Converting BPAV folder files to Sony XDCam EX files??

I've just shot 28 hours of Sony XDCam EX. I've captured the raw files to a drive straight from the memory cards... BPAV folders.

Normally I do a Log and Transfer with FCP and simply convert the files in the BPAV folder to XDCam EX files.

This time round I'm getting an odd response:

WARNING

"BPAV" contains unsupported media or has an invalid directory structure. Please choose a folder whose directory structure matches supported media.


I'm also getting the same thing from older files that I KNOW I've converted previously. Mmmm? I wonder what I might be missing this time around? It could be that in the past I was doing my Log & Transfer straight from the memory card ... but I'm pretty sure I've also done it from the already captured BPAV folder on the drive.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated...


Ben

XDCAM EX files don't come in through Log and Transfer. They come in through Import>XDCAM and the Sony XDCAM utility opens up and you do it through there.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Hi Andrew,


In FCP if I do a File>Import ... there is no XDCAM choice (only Files.. Folder.. Batch List.. Cinema Tools Telecine Log.. EDL.. XML).

I use Sony's XDCAM Browser to pull the files from the SXS memory card ? the original files directly from the camera. I'm wondering if the Sony Browser will allow me to convert the files to XDCam?

?

Ben

That would mean that you don't have all the XDCAM files installed on that machine. Was this the machine and setup that you used before?

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Aha!!


Thank you Andrew! I went back to the laptop. Sure enough, FCP is working fine ... and Log & Transfer will work admirably to convert the files.

What might I be missing on my tower setup ... that will allow FCP to work similarly there?

Mmmm. I've installed Sony's XDCam Browser on my laptop, but I notice it isn't on the tower. I bet a buck that the XDCam Browser added some plug-ins to the FCP folder when I installed it, have I got that right?

So I just have to installed the XDCam Browser on my tower ... and should be good to go?

Assumptions, assumptions ...


Awaiting word...


Ben

There is/was a Final Cut Pro installation on one of the myriad Sony pages at one time. It gave you the clip browser and the menu plug in so it shows up under import.

There is nothing more convoluted that Sony's naming of their various clip viewers and plug-in installers. Their various national websites vary greatly and for a while I think it was only the Australian/NZ site that had things well laid out and then Canada had them for a while. This was of course after Sony stopped forcing you to use MS Explorer on all their websites. Couple that with the differentiation of the EX and HD variants of XDCAM and that nothing behaves with any consistency and you're left with having to parse their techno speak websites and relearn their stupid methodology everytime you come across a system that hasn't been XDCAM enabled. Which I, at least, do just infrequently enough to not commit any of it to memory. Now I just throw the installer on my dropbox and download it from there each time. Run the update check and then go.

So yeah, you should be good to go.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

That sounds almost like a rant Andrew. Which I'm about to second. There are numerous versions now ... XDCam Browser, XDCam Browser EX, Windows, Mac.

I installed the EX version, but it didn't automatically give me whatever it is that FCP needs to be able to convert the files.

I do remember vaguely about having to add something to FCP.

Maybe I'll just use my laptop to convert all the files. 28 hours though. Gasp. And my tower would do it sooooo much faster.

Maybe a bit more messing around. If only I could find the original 'download' file on my laptop ... drag it over to the tower, etc. etc.

Thank you very much for your help Andrew,


Ben

[pro.sony.com]

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

XDCAM Browser replaces XDCAM Clip Browser. These let you copy XDCAM files from drive to drive, and there is also an outdated "export MXF for NLEs" option in this software.

XDCAM Transfer lets you rewrap XDCAM footage to QuickTime.

There is also a log and transfer plugin for FCP that let's you rewrap XDCAM EX (not XDCAM HD) to QuickTime. This plugin is useful of you want to reingest XDCAM footage that has gone offline.

The websites are a mess.



www.strypesinpost.com