I have started playing around with the Nanoflash's ability to create transport streams and have had issues creating audio. The video looks great at 35Mbps and drops into Encore CS4 no problem. However, either audio isn't created during the recording process or the applications I'm using are seeing the embedded audio in the stream.

Am I wrong in thinking their should be audio with these files?

I have started playing around with the Nanoflash's ability to create transport streams and have had issues creating audio. The video looks great at 35Mbps and drops into Encore CS4 no problem. However, either audio isn't created during the recording process or the applications I'm using are seeing the embedded audio in the stream.

Am I wrong in thinking their should be audio with these files?

Hi James-
Our hardware engineer is looking into the audio in the MPG file. I suspect we're not 100% compatible with the spec, as we have discovered playback issues on long files. Please allow a few more days of debug and testing to get this corrected.

Best-

Okay. Just to clarify I've got no audio for both M2V and MPG

Dear James,

M2V is a video only format, so there not any audio by design.

MPG should have audio. We are checking into this.

Hi Dan,
Well today I got my brand new NanoFlash just waiting for media and I can try all this stuff.
What I want to ask is why have an M2V video only format or is audio planned be included with future upgrades?
Most of my work is distributed to CD and BD and this could have an enormous benefit to production workflow.

Thanks

Dear Lance,

The ".MPG" file format, according to the published standard, has both audio and video, and can be used to create a file ready to be burned to a DVD or Blu-ray.

The ".M2V" file format, according to the published standard, has video only, and can be used to create a file ready to be burned to a DVD or Blu-ray.

So the choice is yours. We offer both so the user can use whichever one is appropriate.

I am worried that some may choose ".M2V" when they also want audio recorded. Since ".M2V" does not have audio, the file is smaller.

Thanks for clearing that up Dan.
I do understand that you are producing equipment to a standard what I am questioning is the standard.

I just fail to understand why a standard was developed without sound unless the audio was to imported by other means.

I will make sure I do not select that option.

Cheers

Hey Dan,
I think I get it now you use the Nano as a recorder form your NLE timeline record the MPEG2 elementary stream (video only) in real time saving long rendering time using compressor. Your then only need to render the audio only which should not take long at all . Then drop them both into the Blu-ray authoring software and you have saved many hour of render time.
I have been focused on the Nano for acquisition for the camera and not as authoring tool.
Thanks

Dear Lance,

Yes!

We think these new features add significant value to the Flash XDR and nanoFlash.

These new features are in the nanoFlash right now, with firmware 1.0.64, and will be added to the Flash XDR soon. Our firmware update for the Flash XDR is currently being tested.

Dan - With regards to the MPG stream, is there an application you recommend using to burn them quickly to blu ray for simple playback? I used a free app called TSmuxer which quickly made the folders found on a Blu Ray and then you just burnt them like data. I figure Encore isn't terrible but to just get video onto a disk for dailies it seems a bit overboard.

Dan – You guys are really surprising me all the time, when I ordered my NanoFlash I had one application for it (Good quality SD) now you have opened the door and made it a very versatile multifunction unit. I can’t wait to see what you guys will come up with next.

I had a Media 100 iFinsh system which had realtime mpeg encoder board (Sony chip set) which in the early day’s of DVD production allowed me to make the mpeg stream in realtime and burn to disk. I know the amount of time this saved me and I was able to get product out very quickly which gave me a marketing advantage. Given that the amount of data for Blu-ray authoring is so much more than DVD the Nano is going to be an essential part of our production suite. I will be working with this feature as soon as my media arrives to find my best workflow to build Blu-ray disk’s.

Thanks

Dear James,

We have been testing various DVD / Blu-ray burning software in our lab.

When possible, we will report our results.

In the meantime, we would welcome suggestions as to the specific software that our friends would like to use.

Dear Lance,

We really appreciate you kind thoughts.

We have some exciting new features coming up.

Hey Dan,
I think I get it now you use the Nano as a recorder form your NLE timeline record the MPEG2 elementary stream (video only) in real time saving long rendering time using compressor. Your then only need to render the audio only which should not take long at all . Then drop them both into the Blu-ray authoring software and you have saved many hour of render time.
I have been focused on the Nano for acquisition for the camera and not as authoring tool.
Thanks

Dear Lance,

Yes!

We think these new features add significant value to the Flash XDR and nanoFlash.

These new features are in the nanoFlash right now, with firmware 1.0.64, and will be added to the Flash XDR soon. Our firmware update for the Flash XDR is currently being tested.

I assume this means that your particular NLE outputs HD-SDI or HDMI from your editing workstation (for example Edius (Grass Valley) 5.0 with HDSPARK for HDMI or HDTHUNDER for HD-SDI output)? You then are able to write the m2v files to the CF cards and then copy to your hard disk and into the particular Blu-ray authoring program?

If that is the case you have added a feature found in certain hardware cards (e.g. Firecorder Blu from Grass Valley - however this does conversion to H.264 and MPEG-2 but not m2v and is rather buggy and incompatible with some authoring programs).

Would be very interested to see your test results with DVDitProHD.

Hi Barry,
I use FCP 7 with Mac Book Pro and have in the last few months moved to HD, my system is set up SD and analogue. I now have to purchase a firewire device that will give me hd sdi which will also include analogue outputs and compatible with FCP 7. I am still look at various option, once I have the system in place I will post my results which may not be till the end of the month.

Dear Lance,

I could be wrong, but I doubt if there is a Firewire device that offers HD-SDI output.

As you are probably aware, with Firewire, 1394a and 1394b, one is limited to 800 Mbps.

HD-SDI is 1485 Mbps or 1.485 Gbps.

So, we have two inputs on the nanoFlash for recording from a computer, HD-SDI or HDMI.

Dan- Thanks for the info my system is SD and I am now making the conversion to HD. I edit on a Macbook Pro and use a Dual ESATA express card to power my two Stardom raids for editing. The I/O in the past has been via a Datavideo DAC-15 which is connected to the firewire 800 or 400 pot. This unit now needs to replace with a HD device which will output HD-SDI for the Nanno, HDMI for the monitor, and retain my analogue output connections.

You are right I have not found anything yet all the devices that I have seen so far require the use of the express card slot but that then means running my raid drives on USB2 which I think I might run into problems.

Hey if anyone can offer suggestions please do so I would really appreciate it.
Thanks

Dear James,

M2V is a video only format, so there not any audio by design.

MPG should have audio. We are checking into this.

Dan just to be clear .m2v is a video only format but what is stopping you from creating pcm/wav audio at the same time? Is this a hardware limitation?

thanks John

Dan just to be clear .m2v is a video only format but what is stopping you from creating pcm/wav audio at the same time? Is this a hardware limitation?

thanks John

Dear John,

We were considering this.

In our recorders, we strive to keep all of our files, on the CompactFlash cards, 100% defragmented. In other words, each files is written so that each block of data is next to each other. This allows us to provide high-quality, glitch-free playback, and we are able to create the files at speeds close to the theoritical maximum speed of each CompactFlash card.

If we write two files, simulataneously, then each file will be in multiple non-contiguous areas of the card. This has serious implications.

Dan just to be clear .m2v is a video only format but what is stopping you from creating pcm/wav audio at the same time? Is this a hardware limitation?
thanks John
The only MPEG-2 "video+audio" file that DVDs authoring application would accept, it would be an an MPEG-2 with MP2/Layer1 Audio. But probably you don't want that because is a very little efficient audio codec.
The Nano could record an SD MPEG-2 with PCM audio (these are the files that normally records the NANO:.mov, MFX) but those files wouldn't be accepted by DVDSTP or so.
The .m2v is the simplest solution. You get the MPEG-2 video (.m2v) in the NANO. To get the audio for the DVD you just need to export your clip as .aiff, wav or AC3 and pair the files in the authoring application.
Cheers,
rafael

Dear Lance,
I could be wrong, but I doubt if there is a Firewire device that offers HD-SDI output....The Flash XDR. ;-) Sorry, Dan, I just couldn't resist :-)

Dear John,

We were considering this.

In our recorders, we strive to keep all of our files, on the CompactFlash cards, 100% defragmented. In other words, each files is written so that each block of data is next to each other. This allows us to provide high-quality, glitch-free playback, and we are able to create the files at speeds close to the theoritical maximum speed of each CompactFlash card.

If we write two files, simulataneously, then each file will be in multiple non-contiguous areas of the card. This has serious implications.

Understood Dan - sounds like writing the interleaved files is the only practical solution, unless you dedicate one card to audio which is pretty inefficient. No big deal - easy enough to split them in post...


John

Dan - Any ideas on what software is best to use the MPG's with natively?

Dear James,

Are you asking which software is best to take our already rendered ".MPG" files and burn a SD DVD or a Blu-ray disk?

If so, I do not have a preference, as I have limited experience with the numerous options available. We have tested some in our lab, but I do not remember which ones at this moment.

I edit using Sony Vegas, so I use DVD Architect for creating SD DVD's.

For Blu-ray disks, I understand that one can use DVD Architect or Sony Vegas itself in some cases.

I welcome suggestions from others as to what DVD or Blu-ray burning software they like best.

Or, are you asking which software to use to edit our ".MPG" files?

I expect to burn some Blu-ray disks in the next week or so. We are about to order some media.

Dan- Yeah I just wanted to know what application works best with the MPG files to make Blu Rays. It seems like Encore doesn't like them since it wants to transcode them.

If you work with MAC, you can do it with Toast.
Just tell him don't re-compress the media.
rafael

Dan- Yeah I just wanted to know what application works best with the MPG files to make Blu Rays. It seems like Encore doesn't like them since it wants to transcode them.....If you are working in MAC there are two excellent ways to go here. Maybe even three. (??) In FCS 7.0 you can use both DVD Studio Pro or Compressor to make a burnable Blu-ray DVD or DVD Image for burning on another computer or PC. The third option is Adobe After Effects CS4 with Adobe Encoder, which will also allow you to import demuxed MPv and MPa (I think ?) - I have to familiarize myself with this app more to be sure.