359 $ to handle XDCAM with Premiere Pro CS4

Turmap

Member
Indeed, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 does not export XDCAM formats (EX, HD and others). That means you cannot properly archive your XDCAM work with Premiere Pro CS4. To export your XDCAM videos with Premiere, you’ll have to buy Mainconcept MPEG PRO HD 4 plug-in, whose price is 359 $ / 279 € (plus appl. Tax).

This situation is unfortunately not properly indicated by Adobe, that’s the least that one can say. It wouldn’t be false to say it is even hidden.

(Just in case anybody would know how to correctly export XDCAM from Premiere Pro CS4 without buying Mainconcept plug-in, let us know, but I am pretty shure it is not possible.)

Unlike Premiere Pro CS4, many others professionnals video editing software, which can be less expensive than Premiere, like Final Cut Studio, Sony Vegas or Canopus Edius, can fully manage XDCAM without compelling customers to buy anything more.
 
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zac love

Well-known member
You registered for B-Roll just to complain about Adobe? I'm not saying that you're concerns aren't valid, but honestly... do you work for Apple, Sony or Canopus?

For me though I own a Sony Z7, which imports into FCP nicely w/ a Sony plugin (heaven forbid Apple support m2t files w/o help). But if I want to watch an edited video on my PS3 there is no easy way to go from FCP to a format the Sony's PS3 will play.

The CF cards the Z7 shoots on play great in the CF slot on the PS3, but all of Apple's QT wrappers aren't supported by the PS3, so it is tricky to get anything in HD to playout of the PS3.

Pretty much I'm saying that Adobe isn't alone in causing frustrations in multi-format edit / export.

As for a solution for you, can you answer us this: Why do you need to archive in XDCam EX? XDCam isn't a format built for editing or a format built for program playout, XDCam is a format built to shoot in.

Unless you're playing out over a XDCam "VTR" why do you need to archive in XDCam. I'm guessing that Premiere has might have trans-coded the footage into a different format to edit, if that is the case you might be causing more damage trying to go back into XDCam's Long GOP. If you just want the archive files to be able to be used in editing again, why not keep them in a more Premiere format?

But I do agree that I think if a NLE can take import format, it would be nice to be able to export the format. I called Apple a while ago looking for help in getting footage off a DVD into FCP,* their answer was use 3rd party software (MPEP StreamClip). You can go Camera -> FCP -> DVD Studio Pro -> DVD, but once on DVD you can't go back in Apple's "Pro" video applications w/o help.

*(Granted archiving on to DVD I think is a horrible practice, but is still done, and as a freelance editor I'm not going to pass on a job because someone used a dumb archive format.)
 

BlueWing

Well-known member
I now archive all my finished programs as uncompressed QT files. Granted I do not have to archive raw footage since I shoot on Sony Pro Disc in the first place.

There is always a gotcha in the marketing material, that is why it is usually best to wait until the adventurous have had a try at the software to understand the limitations and workarounds you will need to deal with. All the NLE companies market this way.
 

Turmap

Member
(Zaclove, I do not work either for Apple, Sony or Canopus. I am just a customer who have been trapped by Adobe, so I do not want others video-makers to endure the same situation.)


A bit of explanations regarding XDCAM EX and Premiere Pro CS4 :

XDCAM EX video container, whose name is MP4, wraps MPEG-2 codec for images + high bit rate PCM codec for audio. So Even if people from Adobe tell you that it is possible, for example, to export XDCAM EX format in mpeg-2 with Premiere pro CS4, be aware that :

- Premiere Pro CS4 does not allow to export MPEG-2 images codec with PCM audio codec, but with MPEG audio codec. MPEG audio codec is 3 megabits per minute maximum, PCM audio codec is 11. That’s why to export XDCAM EX with Premiere makes you lose about 70 % of your original sound information.

- Premiere Pro CS4 does not export Mpeg-2 images with smart rendering. (Smart rendering consists in rendering only sections affected by editing effects, in order to don’t have quality loss on others sections.)

- So to export XDCAM EX MPEG-2 images with smart rendering + XDCAM EX PCM audio codec from Premiere Pro CS4, no choice but to buy 359 $ / 279 € (plus appl. Tax) Mainconcept plug-in.

- Unlike Premiere Pro CS4, most professional video editing softwares (Edius, Final Cut Pro, Vegas...) do export PCM audio codec and MPEG-2 with smart rendering without compelling customers to buy anything more.
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Before I purchased CS4, I knew that it wouldn't export XDCam EX or HD. At NAB, I asked Adobe. They informed me of what you found out. There is also a chart on their site that shows what formats can be imported and exported.
 

Turmap

Member
Necktie Boy, sorry but I didn't know one must go to NAB to be properly informed about Adobe products.

But what I do know, for shure, is that unlike for example Edius, Final Cut Pro and Vegas, which do properly inform about video formats they do import, edit and export at 1 mouse click from their home page documentation, Premiere Pro CS4 give these precise video formats informations at 5 mouse clicks from its home page documentation.
(Everybody knows that 5 mouse clicks from home page means so many possibilities that one may necessitate several dozens clicks to get the proper information. Any storekeeper will know how much mouse clicks number is strategic regarding documentation. For shure, many people are working on these documentation issues in Adobe.)

Moreover, unlike for example Edius, Final Cut Pro and Vegas, which do use at one mouse click from their home page the term "support" to express the fact they import, edit and export formats (and if it is not the case, they do precise it immediately), Premiere Pro CS4, which uses the same term "support" at one click from its home page documentation, will only inform that this doesn't include export at 5 clicks from its home page.

May be all this is due to the fact that, unlike Edius, Final Cut Pro and Vegas, Premiere Pro CS4 does not export XDCAM formats.

This thread is really good anyway to properly inform video-makers without making it necessary for them to go to NAB.
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Turmap,

You don't have to go to NAB to learn. Maybe it was a few more mouse clicks to find the information, but the information is also on Premiere's support page. The file format support is on the main page. Also other user groups would have that information.

You could have asked here, and a few would have told you.
 

Turmap

Member
Necktie Boy said:
The file format support is on the main page.
Premiere Pro CS4 homepage : http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/ .

Where is the file support you're talking about ?

Yes in english (not in french yet) it seems that "file formats supported for import" and "file formats supported for export" have just been added down the page. It must be enough to win in court. But why not giving direct access to this unique page, which is much more clear because it is talking about formats which are imported but which are not exported : http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb405978.html ?

Moreover, it still doesn't speak about Mainconcept plug-in you have to buy, about smart rendering which is not done and about the fact it is not possible to export MPEG-2 + PCM audio.

Necktie Boy said:
You could have asked here, and a few would have told you.
I didn't know B-roll.net forum was Adobe's information.
 
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Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Hi Turmap,

My bad. I should have included the link. I access this link from PP itself. On the "help menu", it has a link to web support. I would guess you can access it from the Adobe's site via "support".

http://www.adobe.com/support/premiere/

B-Roll user edit with many different editing softwares. B-Roll may not have the correct answer, but we all try to give a correct answer or point you in the right direction. I have even seen post on old Sony and Panny editing software that died awhile ago.

Yes, it's a bummer that you have to spend extra money to save back to EX. And you do know that some 3rd party plug-ins don't work with CS4.
 

Sore Shoulder

Well-known member
I miss the days of tape to tape beta editing...
Amen!

I too ran into the Adobe editing problem.
I shoot on a JVC 700 which uses the XDCAM EX codec. When buying the camera I even asked JVC if the camera would work with Premiere Pro, they said yes, no problem. (Liars)

And when you start a new project in Premiere the XDCAM EX format is one of the choices for setting up your new project. Plus their manual tells you you can bring in the XDCAM EX video and how to do it.

Well you can bring it in, but does not play smoothly and every new piece of video laid on the timeline needs to be rendered.

Grrr :mad:
 
I miss the days of tape to tape beta editing...
Not me... I'm a very visual person, and having a visual representation such as the timeline helps me a lot. Don't get me wrong. Despite the change in technology, any photog worth his/her salt should be able to edit tape to tape, and unfortunately many J-school grads can't these days.

It definately helps your NLE skills if you keep up your tape-to-tape skills, but I still prefer my NLE.
 

Canonman

Well-known member
XDCam isn't a format built for editing or a format built for program playout, XDCam is a format built to shoot in.
Now that's funny, and just plain inaccurate. Someone needs to tell Sony that their XDCAM Disc towers for playout servers and video archival aren't supposed to exist.

In fact, I invested in XDCAM because it IS and end to end format. Gee, I guess all those timelines I edited with XDCAM HD were a figment of my imagination. Guess all those timelines I wrote back to XDCAM discs were also my imagination.

cm
 
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