

10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          .
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          ..
10/05/2007  05:00 PM               324 index.bdmv
10/05/2007  05:00 PM            76,330 MovieObject.bdmv
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          PLAYLIST
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          CLIPINF
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          STREAM
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          AUXDATA
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          META
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          BDJO
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          JAR
10/05/2007  05:03 PM    <DIR>          BACKUP
               2 File(s)        102,150 bytes
              10 Dir(s)               0 bytes free

But before you can "author" the disc using an disc authoring software (example Sony DVD Architect Pro) or a video editor (example Sony Vegas 8 Pro), the software should first be able to import the video. But the MP4 file cannot be imported by the software.

[Ray Bell]

Also I just confirmed that changing the file name to .ts will not burn to a disk using DVDit HD pro.... the application doesn't recognize the file format...

Nor will taking the .ts file to a PS3 via memory stick work either as it won't see the file format either....

[Craig Seeman]

Several Sony reps have told me that you can simply change the .mp4 to .ts burn to Blu-ray disc and it will play on a Blu-ray player. I haven't yet tried this myself but I've asked and been told that at least 3 times.

I do not know if one can play multiple files that way.

Have you actually taken a single .mp4 file and changed the extension to .ts and burned to Blu-ray?

Sony insisted no compression or authoring is needed in the above case since the 35mbps VBR file falls within Blu-ray's 40mbps max spec.

I wouldn't be surprised if some players can't do this though.

Originally Posted by Bernard Racelis

However, simply renaming the original MP4 file (which is supposed to be an MPEG-2 file) to ts/mpg/m2t does not work.

[Paul Dhadialla]

Bernard, Craig, Ray - Thanks again !

I should have my camera in a few days and i'll give it a try for sure. I'll let you know if I find anything

Do you guys recommend anything in terms of a hardware based solution I/O solution. Perhaps a card to output either component or HDMI instead straight from the computer to an LCD monitor in 1080p.

If I create a windows media file and used something like an BM intensity card - I assume that would work. I'm using Edius and Canopus says we can't output video through intensity straight from the timeline. I believe Premiere does allow that.

Cheers
Paul

[John Maler]

Anyone have a recommendation on a bluray drivel? I've not found a lot of options out there, and they're pretty pricey. I'm a mac book pro user and need an external.

Quick check on B&H shows one external - the Lacie w/Firewire 400 for $749

Any other suggestions appreciated!

[Daniel Weber]

check out www.macsales.com (Other World Computing) (Sorry if this breaks the rules Chris, but they are not a video dealer so I figured it was o.k.)

They sell a blu ray burner for around $699 which includes version of Toast that burns blu ray discs.

I don't know if this will read Blu Ray movies or not.

Daniel Weber

[Bernard Racelis]

Originally Posted by Craig Seeman

Have you actually taken a single .mp4 file and changed the extension to .ts and burned to Blu-ray?

A blu ray data disc appears as a "Data disc" on the PS3 -- exactly like a DVD or CD data disc, except it has more space.

I just tried burning a blu ray data disk with 2 files:
(1) An .m2t file that I rendered from Vegas.
(2) An MP4 straight from the camera with the extension changed to .m2t

When I insert the disc in the PS3, it's displayed as a "Data disc", and when I select it, it displays both files, but only the first one has an "mpeg-2" icon next to it and it plays fine. If I select the second one, it says "corrupted data".

As mentioned by Ray in a previous post above, the Playstation 3 does not recognize .ts as a video file -- if I name the file as .ts, it's not displayed on the screen when I select "Data disc" (in the case of a disc) or a USB flash drive - but it recognizes .m2t or .mpg.

I also tried renaming the .mp4 to .m2ts (which is the extension used for the video files on blu ray movie discs) and it also says "corrupted data" when I try to play it.

[Steven Thomas]

Bernard, thanks for checking this out....
Hmm... I heard this was "suppose" to work. Oh well, maybe we're not clear on the details.

[Bernard Racelis]

I suppose the PS3 firmware can be updated to support the EX1 file format (the MP4 or even the re-wrapped MXF) the same way last month's firmware (2.10) was released with additional support for WMV and Divx files. The EX1 and PS3 are both Sony products after all.


Also, so far I've only tried playing videos on the PS3 by selecting the file/icon one at a time -- not sure if it's possible to select multiple files or create a "play list" on the data disc or USB flash drive. It might be possible for music files, but not video files.

[Greg Voevodsky]

New Macs will have Blu-Ray drive as an option. Wait till Mac world Jan 15th.

[Tom Roper]

Originally Posted by Bernard Racelis

I suppose the PS3 firmware can be updated to support the EX1 file format (the MP4 or even the re-wrapped MXF) the same way last month's firmware (2.10) was released with additional support for WMV and Divx files.

.mxf and .mp4 from the EX1 will not play on my PS3.

[Mark Miner]

I think that all the file testing, naming, re-wrapping etc. can be tested with a PS3 by simply putting it on a USB pen drive and inserting it in the USB slot. If and when the PS3 will play these files this should work well. All the file formats that the PS3 will currently play will play perfectly from the USB drive INCLUDING the high def formats that the PS3 supports. I am hoping for an upgrade to the PS3 that will play the 35mb Xdcam format but so far no combination of re-wrapping or renaming seems to work.

Mark Miner