File conversions and .mov files

Why do I sometimes get an error in FCP when I try to import a .mov file? Sometimes it will let me and sometimes it won't. I get a very non-specific error code which says:

File Error: 1 file(s) recognized, 0 access denied, 1 unknown.

What the hell does that mean? Shouldn't we be able to import .mov files?

My problems all started when a client handed me 2 discs from a Sony camcorder that records directly onto disc. God do I hate those things. They're the little ones. One is a -RW and one is a -R. I tried to decode them with Handbrake. It only liked one of the DVDs and created the aforementioned .mov file. FCP doesn't like that file.

I suspect the second DVD wasn't finalized. When I put it into my drive, it mounts, but doesn't play.

Probably should be a separate topic, but what's the deal with .avi files? Can we play them or not? I've seen things on this board where they say to convert them to quicktime. Is that the same thing as .mov?

Any suggestions for the best way to rip video from DVDs? Is Handbrake the way to go? What's the difference between Handbrake and Mpeg Streamclip?

Thanks for your help.

>Shouldn't we be able to import .mov files?

Not all. Run it in Quicktime, hit apple I to bring up inspector and tell us the details of the video and audio.

>what's the deal with .avi files? Can we play them or not?

Yes, you can play them. Theoretically you can import them into FCP. But it is better to convert them to an editable codec in a QT container first. Yes quicktime is ".mov".

>What's the difference between Handbrake and Mpeg Streamclip?

Haven't tried Handbrake, to be honest. I work with Streamclip, and it does the job and more.



www.strypesinpost.com

There are people out there who refer to Quicktime movies as "dot em oh vee" files, but I've never really understood why. A file that's named "something.mov" is likely to be but isn't guaranteed to be a Quicktime, and a Quicktime isn't necessarily going to be named "something.mov."

That might be related to your primary problem. Just because a file is called "something.mov" doesn't mean it's a Quicktime. And even if it is, it's not guaranteed to work on your system. Quicktime is modular, and the different bits of it are called components. There's a Quicktime component to play back DVCPRO, one to play back ProRes, one to play back REDCODE, or whatever. Some of these components ship with Mac OS X; some are available for download for free. Some are only available at a cost, or are bundled with products like Final Cut Studio. If you don't have the component required to play back a particular Quicktime, then that Quicktime won't play on your system.

The error you got from Final Cut is actually pretty simple: It's telling you that of the two files you tried to import, one couldn't be imported. That's not non-specific at all; it's actually highly specific. It's also highly definitive: Final Cut is saying "I don't know what to make of this."

Not knowing anything about the source media, I can't offer you any good advice on what to do with it. If you wanted to post more details about where the footage came from, I'd be happy to make a suggestion. But your better bet might just be to google "Final Cut Pro" and the model number of the camera that recorded the footage. Chances are somebody's already solved the problem.

> I suspect the second DVD wasn't finalized. When I put it into my drive, it mounts, but doesn't
> play.

Are you sure this isn't a data DVD? I'm pretty sure a video DVD wouldn't be recorded onto a DVD-RW.


www.derekmok.com

Not all. Run it in Quicktime, hit apple I to bring up inspector and tell us the details of the video and audio.

Video: Apple Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 720x400.
Audio: 48 khz

There's no telling. But actually the issue isn't with that disc. I may have may a mistake in my post. The issue is with the -R disc and I actually think that one was finalized. So forget that.

Also, I've been playing around since I posted, so here's where I am now.

I got one disc to play and was able to make a .mov file that FCP likes. I was able to do that with Handbrake. It's an 8-bit uncompressed. When I try to run the other DVD through Handbrake, it tells me No Valid Title Found.

I've tried to open in MPEG Streamclip, but it will only play just a small part of what's on the DVD (looks like maybe the first chapter).

I do have one entire file -- under the more info button it says it's a Quicktime movie. Under Codecs it says: Integer (Little Endian) Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2

Final Cut does not like this file and gives me the error message when I try to import it.

1) I would call up the client and ask him to re-burn a copy of the DVD that doesn't work. Also, I will call him and find out the model of the camera he is using. Then google and find the camera specs and check if I am getting the right format from the client, if not, advise him/her.

2) The frame size looks wrong. If it's a Video DVD, it should conform to DVD specs, and the frame size should be 720x480 in NTSC countries and 720x576 in PAL countries. You need to reconvert it. I usually use Mpeg Streamclip.

In the meantime, you could click on the Diana Weynand link on the left of the forum. It's the one with the FCP 6 book. Pretty good stuff. I read it myself.



www.strypesinpost.com

> I've tried to open in MPEG Streamclip, but it will only play just a small part of what's on the DVD
> (looks like maybe the first chapter).

Did you do APPLE-F -- Fix Timecode Breaks?


www.derekmok.com

I was afraid to try that, but I will. Thanks

Okay, I got the whole thing to play in Streamclip, then exported to quicktime. I got it to import to Final Cut, but it's out of sync. And not just a little out of sync. It's as if portions are playing faster than usual. Somethings going on with the frame rate.

Export in smaller chunks using MPEG Streamclip's In-Out options. Did you check to see if the original footage was out of sync?


www.derekmok.com