FCPX10.1.1 does not solve the problem with long-time clip editing!

@artofoe:

I think it will be a good idea to use ProRes instead of DVCPROHD for very long clips.

I understand the issues you are having with 4K XAVC@50p. Especially for this type of workflow you will definitely be happy with the new MacPro. Current MacPros are really not up to this kind of media. You will have to ditch that old AJA card and get a proper 4K Thunderbolt monitor or a Thunderbolt to SDI box to use with the Sony. It works beautifully for us.

If your final destination format is 50i (25 interlaced frames) I don't see why you are shooting 50P. You can easily record at 25P and you will see no significant quality difference in your footage, but it will make your editing on a current MacPro much smoother. 50P footage on a 25P timeline delivery is only used for smooth slow motion effects.

I also understand that you have browsing problems when importing 4K XAVC@50P over a USB connection, even if it's true USB3 (if you connect a USB3 device to the USB connector of a MacPro you only get USB2 speed). With this kind of media it is better to copy the contents of your cards onto a fast drive or RAID and to import from there: you will have no issues browsing through the clips and making selects. When you shoot 25P instead of 50P USB3 will not be a problem.

@Dan:

No need to convert to ProRes IMO, DVCPRO(HD) will do just fine with short-form work, but I have had issues before with it on older versions of FCPX. The reasons seem to be twofold:

1. DVCPROHD (@1080) is always interlaced, and FCPX is not optimized for interlaced media.
2. DVCPROHD (@720 and @1080) is always non-square pixels, and FCPX does not like these too much either.

Fortunately the majority of modern recording codecs are full-raster and progressive. We don't get DVCPRO media that much anymore since Panny switched to AVC-Intra, so I have no recent experiences with it. And I agree AVC-Intra works perfectly with FCPX.

- Ronny

@ronny:
nice. I will make our new workflow when we receive our new mac pros.
and I hope our leader will accept the Sharp TV, haha,
probably they will think it's a TV, not a monitor.....
is it 4:2:0 through HDIM or display port?
and since no monitor support itu2020,what about the Sharp TV at 709 or DCI-p3 color space?
I don't know yet.

4K 50p is quite difference with 4K 25p for fast moving pictures. so we do that in 50p.

I will make our new workflow when we receive our new mac pros.

I think that is a very wise decision.

There are many more monitoring solutions for 4K workflows than the Sharp. The Sharp accepts a DisplayPort and HDMI, both provide excellent preview-quality monitoring for FCPX.

But if you want REC709 or DCI-P3 color space monitoring you should have a look at one of these: www.postmagazine.com/Publications/Post-M...th-an-eye-on-4K.aspx Other 4K monitoring solutions will arrive very soon now. I'm particularly looking forward to what Flanders Scientific will bring. Their grade-1 broadcast monitors are of a very high quality, their headquarters are 3 miles from where I live and I do a lot of work for them ;)

These monitors work over SDI, which is still more reliable than HDMI (but this may gradually change). The best way to go with these on a new MP is to get a Thunderbolt to SDI box from AJA or BM and connect the monitor to the box.

And I do agree that for fast moving pictures (such as sports) 50P is better than 25P. But as you were saying you were shooting conferences I don't think of fast moving pictures.

- Ronny

hi,roony,
conference is part of our project, shoot a lot of , but use not too much.
we have to shoot dance, shows etc.
last year, we've tested sony,tvlogic,astro 4K monitor.
however, until now, it's hard to find a card to output 4K 50p (60P) SDI signal.
Blackmagic maybe, but too sophisticated，
2*6gb sdi to 8*1.5gb sdi to 4*3gb sdi,
that's not a product.

hi, everyone, good news:

I've done a simple test including 2 100mins Prores422 clips to playback, fast forward/backward/ browser
and do other editing operations.

It's fine, smooth!
there is only a while no-responsive when I change stereo to mono and then change back to stereo quickly,
and then do fast forward/backward/browser operation.
the above situation is not very common while editing.
but I think apple should improve though.

So, it seems the FCPX supports Pores well, but not DVCRPOHD.

ronny courtens wrote: @artofoe:

No need to convert to ProRes IMO, DVCPRO(HD) will do just fine with short-form work, but I have had issues before with it on older versions of FCPX. The reasons seem to be twofold:

1. DVCPROHD (@1080) is always interlaced, and FCPX is not optimized for interlaced media.
2. DVCPROHD (@720 and @1080) is always non-square pixels, and FCPX does not like these too much either.

Fortunately the majority of modern recording codecs are full-raster and progressive. We don't get DVCPRO media that much anymore since Panny switched to AVC-Intra, so I have no recent experiences with it. And I agree AVC-Intra works perfectly with FCPX.

- Ronny

Hi Ronny,

My largely uninformed guess as to why FCP X has trouble with longer DVCPRO HD clips is the 4GB file size limit in the MXF files. Premiere CS6 (as of last May) would just import them as separate clips you would have to butt together. Having to join large files together on the fly without rewrapping them to quicktime is a possible system hog.

I was having major trouble with a doc project last May that used long 30 minute plus interviews from an HVX. Clips kept randomly going offline and could only be relinked using the camera archive. FCP X would then see the clips in the event without reimporting. Weird.

FCP has had DVCPROHD support for ten years now, so I can't see it being that big a priority since it's nearly obsolete. Considering MXF4QT for FCP 7 still costs over $700, it's amazing that this $300 editing software handles MXF as well as it does.

P.S.

FWIW, my old but now sold HVX-200 P2 cam could shoot 1080p 23.98 with flagged pulldown fields that would be removed by FCP 7's log and transfer. In FCP X I have to make a 23.98 timeline in order to play back the footage without the extra fields. I do not miss non square pixels one bit.

Hey Darren,

Yep, that could very well explain why I never have seen problems with short DVCPRO/HD clips. And he OP has confirmed that using ProRes instead of long DVCPROHD files has solved his issues, so I think you are correct.

I quite like the "move on or bust" mentality of FCPX. Hanging on to outdated technologies has never been a good thing.

- Ronny