Problems with XDCAM EX Footage

[digitalkiln]

Hello

I recently upgraded to Premiere CS6, and in CS6 opened a version of a project I'd started in CS5.5.2. I'm working with XDCAM EX footage, editing natively.  I'm working with Mac OS 10.7.4, 2010 Mac Pro, NVIDIA QUADRO 4000.

When I play my there are tearing artifacts across many of the clips, and there weren't any in the CS 5.5.2 version. I opened the project in CS 5.5.2 and the same sequence plays fine.

I've tried cleaning the media cache, trashing my preferences, repairing my disk permissions, and creating a new project in CS6 and importing my sequences into it.  Same problems.

I've also had some clips go offline mysteriously, when I try reconnecting (in 5.5.2) I get an error saying there are no video or audio streams and it can't re-connect. The clips play fine in VLC player. But, if I boot from the clone of my OS drive that I created before upgrading to CS6 I don't get any offline clips.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Gerry

Gerry Curtis

savasanafilm.com

http://digitalkilnstudios.com

Message was edited by: digitalkiln

[Guest]

I am having the exact same issue.  I actually called Adobe.  All they could offer at that particular point was to make sure that my Quicktime was updated and that I had downloaded CS6.1.  It is beyond frustrating.  I am also using an XD Cam.  The tears show up in different places.  It happens in AE too.  I renedered the clip out and the artifacts were still present.  I am about ready to send it back.  The artifacts are not present in CS5.5. 

[Guest]

P.S.  I am also on a MAC. 

[digitalkiln]

Carl,

In the past 6 months working with PP I've asked myself the same question about transcoding many times, haha.  I guess the extra cost of the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 makes me feel like I need to get my money's worth for Mercury Playback.

MattinHD,

Thanks for taking the time to post, this will help bring this to Adobe's attention as a serious problem.  There are a lot of us who are professional users that don't spend a lot of time posting on forums, etc, and it's important for our voices to be heard.

Cheers,

Gerry

https://vimeo.com/gerrycurtis

[Roddy Mc]

Ok to heighten fear this is also prevalant on PC CS5.5 AND CS6.01. Complete reinstal and update with updating quicktime to latest version has NOT solved the issue.

As posted earlier Im getting these errors from Canon XF100 and XF300 cameras. The XF300 is worse with pixelated frames that render out on finals. Another issue is a random frame pops in now and again from a second earlier or later? Here is video snap shot evidence.

I have tried editing a different project in CS5.5 with HDV 50i footage from XF100 and XF300 and getting same errors regularly especially in multicam. I have noticed that if I elongate the clip the error dissapears so I think seems more prevalant near cuts on short clips?

THIS NEEDS FIXING ASAP we have businesses to run!

[Carl_S_]

Hi Roddy, just saw your post after I sent mine. So apparently it's not only a Mac problem. For me it seems that a lot of motion in the frame also has something to do with it? Is your footage progressive or interlaced?

I agree very much with your last remark:

Roddy Mc wrote:

THIS NEEDS FIXING ASAP we have businesses to run!

Cheers,

Carl.

[Roddy Mc]

interlaced hdv

[Roddy Mc]

have you recently upgraded gfx drivers?

my problems since gfx update geforce 570 gtx.

[Carl_S_]

I haven't upgraded any drivers.

I just installed CS6 "on top of" CS5.5. Then took a project I was working on in Pr5.5.2 and opened it in Pr6.0.1, saved as a new version, started editing, and ran into the problem as described.

I can still open the original project in Pr5.5.2 and everything plays fine!

So to me it seems to be clearly a Pr6.0.1 issue.

[Roddy Mc]

Ok I have reinstalled drivers from past and tried it out on CS6. Firstly CS6 wouldnt allow me to run with mercury acceleration (cuda) enabled? so in my nvidea settings i wend to 3D settings and changed the acceleration mode to compatibility which got me in to CS6 with Cuda enabled using older drivers of the Geforce 570 GTX. Seems funny this card IS in the supported cards list just CS6 wont allow that driver has to be a recent driver to pass?

Anyhoo tried multiple goes at rendering a clip with an error and NO WAY HOSE, tried field order, blending different bitrates, with and without acceleration but the error is always there sometimes displaying differently but all ways there.

DEFO NEEDS FIXING.

[Trent Happel]

I have been able to reproduce this issue, but so far only with XDCAMEX .mp4 files separated from their camera structured folders. For all of you that are having these issues, did you happen to modify the camera structured folders at all or remove the .mp4 file from the folders created by the camera? I am continuing to investigate and would appreciate anyone that can provide small sample files. You may PM me and I can send deatials on where to post files if you do not have a location to post files to.

Thank you.

[Carl_S_]

Hi Trent,

Uploaded sample file and sample project.

While copying files, purely by coincidence, I noticed something strange about the directory structure: For some files, the MP4 filename doesn't correspond to the containing folder name. Usually this is the case, but sometimes not.

So in most folders things look like this:

But sometimes this happens:

This was copied directly off of a flashcard from the camera. For the file that almost always gave me trouble (200_0040_01) the names were ok, and this file alone in a sequence is ok, but once it is edited together with a file whose folder name doesn't match, there is trouble.

Can people with this problem please check if they also have this kind of "mismatch" in their camera file structure?

Thanks,

Carl.

[Carl_S_]

If this is the root of our problems, my following question would be:

For those "mismatched folders": Can I rename the enclosing folders to match the files they contain without screwing up my project? It would be something I would want to try out. Unfortunately I haven't delved into relinking media quite yet, but maybe someone else has? Ideally I would like to make a copy of the Media, correct the folder names, and relink the project.

Maybe someone can give me a hint if this is at all possible and roughly how to do this.

[digitalkiln]

Hi Trent,

In my case the folders/files match, so this wasn't what is causing the error for me (and they played fine in 5.5.2). I have tried importing the .mp4's individually and by importing the whole BPAV folder into Premiere and all caused the same problem. Thanks for your efforts investigating this.

Cheers,

Gerry

[Trent Happel]

Thank you, Gerry. That is good to have confirmed. Sounds like there are a few cases to reproduce this issue. Based upon my initial findings, I do have an issue logged for dev engineering to look at. I will also continue to add all of your additional information. All of your help is greatly appreciated!

[Carl_S_]

Ok, tested with an original, "clean" folder structure, all cachefiles and folders deleted. Started with a brand new project, imported whole folder, ignored the "a lot of files not recognised" message. Made a sequence by dragging a clip onto "new item" icon. Set some in and out points on a couple of clips in icon view (cool feature BTW), automated to sequence. No improvement.

So unfortunately the problem persists...

And I was almost getting excited about at least a possible workaround

[Trent Happel]

Thanks for checking, Carl. Sorry it didn't work out.

[UlfLaursen]

Do you think that a temp workarround could be to use prelude to ingest and transcode to another codec in the same process, f.ex. DNxHD, or would it be safer to transcode outside CS6

Thanks

Ulf

[Trent Happel]

He he, I was thinking the same thing and have been running some tests for the past few hours. I used some known problematic files, transcoded to OP1a and H.264 via Prelude and so far the transcoded files did not appear to have the same tearing issues. Now, don't take this as gospel, but it may be a workaround option for some of you. I'll run some more tests tomorrow. Thanks for the feedback.

[Carl_S_]

Unfortunately I have to spoil this party

Just used Prelude to transcode problematic footage to XDCAMHD422 in OP1a MXF container. Unfortunately still tears, also in the transcoded files that were sent to Premiere.

Back to compressor?

[UlfLaursen]

Well, still good to know, Carl - great you found out saved others some time.

If you have the Canon XF-xxx, the newest XF-utility (1.2) offers to join spanned clips into one large MXF fie that is easier to transcode in CS5.5 AME f.ex.

Don't know about Sony though, but I think they have a simmiar utility.

I think I'll go that route until now just to be sure - glad I still have a PC with 5.5 installed 🙂

Hope for a fix soon

Ulf

[Trent Happel]

Drat! Thanks for confirming the Prelude workflow, Carl.

[Steve_Hoeg]

Would anyone be willing to share some sample files for us to look at this internally? I'm not seeming any issues with the XDCAM EX clips I have here.

[Trent Happel]

Some people have already shared files (thanks again, everyone!) and they have been included in a logged issue.

[Roddy Mc]

I have used the Canon XF utility to join the clips and they play fine in 3rd party players like media player, VLC player and even the source monitor. But in the edit the tears are still there? I would upload a raw section but each clip is 2 GIG in length 8(.

is there any light at the abobe factory?

Using the latest drivers for everthing and machine is fast enough?

[UlfLaursen]

As far as I know several people (incl. myself) have uploaded footage to Adobe, and I beleive they are working on it. I think the only workarround in the meantime would be to edit in 5.5 or use AME inside CS5.5 to transcode for use in CS6.

Ulf