Thursday, August 8, 2013

Get an effective way to edit XAVC file with Avid Media Composer

If you fail to import Sony XAVC videos to Avid Media Composer, you can refer to the following guide to easily convert Sony XAVC to Avid DNxHD codec for native editing.

 

XAVC is an open format that will be licensed to companies that want to make XAVC products. XAVC uses level 5.2 of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC which is the highest level supported by that video standard. Sony developed XAVC to handle the higher data rates of high-speed and 4k. Thus, many experienced Avid users may wonder about the XAVC codec and Avid Media Composer workflow, and some will search for the best XAVC/XDCAM Plug-in for Avid. Here let's see what users discuss in the forum.

Q1: Hi, We've got some material from Sony's new XAVC codec and using MC 6.5.2 and the newest AMA plugin 2.31. We can AMA link and getting all the footage from the XDROOT directory and then transcode everything EXCEPT the clips that is 20 minutes and more, they cannot be transcoded...I do think this is a Sony_PDZK-MA2_v2.31 AMA plugin issue and used my contacts at Sony to get some feedback.

Q2: Hello, I've been researching possible workflows for a doc we'll be shooting soon. The team is interested in the Sony F55 and I am trying to find specifics about a workflow through AVID, as I will be the one working with the footage. My knowledge is mostly with FCP, and I know the camera and the codec have yet to be released, but I'm hoping to find out more about this camera and AVID workflows.Thank you in advance.

Now you can see many Sony F5/F55 users are talk about how to get XAVC files to work with Avid Media Composer. In fact, Avid Media Composer/Symphony 6/6.5 has native support of 2k XAVC and 4K Raw (not 4k XAVC). Requires the appropriate AMA plugin available from the Avid or Sony download site. Sony said in July 2013: "with the v7 release of Avid Media Composer we will release the updated plugin supporting 4K XAVC editing".

Since you will have problem for import Sony XAVC videos into Avid MC even with the XAVC/XDCAM Plug-in, to make things easier, you had better to transcode Sony F5/F55 XAVC footage to a more editing-friendly format, such a Avid Media Composer's DNxHD.

First all of, you need to get Sony XAVC Converter for Avid, a powerful Sony XAVC to Converter for Mac which can help you effortlessly transcode Sony's new XAVC codec to DNxHD encoded MOV files, which will create an Avid MC friendly file format keeping the XAVC orginal quality. Besides Avid, this software can also export Proes for FCP, AIC for iMovie and FCE, MOV for Adobe Premiere and more NLE systems for native editing. 

How to import and edit Sony XAVC file with Avid Media Composer

Step 1. Install and launch this Pavtube HD Video Converter for Mac, click top left two icons to load individual videos or load the entire folder.


Step 2. Click Format and choose Avid Media Composer>Avid DNxHD (*.mov) as the best video format for editing in Avid Media Composer on Mac.


Click Settings to change the video bitrate, frame rate, size, etc. all according to your needs.

Step 3. Click the big red circle at the bottom right to start converting Sony XAVC footage to Avid Media Composer on mac. Wait for a while; you can load the fresh hot converted video to AMC now.

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