DVCPRO HD Codec from HVX

A

ajmax

Well-known member
I have been told that my footage from my HVX cannot be played on PC's because of the DVCPR HD codec when I give someone a Quicktime file.
Is that True? It usually happens when I make a self contained Quicktime from my footage in Final Cut Pro. The Final Cut Pro guys say it is the DVCPROHD Codec that is being generated from th camera.
If that is true, how are the guys editing on a PC able to see it?
 
ajmax said:
If that is true, how are the guys editing on a PC able to see it?
Click to expand...
This is an Apple problem. Apple created this problem in two stages:
1) they force you to convert the MXF files into their proprietary Quicktime format, and then
2) they make those files specifically incompatible with Windows.

There are two solutions to this problem.

1) quit converting to Quicktime. Use Raylight for the Mac, or HD Log. Either tool will let you use the original MXF files instead of having to convert into Apple's proprietary format.

2) If you won't do that, or need to export files, you again have two choices:

2a) Use the Raylight P2 Maker program, which exports MXF files that can be used by any Windows NLE, or

2B) Use the Raylight DVCPRO-HD Decoder on the Windows system, which lets you read Apple DVCPRO-HD quicktime files on Windows computers. This is the easier solution for Mac users, but it's a weak solution for Windows users because the Quicktime files play very slowly as compared to MXF files.
 
In addition, Panasonic provides two utilities for the PC that can view/play the original P2/MXF files from the camera -- P2 Viewer and the P2 Content Management System.

I know from personal experience that Edius Broadcast can view and edit QuickTime DVCProHD files without any third-party software.
 
I have heard about making my Quicktime movie form my HVX footage using an H.264 codec.
i have not tested since i do not have a PC.
Would this work?
 
For delivery? Certainly. It's not suitable for editing though.

QuickTime H.264 files can be created using both the Mac and Windows version of QuickTime 7 Pro -- you can use the free version for playback, but encoding requires the paid-for Pro version.
 
Thoff: Have you tried Edius with the new AVC Intra plugin. I just upgraded my HPX2000 with the Intra board,and the GV plugin doggle is on the way.
Mule
 
Nope, I have not. If you want me to take your new toys for a spin, just say the word! (c8
 
So If i give someone a Quicktime with the H.264 codec they can see it but they will not be able to edit from it?
Is that what you are saying?
 
They can edit from it, but I wouldn't recommend it because it is such a highly compressed format. You could provide a high-bitrate H.264 file to them and they could transcode that to something more suitable to editing.

Or they can use the Raylight Decoder and work with QuickTime DVCProHD files. That's probably the most painless and expedient way.
 
or...you can just edit natively in premiere pro cs3. p2 support is native, no conversion needed, you can even edit straight off the firestore acting like an external harddrive, and write fine; exported files back to it, since windows sees it as just another external drive like any other external.

the more i read about fianl cut users having all these issues with hd, hdv, mov formats not playing cross platform etc....anyway, the more i hear the happier i am using premiere pro to edit. i mean it can handle any file in it's native format thrown at it, even mac mov files, wheras fcp cant handle windows AVI's etc...

all the people telling em to switch to final cut are just people who have never used both. ive used both, and i prefer an editor that can handle my hvx200 files natively. i mean i didnt upgrade my fs100 to 250gb for nothing, may as well use what works and saves me time. premiere pro can do anything final cut can, but ppl dont know that cause they dont take the time to try it out and see that it really would save them time.

sorry, didnt mean to turn this into a fcp-bashing post, but in premiere you can see a filter on your video frame immediately after applying it in the preview window, no need to render. i mean that alone is worth the switch for time saving.

:connor
 
People can choose their NLE for any variety of reasons, whether it's compatibility with certain plug-ins or because they already know how to use it or it's what their friends use at school or it's what they use on the job, or whatever. And to choose an NLE specifically because they want to work with footage from their camcorder is a plenty fine reason. But if that camcorder is a P2 camcorder, then to choose FCP because you want to work with HVX/HPX footage? That's crazy. If that was the camcorder someone expected to be using, FCP would be the last editor I'd recommend.

If someone wants to move to FCP for other legitimate reasons, go right ahead. But to move to it because you want to work with P2 footage would be the completely wrong decision, as every other editor works with the footage better and in a cross-platform-compatible way.
 
But Barry, not everybody feels that editing mxf files natively is the cat's meow.

Just because the app unwraps and rewraps doesn't make it a completely the wrong solution. In fact, many of us prefer that method.

If the editor wants to edit mxf natively for whatever reason, then I agree with you.
 
Or if they want to share files cross-platform. Which is, of course, how this whole thread started.

FCP's approach: spend time to unwrap the files and convert to our own proprietary format that you can't use on any of the Windows systems out there.

Everybody else's approach: keep the files in their native format, edit them instantly even straight off the card, and freely share them cross-platform.

I know which one I prefer. I don't care how anyone slices it, the FCP approach is inferior and more limiting to the approach everyone else has taken. That is NOT to say that FCP is an inferior editor. But it is to say that FCP's approach is the least-integrated, most-limiting way to do it. So if someone was choosing an editor specifically to work cross-platform or to work with P2/MXF files, I think FCP's approach makes it the least attractive. Aside from, and apart from, any other merits FCP may have.
 
Thanks Guys
I have invested in FCP. and apple. I can not spend another 10 to 15 k on editing.
I just wanted to know what was in my arsenal that can help me give others who are on PC systems a Quicktime file codec.
Without any other purchase or plug ins. I read some confirmed my original question of using an H.264 code. I know that it is more compression, but i have to give them something with what i have...
Thanks,,,,
 
If you want to export say a few clips for stock footage or a short for a client to view and open on a PC just export under QT conversion Photo JPEG 95% or best quality. Under size set to 1920 x 1080 for the High end HD and 1280x 720 for the 720 stuff and set your audio to what you want and export as self contained movie. Your client PC or Mac based will view your file/ movie no problem and retain high enough rez for any stock house out there. The only disadvantage is it takes up some disc space.

JK
 
crobs808 said:
or...you can just edit natively in premiere pro cs3. p2 support is native, no conversion needed, you can even edit straight off the firestore acting like an external harddrive, and write fine; exported files back to it, since windows sees it as just another external drive like any other external.

:connor
Click to expand...

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but does premiere pro cs3 natively support mxf files if you use a mac?--sorry if this is a dumb question, logically I would assume it would, because it appears that it is the FCP software, and not the apple hardware, which prevents one from editing mxf files natively.

Also, if you have the CS3 Production Premium, you can't run it properly with Leopard, right? You'd need Tiger? (Leaping lizards!)
 
But that's my point. Not all of us work in cross platform environments.

My guess is that most of us do not, and work on one platform and one NLE.

However, I always backup by p2 volumes. But I frankly do not care about editing mxf natively.

I respect your opinion, but having edited with p2 on FCP for more than two years, I don't find anything measurably "inferior" about it.

I also have Premiere CS3 on my system, and it has native mxf support.

I never touch it.
 
well, it's not really true.

sure, you cant play them straight on a brand new installation of XP, but VLC player has p2/mxf/dvcprohd support, and Premiere Pro CS3 can edit P2 natively without the need for Raylight, so sure...if you edit in Vegas or a lesser program like that you will have to convert first, or use a 3rd party plugin to edit those file, but if you edit in Premiere Pro, you can edit natively, and if you just wanna view, download VLC.

I am on an iMac, so i can boot into Windows or MacOS, and on both I use VLC...i never use windows media player and i never use quicktime. both programs are so limited and play very few file formats.


-connor
 
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