Converting P2 Data To Quicktime

S

Stuie

Active member
First off, I would like to say that I'm a little embarrassed with posting here, being I'm nowhere in the same league as the rest of you. I've recently started to use the HVX200 to capture 1-2 second clips for my projects. Up to now my partner and I have been using a Mac notebook to retrieve the data from the P2 card. With that, we import it into Final Cut to make a Quicktime file and finalize in Quicktime Pro.

Unfortunately, I can't have the notebook with me all the time. I use a PC, and will be getting a SCPCI-P2 CardBus Adapter tomorrow. From what I understand, I can then download the data from the P2 to my computer. My question is, how can I convert it to Quicktime? I would like to be able to send the Quicktime data burned to a DVD to my partner for final processing. He's in LA and I'm in San Diego. Ant help would be appreciated.

Stuie
 
The HVX200 uses DV/DVCPro/DVCPro50/DVCProHD to encode video and audio, using an MXF container format.

QuickTime on the PC does not support DVCProHD, for some odd reason Apple includes support only on the Mac. If you ship the P2 data to your partner for processing, this doesn't matter.

If you want to look at the video on a PC, the P2 Viewer that Panasonic provides will show you the video, provided your computer has SSE2 instructions.
 
So I would need to get something like Premiere Pro on the PC to take in the data and convert it then? I believe it supports DVCProHD format.

Stuie
 
No, Premiere Pro does not include support for DVCProHD. Canopus Edius 4 Broadcast, Avid Liquid, and Matrox Axio support MXF containers and DVCProHD.

If you want to stick with Premiere, you can use Cineform, Raylight, or the Serious Magic DVCProHD Decoder to create AVI files that Premiere can open.
 
Stuie,

I think you'd simply be better off using the free Panasonic P2 viewer to see the clips you're acquiring. Then, just copy the P2 Contents folders (virtual P2 cards) to DVDs for your partner. Skip trying to convert them to QT for him since his "final processing" will be to import them into FCP. There isn't any advantage in file sizes to be gained by QT conversion. The only thing would be if you wish to select just certain clips to send to him...
 
Dan,

One thing I tried was to convert the files using Serious Magic converter, but it didn't work out well. Evidently it won't work well when you copy the MXF files to the computer and try it from there. It's too late to try and do it from the card, as the trial expired before I could get it back down.

This brings up another point. You mentioned "copy the P2 Contents folders (virtual P2 cards) to DVDs for your partner". Will he be able to read these in FCP? I tried just sending him the MXF files (through an FTP site) and it wouldn't recognize the data, seems it wouldn't read anything that's not in the slot for the P2 card. If you think this would work, I'll give it a try. Right now, I can't do it because the unit is up north with him.

Thanks for your help

Stuie
 
The Serious Magic converter doesn't care whether the MXF file is on your computer's hard drive or P2 media. In fact, every time I've used it, the material had already been copied twice, once from the P2 card to my laptop's hard drive (using P2 Genie), and then from there to my editing system.

FCP has support for P2 and MXF files. If you copy the P2 card contents in their entirety to a DVD, FCP should be able to open it. Please note that FCP needs the whole P2 card contents, not just the MXF files.
 
Yeah, that was the mistake I was making before. I was just sending the MXF files. Will try it again once I get the system back down. Thanks for your input.

Stuie
 
Thanks everyone. I did some test shoots today and will copy and send out tomorrow. Will let you know how it turns out.

Stuie
 
Apple completely revamped P2 support with V5.1.2, so it may well be far more forgiving in its current state of development than it used to be.
 
I got raylight and I like it
it converts your mxf files into avi files and processes the audio into wav files
I can edit in Premiere Pro or just in After Effects
 
Not having it, I really don't know. But according to my associate that has FCP, he seems to think that even with all the info from the P2 card, he still won't be able to import it unless it's actually on the card itself. He seems to think that he can only import the data through from the card. Anyone???

Stuie
 
Not true, you can import from either the card or from a hard disk to where the contents of the card have been properly copied.

I've done hundreds of cards' worth of data to FCP; we offload on a PC to an external hard disk and then import to FCP from that hard disk.
 
In fact, the consensus seems to be that importing directly from the P2 card can be problematic on the Mac.
 
Barry_Green said:
Not true, you can import from either the card or from a hard disk to where the contents of the card have been properly copied.

I've done hundreds of cards' worth of data to FCP; we offload on a PC to an external hard disk and then import to FCP from that hard disk.
Click to expand...

What file system do you format the HD as?
 
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