Can I export MXF files from FCP or Avid?

A

agenthall

Member
Hey everyone, I just got my HVX yesterday in the mail! Great Camera! Haven't been dissapointed by anything as I've been screwing around with it for day now!

But now I find myself in a bit of a quandry. I would really like to be able to do some basic editing with the stuff I'm planning on shooting with it (I emphasize basic, I don't want a souped up NLE system at home). I'm wondering what's the most cost effective way to POST (ie export) a finished product in either 720p or 1080i. I have access to both HDCAM and DVCPRO-HD decks via school, but I'm wondering if I can edit P2 content on a computer (either FCP or AVID) and then export that project as a MXF file back to the P2 card in the camera; then use the camera as a deck and dub the project to either HDCAM (if its 1080i) or DVCPRO-HD (720p) via the component output on the camera. I know the component analog output isn't the greatest quality, but it should work shouldn't it?

I also realize that the size of the p2 card limits my final project size to a few minutes ( 4 or 8) but hey at least I could post HD material to tape relatively inexpensively. Does anyone know if this is a possible workflow solution? I guess it really depends on whether Avid or Final Cut will export MXF's and if the analog component ouput on the camera is decent quality. I can't seem to find the answers on posts in the forum, so if this question has already been answered I apologize, but I'd really like to know. Thanks.
 
I can tell you what I know about MXF and FCP. Today (note: 17, march, 06) Quicktime does not have native MXF/IMX support. - (which FCP is built upon)

Quicktime does not playback MXF native, which again means: FCP cant edit MXF files. Still, if you export a MXF file using Quicktime, it will just be a MXF coded file inside a Quicktime Container, which isn't what we all need. To complete the filebased workflow, MXF/IMX needs to be supported (native) by Quicktime.

The solution smells of NAB and Final Cut Pro 6. - So next month, we should know a lot more. I really hope that Apple includes native MXF support, to bring FCP into Hollywood.

Makes sense?
 
Short answer: yes and no. Yes you can do what you want, and no you can't do it the way you think.

Apple definitely can't output an MXF, and I don't know if Avid can or not. Canopus can, but you didn't ask about Canopus.

So, to do what you want, forget MXF's. Just print to video over the firewire, and do a forced record on the HVX. Put the HVX in the same recording mode (720p or 1080i) as your timeline, then go into MCR mode and turn off the thumbnails. Then tell FCP to "print to video" and make sure you've selected a DVCPRO-HD firewire device. You should see the video show up on your HVX's LCD screen. When you do, just press the VCR REC buttons, and it'll record that incoming data stream onto the cards.

Then you can do what you wanted -- take it to the deck and output or whatever.
 
Hi Chris:

Just beware that the playback circuit from the HVX-200 seems to be the main culprit in the much discussed macroblock issue. I have not run any tests yet to see if the actual output from the HVX's analog component outs looks bad dubbed to a tape format but I can tell you that it does look bad running into a Dell 2405. The same footage looks pristine when played out from an AVID or FCP into high-end CRT and plasma monitors leading me to believe that it is probably the DSP on the analog outputs of the HVX-200 that look lousy, the signal is fine.

More testing of the camera with different monitors is needed but I have been too busy prepping for a huge location shoot to do more testing.

Best,

Dan
 
i wish there was a way of playing the mxf clips (on the MAC) without having to import it into final cut. a simple p2 viewer program would be nice.
 
If we could export MXF files from Quicktime, our world would change. - Why? easy:

Our (as many) broadcast station is Quantel based. Which needs a MXF 30 mbit datastream to playback videofeeds. - We make a show that's cut each week in Final Cut Pro, than exported to a DVCAM tape, which we need to bring on a bus (yes a bus!) to the broadcast station, so that they can import the tape into the Quantelsystem in a MXF format.

This is stupid. - If Apple announces full MXF support at NAB, it's huge for us. - It means that Compressor can automatically compress our timeline as broadcast ready MXF and send the file over the the broadcast stations FTP server. - Now that's a nice workflow!

Apple, please please please please announce full MXF support at NAB :)
 
Send them a direct message; there's no way to know if they're reading this here, but if you send it to them directly then you'll know they heard you.
 
Thanks everyone, this is some good stuff! Seems like the firewire out option is the best way to go here to get back to the p2 card (and the only way for now).

In response to the compenent Analog out section of the post, I too noticed a signficant lack of quality on the analog component out of the camera going to a HDCAM deck. I saw the so-called "noise" issue especially in the blacks and darker areas of the frame. But alas, that's the problem with analog and signal loss etc... I haven't tested HD SDI out from the computer to a deck (being that I don't have a decklink card on my computer... I'll have to try it on someone elses), so I'm assuming that's got to be better. Anyone else tested this?
 
So, theres no update to this topic?

If anyone knows any workflow from when your footage is inside Final Cut Pro until it reaches a Quantel system? I've hear reliable rumors about FCP6 including this. Still, FCP6 is available at NAB, at the earliest.

- Prox
 
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