Converting quicktime files from DR-HD100

ben-s

Member
Context: I've been forced into using a rented JVC GY-HD200 camera with a DR-HD100 firestore for a short doc I'm making (a daft management-level decision; I wanted a PDW-700 or an HPX500, or at very least an HVX200)
On the previous shoots for this job, I set the machine to record M2T files, which I can get into Avid MC.

I've just used it again for another shoot, and I stupidly forgot to check the record format before starting.
Consequently, I've gone and shot the whole lot in quicktime for FCP - which we don't have...

Avid won't take the QT files, and Procoder can't convert them, so I'm a bit stuck.

I wondered if anyone else has done this and got round it, or knows any options for converting the QT files from the firestore to something useable?

Feeling extremely stupid here...
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Not a Firestore user, but doesn't it play out via the firewire? Use the F-store as a VTR and feed Avid via the firewire.
 

ben-s

Member
I thought it did (the SD ones I've used in the past do), but when I tried this last night on my own laptop and premiere pro, I couldn't get it to see the firestore as a DV/HDV device, regardless of whether it's plugged into the DV I/O or computer I/O port. The laptop didn't detect it at all until I put the drive into hard disk mode.

I'll try it on Avid when I get to work, and see what happens there...
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Quick look at the manual. It seems playback only when firestore is connected to the camera. Set the camera to VCR. There should be a picture, but I don't know if the pic would show up via the external connections of the camera.

You could search Apple's site and see if you can find the missing codec that you need.
 

ben-s

Member
Thanks for your help.
I had a play with Avid, and confirmed that it won't read the 1394 picture properly, but oddly, a colleague's Pinnacle Liquid system will.

I looked in the JVC manual, and it seems the camera we're using isn't capable of taking a picture in over firewire from the firestore for some obscure reason.
Apple are a bit awkward about the FCP quicktime codecs - you buy final cut, you can have them; otherwise forget it. They don't even sell them as an add on to Quicktime.

In the end, I phoned the hire company, and ended up speaking to one if their photographers, who has offered to lend me a macbook with final cut studio so I can transcode the files.
 

MtnShooter

Well-known member
Or you could just download Mpeg Streamclip (free). It will convert the files for you; but you'll have to do them one at a time.
 

ben-s

Member
That was the third thing I tried, after ProCoder and SUPER...
It would probably work if you had FCP on the system too, but you might as well use Compressor if it's there...
I also tried Calibrated Software's tool, but that put grey bars across the image, similar to what you get with corrupted JPEGs. I couldn't work out why, nor could I fix it.

As I said above, I had a laptop off the hire company, and ran the files through compressor, which worked really well.
This also had the advantage that I could have a quick play with FCP itself out of interest.
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
According to Calibrated site, the gray bars are copy protection in the demo software. If you buy it, no gray bands.
 

ben-s

Member
I didn't see that when I downloaded it. Blinded by stupidity and/or stress I imagine.
Still, I wasn't about to drop $100 or so on Quicktime Pro and XD-Decode (or anything else) unless I really had to.

I think that's the most aggressive anti-copying method I've ever seen. There was about 150px of image top and bottom with bars through it, the rest of the frame was blanked out. It looked for all the world like some odd decoding problem. I wonder why they don't do something more conventional like sticking a massive logo across it?
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Actuaaly, I did download a demo that had logos across the screen. I don't remember the company, but it converted 4:3 to 16:9 and added film grain. Worked pretty nice..

Yea, I hear you dropping more money than you have to. But $30 bucks for QT Pro is good for all the things it does.
 
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