Sony XDCAM EX and Premiere Pro
 

Looks like Adobe will have its own clip browser for the EX cams....

Check it out... there is a small movie showing how it works...

Adobe Premiere Pro CS4: Features

They were showing this at IBC and it looked very slick.

EX files adn Premiere CS4
 

I wanted to test EX files handling by Premiere CS4, so downloaded the trial but something is missing - I can neither create a HD project (other than DVCPROHD), nor import mp4's pr mxf's (importer generic error, or unknown format).

Is it the trial version limitation, or do I need to know something not obvious?

No one is editing EX video in CS4?

Patience! It has only been the first 3 hours of Monday morning after a major holiday weekend in North America since your original post.

I don't do EX so can't say, but there has already been one significant update and at least one minor update to CS4 so it may well be that this capability was either fixed or added after the initial release.

DAV's TechTable: XDCAM and Premiere Pro 3.2

Piotr,

The above link is to a page, with video links, of the workflow for XDCAM EX and PPro 3.2. It is the same for CS4. The demo does have some features disabled. HDV does not work in the demo, and I think some of the other formats are disabled, also.

While I don't own an XDCAM EX, I have had files sent to me in that format and they work fine in PPro CS4.

I am not 100% sure, but I think the trial version is not 100% functional for HD editing. Has something to do with the HD codecs, which only get installed with a serial number.

Thanks Zach. Indeed, not seeing even HDV in the possible project settings, I'm sure now the trial version has serious limitations.

Well, Adobe is not going to steal me away from Vegas this way :)

I was getting the same "generic error" when I had both CS3 and CS4 installed same time. Now with only CS4 importing works fine

Tuomas,

Is this with the demo version of CS4? I have CS3 and my EX stuff edits great.

I downloaded the trial as well, but can't import. I'm thinking this has been disabled as there is no HDV either.

Bummer, I was wanting to try out some of the features before purchasing.

it was digital download version from adobe site

So was mine, but I only have the current (ie. CS4) version on my system (no any other Adobe stuff apart from the Acrobat reader). Yet - no HDV, no HD other than DVCPROHD, no EX import.

I believe that Adobe license the Mpeg codec from a third party (mainconcept I think) so they don't include it in the demo versions as they would have to pay royalties.

I've handed my native EX1 files to an editor who was using PP CS3.
I watched with my own eyes as he pulled the files from my portable hard drive onto the timeline, no rewrapping or converting at all.

Paul.

I use Final Cut, but my work partner use Premier on his PC and it works very well.
When the camera came out however it took a while before Adobe was up and running

I should've read this thread before downloading 1.2GB ;)

If anybody is interested: no, this does still not work with the actual trial of PP CS4, downloaded yesterday from adobe.com and installed on a very fresh & pure XP32pro-system. No appropriate HD-Settings for 1080p/i or 720p/i and no importing of mp4 from EX1 or MXF from ClipBrowser 2.5.

Aftwards I installed an Edius 5 trial on that system - and it works great. If there would not exist Encore with Premiere Pro I would now change to Edius, since people love it...

I suspect the difference is that Adobe licence the full Main Concept codec, once you have it, it's available to all applications. If they included it in the trial you could get it for free.
The codec that ships with Vegas is restricted to Vegas only, it is not available to other applications.

I can't speak for XDCAM EX in CS4 which I have but haven't installed. CS3 was upgraded to support XDCAM some time ago and it's been working OK for me. It's certainly nice not having to do the Clipbrowser dance and edit straight from the cards. With a 16GB SDHC card it takes close to realtime before I'm editing in Vegas. With CS3 it takes a minute or two to get all the clips onto the timeline. CS3 can display all the metadata, right down to the serial number of the camera that recorded the clips.

I'd also agree with others about Edius based on the all too quick look(s) I've had at it. It's kind of the sleeper that like Vegas doesn't get the press it deserves.

I don't use Premiere but I have the CS4 Master collection so I ran it to check. It looks like it supports all flavours of EX.

I felt like a fish out of water in there though!

Hallo Paul,you tried to burn a blu-ray with CS4? if so, how did you do? I tried to export a 1920x1080 25p project done and I can not export the blu-ray only 1920x1080 25I were 720 50p.Care what is the solution the best?
Thanks

Hello guys, Im running the APPcs4 into pc platform and accepts all the flavors of the EX1/3.
And you can export to various H264 bluray files or mpeg2 Blueray with the Adobe Encoder. It have progressive as well as interlaced at all the framerates and all HD sizes (1980x1080-1440x1080-1290x720).

CS4 export
 

Can you export out of Premiere onto DVD or cards in the original camera format?

I edit XDcam in CS4
 

I open my Ex1 files directly in CS4 and edit them in CS4

Piotr, i give one of my colleagues footage from my EX1 and it works with CS4.
I put the whole bapv onto a portable drive, go to his house, plug the protable drive in, he copies the files to his pc and that's it, he's editing, no rewrapping needed.

Paul.

premiere cs4 has little or no metadata support for EX files. Adding names or titles in the Sony Clip browser does not show up on the Premiere Media browser where it would do the most good. Big disapointment

Do we have to download additional drivers?
 

I have recently added CS4 to my software collection, and I must say it has impressed me in unexpected ways.

I know to edit P2 footage in Premiere Pro, you need to download drivers from the Pany website. Anyone knows if XD CAM has similar requirements?

Is the footage capturing process as seamless and easy as plug-and-play, or do we need Sony's plug-in at some point?

Cheers

Plug the card in, copy the footage to your editing drive, copy into premiere, edit...so yes plug and play. On my windows 7 computer I did not have to install any drivers...same with my windows vista computer

No additional drivers on Win XP Pro needed to edit native XDCAM mp4-footage. You even do not need to rewrap to mxf, just directly import mp4 into PP and edit...

XDCAM in mP4 wrapper (like Sony EX) works fine wit hno extra drivers.. still.. no MOV XDCAM like my HM700 does. I have both options (MP4 or MOV wrapper but the the MOV is Final Cut compatibile and easier to handle without all those folders)

.MP4 encode issues with XDCAM EX footage in CS4
 

oop wrong place to post

Important to know : unlike many others professionals video editing software, like Final Cut Studio either Canopus Edius among others, which do it for free, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 do not export XDCAM formats (EX, HD and others). That means you cannot correctly archive your XDCAM work with Premiere Pro CS4. To export your XDCAM project with Premiere, you’ll have to buy Mainconcept MPEG PRO HD 4 plug-in, whose price is 359 $ / 279 € (plus appl. Tax).

This situation is unfortunately not properly indicated by Adobe, that’s the least that one can say. It wouldn’t be false to say it is even hidden.

(Just in case anybody would know how to export XDCAM from Premiere Pro CS4 without buying Mainconcept plug-in, let us know, but I am pretty shure it is not possible.)

I'd like to work with XDCAM movs (like the ones my HM700 gives me) and not in MP4 wrapper (why should I want to bring around with me all those folders).. But Adobe Premiere seems to manage realtime playback only with MP4 wrapper. Can you confirm this? no news about a MOV realtime playback ability?