We've just started filming on XDCAM HD (50mbits - 1080i 50fps) and are importing into a Nitris DX via an XDCAM PDWU1 and outputting in SD 25i PAL.

We've had the same issues over the last two programmes - when importing there is always one or two clips that will not import via AMA - we get an 'AMA Mapper Get Sample Temporal Offset Unexpected AME Status 2147483640' error. You have to go through each clip to figure out which clip/s are causing the issue otherwise you can't import anything. You can import them via file/import but you lose the clip data.

I also spent this morning importing one disc that appeared to import ok into the Avid but all the clips appeared as offline throwing up an 'MXF Mapper Read Range Index Table Set Key not found...' error message. This disc also had some clips that wouldn't import as above, but when i reimported the disc successfully there were different clips not importing. It all seems a bit random and not helping us with a quick turn around project we need to get out.

Regarding AMA, perhaps an obvious question but i'll ask it anyway ! :

Your AMA bin opens once you put a disc in the drive, you highlight the yellow clips and consolidate them to your Avid Drives or Unity, you relink them to the new files - can you then delete the 'old' versions of the clips?  Can your new clips be reimported to these new clips if you delete the media, keeping them referenced to your sequences?

With XDCAM, using the browser logging software from Sony, can you name the actual clip, rather than having lists of C0001 etc ? Doesn't help with a sequence when you can't see a descriptive name of the clip on a timeline...or can you ?

Terrifyingly i managed to delete some clips of a disc via an Avid AMA bin - should this be possible ? Luckily they were test clips but i've no idea how i did it, especially as some older clips on the disc still remained on it.

I was somewhat nervous of moving up to XDCAM for our ENG format, and now i am seriously reconsidering other options as it doesn't seem efficient or reliable enough for quick turnaround sports programming.

Somebody convince me otherwise !

Nick.

...anyone ?

Anyone ??

When the clips open in the bin can you play them all? Is it only when you try to consolidate/transcode do you receive the error?

My first suggestion is to delete the AMALogger file in the Home folder. This can often resolve an issues with AMA volumes.

If you turn AMA off, will the clip import? If so it sounds like there's an issue with the XML file. Do you have a Windows computer/Boot Camp Partition you can use to access the XDCAM HD disk with the Sony PDZ-1 software? Add some Meta Data to the clips that you're having an issue importing. When this is written back, it will rewrite the XML file which should resolve the issue.

With MC 4.0, an AMA volume acts the exact same as an Avid MediaFiles folder. Everything you can do with a media drive can be done with an AMA Volume, including deleting media. I suggest write protecting the Disk before using it so no mistakes are made.

The .olds copy of the clips can be deleted and the media will link at will to any copy of the clips at a later date. For example, the clips could be transcoded to 15:1s for an off-line and the media will relink to the clips on the disk for an on-line.

There's no issue at all renaming the clips, this can be done in the PDZ-1 software and it will be read my the Media Composer.

Have you taken a look at the white papers on the Avid/XDCAM landing page: http://www.avid.com/xdcam/

Hi Bob,

Thanks for getting back to me, i've looked at the Avid XDCAM document which was of some use but doesn't tell you exactly how to manage an XDCAM workflow, the same with the manual for the Sony software - it tells you what it does but doesn't tell you how to do it !

Thanks again, it clarified a lot for us.

Nick. 

I am sorry I have no input on your issue but...

Its good but also worrying to see you like us are slightly confused by the possible workflows and that you are experiencing reliability issues

I agree there is not really any concise explanations of HD XDCAM workflow. All the documents I have seen say you can do this or that if you like. But there is no concise step by step approach for either an offline process or a full res AMA workflow.

regards