Comments

Cliff Etzel wrote on 7/2/2010, 12:33 PM
I feel like a broken record on this forum around cross platform compatibility and intermediates for editing

Here's the procedure:

1) Purchase Quicktime Pro ($29.95)
2) Purchase the MPEG-2 Plugin to read m2t clips ($19.99)
3) Download and install the AVID DNxHD codec (free)
4) Encode the clips with MPEG Streamclip (free) at 145 8bit 1080i/59.94 or 220 10bit 1080i/59.94 - you can set a batch encode as well and let run overnight if needed.
5) Have the Final Cut editor install the AVID DNxHD codec (free) - then you both have cross platform compatibility - he can encode out to you and you to him.

Cliff Etzel
Solo Video Journalist | Micro Documentary Film Maker
bluprojekt | SoloVJ Blog
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Desktop: OS: Win7 x64 | CPU: Q9400 | Mobo: Intel DG33TL | 8GB G.Skill Dual Channel RAM | Boot/Apps Drive: Seagate 160GB 7200RPM | Audio Drive: Seagate 160GB 7200RPM | Video Source: WD Black 2x750GB RAID 0 | Video Card: nVidia GeForce GT 220 1GB

Laptop: Dell Latitude D620 | C2D 2.0Ghz | 4GB G.Skill RAM | OS: Vista x64 | Primary HD: WD 320GB 7200RPM | Video HD: WD 250GB 5400RPM
Laurence wrote on 7/2/2010, 3:03 PM
Cool except that it really is nowhere near as good as ClipWrap. ClipWrap losslessly rewraps the video without recompressing it. The process is about as fast as a file copy and the rewrapped clips are still the original small size and retain the original quality. They are responsive on the FCP timeline as well. What I want to be able to do is rewrap the mpeg2 encoded video in a Quicktime .mov container, not re-encode it into another format.
PerroneFord wrote on 7/2/2010, 3:15 PM
You have 2 choices.

1. Give him a cross-platform re-encoded clip
2. Let him run clipwrap on the Mac.

.MOV is a native type for the Mac, but not for windows, so nothing like what you are talking about would make sense on the PC.
Dave_OnSet wrote on 7/2/2010, 3:46 PM
Or just bring the camera over to him and let him import directly any way he wants.....
farss wrote on 7/2/2010, 3:48 PM
Can't offer anything regarding ClipWrap.

Suggest you get a copy of MacDrive from Mediafour so at least you can fromat and mount HFS volumes.

Only the later versions of VCRs such as the HVR-M15A or MVR-M25A can read the tapes from the Z5 and Z7 recorded in progressive. Seems to me that "someone" needs to upgrade their equipment. I'm assuming they at least have a HDV capable VCR.

Bob.
Laurence wrote on 7/2/2010, 6:15 PM
It's a pro production house that does movie ads for theaters in the area. They have an HDV deck but it won't capture the 30p video from the Z7U. They specifically wanted 30p so it surprises me too that they can't capture it. They have the original tapes and I just mailed out DVDs full of m2t clips today. Their studio is in West Palm Beach which is several hours away from here and I'm going to the Bahamas next week, so taking my camera to them isn't possible. I did two jobs for them this week and I would love to do more work for them, so I would really like to figure this out.
farss wrote on 7/2/2010, 7:28 PM
"They have an HDV deck but it won't capture the 30p video from the Z7U. They specifically wanted 30p so it surprises me too that they can't capture it. "

It doesn't surprise me at all.

The older Sony HDV cameras e.g. V1 record "P" as PsF i.e. progressive frames split into fields. Tapes from those cameras could be captured / played on any HDV deck. The newer cameras such as the Z5/Z7 record "P" as "P" and tapes from those cameras recorded as "P" CANNOT be captured with the older decks.

We just spent over $3K to buy a HVR-M25AP VCR so we or our clients could capture progressive tapes from out Z5s. All this kind of got snuck in under most places radar by Sony. If this production house want to have people shooting 30p for them they need to upgrade their VCRs.

Bob.
Laurence wrote on 7/2/2010, 7:38 PM
That's the funny part. Their product is specifically full sized projection screen ads shown at 30p. You'd think they would be able to capture footage in the format that they specify.
farss wrote on 7/2/2010, 7:58 PM
Well as I said from the older Sony cameras yes indeed they could.
If you'd shot the footage on a V1 no problem for them.

Bob.
Laurence wrote on 7/2/2010, 8:11 PM
Is there a mode on the HVR-Z7 that will shoot 30p in a format that older HDV decks will understand? How about 24p? I've had the same problem in the past with 24p footage from this camera.
farss wrote on 7/2/2010, 8:16 PM
Not that I'm aware of.
Might be an idea to let the production company know they need to upgrade their kit. As I said this kind of caught us with our pants down too.
On the upside the newer models will also capture some (NOT all) of the tapes from the Canon and JVC camera that the previous model of the same VCR would not.

Bob.

[edit] I did check with Sony and the older models cannot be upgraded either. Not entirely a happy chappy myself. Wasn't that long ago I upgraded my DSR-11 to the HVR-M15P. Obviously not much market for a 2nd hand M15P so....
Laurence wrote on 7/3/2010, 10:42 AM
I ended up buying ClipWrap and installing it on my daughter's computer. It did the conversion really fast. I'm sending the converted files out on DVD-R today. It assembled the individual clips into single larger clips that don't play on my daughter's Macbook, but play fine on my HP with Quicktime Pro which has the mpeg2 plugin. I'm assuming that when someone installs Final Cut Pro they get the mpeg2 plugin as part of the package so the editor should be good to go. Is that the case (that FCP installs the mpeg2 plugin)?
LJA wrote on 7/4/2010, 6:42 AM
Is that the case (that FCP installs the mpeg2 plugin)?

Yes.