Explore an XDCAM media workflow; from setting up your equipment, to importing and editing XDCAM media, to conforming to high-resolution media, and finally finishing your sequence.

Launch the Working with XDCAM Media Video Tutorials

Unfortunately, avid media composer doesn't work like it's supposed to.  It loses reference to media files, batch import doesn't work correctly.  Export doesn't work.  The process looks to be great, it just doesn't work yet.  Hopefully this is fixed in MC 3.0, otherwise we might have to go to Final Cut.

bobrahfeldt:

Hopefully this is fixed in MC 3.0, otherwise we might have to go to Final Cut.

The ingest XDCAM methods have worked on MCA here for the last 3 to 4 years. Via Ethernet connection, FW connection, SDI connection and lately through USB connection. From cameras, decks and lately USB device.

Have not tried export yet as Sony have only just announced the export through USB option. SDI digital cut to deck works a treat.

Doesn't work well for us.  It's awful.  I've had many people email me telling me the same thing.  I dealt with avid support about it numerous times and they seem clueless about it.  We have no way to ingest media with SDI, so we have to rely on the FW connection of the camera and deck.

We can import proxy media fine, but when using the batch import function explained in that tutorial, Media Composer can't find the high resolution clips.  What you have to do is decompose the sequence, find which high rez clips you need, write or print those clips, reimport those high rez clips separately, relink the media.  Pain in the butt

The batch import function will work much of the time if the XDCAM disk is kept in your deck, connected thru firewire, and the Media Composer application is running.  If you eject the disk, or the application is closed or crashes, you're screwed.  We do alot of our editing in the field with a laptop and don't have time to import all the high rez media, and have to uprez when we get back to the office.  Of course, the batch import function is useless in that occasion.  It needs to work in situations like this to truly be effective for people like us.  I hope avid addresses this, but I'm afraid they won't.

We shoot sporting events and create "saver tapes" of the good plays that we will use in highlight videos.  The export function doesn't work so we can't do that either.  I think we are getting a Nitris DX box, so hopefully that will be resolved.

I just hope it works better in the future.

bobrahfeldt:

The batch import function will work much of the time if the XDCAM disk is kept in your deck, connected thru firewire, and the Media Composer application is running.  If you eject the disk, or the application is closed or crashes, you're screwed.

Which version of MC are you using?  There was a previous problem with Batch Import that sounds familiar, but as far as I know it was fixed.