EX1 MXF / HQ / Proxy files

[roscoe_video]

I'm up to my third wedding and about to shoot 4 and 5 on the EX1 but don't have a workflow yet. Until 4.6 and I can purchase some more cards, I'm staying with SP. Can anybody help?

I do the following,...

1). Download from cards using Clip Browser software as native files to an external drive for backup.

2). Convert all files to MXF.

3). Then ?

Convert files to HQ? This will create files that are very large but easily editable.
But how do I do this for 400-600 clips at a time, so that they maintain the same names? I can't seem to find a way to do it with anymore than one clip at a time. What about exporting to DV if I wanted to give a copy to another editor to rough cut, can I export out to a 16:9 DV series of files, if so how?

The EX1 doesn't have proxy files, but if I wanted to create them so that I could edit on my laptop, what setting / codec would I use to do that?

When I want to export using Procoder to DVD do I...

1) Leave the project settings at 1440x1080 and export OR

2) Change the project to DV and export from there?


If we are able to use 4.6 to edit the files natively, does this mean we can dispense with using HQ, or will it be the same as the MXF files, as soon as you start to add effects/transitions ect you become nonRT because of the processor load?

Any help appreciated.

Ross

[Priceless]

Hi Ross

I have shoot some weddings in sq(1440) mode with my EX1 and spent many hours converting clips to mxf to edit in Edius. This method removes the time and date of when the video was shoot. I use this data to sync to a second camera. (free run the timecode on both cameras and use the remote to reset to 00:00:00 at the start of the day)

What I have found to be the best method until 4.6 is released is to connect the EX1 to my PC via firewire and capture the clips (using Canopus HQ)from start to finish. This keeps the original timecode.

As a back up I connect the EX to my HDV deck and capture to tape.
If you shoot in HQ with the EX then you will not be able to get the video out via firewire.

Paul

[GrassValley_BH]

If you're copying footage from file-based cameras (this applies to both P2 and XDCAM), make sure you copy the entire folder structure of the media.

For example, create a folder called 2008-01-16_Card01 and copy everything on the card, folders and all, to the 2008-01-16_Card01 folder.

When you open the 2008-01-16_Card01 folder, its directory list should look the same as looking directly at the card.

Backing up this way, you'll be able to browse the 2008-01-16_Card01 folder as if it were a mounted card in P2 Select (for P2) or XDSelect (for XDCAM) and things won't get disconnected or confused.

[roscoe_video]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the heads up on the Time/Date info getting stripped out, I'm glad I'm not the only getting that.

What does your workflow look like after importing the 1440 footage? Do you treat it the same way as importing HDV from tape?

What settings do you edit / encode to DVD in?

Thanks again
Ross

[roscoe_video]

Hi Brandon,

What I was looking for is firstly how to convert MXF files to HQ or DV in some automated overnight method.

Are you aware of any?

Thanks
Ross

[Priceless]

Hi Ross

Re my work flow, as all my projects end up on a SD DVD, I start Edius with a SD 16:9 project and when editing is complete export with PC3 to AC3 and
M2v.

This way the 1440 video is scaled down to 53% and if I want to zoom in on a clip I open the layout tool and if my MF is set correctly I can zoom in to 80% with good results. When I shot with the Z1 and was filming a speech at a reception, the more zoom I used on the camera the more the iris closed, so I made sure the subject was in focus and stayed a little wider and zoomed in with the layout tool. The EX1 is a brilliant camera in low light so this is not necessary but during the ceremony I use the layout tool a lot to crop out unwanted people and photographers elbows.

I recommend Brandon's tip making folders (card 1,2 etc) and copping the entire contents of the SxS into them as a backup.

Paul

[pjsssss]

Hi Ross

The EX1 is a brilliant camera in low light...
Paul

How would you compare it in low light next to the old PD 150 or comparable camera?

[Priceless]

When I compare the low light video of my PD150, the EX is just as bright and has a much cleaner picture. I don't go above 6db with the EX as the noise is to much for me, but the PD 150 at 12 db was still acceptable.
The Z1 was a step up from the PD150 and now the EX1 is another step up.
I am very happy with this camera.

[GrassValley_BH]

What I was looking for is firstly how to convert MXF files to HQ or DV in some automated overnight method.

Hi Ross,

I'm not 100% certain, but Rhozet's Carbon Coder probably can do it. I know they take most server MXF formats, just not 100% sure on the P2/XDCAM camera side.

[GrassValley_KH]

Looks like they do:

http://www.rhozet.com/rhozet_formatGuide.pdf

No info about EX1 yet.

[shueardm]

I have the evaluation, it does open both mxf and native mp4 files from the EX-1.
However the mxf type can't be rendered in the advanced preview tab, you can't set source in/out times etc.

[iibw]

Sony update available

If you haven't already downloaded the latest Sony clipbrowser 1.1, here is the site for it. (The CD that came with your EX1 is 1.0)

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/markets/10014/xdcamEXdownloads.shtml

Using this, here is my workflow:

1. Insert SxS card into express slot
2. Copy folder on card to hard drive
3. Open clipbrowser, export all clips as mxf
4. Open mxf files on Edius broadcast and edit!

Files are playable in realtime, depending on your machine. I have an older HP Z8000 that just barely plays back mxf files in realtime. A faster computer than this will fly!

[iibw]

I forgot to add that all original timecode is intact as well.

[shueardm]

Gosh, I guess you have already got some really sweet footage around Hawaii.

[Vobes]

The EX1 doesn't have proxy files, but if I wanted to create them so that I could edit on my laptop, what setting / codec would I use to do that?


Ross

This is where I am currently stuck. I looked to see if there was a method described but couldn't find any? Can some one point to any reference material on this - that would be very kind.

Thanks

Richard