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Sony XDCAM EX Pro Handhelds
Sony PXW-Z280, Z190, X180 etc. (going back to EX3 & EX1) recording to SxS flash memory.

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Old January 2nd, 2008, 07:44 PM   #1
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How does the off-/on-line paradigm fit into the EX1 post workflow?

The thread title pretty much sums it up. . . I was reading through some posts (like this one and this one) about workflow with the EX1, however I haven't come across anything mentioning off-line and on-line editing within the workflow. It pretty much has been described in three easy steps:

1. Shoot: capture footage onto SxS card(s)
2. Import: capture full-res footage from SxS card(s) to HDD via Sony's Transfer app
3. Edit: start editing with captured/imported/whatever footage while more footage is being transferred (way cool)

Has Expresscard acquisition's workflow done away with the idea of capturing low-res for off-line editing and then recapturing hi-res for on-line editing?
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Old January 2nd, 2008, 08:56 PM   #2
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In a word, yep. The 300 series of the Sony XDCAM's write proxy files to the disc for off-line editing and have the ability to conform the high-res files but the EX doesn't write proxy files.

I can't even think of a way you could downconvert the files to a smaller size, do the edit and then conform using the full-res images.
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Old January 2nd, 2008, 09:06 PM   #3
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I can't even think of a way you could downconvert the files to a smaller size, do the edit and then conform using the full-res images.
That's what the situation is looking like to me; that you would have to "brew your own" proxies, but that path sounds like aggravation just waiting to happen. . .

Well, I needed to upgrade my editing suite anyway (FCS1 on a Dual-867 PowerMac G4). Now if the NFB would just hand over some cash. . .

;-}p
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Old January 2nd, 2008, 09:31 PM   #4
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There are a few good reasons why there's no proxies and I'm glad Sony went this route.

No proxies means more record time for full rez clips on SxS cards.

Coming from XDCAM Disc one might want to get in low rez proxies quickly while full rez clips transfered at some point.

SxS through Express slot ingest is so fast there's not need for smaller proxies for speedier ingest.

Now if only someone would come out with a PCIe to Express reader for the Mac. USB import doesn't seem much faster than ingest from an XDCAM disc.
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Old January 2nd, 2008, 10:18 PM   #5
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No proxies means more record time for full rez clips on SxS cards.
Yes, that is a very good reason.

It appears to me that you pretty much have to edit in full res, since there isn't the tape workflow of:

1. Capture footage in low res
2. Do your offline editing
3. Re-capture footage in full res
4. Do your online editing

Even though it was a pain recapturing the footage again, I liked being able to work low res (conserving disk space, memory, processor resources) for the bulk of the work, then recapturing only what footage is actually being used for the final online work.
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Old January 7th, 2008, 06:43 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Wilson View Post
The 300 series of the Sony XDCAM's write proxy files to the disc for off-line editing and have the ability to conform the high-res files but the EX doesn't write proxy files.
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Originally Posted by Craig Seeman View Post
There are a few good reasons why there's no proxies and I'm glad Sony went this route.
The EX1 may not gen any proxy files, but the clip browser does, according to Juan Martinez…

Quote:
Q: Sony’s optical disk-based XDCAM HD camcorders also produce low-res 1.5 Mbps MPEG-4 proxy files. Is it true that the PMW-EX1 doesn’t have the capability to produce such proxy files?

Juan Martinez: Proxy clips are created when you use the clip browser. It will automatically create the proxies for you. They are created on the back end, not while you record.
(Read the full article here.)

So perhaps there is an off-line/on-line workflow possibility after all. If there is, that would be a blessing, would it not?

I know I am speaking from a place of inexperience (when it comes to working in HD), but I just can't fathom doing all my editing with full-res 35 Mbps HD clips! I am left wondering what kind of system set-up is being used by those of you who are doing that… how does your system not get bogged down?

Getting back on topic… if an off-line/on-line workflow exists, I would be curious to know how it works (especially in FCP).
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Old January 7th, 2008, 07:02 PM   #7
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I can't imagine the need to use proxies due to the 35mbps files which are already small IMHO.

I can't imagine using proxies due to system demands when my 3 year old G5 can handle 35mbps editing without a problem

I can't imagine using proxies when copy speed from SxS to hard drive on a MacBookPro Express slot is nearly 10x and about 4x using USB on Intel Mac (as my puny Intel Mac Mini showed me).

I can see using proxies when your source is XDCAM disc masters and you have no need to copy the source files to a hard drive and can import proxies faster.

With SxS you're going to have to copy to your hard drive. So in what circumstance would one need proxies? To save hard drive space you're already using? For a faster ingest for files that are already copied to the hard drive? For more responsive editing when even 3 year old CPUs can handle the native long GOP codec?

There might be a need for low rez proxies to hand to a client as screening copies. Beyond that I can't see any need for proxies but that's just me.
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