I have been searching the forums and I think I am hosed on this.  I have been given a show to edit that originated with the P2 720p60 format.  Quicktime shows it with 59.94 frames per second.  I am not sure if it was originally recored on cards or hard drives.  What I have been given is a firewire drive of the 3 camera angles.  There are three folders listed as CAM A, CAM B and CAM C.  Inside the folders are quicktime files.  The audio and video are together in the same files.  That is, the audio and video are not separate files.  I am using Xpress Pro 5.6.1. 

I am pretty sure I can't use the version that I have.  My questions are:  With what I have been given, would I be able to import this into MC 2.8?  If so, what else do I need to get editing these p2 files? Since I have the hard drive, would I need drivers?  If so, can I get them from somewhere other than the people with the cameras?  What about codecs, do I need them as well? 

I hate to ask basic questions like these, but I am getting conflicting information in my searches and I need to know if I am able to do this project or not.

Thanks in advance for your help!

So what you have are Qtime files not P2 files Just import to Avid directly...

Sync the files and cut away...

 Thanks JVR, but it isn't quite that simple.  When I import one file of the many that I have, it takes about 40 minutes and then all I end up with is a white screen and a half second of audio that repeats itself over and over.

Youi have media that's been encoded with a codec that you don't have.  The most likely cause is that this was originally captured on FCP and exported with a codec that Apple have chosen not to make available to the PC world.  If that's the case you have two choices.  Ask for the media to be re-exported with a codec that you can use - a DNxHD codec would be good - or get hold of a Mac and convert the media yourself.

 That is what I figured.  The production company uses Final Cut, but I wasn't sure if the media would have had contact with final cut.  They were not switching and I assume that the media was recorded directy to the cameras on p2 cards or hard drives.  However, the files I ended up with are something that I am unfamiler with.  Never having worked with p2 files I wasn't sure what I had, although I was thinking the audio and video should have been separate and they should have been in the mxf format.  I'll have to save that experience for the future I guess.  I have contacted the production company to find out what these files are and if the p2 files are available, but haven't heard back yet.

The files you have are QT files that result when whoever captured the P2 files input them into FCP.

You would need to ask the company to supply you with the codec used and hope there's one available for PC.

BLKDOG:

You would need to ask the company to supply you with the codec used and hope there's one available for PC.

Unfortunately, if they're ProRes, fat chance!

So failing that, get them to download (or supply them with) a copy the Avid codecs LE.  They'll then be able to export the QT media in one of the DNxHD codecs, which are supported on both Mac and PC.  I'd go with 220 or 185 for quality reasons.  The bonus is from your point of view it will import really quickly.

I've become a bit of an evangelist for DNxHD, ever since SMPTE decided that it liked them.