Finally support for native MFX files and AVC Long GOP files for Panasonic users…not before time !
For months now PX270 owners were left in the dark from Apple, unable to import Long GOP 50 files from the Panasonic PX270. Today PX270 owners are rejoicing but the same can’t be said for Sony’s XAVC codec.
I have fresh footage shot this afternoon on the Sony PXW-X70 camcorder and before this update was announced I imported all my footage via Sony’s Catalyst Prepare software, after installing both the FCPX 10.1.4 update and the new Pro Video Formats 2 from Apple I still can’t import my XAVC 1080 50p 50MB/s footage.
I may be cynical but with the £124 Catalyst Prepare software selling world wide is their a rush for Apple to support XAVC…Note. My XAVC-S footage from my Sony A7s imports fine.
This may be a bug in my system can any other XAVC via the PXW-X70 confirm my findings.
Interestingly as an after thought this must be the first FCPX update that has no reference to the new OS X Yosemite, i.e. making it more compatible so we all must assume that FCPX is 100% compatible or is that a bad assumption ?
I just installed the 10.1.4 update, hoping that my X70’s XAVC Long GOP would be supported. You’re not the only one…10.1.4 still doesn’t support it. I do get audio, but no video.
cynical about prepare? No you are not. Actually in the history of digital motion pictures this nonsense comes up right on top at the first place as a unnecessary idiotic and mandatory step capable to A. make the user work hours for basically NUTHING and B. filling up the hard drive of a third “hidden” copy of the material without even asking of the user knowing. The other nonsense was the firewire “melting port” technology , but in order to go there we need to step back many years when tapes used to be in our bags and the firewire was the ONLY (unreliable) way to import. So Sony and the X70 – XAVC project got to the first place (of the nonsense of all time). Well done, really.
Not surprisingly, using Catalyst Prepare and Sony Vegas Pro 13, the XAVC Long GOP files work fine, but I also question why it was necessary to have to purchase Catalyst Prepare when already using Sony’s own editing software. The files do import into Vegas Pro 13 direct but are unusable because of bad pixelated interference, something which I suspect will be corrected in later versions of Vegas Pro. Is it a case of patching while the quest for quality data outstrips the editing software?
What I find irritating with Catalyst Prepare is that it doesn’t do what Vegas Pro 13 does do which is, while importing each file, it adds time information to the file name. You get names like Clip1180_20141114_211629.MXF. I find this a bonus.
As for the third hidden copy, I think you can delete this through Catalyst Prepare, or go to Library_cpreplib in the My Videos directory in Windows 7 to delete such files there, or at least determine just how much storage is being taken up that way.
@ Michael Thompson that prepare nonsense is (hands down) the most ridiculous waste of time that I remember in 20 years doing this. I didn’t even mention the TIME that it takes . for example I shoot sports for a living (soccer mostly, twice a week) which is almost 2 hours footage per game. If I had to use the nonsense to produce I would be done in a week, but I have to deliver highlights and full game the same day of the game. Did this with EX1 and AX100 with no problem. Now I’d understand if there was a dramatic increase of quality, but it’s a mandatory extra step that takes HOURS or DAYS to complete just to convert from XAVC to XAVC? I mean.. the same!. Just to start editing. Maybe “nonsense” is not the correct word for this: how about the most ridiculous workflow in history? and all for what? to sell the nonsense? or there are teens in charge at sony’s now? where are the adults?
While disappointed that FCPX 10.1.4 doesn’t support XAVC L from the PXW-X70, I will patiently await its implementation. AVCHD is adequate for my workflow and client base. Yes I should be able to use the camera to the fullest, but I don’t need to spend $200 for Catalyst Prepare. Here’s an interesting article on FCPX development:
http://www.fcpworks.com/fcpx-10-1-4-why-its-a-good-thing/
Boys…Boys, simple answer…use Premiere Pro!
A lot more ‘FCP 7ish’ and it works with all flavours
of Sony 😉
Guys….it’s just time to give up on FCPX… sorry but editing software is just too niche for Apple to worry about doing a good job these days.
It’s not only the PXW-X70! I have a PMW-400 and a PMW-300. I like to shoot xavc 50 Mbs Long GOP, but even with this last apple update nothing shows up when I insert my SXS (ex-fat). I does see the stick, but no media to import. Very disappointing from Apple!
@Geoffrey Brown : yes I and we all know exactly what to do, and I and all of us will find the way. But you’re missing the point here: it’s not the “one better than the other” thing. What happened with the XAVC joke can and will happen again , because the incompetence is king within teenagers and this business is full of those. It’s not even a “marketing” trick: is plain and simple incompetence. See? when you are 15 or something like that you don’t think:take the XAVC idiotic container…. “uuupsssss! it doesn’t even work with our stuff, and it doesn’t work with anything:.. oh well, let’s go play with something else now. See the attitude, fun isn’t it? yeyyyyy. teens power. told ya.
@John well… if it doesn’t even work with Vegas….. it may not be Apple’s responsibility to run to fix a colossal screw-up by the XAVC geniuses . More I see into this more I believe that’s incompetence combined with age (I bet the XAVC inventors are teens). Like I said it would be the right time now to call the adults back in before we see more idiotic-funny things coming up from there.
Well, I just hoped that FCPX would now have the right key to unwrap the xavc-codec. So, I’m not on Vegas, but FCPX. I guess there will be a solution soon from Apple. Catalyst (because of the import-routine), is not my way of importing footage.
@John Vegas is sold by Sony , and XAVC is sold by Sony. See what I mean now? 🙂 Anyhow there is a lot of nonsense in this XAVC joke : the fact that edius, premiere cc and catalyst do open the files shows that Sony couldn’t care less. Has been MONTHS now and still no fix. To me means one thing and one thing only: we are in the hands of incompetent and disorganized people.
@mark:
Your useless rant about young people does not help the conversation here. I actually can’t understand if you are upset with Sony or Apple.
Apple just introduced MXF import support for free, which is a first step for supporting MXF-wrapped XAVC-L Sony media. You are all moaning that along that update FCPX did not start to support all codecs possible in MXF? Maybe now it is up to Sony to introduce proper plugin supporting its codec for FCP X.
I can’t shorten my A7S\A5100 XAVC-S clip before import in FCPX even using the I & O key, i can do it with MOV/AVCHD file from A7S\GH4\A5100 but not the XAVC-S clip. am i doing something wrong? do u guys have this problem?