bonang:

 One reason footage might show up as XDCAM HD 35 MB or HDV 1080i is if your original footage was shoot SQ/25MB, thsi would import as HDV. HQ/35MB footage should show up as XDCAM HD 35MB, etc.

I've checked the metadata of each clip with the PDZ-1 software and indeed the clips indicated as HDV in Avid appear as 25MBitsec and the other as HQ/35Mbitsec.  Since that is outside of Avid the change must have occured in-camera.  It looks as thought the first half hour of footage on this particular disc is 25MB and the rest is 35MB.  I can only deduce that I changed some camera setting and forgot that I had done it.

As I stated before I thought that the Picture Cache mode might somehow revert video bitrates to 25MBitsec by default but I just shot two separate clips - one in Picture Cache and the other without Picture Cache at HQ/35MBitsec and they both appear as XDCAM HD HQ/35MBitsec in the PDZ-1 software as well as Avid when imported.

Go figure... it simply must have been operator error - ME!

 Stewart:  Our standard workflow is to import XDCAM clips directly into a project using the import tool. Also, because of time constraints, we do not work with proxies, only the hi-rez files. The "set source" I was referring to is part of the "modify clip" dialog options to assign a new tape ID to a clip.  This is necessary if you work with proxies and then intend to batch import a de-composed sequence.  And I agree with you that Avid needs to include timecode and disc label to the re-linking methods, especially for the XDCAM workflow. The system should prompt you for new disc labels during the batch import process just as it would prompt you to mount the correct tape.

at least my system is asking me to enter a Disc Label when I import the XDCAM proxies. when I want to batch import the hirez clips, my MC tells me to insert the disc "What-ever-you-labeld-it" and to hit ok. One bug: if you press ok to early the system gets confused.

Moses.M:

why do you "drag'n drop" and not let Avid do it's "Import XDCAM Proxy..." job?

That's a good question with a long answer:

When I first began shooting XDCAM HD I noticed the alphanumeric names our 335L camera automatically generated where not descriptive enough (duh).  So I thought I could go into the disc via PDZ-1 software and change the clip names.  I did (birds - wideshot, turtle meduim shot etc.)

I then imported the Proxies into Avid the way I've been shown a million times.  I edited my show for two weeks.  When I got done I deleted the proxies and told Avid to Batch Import.  It imported only clips that I hadn't altered the names of - the clips that were still alphanumerically named.  It reimported Proxies for any of the clips I had renamed!  No matter what it imported Proxies.

After numerous hours on the phone with Avid I figured that the name changing in the PDZ-1 software somehow didn't change the name of both the low-rez and hi-rez.  So the names that Avid was looking for to reimport were renamed proxies and not the hi-rez because they were still alphanumeric when I checked the actually Clip folder!

That revelation screwed me over big time - I had to pull a repeat show and push the rest of the year's new shows back a month.  Huge pain.

Since then I went to Avid training at GeniusDV in Orlando.  My instructor suggested that proxies weren't that necessary if your project wasn't that large, you had the hardware to handle the full-rez during the edit and hard drive space wasn't an issue.  Basically that an off-line wasn't necessary in our case.  Ever since I've edited our shows with the full-rez and refrained from using the PDZ-1 software to rename clips.  It works for now but I find it ironic we're not using the functionality of proxies in our XDCAM HD workflow - kinda the whole point ya know!?!

Larry Rubin:

The "set source" I was referring to is part of the "modify clip" dialog options to assign a new tape ID to a clip.

 Hey Larry, I tried changing the tape name through the "modify clip" dialog option (something I hadn't ever needed to mess with before) and no dice.  By changing all the offline clip Tape names to match all the high rez I directly imported into a new bin I thought a Relink using "highest quality" would certainly single out the ones used in the timeline.  Didn't work.  I end up with duplicate sequences with offline media.

Good try though - thanks.  I'm thinking this is a bug and that's all there is to it.  I'm just glad there isn't a hard deadline on this project right now or I'd be screwed... again!

Oh Avid Gods here me now...

Sorry to bother you kind folks with this thread but I found the tidbit of info I needed at the bottom of the MC 3.0 ReadMe file.  It states:

"When you import XDCAM files, be aware that Avid does not support the batch import

workflow when you are working in the following Sony XDCAM camera modes: Picture

Cache Record Mode, Interval Record Mode, or VFR (Variable Frame Rate) Mode

(UCC/OCC - Undercrank/Overcrank). An error message appears which informs you that the

video is not supported. However, the High-Rez versions of these clips can be imported.

Their timecode values, however, will be inaccurate. The Avid editor appends its own generic

timecode to clips recorded in any of the previously mentioned modes."

There's my answer.  I'm screwed until the next update.  Thanks for all of your insights though!!

 Hmmm, this is beginning to sound like a joint Avid - Sony bug that both of them will have to work on together to cure.

another "bug":

I tried to export a 1080i50 project to the PDW-U1. but as HD 422 with 50 Mbit/s is not yet fully supported, I could only choose upto 35 MBit/s and 24 Bit Audio - there was no other choice. when I press "OK" I get an error message, telling me that HD export is only supported with "16 Bit, 2 or 4 channels". If I could choose to export with 16 Bit, I would....

So - is this a Avid issue, or is it upt to Sony to fix this?

Regards M.

Moses.M:

another "bug":

I tried to export a 1080i50 project to the PDW-U1. but as HD 422 with 50 Mbit/s is not yet fully supported, I could only choose upto 35 MBit/s and 24 Bit Audio - there was no other choice. when I press "OK" I get an error message, telling me that HD export is only supported with "16 Bit, 2 or 4 channels". If I could choose to export with 16 Bit, I would....

So - is this a Avid issue, or is it upt to Sony to fix this?

Regards M.

 I'm having this same issue, and it is vexing me to no end.  Any solutions?

Thanks.

no solution yet...

still waiting

On MC 3.0 We get the same message when trying to Export via iLink to the Sony XDCam PDW HD 1500.

Inside what looks like a pulldown/chooser, there is no 16 bit option available.

Has anyone here been successful doing an Export to either of these two devices?  What's the trick?

@Reflexzero & itmatters:

I got a solution for our/my problem: I had to format a disc using the PDW-U1 utility. afterwards I could output my sequence with 17,5 / 25 or 35 MBit/sec....

In my case there were 2 files from the PDW-700 on the disc which seem to confuse MC.

Hope this may help you too.

Regards Moses

In version 3.05 of MC on Windows when trying to perform a batch import of XDCAM files, the Set File Location option doesn't work. The button is clickable, but does not allow you to change the file location, because the software thinks it knows the location of the files. (the proxy folder).

Very strange indeed...

I thought it was a bug once, but it turns out that it will seek out and find the Hi-Res automatically (and correctly).  As far as I remember it is behaving correctly.