Export for Television?

Anyone?

???

Also, If they say "Your program audio should not peak above -9 dBfs"
What does that mean in regards to the audio meters in FCPX? Should I just lower the audio so it doesn't go over -9dB?

I tried exporting using the "1080i25 XDCAM HD 422 50 Mbps" setting. But the file that is generated only plays in VLC not Quicktime, and find no way to check what the file is? For example if it's interlaced with top field first like they want etc...

Is that the setting I should use?

What they're looking for is "decibels relative to full scale", and I've never seen conclusive data showing FCPX does that. Its audio meters may be Db (decibels). Decibels are a measurement of energy transmitted through sound waves, analog. Dbfs is a digital measurement, relative to that analog. There's no real chart to compare the two.
www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm

So, you'd need to get a plugin that displays Dbfs to start with. I know FCP7 did Dbfs with its meters, not sure about FCPX. Would love to see some document to settle what FCPX does.
documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/u...ction=1%26tasks=true

BUT, that said, if you keep your audio meters from peaking above -9, not matter what, you'll at least be in the neighborhood, more or less. If you have trouble with some audio clips, use a Limiter audio filter.

Thanks Ben!

Since it's a music video, I was provided with an already mixed and mastered audio track. And that is the only audio. So all I can do is to lower the volume. Which in many ways seems counter productive.

What do the level meters peak at?

The usual for music mastering -0.5 dB or so. Whatever that means in dBFS

Edit: I just re-read the FCP7 manual thing regarding this. Seems like dBFS is what the meter in FCP (and in most DAWs then) is called in broadcast terms. I had a music studio for ten years and have no memory of coming across this term. You were just careful not to go over the zero mark not to cause digital clipping.
That would mean I just reduce the volume so it doesn't go over -9 on the meters in FCPX.

Can anyone confirm that I have understood things correctly?

I grew up in music studios and never dealt with dbfa until I started working with broadcasters. Set a Limiter for -9, you should be good.

Since it's already mastered, which means it already has way too much compression and limiting on there already (loudness wars). And I don't want to add any processing because somebody can get pissed if I mess with the audio. So all I can do is lower the volume.

Now, if I could only find a way to export it to 50i And that elusive OP1a option.
XDCAM HD422 50Mb/s mxf OP1a file and 50i is what they want. But can only find settings called 1080i25. Not sure if that is correct or not, there are no 1080i50 settings...

Music is mastered for stereos, not broadcast. Lowering the volume lowers everything, and loses energy/momentum. I'd just use a Limiter, be safe, keep the dynamics.

I've looked through the MXF settings in Compressor, and it seems you can't change an interlaced preset to a progressive one. Not sure if that is an MXF standard or an Apple limitation...

"...and 50i is what they want. But can only find settings called 1080i25..."

108050i and 1080i25 is the same - just another name.

- Andreas

BenB wrote: Music is mastered for stereos, not broadcast. Lowering the volume lowers everything, and loses energy/momentum. I'd just use a Limiter, be safe, keep the dynamics.

But adding a limiter changes the dynamics, and that's what I'm trying to avoid!

Andreas Kiel wrote: 108050i and 1080i25 is the same - just another name.

Thanks for that clarification!

Now that is confusing. Why call 50i i25? I'm already hating the broadcast world!

So... This neverending thing continues. I sent an e-mail to the address in the PDF with the specs and as I was under the expression that MXF was 8 mono tracks for audio and I read somewhere that you were supposed to set the audio to "dual mono" instead of "stereo" but asking about that I got this reply:

"Avoid changing audio to dual mono, it needs to be a stereo track. The .mxf needs to meet the basic spec, outlined below."

 1920 by 1080/50i
 XDCAM HD422 50Mb/s mxf OP1a file
 no less than 75% by duration acquired as native HD
 Time code for first frame of video to be consistent across all related media and metadata and to end with zero seconds and frames
 Stereo mix and optional Dolby-E

So now the question is do I just export it as MFX without changing the audio file to dual mono as he said?

Next thing is the "Time code for first frame of video to be consistent across all related media and metadata and to end with zero seconds and frames". What the hell does that mean? I only have ONE file, there is not gonna be any more media than this one exported MFX file (if I ever manage to get it exported correctly). And the song is 4m07s17f, does that mean I have to add 42 seconds just so it can end at an even 00:05:00:00?

Damn, it's just a damn music video, why does it have to be so complicated? And since I have no clue what's going on on their end I cannot figure things out, just have to follow some specs that make no sense to me at all

Sorry Dmitri - I have 3 TV Edits on the go right now...so have been a bit flat out to look here regularly, lately...



Don't get hung up on 25i/50i.

25i is the modern term for what was 50i for a long, time.

50i was created before 50p really emerged.

Don't get mixed up on Fields/Frames.

25i is fine. We deliver to National Broadcasters with it, it works. Don't panic.

Don't let Broadcast compliance defeat you either. This is the main game. You are heading to the headmaster's office. Make it count. Deliver great content!

Also be proactive by talking to people in the industry, be a nerd - when you see terms like 'interlaced' or 'lkfs' or whatever - STUDY it. ABSORB it.

There's reasons why interlaced content is used. Same with Progressive scan. There's a ton of info out there. Absorb why these exist - and then the processes make more sense.

I respect your fears on Audio, but they will run it through a compressor/limiter anyway, and it will get clamped if it exceeds thresholds, so better to control it yourself by ensuring audio compliance.

Dean...

Let's address the spec list you got now:

1920 / 50i is same as 25i in FCPX.. all good there.

Using Compressor, you can export out to XDCAM HD 422 50 Mb/s as I showed earlier in this thread. That MXF will be OP1a compliant.

They are suggesting I would say that the majority of your content is in HD at acquisition and also that you have a continuous Timecode run in your project without any weird changes in it during the Master.

The "Zero seconds and Frames" is what I wrote about earlier anyway, that you ensure that there are no 'junk' frames at the start and end of segments, or your content. So I would look to drop those 17 frames or add 7.

I am sure they are not asking you to drop 7 seconds from the Music Video.

Also, just export the stereo mix straight out to the MXF Compressor preset - it will add 6 x Mute tracks anyway...giving you a 8-track, OP1a compliant - MXF.

Dean...

"But adding a limiter changes the dynamics, and that's what I'm trying to avoid!"

No, it won't, trust me, I do this daily. If you adjust the volume and add the Limiter and balance, you'll end up with much nicer sounding results than just lowing the volume, which changes the dynamics more than a Limiter does. Pushing the lower end of the dynamic range of music actually cuts its lower end dynamic, auditorialy.

Dean!

Thank you!!!

So it seems like most things have been just confusion over terminology. I did send a file that I think should work except that it ends at 17 frames. It takes me 6 hours to send the damn file so unless they complain that has to do

One last question now that needs to be cleared: Timecode? What would cause it to be changing or somesuch in the middle of the project? Is timecode being added automatically when exporting to MXF? The time (HR:MIN:SEC:FR) runs continously when playing the video. Starting with 00:00:00:00 and (now) ending at 00:04:08:00.