P2 to avid friendly format

F

FRAMELINES

Member
I just got a call last minute on a project where they want to shoot P2 but want a Avid friendly format. What are the options? Convert to quicktime while on set with powerbook FCP 5.1.2 through fcp and compressor or another intermediary P2 viewer program. A second scenario would be to bring into FCP then out put to DVcam deck through the timeline for post house puposes.

If compressor what is the best lossless format from original formats ie. 72024p HD Dvcpro50 720p dv480i 24p. Final usage is broadcast.

What is the best option for intermediary P2 program in terms of usability and price.
All work to be done on a Mac powerbook old style.
 
Just load the P2 cards into the PCMCIA slot on your G4 PB and create folders on an external drive. Label them card 1, card 2, card 3 etc. or something that you can work with. Then you copy the contents folder and last clip.txt file of each P2 card into these folders. If you want you can use the P2 import window in FCP to verify the footage is there prior to formatting the cards but DO NOT import into FCP. Just make a copy of that drive as a back up and hand the drive to the avid editor. They will be able to import the native MXF files into their system.
 
ozduc said:
Just load the P2 cards into the PCMCIA slot on your G4 PB and create folders on an external drive. Label them card 1, card 2, card 3 etc. or something that you can work with. Then you copy the contents folder and last clip.txt file of each P2 card into these folders. If you want you can use the P2 import window in FCP to verify the footage is there prior to formatting the cards but DO NOT import into FCP. Just make a copy of that drive as a back up and hand the drive to the avid editor. They will be able to import the native MXF files into their system.
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MXf is compatible with composer and symphony systems?
 
FRAMELINES said:
MXf is compatible with composer and symphony systems?
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Yes. Avid has been using MXF for quite a while (and is required for all HD formats). I honestly have trouble understanding why so many people seem to think that Avid doesn't like MXFs. Look in the Media creation or project properties. In any non-HD project, you can chose OMF or MXF and, in all HD projects, MXF is automatically selected. Who keeps telling people that Avid doesn't like MXFs?
 
DavidBeier said:
Yes. Avid has been using MXF for quite a while (and is required for all HD formats). I honestly have trouble understanding why so many people seem to think that Avid doesn't like MXFs. Look in the Media creation or project properties. In any non-HD project, you can chose OMF or MXF and, in all HD projects, MXF is automatically selected. Who keeps telling people that Avid doesn't like MXFs?
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Just been discussing this same subject with production manager but post house seems to think they cannot or have not tried to import MXF files.

Thank you
 
This one is actually dead easy:
-On a empty removable harddisk, create the following folder structure in the root:
/Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1/

Take care of using the exact spelling ( including capitals)

-On a P2 card, you have a folder called CONTENTS. In this folder, there are 6 folders. In the Audio and Video folder, you should find 1 video .mxf file and 4 audio .mxf file for each clip.

-Copy every mxf-file( audio and video!) to the /Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1/ folder. This means you copy everything from those 2 folders into the one Avid folder. No worries, Avid is smart enough to sort it all out. Forget about all the other stuff on the card.

-Take this disk to the post house Avid, connect it, and tell the editor to give a 'File - Mount All' command. For Avid, this drive is now one of its mediadrives. All media should show up in their Media Tool.

If you or they are uneasy about this flow, do a test-run with them.
 
Sorry if I'm sort of hijacking this thread to ask my own question, but it's related to the thread. I've been asking left and right (including on these forums) if there is a way, any way, to keep the metadata info when opening p2 clips into Avid Media Composer PC. I'm especially interested in metadata created using the P2 Viewer (shot names, attributes etc) that we need for our workflow but that doesn't seem to work in Avid.

You guys seem to be pretty savvy in the whole Avid-P2 thing. Any ideas?
 
eLeventy said:
This one is actually dead easy:
-On a empty removable harddisk, create the following folder structure in the root:
/Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1/

Take care of using the exact spelling ( including capitals)

-On a P2 card, you have a folder called CONTENTS. In this folder, there are 6 folders. In the Audio and Video folder, you should find 1 video .mxf file and 4 audio .mxf file for each clip.

-Copy every mxf-file( audio and video!) to the /Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1/ folder. This means you copy everything from those 2 folders into the one Avid folder. No worries, Avid is smart enough to sort it all out. Forget about all the other stuff on the card.

-Take this disk to the post house Avid, connect it, and tell the editor to give a 'File - Mount All' command. For Avid, this drive is now one of its mediadrives. All media should show up in their Media Tool.

If you or they are uneasy about this flow, do a test-run with them.
Click to expand...


I think that's the one of the worst pieces of advice I've read when it comes to the P2 workflow. That's like saying print your film to a hard drive and then throw away the negative.
You have to treat your P2 footage like a master. Copy ALL the contents of the card to a drive first then you could make a copy of just the MXF files if you want for the avid media drive. If you dont have a copy of all the contents what happens if you get half way through a shoot and the editor you had lined up decides to jump ship to a bigger, better production and you find another editor but they work in FCP? You are now left with a bunch of footage that is not able to be read by FCP unless you do some sort of cross platform transfer with another software program.

Just keep your master files on a drive as that, MASTERS!
 
ozduc said:
I think that's the one of the worst pieces of advice I've read when it comes to the P2 workflow. That's like saying print your film to a hard drive and then throw away the negative.
You have to treat your P2 footage like a master. Copy ALL the contents of the card to a drive first then you could make a copy of just the MXF files if you want for the avid media drive. If you dont have a copy of all the contents what happens if you get half way through a shoot and the editor you had lined up decides to jump ship to a bigger, better production and you find another editor but they work in FCP? You are now left with a bunch of footage that is not able to be read by FCP unless you do some sort of cross platform transfer with another software program.

Just keep your master files on a drive as that, MASTERS!
Click to expand...

Of course your right, mine was just the short answer. It is in fact how we do it: keep the CONTENTS folder of the cards on a removable drive( in triple in fact for redundancy), and COPY the files to an internal Avid mediadrive. Sometimes short answers can be dangerous...
 
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