Hi - this is a stupid newbie question I know - but - I've been capture three days worth of footage (about 30 60min tapes) into FCP while I was getting Avid up to pace after buying it and upgrading...well as I've now figured out Avid wants to 'convert' my QT files from FCP when I import them, even though the project settings are the same (this is just basic DV stuff from a firewire deck). Is automatic duck any better?  I don't mind the cost - it's about the time...does it take time to export these files from FCP to Avid - or can I do it seamlessly?  Basically I'm asking what is the FASTEST way to get MiniDV footage captured in FCP into an Avid (29.97fps).

Thanks - and apologies for posting such a newbie question...normally I'll suffer through the manual, but here time is of the utmost importance!

Mark.

What Avid is doing is creating media files that will referenced by the clips in the bin.  There really is no way around this.  Automatic Duck only transfers metadata (ie, completed sequences) so it requires you to re-capture/import after it's been moved to Avid.

Ahh...well, not the information I wanted to hear :(  I guess this will be the last project I intentionally finish in FCP...

livelikeriley:

it's about the time...does it take time to export these files from FCP to Avid - or can I do it seamlessly?  Basically I'm asking what is the FASTEST way to get MiniDV footage captured in FCP into an Avid (29.97fps).

 

I'm probably piping in too late to help you, but you mentioned "exporting from FCP."  You don't need to export anything from FCP.  You already have DV QT movies in your Capture Scratch folder.  All you need to do now is to Import those into an Avid Bin.  An easy way to do that is set your Media Creation Import settings for Avid DV411, and drag the clips from the Finder into your Avid Bin.  Make sure you have the drive space you'll need.  Then get some sleep.  It'll take a while.

You will lose all your tape info, and likely all your clips will start at 00:00:00:00.  And they will inherit the names of the clips in the Finder.  So, if you have to go back and re-capture, you're looking at a world of pain.

I would have just finished that project in FCP... the path of least resistance.  FCP isn't as bad as some people make it out to be. 

Not too late at all actually, I'm still digitizing the last few tapes - Do you think if I started it at 5pm when I left the office that it could import around 40 hours of footage by the morning...or am I being way too optimistic.  I guess this varies depending on system specs, but any ideas at all you could throw out.  I'm probably going to finish in FCP - but it'd be nice to put the shiny, new Avid to work :)  Thanks again for the help!

Mark.

Use Metacheater to get tape/reel and timecode into Avid.

http://www.staticpictures.com/metacheater

Put all your DV media in one folder (if it's not already that way).

Save the ALE and import into Avid

Select all clips and batch import.

That way you can finish in whatever system you want.

If you already logged the clips then use:

http://www.dharmafilm.com/sebskytools/

Thanks for the heads up!  I'm sure I will be using that software!  To highjack my own thread, I was curious about something for a personal project I'm doing on my new Avid (pretty much to learn the system) - it's from P2 media in DVCPRO HD 720p 24pn (23.976) - I can get into the avid just fine and edit it...blah etc...but when I want to output it either to a quicktime file or quicktime reference for squeeze or encore etc. the avid wants to use AVID DV 100 - is this just their version of the DVCPRO HD codec?  When I let it do it the video file looks heavily compressed - I can select on the output format list DVCPRO HD 60 but not 24 (which I could in FCP) - basically I'm asking how to do the following:

Export a lossless version of my DVCPRO HD footage to quicktime reference for compression 

and

Export a DVCPRO HD 23.976 Quicktime file for backup purposes.

Thanks - and FYI I do read the manual and search the web for these questions and I've read countless articles about how to get DVCPRO HD into the system, but all they ever mention for output is the fancy "write back to p2" functionality (which doesn't work with pN footage anyway) - they never really mention codecs etc.

Thanks,

Mark.

livelikeriley:

basically I'm asking how to do the following:

Export a lossless version of my DVCPRO HD footage to quicktime reference for compression 

and

Export a DVCPRO HD 23.976 Quicktime file for backup purposes.

I'd just export the non QT ref file and then use it to compress other files from... why take 2 steps?  Just export a Same as Source, self contained QT file to ensure maximum quality.  Works for me every time.

Huh - that's so weird - because if I export same as source without selecting use avid DV I get a white screen for playback - if I export with Avid DV100 the quality (even in ref. movie) is very pixelated...I guess I'll keep playing with it - thanks though :)

SAS is correct.  You do not have the Avid codecs properly installed on the machine you are playing back the QT from.  The white screen means no playback codec.  Go download the most recent Avid codecs, uninstall the old ones and re-install the new ones.

DVCPro HD though... that makes me hesitate on my previous post. It may not be your Avid codecs... it may be that you need to download unique DVCProHD codecs for QT playback.

Check this out:

http://www.calibratedsoftware.com/welcome.html

There may be a better solution that's free from Panasonic.  Let me know what you find.

So weird...I thought the problem might be that I was using the quicktime wrapper version I had from final cut pro - but now I've verified that with the native .mxf files from the P2 Card I have this problem.

Export to QT movie - same as source = white screen.  I still have FCP installed on this computer so I should deft. have the DVCPRO HD codecs...?

Export to QT Reference - without use Avid DV checked - also a white screen

Export to QT Reference - with use Avid DV (100) checked - really terrible video quality.

I'm at a loss?  I doubt those tools you linked to are necessary, Avid and Panasonic tout their relationship, so there has to be some way to render out files from P2.........just what is it?  Anyone who shoots p2 care to take a stab?

Thanks,

Mark.

The more and more research I do on this, everyone just says to click the "Use Avid DV" codec - which I've learned is DV 100 - which is the same quality as DVCPRO HD, but why would the quality be bad on a quicktime ref?  The motion is stuttery and the image is pixelated?

Just giving updates - I hope I'm not annoying anyone - but I've settled on outputting a QT movie uncompressed (must by some more harddrives!) and then using squeeze to get what I need.  I tried DnxHD - but that doesn't carry over my color correction (why I don't know!) - I think I've discovered(?) that the DVCPRO HD codec I was used to in FCP was not a generic codec, but an FCP specific codec (I didn't realize this) - and I can't get Avid DV 100 to export without either stuttering video or pixelated edges (??!) so for now it's uncompressed and no luxury of quicktime reference movies......gah.

Mark.

Mark,

Can you upload like one second of a same as souce export to your FTP or somewhere else I can get to it?  I'd like to download it and see if I can play it back on my system.  Unless I am missing something, you really should be able to play back a SAS QT movie.