Features
The nablet XAVC XDCAM Plug-in product installs two plug-ins that allow XAVC, XAVC-H, XDCAM, and XDCAM-EX material to be linked to via AMAin Avid editing products.
The nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-in allows you to link, play, and edit XAVC, XAVC-H, XDCAM HD, IMX and DVCAM MXF clips recorded on the XDCAM Station(XDCAM Professional Media Station), SxS and XQD memory cards, Professional Discs, or stored on hard disks, inside supported Avid NLE products. The nablet XAVC XDCAM Plug-in also supports proxy editing workflows from certain media. Furthermore, this plug-in allows exporting of XAVC Long GOP and XAVC Intra MXFfiles in HD and 4K format as well as XDCAM HD files
The nablet XDCAM-EX Plug-in allows you to link, play and edit XDCAM EX MPEG-2 or DV content recorded on SxS memory cards or stored on hard disks, inside the supported Avid NLE products.
The nablet XAVC XDCAM Plug-in is the successor of the former Sony PDZK-MA2 plug-in. The installation of the nablet plug-in guarantees a seamless transition in your XAVC XDCAM editing workflow after the plug-in had been uninstalled.
Note that clips in an editing project which have previously been linked by the legacy Sony plug-in will show the same plug-in name in the bins clip info although the nablet plug-in now handles them. This is because the initial information is stored persistently in the AAF file during linking.
Note that the nablet plug-ins and the legacy Sony plug-ins can not coexist on the same system. Having them both installed will result in unpredictable behaviors of the editing application.
Supported Avid Products
- Avid Media Composer v8.6 or later
Supported Operating Systems
Windows
- Windows 11
- Windows 10 64-bit
Mac
- macOS 14 (Sonoma) (Intel, Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2)
- macOS 13 (Ventura) (Intel, Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2)
- macOS 12 (Monterey) (Intel, Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2)
- macOS 11 (Big Sur) (Intel only)
- macOS 10.15 (Catalina)
- macOS 10.14 (Mojave)
Note that this plug-in only supports XAVC and XDCAM in an MXF container. It does not support XAVC-S and XAVC-HS formats in the MP4 container. A separate XAVC-S plug-in is available from nablet here. For linking and editing XAVC HS H.265/HEVC footage please use the nablet HEVC AMA Plug-in.
Change Log
-
v5.6.0
- Processes application of embedded LUT and CineEI on a supported GPU (OpenCL, Metal) to reduce CPU load.
-
v5.5.4
- Improved XAVC Intra HD export quality.
-
v5.5.3
- Fix video sample loss or image distortion upon fast scrubbing on macOS.
- Fix possible decoder hangup on Intel GPU with the latest drivers (v101.5522).
-
v5.5.2
- Adjust ANC Data Item Size of exported XAVC Intra 100 to match RDD-9 specification for compliance with XDCAM devices.
-
v5.5.1
- Fixed artifacts on interlaced XAVC 422 HD video.
-
v5.5.0
- Support for linking and playing Sony XAVC-H 4:2:2 8K Intra and LongGOP footage.
- If available use hardware-accelerated decoding for XAVC and XAVC-H.
- Extended ISO range for EI processing.
- Approved for macOS 14, Sonoma.
-
v5.4.0
- Changed embedded LUT support in XAVC S clips to a more user-friendly and convenient
workflow - Added control to modify the exposure of XAVC S clips in Source Settings to support the Sony Cine EI workflow
- Changed embedded LUT support in XAVC S clips to a more user-friendly and convenient
-
v5.3.1
- Fixed an MXF container in compliance which caused some Sony hardware not to accept the XAVC Intra 4k files exported by this plugin.
-
v5.3.0
- Add support for embedded LUT
-
v5.2.5
- Fixed noise on certain material when exporting to XAVC LongGOP 50Mbps.
- Fixed quality degradation on multi-generation XDCAM to XDCAM encoding.
- Fix random freeze at end of the XDCAM export process on macOS.
-
v5.2.4
- Approved for Windows 11 and macOS 12 (Monterey) (Intel, AppleSilicon via Rosetta 2).
- Fix missing start timecode on certain not fully XDCAM-compliant third-party clips.
-
v5.2.3
- Fixed delay in detection of supported volumes, which could cause Media Composer startup delay when huge remote network storage is connected to the system.
-
v5.2.2
- Fixed missing subtitles on XDCAM exports.
- Updated proxy editing workflow instructions.
-
v5.2.1
- Enhanced support for proxy editing workflow.
- Fixed a potential hangup when a write operation failed during export.
-
v5.2.0
- Mac version refactored and approved for macOS 11.0 (Big Sur).
-
v5.1.1
- Added export settings option to force constant GOP size on XDCAMHD output.
- A removed assertion could appear when the XDCAM EX plug-in is called to open invalid files.
- Fixed an issue linking the XDCAM clip spanned over two volumes.
-
v5.1.0
- Added option to generate non-real-time metadata XML including title, creator, and description on XAVC and XDCAM export.
- Added option to accept odd sequence duration at 50 fps and 59.94fps
- Fix: Exported files were truncated when the host provided fewer frames than expected.
-
v5.0.3
- Fix: Plug-in failed to load under Media Composer version 2018.11 or earlier on Mac systems
- Set proper Color Primaries upon linking files with incomplete color info in the RDD-18 camera metadata
- Fixed broken growing file style export option.
-
v5.0.2
- Fixed linking of spanned clips.
- Fixed transcoding or consolidation failures on clips with variable or zero ANC data frame sizes.
- Fixed occasional XDCAM HD encoder failures which could result in truncated output.
- Improved speed when consolidating from an optical disk.
- Improved export performance on Windows OS when the target is on a network location.
- Mac version approved for macOS 10.15 (Catalina).
-
v5.0.1
- Fixed audio indexing issue which could cause consolidation to fail.
- XAVC video could not be decoded on old MC versions which don't have native support for certain AVC profiles.
-
v5.0.0
- Refactored linking processes for XDCAM HD, IMX, and DVCAM.
- Added XDCAM HD export to file feature. Fully compliant with the Sony XDCAM specification and 50% and faster than Media Composer's native MXF Op1a XDCAM HD export-to-file feature.
- Added Audio Mixdown options to export settings.
- Passed Apple Notarization.
Installation Procedure
Prerequisites
You cannot install the AMA Plug-ins while the editing application background services are running. Make sure you stop the services before installing the AMA Plug-Ins. The stop/start background services icon is on the Media Composer menu bar (Macintosh) or taskbar (Windows). Once you installed the new AMA plug-in, restart the services. See the “Starting and Stopping Avid Background Services” section in the Media Composer manual.
Before installing the nablet XAVC XDCAM Plug-ins, you should first install any required drivers or software required by the Sony XDCAM and XDCAM EX devices you will be using. To use:
- ProfessionalDiscs inserted using i.LINK connected device:
- Install the FAMDriver of the official release version.
- ProfessionalDiscs inserted using a USB-connected XDCAM drive:
- Install the XDCAMDrive Software of the official release version.
- SxS memory cards in UDF and FAT32 format:
- Install the SxSDevice Driver and the SxS UDF Driver of the official release version.
- Be sure to install the SxS Device Driver first.
- XQD memory cards when used through an Express Card adapter
- Install Sony XQDDriver of the official release version
Install Instructions
Windows
- Uninstall any previous version of the nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-in and the Sony PDZK-MA2 plug-in (See Uninstalling concurrent legacy Sony plug-ins paragraph below if unsure).
- Download an archive with the plug-in and extract it to some folder.
- Run the EXE file in the extracted folder to run the installation.
- Follow the instructions provided by the installer.
Mac
- Download the installer image (DMG file) of the plug-in.
- Double-click the DMG file to mount the image. You should see a folder with the plug-in installation open.
- Launch the PKG file to start the installation.
- Follow the instructions provided by the Installer application. Read and accept the End User License.
- During the installation, any previous versions of the nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-ins will be updated. If any Sony PDZK-MA2 plug-ins exist, the installer will try to remove them. Confirm that they are no longer present by the instructions given in the "Uninstalling concurrent legacy Sony plug-ins" chapter later.
Uninstall Instructions
Windows
- Open Windows Control Panel and launch Programs and Features.
- Select “nablet XAVC XDCAM AMA Plug-In” and then select Uninstall.
- Select Yes to confirm the removal.
Mac
- Locate the directory “Library/Application Support/Avid/AVX2_Plugins/AMA/nablet”.
- Delete the nablet_MVP_MSP_XAVC_XDCAM.avx and MVP_MSP_XDCAM_EX.avx files.
- Empty the Trash to completely erase the files from the system.
Note that after uninstalling/removing the nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-ins from the system, Avid Media Composer will no longer be able to access the Sony XAVC, Sony XDCAM, and Sony XDCAM EX media imported via the (AMA) Link function.
Verifying the nablet Plug-in Version
After installation is complete, the “nablet XAVC XDCAM Plug-in” and “nablet XDCAM EX Plug-in” are available to Avid Editing products. To verify the version follow the steps below:
- In Avid Media Composer, open the Console window by selecting Tools->Console.
- In the Console, type “Ama_ListPlugins” and press Enter.
- Confirm the version number listed for the “nablet XAVC XDCAM Plug-in” and the “nablet XDCAM EX Plug-in” matches the version you installed.
Uninstalling concurrent legacy Sony plug-ins
Reminder
The nablet plug-ins and the legacy Sony plug-ins cannot coexist on the same system. Having them both installed results in unpredictable behaviors of the editing application.
- In Avid Media Composer, open the Console window by selecting Tools->Console.
- In the Console, type “Ama_ListPlugins” and press Enter.
- If any of MVP_MSP_SonyXDCAM_64-bit or MVP_MSP_SonyXDCAMEX_64-bit is listed, close the Avid Media Composer and uninstall Sony plug-ins:
-
- Make sure you stop the Avid Background Services before uninstalling the Sony Plug-Ins. The stop/start background services icon is on the Media Composer menu bar (Macintosh) or taskbar (Windows). Once you uninstalled the plug-in, restart the services.
- On Windows enter the Control Panel and launch “Programs and Features”. Uninstall Sony PDZK-MA2. If you cannot uninstall from Programs and Features locate C:\Program Files\Avid\AVX2_Plugins\AMA\ and manually delete the folder named XDSDeck.
- On Mac OS X locate the directory “Library/ApplicationSupport/Avid/AVX2_Plugins/AMA" and remove any Sony PDZK-MA2 plug-ins by deleting SonyXDCAM.avx and MVP_SonyXDCAMEX.avx files. Empty the trash to erase the files from the system completely.
-
Link Operation Procedures
Linking to Sony XDCAM and XAVC files on Media Composer 8.6 and later
- Select the desired destination bin in the project.
- From the menu bar, select File->Input->Source Browser.
- In the Source Browser, navigate to the XDCAM or XAVC file(s) to be linked.
- Right-click the file and select Link with->Sony XAVC XDCAM.
- Hit the Link button on the bottom right.
Linking to Sony XDCAM EX Files on Media Composer 8.6 and later
- Select the desired destination bin in the project.
- From the menu bar, select File->Input->Source Browser.
- In the Source Browser, navigate to the Sony XDCAM EX file(s) to be linked.
- Right-click the file and select Link with->Sony XDCAM EX.
- Hit the Link button on the bottom right.
Linking to Sony XDCAM and XAVC files on Media Composer 8.5 and earlier
- Select the desired destination bin in the project.
- From the menu bar, select File->AMA Link… (Link to Media… if using Avid MC 8.4/8.5).
- From the Files of Type drop-down menu select Sony XAVC XDCAM (*.mxf).
- Select the XDCAM or XAVC file(s) to be linked.
- Select Open.
Linking to Sony XDCAM EX files on Media Composer 8.5 and earlier
- Select the desired destination bin in the project.
- From the menu bar, select File->AMA Link… (Link to Media… if using Avid MC 8.4/8.5).
- From the Files of Type drop-down menu select Sony XAVC EX (*.mp4 *.avi).
- Select the XDCAM EX file(s) to be linked.
- Select Open.
Linking to XDCAM EX, XDCAM, or XAVC AMA Volumes on Media Composer 8.6 and later
- Select the desired destination bin in the project.
- From the menu bar, select File->Input->Source Browser.
- Inside the Source Browser, navigate to the desired volume.
- When linking to Professional Discs or SxS cards select the XDROOT folder of the mounted volume or the root of a volume.
When linking to a virtual volume, such as when the contents of a media drive have been copied to another storage device while maintaining the folder structure, select the copied XDROOT directory or the parent directory that contains the XDCAM folder structure.
To link XDCAM-EX volumes select the folder directly above the BPAV folder of the mounted volume. The plug-in to link the volume will be automatically assigned by the Source Browser. - Hit the Link button on the bottom right.
Linking to XDCAM or XAVC AMA Volumes on Media Composer 8.5 and earlier
- Select the desired destination bin in the project.
- From the menu bar, select File->AMA Link… (Link to Media… if using Avid MC 8.4).
- From the Files of Type drop-down menu select Sony XAVC XDCAM (Folder).
- When linking to Professional Discs or SxS cards select the XDROOT folder of the mounted volume or the root of a volume.
When linking to a virtual volume, such as when the contents of a media drive have been copied to another storage device while maintaining the folder structure, select the copied XDROOT directory or the parent directory that contains the XDCAM folder structure. - Select Open.
Linking to XDCAM EX AMA Volume on Media Composer 8.5 and earlier
- Select the desired destination bin in the project.
- From the menu bar select File->AMA Link… (Link to Media… if using Avid MC 8.4).
- From the Files of Type drop-down menu select Sony XDCAM EX (Folder).
- Select the folder directly above the BPAV folder of the mounted volume.
- Select Open.
Linking growing files
For an edit 'while ingesting' or 'frame chase' workflow, the XAVC XDCAM Plug-in can link growing files from a Sony XDS device (XDCAM Station) as well as files exported in growing style using the plug-in's XAVC export feature. See the AMA File Export chapter about how to export XAVC files in the 'growing' style for editing while ingesting.
Growing files from third-party sources may be able to be linked as well if they conform to Sony specifications.
- Link the growing XAVC or XDCAM file in the same way as described earlier for your version of Media Composer.
- To update the linked clips while it is still growing hit Clip->Refresh In-Progresses linked Clips on MC 8.5.2 and later or Bin->Refresh In-Progress linked Clips on earlier versions.
You can also link an XDS volume as described. A growing file will be linked too.
Note that in some versions of Media Composer the Source Browser has issues with linking growing files. It may react extremely slowly or even hang upon the attempt to link a growing file or an XDS volume with a growing file.
To overcome that, you need to use the legacy link methods as described for Media Composer 8.5 and earlier.
The legacy Link Dialog is still available under MC 8.6 and later, but it is hidden. To make it available persistently select Tools->Console and in the console command line type
ToggleHideLinkMenus
and hit Enter. To hide the dialog again repeat the command.
Proceed as described for Media Composer 8.5 to link the growing files.
Hardware accelerated Decoding
If an editing system is equipped with a powerful GPU the plugin may be able to use fast hardware-accelerated decoding on the GPU for playback of XAVC and XAVC-H, leaving more CPU power for other
tasks in the editing application.
On a Windows OS system that GPU may be a discrete AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA graphics adapter or be a graphics unit integrated into the CPU. The plugin will detect available GPUs and will automatically decide which one it uses for decoding or whether decoding is being processed on the CPU only.
Whether a GPU can decode certain media essences depends on its features.
For AVC currently, there is no GPU on the market that supports decoding 4:2:2 essence, thus only playback of XAVC 4:2:0 clips can benefit from decoding on the GPU.
For XAVC-H, currently, the GPU of Intel CPUs from the 12th generation upwards with integrated graphics or discrete Intel Arc graphics adapters support HEVC 4:2:2 decoding. On all other systems, XAVC-H 8K footage is being decoded on the CPU.
Note: Certain plugins and apps for Windows OS that require OpenCL for video processing are not yet able to use the OpenCL support of Intel GPUs. To overcome this, we found a suitable Windows system hardware combination would be an Intel CPU of 12th or later generation with integrated graphics plus a discrete AMD or NVIDIA graphics adapter. This will allow you to decode XAVC-H on the integrated GPU with this plugin while other plugins and applications remain to use OpenCL support from the discrete GPU.
On Mac computers, it depends on the processor type and macOS version whether hardware-accelerated decoding is available and features of the OS decide whether CPU or GPU are used for decoding of XAVC and XAVC-H.
Source Settings, Color Transformations and Embedded LUTs
In order to view the Source Settings window, you must right-click a clip in a bin and select Source Settings… There are three tabs in this window, Linked Plug-in, Color Encoding, and FrameFlex that affect
the image appearance.
The Color Encoding tab allows you to add and remove LUT tables, which will change the visual look of
the image which can transform the clip's color space to the project color space.
The FrameFlex tab allows you to change the dimension and framing of the image.
The Linked Plug-in tab allows you to change the exposure of the clip. Application of an embedded LUT,
which is explained later, can be enabled here as well.
Note that exposure control is only available for XAVC S Clips shot with Slog3 capture gamma. Initially,
the value for Exposure (EI) that was found in the clips metadata is used. The Exposure can be adjusted
in a range from ISO 80 to ISO 10000 in steps of 1/3 of a stop.
To reset the custom exposure setting to the value at recording time choose Clip Meta Data settings
above. To reset them to generic defaults choose the Default settings above.
Note
On some versions of Media Composer, the first attempt to change a value does not take effect. To
overcome this, toggle a setting one time, e.g. switch between Clip Meta Data and Default and back.
After that, any further changes will take effect.
The image preview on the Linked Plug-in tab shows the image in the format before any Color
Transformation LUTs and Look LUTs have been applied on the Color Encoding tab. Switch to the Color
Encoding tab to view the final effect of your custom settings after the LUTs have been applied and thus
how the image will appear in further processing, or, if the clip is opened in the Source Monitor, use a full-screen display on a secondary monitor to view the final image while you change settings.
Managing Color Adapters
When you link footage whose Capture-Gamma or Transfer-Characteristic does not match the project color space, for example, a clip with Sony S-Log3.Cine into a BT.709 project, a color transformation is needed to correctly display the pictures.
Media Composer ships with a variety of LUTs for color transformations, including those for Sony S-Log color spaces. Automatic insertion of a matching color transformation upon linking can be enabled in the Color Management Settings. They can be reached either via File->Settings->User tab or at the Color Encoding tab in the Source Settings dialog.
Open the Source Settings dialog of the linked clip to see the current color transformation.
If automatic insertion of a color transformation is disabled in the Color Management Settings, or if the clip color space matches the project color space, the Color transformations list will be empty. If color spaces don't match, you can now insert a color transformation manually in two ways:
- Under Color Adapters hit the Auto button which will cause MC to insert the required transformation
automatically now. - Or select the desired Color Adapter from either the Generic or User-installed LUTs type.
Look LUTs and custom Color Transformation LUTs
If you have a Look LUT, a LUT that gives the recorded video a creative look, or a custom color space transformation LUT that you want to insert, first you need to install that LUT via the Color Management Settings dialog.
For details please see the Media Composer user manual. A user-installed LUT can be inserted in the same way as manually inserting a color adapter. Select it from the User Installed LUTs Color Adapter type.
Make sure to position a Look LUT before any color transformation. If you added a Look LUT after a color transformation was added automatically or manually, you can easily drag the Look LUT upwards to the top position.
Sony XAVC and XAVC-H Embedded LUTs
Some clips may carry an embedded LUT. This can be a creative LUT to apply a specific look to the recorded footage or a color transformation LUT for example for conversion from Slog3.Cine to BT.709
or they can even be a combination of both. When an embedded LUT is available you will find the
additional checkbox on the Linked Plug-in tab.
Hover with the mouse over the checkbox to get information about the name of the LUT. To use this
LUT, enable its application with this checkbox. Also for this, on some Media Composer versions, you
may need to toggle the setting once to see the application of the LUT taking effect on the display
window.
You can also check the availability of an embedded LUT in the bin's Monitoring Descriptions column
The name prefix “EMB1” indicates that it is an embedded LUT.
If the LUT is a pure creative LUT, after you enabled the application of it the color transformations on
the Color Encoding tab can be kept as they are. However, if the LUT contains a color space transformation, the color transformation on the Color Encoding tab must be deleted. Otherwise, you
will get a duplicate color transformation which results in a bad image with the wrong colors. Switch to the
Color Encoding tab, select the items in the Color transformations list and delete them.
If you know in advance that the footage has an embedded color transformation LUT and that you want
to use it, disable the automatic insertion of color transformation in the Color Management Settings
before you start linking.
Of course, the color transformation of the embedded LUT must match the color space of your editing
project. For example, you must not use a LUT with a target transformation to BT.709 in a project with
Slog3 or HLG color space to avoid wrong colors.
Unlike the settings on the other Source Settings tabs, unfortunately, Media Composer does not
support applying the settings on the Linked Plug-in tab to multiple selected clips. So you must enable
and disable the application of an embedded LUT for each clip individually.
Avid Playback Settings
The playback quality in the Avid applications can be configured using the Video Quality Menu in the
Timeline window. When the Avid Video Quality menu is set to Full Quality the full 8K, 6K, 4K, or 2K
image is being decoded. At a Draft Quality setting an image of 1/2 resolution is being decoded and at
the Best Performance option, an image of 1/4 resolution is decoded.
For a fluent playback, it is recommended to choose Draft or Best Performance mode. To view images in
best quality choose Full Quality mode.
Proxy editing workflow
XAVC devices can record AVC or MPEG-2 proxy clips besides the high-resolution clips. XDCAM devices allow recording MPEG-4 proxy clips. The workflow for editing with low-resolution proxy files is different for each type.
Working with XAVC high-resolution clips and AVCor MPEG-2 proxies
XAVC cameras can simultaneously record low-resolution AVC or MPEG-2 (XDCAM HD) proxy files besides the high-resolution main AV stream to the same recording media in the Sub folder or to a separate media.
AVC proxy files are wrapped in MP4 container in the same style as XAVC S clips. They may reside on the same recording media as the high-resolution clips in the Sub folder or on a separate media. When the proxies are stored on a separate media this media has a similar folder structure as XAVC S, but the root folder is named PXROOT rather than M4ROOT, indicating that the recorded footage is of low resolution.
MPEG-2 proxy files are MXF wrapped and are XDCAM HD 422 compliant. They may as well reside in the reside Sub folder of the high-resolution media or on a separate media.
For linking AVC proxy files in the MP4 container the nablet XAVC S AMA Plug-in v2.1.0 or later needs to be installed. Follow the instructions in the manual of the XAVC S plug-in about how to link volumes and clips.
The linking of MPEG-2 proxy clips is supported by this XAVC XDCAM plug-in.
Linking XAVC high-resolution and proxy footage
To work with the proxy files for editing you must link the high-resolution footage as well as the low res proxy files. Proceed as described below to link and to become able to switch between high-resolution and proxy editing.
- Link the XAVC (MXF) high-resolution footage using the methods described earlier in this article. Either link the whole volume or link selected clips from the Clip folder.
- If the proxy clips reside on a separate media, link the whole media by selecting the parent folder of the media structure.
If you do not want to link the whole media, link selected clips by right-clicking->Link with->nablet XAVC S if these are AVC proxy clips in MP4 container, or by right-clicking->Linkwith->Sony XAVC XDCAM if these are MPEG-2 proxy clips in MXF container.
If the proxy clips were recorded to the same media as the high-resolution clips, navigate to the Sub folder and link all or selected clips by right-clicking->Link with->nablet XAVC S if these are AVC proxy clips in MP4container, or by right-clicking->Link with->Sony XAVC XDCAM if there are MPEG-2 proxy clips in MXF container.
Editing with AVC proxy clips
Important: Sometimes the AVC proxy clips have fewer audio tracks than the high-resolution clips. Special care has to be taken to be able to edit all audio tracks. If you would fill and edit your timeline directly with the linked proxy clips, you may work for example with 2 audio tracks only while the high-resolution clips have 4 or 8 audio tracks. Relinking the sequence to high resolution later will not add the missing audio tracks!
Beginning with version 2.1.1 of the nablet XAVC S plug-in, the plug-in detects the number of high-resolution audio tracks and adds silent dummy tracks for the linked proxy clips to match the number of high-resolution audio tracks, so that your workflow becomes easier.
This detection will happen always when high-resolution and proxy clips reside on the same media volume.
When high resolution and proxy clips were recorded on separate media it depends on the proxy volumes metadata version whether the number of high resolution is signaled in the clips companion XML file. If it is signaled, this will let the XAVC S plug-in know the number of high-resolution audio tracks and thus how many dummy tracks it will have to add. If it is not there the XAVC S plug-in cannot add dummy tracks upon linking and you have to choose a bit more complex workflow.
You can see the number of audio tracks after linking when the 'Tracks' column on the bin to where you linked the clips is enabled.
So, different workflows are required depending on whether you have to work with a different number of audio tracks or an equal one. Please see the instructions on the following pages
Note that when you have a proxy or high-resolution clips with a varying number of audio tracks, e.g. some clips have 4 channels, some clips have 8 channels, and the first clip you add to a new sequence has fewer channels than others, then Media Composer will only automatically create this number of audio tracks. When you place a clip with a higher number of channels later on in the sequence, no additional audio tracks will be created, and not all audio tracks of that new clip will be present.
Make sure your sequence has enough audio tracks and manually add additional audio tracks to the sequence before you place clips with a higher number of tracks.
Audio Tracks. The same number of audio tracks in both hi-res and linked proxies
If the number of high-resolution audio tracks is equal to the number of audio tracks shown for the linked proxy clips in the bin columns:
Fill and edit the timeline with the proxy clips. When you are done with editing select the sequence in its bin and raise the Relink dialog by right-clicking->Relink...to relink the sequence back to high-resolution:
All high-resolution and proxy clips shall have been linked already so that they can be located in the media database by the Relink process.
High-resolution and proxy files typically carry the same Source File ID. This is used by the host to identify the matching source clips for relinking.
As the format and image dimensions of high-resolution and proxy clips are different by nature make sure to allow Relink to: AnyVideo Format. Then Select Highest Quality as Relink method.
In some cases, the high-resolution clips and the proxies have different frame rates. Make sure to enable Allow relink across rates, otherwise, only clips with the same frame rate get relinked.
Check the Create new sequence if you want the selected sequence to be relinked into a copy.
To switch a sequence back to proxy resolution proceed as above but select Relink Method: Most Compressed.
Audio Tracks. The number of audio tracks hi-res is higher than in the linked proxies
If the number of high-resolution audio tracks is higher than the number of audio tracks shown for the linked proxy clips in the bin columns, you need to relink the high-resolution clips to low-resolution once before you start editing. But only the video track!
Select all high-resolution clips in their bin and right-click->Relink... to raise the Relink dialog and configure the relink process:
As said earlier all high-resolution and proxy clips shall have been linked already so that they can be located in the media database.
High-resolution and proxy files typically carry the same Source File ID. This is used by the host to identify the matching source clips for relinking.
As the format and image dimensions of high-resolution and proxy clips are different by nature make sure to allow Relink to: Any Video Format. Then, select Most Compressed as Relink method.
It is important to select only the Video track to be relinked and keep the audio tracks at a high resolution! This way the relinked clips still refer to all high-resolution audio tracks.
In some cases, the high-resolution clips and the proxies have different frame rates. Make sure to enable Allow relink across rates, otherwise, only clips with the same frame rate get relinked.
Now you can create the sequence and start editing by filling the timeline with the relinked clips from the high-resolution bins. You will see that the video track appears as low-resolution but all high-resolution audio tracks are available on the timeline.
To relink a sequence with a low-resolution video source back to high-resolution for export, high-quality rendering, and preview, select the sequence in its bin and raise the Relink dialog by right-clicking->Relink... to relink the sequence:
To switch a sequence back to proxy resolution proceed as above but select Relink Method: Most Compressed.
On some macOS versions, relinking the sequence might not work as shown above. The video track on the timeline may stay at a low resolution.
Instead, select the high-resolution clips in their bin again and proceed as above but select Relink method: Highest Quality. Only relink the Video track!
To relink a high-resolution sequence back to proxy format, proceed as above but select Relink method: Most Compressed.
Note, that if you had linked the AVC proxy clips before with aversion earlier than nablet XAVC S plug-in 2.1.0 or with Media Composer's built-in plug-ins, the clips will not be detected by the Relink process. You must clean the media database first and then link the AVC proxy clips with the nablet XAVC S plug-in v2.1.0 or later and link the high-resolution XAVC clips with the nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-in.
Editing with MPEG-2 proxy clips
Fill and edit the timeline with the proxy clips. When you are done with editing select the sequence in its bin and raise the Relink dialog by right-clicking->Relink... to relink the sequence back to high-resolution:
Again all high-resolution and proxy clips have been linked already so that they can be located in the media database.
High-resolution and proxy files typically carry the same Source File ID. This is used by the host to identify the matching source clips for relinking.
As the format and image dimensions of high-resolution and proxy clips are different by nature make sure to allow Relink to: AnyVideo Format. Then Select the Highest Quality as Relink method.
In some cases, the high-resolution clips and the proxies have different frame rates. Make sure to enable Allow relink across rates, otherwise, only clips with the same frame rate get relinked.
Check the Create new sequence if you want the selected sequence to be relinked into a copy.
To switch a sequence back to proxy resolution proceed as above but select Relink Method: Most Compressed.
Working with XDCAM high-resolution clips and MPEG-4 Proxy
The workflow to edit with XDCAM high-resolution clips and MPEG-4 proxies is much different than for the above types. The MPEG-4 proxy files always reside on the same media as the high-resolution clips in the Sub folder. You must always link the whole media volume(s). When you link individual clips directly from the Clip folder, a proxy workflow is not supported.
Before you link the media specify whether the volume is linked with high-resolution or proxy video by setting the quality parameter in the Link settings. To start editing with low-resolution proxy clips set the Link Preference to Most Compressed as below:
Hit OK and now link the volume(s). All clips appear in the bin as low-resolution MPEG-4 proxy clips, except those which have a different framerate than the high-resolution clips, which is typically the case for 720p XDCAM clips. For clips with different rates, this procedure links the high-resolution clips instead. So, if you only have 720p XDCAM footage on the media you should link and edit with Highest Quality and skip proxy editing.
After having linked with the proxy resolution, start editing and filling the sequence. When done with editing, raise the Link Settings again and now select Highest Quality as the Link Preference.
After that, link each volume that is in use again, and all low-resolution video tracks on the timeline will be replaced with high-resolution video.
You can always switch back and forth between low and high resolution by changing the Link Preference in the Link Settings and linking the volumes again.
AMA File Export of XAVC and XDCAM HD Files *
The AMA File Export feature allows the export of XAVC and XDCAM HD compatible files from Avid. Exports can be performed with all Avid media including linked AMA files.
XAVC and XDCAM HD AMA File Export support the following operating points:
XAVC Video
HD 1280x720
XAVC Intra Class 100 |
(50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:2 50Mbps |
(50p, 59.94p) |
HD 1920x1080:
XAVC Intra CBG Class 100 |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Intra CBG Class 200 |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:2 50 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:2 35 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:2 25 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i) |
2K 2048x1080
XAVC Intra VBR/CBG Class 100 |
(23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
UHD 3840x2160
XAVC Intra VBR/CBG Class 300 |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Intra VBR/CBG Class 480 |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:0 60 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:0 100 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:0 156 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:0 240 Mbps |
(50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:0 300 Mbps |
(50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:2 100 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:2 140 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Long GOP 4:2:2 200 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
4K 4096x2160
XAVC Intra VBR/CBG Class 300 |
(23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
XAVC Intra VBR/CBG Class 480 |
(23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
* AMA File export is not available on Media Composer | First
XDCAM HD Video
HD 1280x720:
XDCAM HD 4:2:2 50Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
XDCAM HD 4:2:0 35Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p) |
XDCAM HD 4:2:0 25Mbps |
(50p, 59.94p) |
HD1440x1080:*
XAVC Intra Class 50 |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i) |
XDCAM HD 4:2:0 25 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i) |
XDCAM HD 4:2:0 35 Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i) |
HD 1920x1080:
XDCAM HD 4:2:2 50Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i) |
XDCAM HD 4:2:0 35Mbps |
(23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i) |
The choice of operation points on the export settings dialog varies depending on the project's raster dimensions and frame rate.
* Due to a bug in Media Composer all versions up to v2019.10 force the user to change the project's raster dimension to 1920x1080 before allowing export to file. Please check on later Media Composer versions whether this limitation is gone and 1440x1080 can be exported as a native resolution.
Audio
Audio is exported as PCM at a sampling rate of 48 kHz with quantization of 24 bits for XAVC and XDCAM HD 50 4:2:2 and 16 bits for XDCAM HD 4:2:0 profiles. The plug-in supports the export of up to 16 audio channels. If there are more than 16 audio channels on the timeline the plug-in will refuse to export. Deselect some of the audio tracks on the timeline to meet the limit of 16 channels. On the Export, dialog check Use Selected Tracks to make sure only the selected tracks are passed down to the plug-in.
Supported Audio Mixdown modes are Direct Out, Mono, Stereo, 5.1, and 7.1. Direct Out exports separate audio tracks as they appear on the timeline without any downmixing. Direct Out is the default mode and should be used to maintain full XAVC and XDCAM compliance.
The audio will not be mixed down into a single multichannel track but each channel of the mixdown is stored as a separate track on the output file.
For more details on audio mixing and the 5.1 or 7.1 channel assignments, please refer to the Avid user manuals.
Note that downmixed audio may not be supported by certain Sony hardware and software.
In Direct Out audio mixing mode, the minimum number of exported channels is 8 for XAVC and XDCAM HD 50 4:2:2 and 4 for XDCAM HD 4:2:0 profiles. If the source timeline has less than 8 or 4 channels respectively, muted missing channels will be added. If more channels are exported it is mandatory to select an even number of channels.
Note that certain Sony hardware and software may not support more than 8 channels.
MXF Container
There are two possible styles for the essence location in XAVC files:
Single Essence Location is the default XAVC style, usually recorded by Sony hardware. All essence is placed in a single partition. The index table is stored ahead of the essence. This style is the only option for export of XAVC Intra CBG type.
In the Multiple Essence Location style, the file's essence of about 10 seconds worth is placed into separate body partitions. Each body partition, except the first one, contains the index table of the previous body partition, ahead of the essence. The last body partition does not contain essence but only the index table for the previous partition. The footer partition repeats all index table segments. This style can be chosen for export of any XAVC Long GOP and XAVC Intra VBR types and is the only option for XDCAM HD types.
Note that not all Sony hardware might support the reading of XAVC Multiple Essence Location style files. For more information about these Essence Location styles, refer to SMPTE RDD 32 and RDD-9.
ANC Data Track
By default, the export process will always create an ANC data track on the target file. If the exported timeline does contain a data track the plug-in adds RDD-18 metadata with the actual timelines color information (Transfer Characteristic, Color Primaries, Coding Equations) for XAVC to the existing ANC data packets. Any RDD-18 metadata in the data track's ANC data packets that was probably inherited from source clips will be replaced.
If the exported timeline does not contain a data track, the plug-in will create a data track that only contains ANC packets with the RDD-18 color information for XAVC or empty ANC packets for XDCAM.
If the exported timeline does not contain a data track and for some reason you want the plug-in to omit the creation of an empty data track for XDCAM or a data track with RDD-18 color information only for XAVC, set the Add ANC Data track in the export settings dialog to Disabled. If this option is disabled, the plug-in will not create a data track when the source timeline has no data track. However, it is recommended to keep the ANC data track with color information on XAVC exports as some software may prefer to gather color space information from it rather than from the MXF header metadata.
Color Space
The color space signaled in the metadata and ANC data of an exported XAVC file will be the actual color space of the editing project. Make sure to choose the desired color space when the project is created. You can also change the color space of a project in its Settings dialog.
When you shot in Slog, you might want to edit in Slog and export Slog to deliver for further post-production. Otherwise, if you export directly for broadcast the best project color space choices are BT.709 or BT.2020 HLG. See also the chapter about the Sony Instant HDR workflow later.
Note that for XDCAM HD no color space information is stored in the ANC-data track and the Transfer Characteristic in the MXF header metadata is set to BT.709.
XAVC and XDCAM AMA File Export
The following steps provide basic instructions for the use of XAVC and XDCAM AMA File Export:
- Right-click the desired sequence or media file for export to reveal the context menu.
- On Media Composer before v8.6 select AMA File Export to open the AMA File Export dialog. On Media Composer v8.6 up to v2018.9 select “Output → AMA File Export”. Then go to Step 3.
From Media Composer 2018.10 onward intermediate steps are required:- On the Menu select File->Output->Export to File. A dialog to specify the target file name and location and the settings will appear:
- Specify a target file name and location and hit Options to raise the AMA File Export dialog:
- On the Menu select File->Output->Export to File. A dialog to specify the target file name and location and the settings will appear:
- From the File Type, the drop-down menu selects Sony XAVC & XDCAM (nablet).
- On Media Composer before v2018.10 specify the target filename and location.
- From the Format drop-down menu select the desired XAVC profile. The format options become available depending on the project dimensions and frame rate. The example below is the choice for an HD project with up to 29.97 fps.
- When an XCDAM format was chosen an option to force a constant GOP size will become available
By default for the best quality and bitrate management, the MPEG-2 video encoder will use scene detection and place an I-Frame on a scene change. This may leave GOPs shorter than the typical length for the specific frame rate at such scene changes. To force the encoder not to use scene detection and to generate constant GOP size check “Force constant GOP Size”. - If the frame rate of the sequence to export is 50 fps or59.94 fps an option to allow an odd sequence duration will be available:
For compliance with the Sony format specifications, clips at these frame rates need to have an even frame number. If the sequence consists of an odd number of frames, by default the plug-in will truncate the sequence by one frame and export an even number of frames. You may force the plug-in to ignore that rule and export all frames by checking “Accept odd sequence duration”, but be aware that the resulting output violates the specification and may not be accepted by certain Sony hardware and software. - If the chosen format is of a XAVC Long GOP or a XAVC Intra VBR type, select the desired MXF Essence Location Style from the MXF Container Format drop-down menu. A dialog to specify the target file name and location and the settings will appear:
The Single Essence Location Style is the default style for XAVC Long GOP and XAVC Intra VBR. For XAVC Intra VBR the MXF Container Format is fixed to the Single Essence Location style, for XDCAM HD it is fixed to the Multiple Essence Location style. - If the file is to be ingested and edited in another workplace while it is exported, set the Enable Growing File Style option to Enabled. Files exported in this style can be linked by the nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-in in Avid products and probably also on other NLEs:
Note that the MXF Container Format selection has no effect in this mode. By nature, growing Long GOP files always are of Multiple Essence Location style. - If needed, suppress the generation of an ANC track by setting the Create ANC Data track option to Disabled.
- Select the desired Audio Mixdown mode
Direct Out is the default mixdown mode and should be chosen to maintain full XAVC or XDCAM compliance. - To insert XML metadata into the exported MXF file check Write Metadata to File
Check “Write Sidecar XML File” to also export an XML file next to the MXF file.
The generated XML metadata will contain file and format information. If you fill in Title, Creator, and Description text boxes, this information will be added to the metadata. Note that the Avid host will store these entries as persistent. You need to update it for each export and if you do not want all or some of that user information, please clear the corresponding text boxes. - On Media Composer before v2018.10б select the Save Button to start the export.
On Media Composer v2018.10 and later, hit Save As to save the setting as a preset. Then hit save to return to the Export as .. dialog. Hit the Save Button to start the export.
Saved export settings can be selected from the Export Settings drop-down menu for further exports without the need to raise the AMA File Export dialog again.
Exporting XDCAM HD 4:2:0 and XDCAM HD 4:2:2 to an optical disc
It is possible to export an XDCAM HD file directly to an optical disc, e.g. on a Sony PDW-U1 or PDWU2 device. When specifying the target name and location navigate to the device and select the Clip folder on the mounted optical disc as the target folder. Depending on the settings made at the Sony XDCAM Drive Utility software, the filename you specified will be used for naming on the disc or the drive will change it to the typical XDCAM naming form e.g. C0003.MXF. Before exporting make sure the disc's system frequency matches the frame rate of the exported timeline. You cannot mix clips with PAL frame rates and NTSC frame rates on the same disc.
Unfortunately, some versions of Media Composer inhibit a direct export to an optical disc, because they access the drive in some illegal way before starting the export throughout the plug-in, which causes an IOError and terminates the export.
One workaround is to export to local storage first and copy the resulting MXF file to the Clip folder on the mounted disc manually.
Another optional workaround is to use the Export to Device feature for native XDCAM HD export by Avid Media Composer.
- Select File->Output->Export to Device->XDCAM
- The format options that become available vary depending on the project settings.
- Select the mounted Target XDCAM disc and hit OK to start the export.
But please note that in this case Avid's internal XDCAMHD encoder is utilized rather than the one of the nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-in and no additional metadata can be set.
Instant HDR Workflow
What is the Sony Instant HDR Workflow?
Instant HDR means you shoot footage in HDR and Hybrid LogGamma (with Picture Profile for HLG/BT.2020), edit it in the same color space, and deliver the final video in HLG HDR without the need for additional color grading.
A variety of Sony cameras now support shooting in BT.2020 HLGHDR, professional XAVC cameras as well as low-cost XAVC S recording models.
Avid Media Composer allows editing in BT.2020 Hybrid LogGamma color space. In Media Composer versions before v8.7, this is called Arib B-67. Not all versions of Media Composer support an HDR workflow in BT.2020HLG. Please refer to the specification of the version you use.
While you link XAVC (MXF) HDR footage using this nabletXAVC XDCAM plug-in, you can link XAVC S (MP4) HDR footage using the nablet XAVC S AMA Plugin.
The editing project shall be configured for Hybrid Log Gammacolor space. When you export the timeline to XAVC using this plug-in the output MXF file will signal the HLG color space in its metadata.
Prepare to edit UHD in BT.2020 Hybrid Log GammaHDR
In Avid Media Composer create a new Project with UHD resolution and the desired frame rate and select a BT.2020 HLG color space. This is available for RGB as well as for YCbCr. While YCbCr requires less memory RGB guarantees the best rendering quality.
You may also change the color space in an already existing project. Select the project windows Format tab and at the Color Space selector choose the RGB 2020 Hybrid Log Gamma. After this make sure to update the Color Transformations for your source clips in the Source Settings dialog to match the new project color space. On the Color Encoding tab, usually hitting the Auto button will generate the proper transformations. This works for multiple selected clips.
For source clips that were shot in BT2020 Hybrid Log Gamma, there shall not be any transformation afterward in a project with the same color space. For more information about the Source Settings and Color Encoding please refer to the Media Composer manual.
The actual color space of the project will become the colorspace of the exported video. There is no option to specify a different colorspace only for the export.
Known Issues and Limitations
General
- The user must uninstall any versions of the Sony PDZK-MA2 plug-in from programs and Features on Windows before installing this plug-in.
- Linking spanned clips does not work with Avid Media Composer8.6.4. Use an earlier version or upgrade to a later version of Media Composer.
- The Audio Bit Depth and other columns may display incorrect information when a spanned clip is imported.
- The “CFPS” column in Avid will populate with the standard framerate and not the capture frame rate. In other words, if a clip was shot at 120FPS over a 23.98 timebase, the CFPS column will report 23.98. Please refer to the custom “Capture FPS” column instead.
- If there are DNxHD, ProRes, or SRclips in an XDROOT folder structure that contains XAVC/XDCAM clips, using the link to AMA volume with the XAVC/XDCAM plug-in will not link to the DNxHD, ProRes, or SR clips in that structure. DNxHD and ProRes can be linked to by file using the Quicktime plug-in, and SR clips can be linked to by file using the nabletHDCAM-SR plug-in.
- For Media with a PRIVATE root folder and an AVCHD folder besides the XDROOT folder, the Avid application may not access the nablet XAVC XDCAM plug-in to link this media. A workaround is to remove the AVCHD folder if it doesn't contain clips, or rename it to e.g. “AVCHD_”.
- On some versions of Media Composer the attempt to link clips results in erratic behavior of the Source Browser. It may react extremely slowly or even hang up. A workaround is to use the legacy link methods as described for Media Composer 8.5 and earlier. The legacy Link Dialog is still available under MC 8.6 and later, but it is hidden. To make it available persistently select Tools->Console and in the consoles command line type and hit Enter. To hide the dialog again repeat the command. Then proceed as described for Media Composer 8.5.
XAVC
- Single-stream playback of XAVC HD files is supported on machines with 4 core processors or more.
- The source timecode will not be present on XAVC 4K clips when performing a link to the 4K folder and then a link to the same individual MXF files inside the 4K image that a link to the folder was performed with.
- XAVC QFHD and 4K may not be played back in real-time with the Video Quality Menu option set to Full Quality.
- After transcoding a clip or after performing a video mixdown, some versions of Media Composer will not set a desired lower Video Quality when playing back the source file. Toggle the Video Quality setting once when you encounter a performance loss during playback.
- Sony cameras that utilize the XAVC folder structure with the capability of recording AVCHD will not automount in Avid Media Composer. The user must link to them manually.
- XAVC clips beyond HD in resolution will show up as “Generic AVCI” in the format column in Avid Media Composer v8.3.1.
- On Media Composer from v8.9.2 to 2018.1 certain XAVC Intra, 4K CBG clips cannot be played back, regardless of whether the clips were linked with the nablet plug-in or the Avid own MXF plug-in. Hitting the Play button results in an error message. The workaround is to transcode the linked clip to DNxHR.
- AMA File Exporting 1080p50/60 XAVC media on Media Composer v8.7.2 and v8.8.0 fails with a message about unsupported compression format. Upgrade to v 8.8.1 or later.
- AMA File Exporting 720p50/60 XAVC media may result in invalid media in downstream operations in Avid Media Composer v8.3.1.
- 720p50/60 XAVC Intra and Long GOP are not supported on Avid Media Composer v8.3.1 or NewsCutter v11.0.4. To use 720p50/60p XAVC, Avid Media Composer v8.4 or later, or NewsCutter v11.0.4.4 must be used.
- XAVC Intra HD performance from deck devices such as the PMW-1000 and XDS-2000 is depending on hardware specs and connection speed to the deck. Full-quality playback may not be sustainable in some cases.
XDCAM Memory
- The CreationDate may display the time the subsequent spanned files were created for a clip, instead of the time the first file of the spanned clip was created.
- When one image of a span is not linked to and displays MediaOffline in the viewers, the time code for the Media Offline section is not displayed. When the missing image is linked, then the time code will show up.
XDCAM Disc
- There is no support for 720p (PD-Proxy) MPEG-4 proxy clips.
- When using the Sony PDW-U1, if an XDCAM Disc is ejected and then the same disc is reinserted during the same Avid session, the clips might not come back online in Avid. To work around this issue, manually link to the XDCAMDisc using the File->Link AMA… (Link to Media… if using Avid MC8.4) feature or restart the Avid application.
- The Video column for XDCAM HD 1440x1080 18Mb/25Mb 29.97pmedia displays the frame rate as 60 and the Format column will display the frame rate as 59.94 in the bin.
- The Video column for XDCAM HD 1280x720 25Mb 50p/60p media displays as MPEG2-MP@HL (HD720P) in the bin.
- The Video column for XDCAM HD 1280x720 35Mb 50p/60 media displays as XDCAM EX 35Mbits (720p50) in the bin.
- If an XDCAM image has been modified by XDCAM Browser and saved the most compressed proxy material may not be able to display in Avid. Only the highest quality will display in Avid for these images.
- Export of XDCAM HD directly to the Clip folder on a mounted optical disc is inhibited on some versions of Media Composer due to an internal bug.
XDCAM EX
- The Video column for XDCAM EX 1440x1080 35Mbps media displays as XDCAM HD 1440x1080 35Mbps in the bin.
- The Video column for XDCAM EX 1440x1080 25Mbps media displays as HDV 1440x1080 in the bin.
- The Video column for XDCAM EX 1440x1080 35Mbps 29.97pmedia displays as 59.94i in the bin.
- All XDCAM EX AMA media must be mounted and online when rendering or consolidating a sequence.
Voice-over
- Voice-over audio clips may be offline if an image is linked over a network. In the console enter for Avid to view all drives as media drives.
- Consolidate or Transcode voice-over clips will fail either in a sequence or in the bin.
- Voice-over audio files will not display the full path to an image linked over the network.
XMPilot
- Some of the category names will have a PM in front of them to avoid conflicts. The list of category names that will have a PM in front of them is Project, Assign ID, Creator, Title 1 (ASCII), and Title 2 (Multi-Language).
XDCAM Station
- The supported firmware version of XDCAM Station is v2.01 or higher.
- The Source Browser of Media Composer 8.6 and later may slow downlinking of clips and folders on XDCAM Station due to its various auto-detection features.
- It is possible to use the legacy Link dialog, which is hidden by default. To make the Link dialog available open Tools->Console. In the Console command line type and hit Enter. You will be prompted with a message dialog that informs you that the Link Menu pick will be visible now. This setting stays persistent on your system until you hide the Link Menu by entering the same command again.
- It is recommended to perform a folder link to the XDCAM Station device “INTERNAL” folder as opposed to the root folder of the XDCAM Station device. Linking to the root folder of the XDCAM Station will work, but a “Bin Selection” window will be displayed which may cause inconvenience.
- Linking growing files or stream case clips is not sufficient with Media Composers Source Browser. Follow the instructions earlier in this document about how to link growing files. A copy of a stream chase clip is created once it finishes growing. This occurs when performing a Refresh In-Progress AMA Clips operation with clips on the internal XDS that are being created by a copy from the PD or SxSdrives. This occurs if the XDS Transcode menu option is set to “On”.
- Realtime playback is not supported when accessing XAVC HD files on the XDCAM Station directly.
- Streamchase is not supported with Avid NewsCutter.
- AMA File Export of XAVC requires 8 channels of audio if intending to copy this to the XDCAM Station device.
- AMA File Export to the XDS Professional Disc slot is not supported.
Stereoscopic 3D
- When performing the function “Populate S3D Group Names automatically” in Avid products on a Stereoscopic 3Dlinked clip, the existing S3D Group Names will be replaced, and creating a Stereoscopic clip will not be possible. If this does occur please perform another folder link on the affected clip(s).
XDCAM Professional Disc User Data folder
- When performing a file transfer from SxS cards to an XDCAMProfessional Disc using a device such as the PDW-HR1 some clips will be copied to the UserData folder of the XDCAM Professional Disc. Some of the clips will not import into Avid products when the user performs an AMA Link to Folder in the User Data folder. To correct this, the UserData folder must be opened in XDCAM Browser.XDCAM Browser will modify the image to allow it to be imported into the Avid products. The user must perform another AMA Link to Folder function to import the clips into Avid.
- AMA Link to a folder is not supported for XDROOT that is under the UserData folder on an XDCAM Professional Disc. The image must be copied off to the system storage and then the AMA Link to a folder will work, or the AMA Link to a file will work as well.
- Consolidating/Transcoding of XDCAM Professional Discs will fail if run as a background task.
AMA File Export
- AMA File Export of XAVC Long GOP HD to Sony Professional Discs is not supported.
- Using the XAVC & XDCAM File Type for AMA File Export is not supported for audio clips, Titles, Motion Effects, Sub-clips, and Group clips.
- Export of XDCAM HD directly to the Clip folder on a mounted optical disc is inhibited on some versions of Media Composer due to an internal bug.
- Export of XAVC Intra Class 50 and XDCAM HD with 1440x1080 dimension is inhibited by some versions of Media Composer.