Panasonic P2 Media Workflow

[mpixls]

Any users have experience with direct P2 media into FFI?

[bnw]

I don’t think you can do that like you can with desktop editors. It needs to be moved onto the Stone and it needs to not be compressed and at that point you might as well just take it in over SDI.

[Joe Tester]

I would be interested in exploring this issue further. It’s only a matter of time before clients start showing up with their inexpensive Maxtor drives loaded with P2 content. Are there any programs out there that would convert the P2 mxf format into something useful while maintaining timecode information? i.e dpx, quicktime, etc.

Lenny

[John Jenkins]

There are a few ways to get the data in, none perfect at the moment

The best way is obviously to use Panasonic’s card reader (both are pricy at $1200, and $2500)

However, I believe one of them has a network port on it.

The other method is to plug the card into a mac, and either import the data into final cut, or simply transfer the data onto the network.
The standard file format out of the varicam are mx2 files, and the HVX200 is exactly the same.
Now when you import the footage in final cut, it takes the mx2 files and makes quicktimes with the audio and timecode buit into it.
However, if you’re using an avid system, it prefers to use the unchanged mx2 files (its a small directory structure that has the video and audio and metadata separated out)

So, it all depends what the existing work flow is, but I have found that I have imported the data, then I have to same it out as an uncompressed quicktime, then re-save out the frames for it to be correct to import into the flame, and obviously we loose any timecode.

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