TCXD300 to DVD mac-based please help.

[dhaley]

I'm new to Tricaster. I just started using the TCXD300 and I fear I may have to quit my job as Director and DP because I cannot figure out what everyone else must know about the workflow. Maybe I should not have spent all those years behind a camera and editing, because obviously the real important position is the one who knows how to burn an authored dvd from the tricaster. How do I get my HD recorded mpg shows (I do 12, 1-hour shows per week, which I prep, direct, shoot and edit ) from the Tricaster to DVD (not a dvd file, but to an authored dvd with menu and "play" button) with my mac-based studio. Please understand when I say "mac-based" studio, that means every machine in my studio is a mac....I do not have premiere or anything else pc based. I understand people become unreasonably passionate about Mac & PC and every other forum I've been on starts out with: "Well, if you had a pc" or " I can tell you what to do with Premiere" etc...I have a macintosh studio. I have a macintosh. I have a mac. I have macs. Wait, I think I just saw a pc....oh, no, it was a mac....probably because I have a mac-based studio;-)
Weird.

I have typed this question into every forum on the web. I have emailed NewTek tech support several times and called them twice in the past month and they have not responded to a single email. I'm sorry if I missed a secret meeting or if I need to write another $16,000 check, please let me know...at this point I'm at a loss. If it sounds like I'm frustrated, I'm not upset with the tricaster, its awesome, its just the amount of time it takes to get 12 1-hour HD shows to DVD is so high its a full-time job for a small crew. Is this true? I want my life back. This can't be that hard. This is my last time asking this question to NewTek....then I'm going to start bar-tending, so I have more free time. Probably make more money too;-) I've never felt so tech-stupid and I'm sure someone here has the answer. Oh, and in case you haven't figured it out I 'm the only guy doing everything except the on-camera talent in my studio.

Please respond if you know how to give me a mac-based workflow that works. Please read what I have already done:

(1)
I bought MacDrive 9 (which allows your pc to see mac formatted hardrives.) The files transfer but are not totally intact. Sometimes no audio, sometimes jumbled video etc. If I import the raw recorded show( mpg) into the tricaster's SpeedEdit and export to mpeg-2 1280x720p the file is intact on the hardrive and my mac recognizes it, but then I have to convert to .mov in order to have idvd or DVDPro recognize the file (I'm already at 4+ hours on just one show) then I start to author. NewTek told me to render speedHQ 420, but it didn't work for quality, only the mpeg-2. Can you imagine for a moment what it is like to export these shows in every format until you can figure out what works?

(2)
I formatted a 2TB hardrive to a PC format (which my mac recognizes) and dragged over the tricaster file, and my mac sees it, but again, no audio or jumbled video towards the end.

(3)
In an effort to keep everything tricaster based:
I hooked up an external DVD burner to the tricaster and dowloaded a WinX DVD Author. Everything works great except no audio. But hey, I have video!

These tests are soooo time consuming and I can't convince anyone I work for of the hours I'm putting into this. I'm literally working around the clock and my girlfriend is getting a little annoyed to say the least. What am I missing? Am I the only one who has to deliver dvd's, and a lot of them, to clients? Save my job, because I see the end is near if I can't deliver.

What has worked (but was very time consuming) is: Import file to speedEdit, add my slate for the cable company, export to mpeg-2 1280x720p, convert on my mac to .mov 720p 100%quality, then burn dvd in DVDPro or idvd. Is this what I have to do everytime? Is there anyone here who has a mac-based studio workflow? Is there anything I can do differently.


Thank you so much for your time. And if you actually help me, you will never have to buy another beer. And whoever you are, I love you.

[digiview]

Hi I was faced with a similar situation when I got my XD300, I also edit for DVD on a MacPro. I found that most software solutions too slow and quality in some cases poor. I opted to dual record the Tricaster program out to my Nanoflash. The Nanoflash can record Long GOP or I-Frame, Time Lapse, and bit rates of 8 to 280 Mbps along with 7 Second PreBuffer and hot swap cards. I really recommend a recorder with a Prebuffer it has saved me on so many occasions.

I have set my Nanoflash at 100Mbps which gives really good quality and
FCP & DVDPRO can read the files directly from the CF cards without having to import them.

The other method I have used which surprised me how well the quality level held up was to playback the program on the Tricaster and transfer it in real time to the Mac via SDI.

This the way I solved my workflow issue, I have several functions that are same day shoot,edit and present and I can not afford the transfer and render times.

If your work is time critical then spend the extra money on a outboard recorder not only will you increase your work flow but also give you peace of mind knowing that you have an external back to the Tricaster. There are other Mac friendly recorders that you can choose from, the Kipro is also very good.

Cheers

[Lee-AVP]

Start here:

http://forums.newtek.com/showthread....hlight=Re-wrap

As for working with the files, you need an NTFS Formatted drive to pull the files from the Tricaster. Your macs can read these drives but not write to them, so move your video on to an internal drive or something for editing. But I think you already figured that bit out.

Final cut just doesn't like the wrapper the video is in. So use the tool in the link above to change the wrapper, and you should be in good shape.

A well known issue in final cut is it's pickiness on file types. But Newtek should get on board with this as an export option, since Apple seems totally unwilling to fix their broken mpeg support.

[Lee-AVP]

Oh, and as the other poster mentioned, am external recorder is a good investment for several reasons. And if you're going to work in pro-res, you might as well record in it to start.

[joseburgos]

As an FYI, you should not be installing software on your XD300. Just because it has Windows as the OS does not mean its a PC. You are asking for issues that could arise during a show when other programs are working in the background and may slow down your system. Also the very worst thing you could do is install a DVD authoring program as it may disrupt the video codec's used by TriCaster.
Now I've gone through this with many, many people before who say they know what they are doing, IT type's and 99% of the time it causes some kind of issue in disrupting the TriCaster's operation.
Lee's answers are much the same I give in that transfer to an external NTFS drive, run the Apple script on your Mac to re-wrap the TriCaster file to a .MOV. Use this new file in FCP and edit away. If you plan to always use FCP and want ProRes, then purchase an external recorder like a KiPro or exactly what Lee said

Take care,

[dhaley]

Thank you so much guys! I really appreciate all your help.

I knew about not installing the dvd authoring system, but my IT guy (as you mentioned) said I should. I've removed it.

A thought came to me last night when I was sleeping: what would happen if I changed the streaming settings on my show and streamed it at the highest possible quality...now, of course nobody would be able to see the stream in real time because its too much, BUT, as the tricaster records it, could I not just use that saved stream file for DVD's and editing? Would the quality be there? Just wondering if someone else has tried that.

I'm so impressed with the code to unlock the tricaster's mpg for mac. Thank you!! All of you that responded helped me out and I'm actually going to show this to my station manager so he can see that this does, indeed, take a long time. We don't have the budget for one of those recorders, but I'm putting it on my wish list. I do however have a sony dvcam tape recorder with component in, if I can figure out how to get the video to show up on it.

And in case I didn't say it before, Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
The worst thing I have found with forums in other places, is you never know who is responding (12 year old telling you to install a dvd burner, etc.) but here everyone has to have at least some level of professionalism, and it seems well beyond.

Please let me know your thoughts on changing the stream settings and using that file. And if you are ever in Santa Barbara, the beer is on me. Thanks again.

[dhaley]

joseburgos,

Is it OK to at least have Macdrive9 on the tricaster? I mean its the only way I can use my mac hardrives to move data, otherwise it won't see my mac hardrives which is imperative to this workflow in a mac-based studio.

[joseburgos]

I can't say yes, that would be for NewTek but I would not. I have a separate system with hot swap bays running Macdrive09 on that I use for this type of work but with a XD850 or XD850 Extreme. NTFS drives can be read by the Mac to transfer the files.
Another thought is to share the Mac drive off the Mac itself to just transfer files over the network but networking Mac's to see them on Windows is a sore point with me as I have been having a hard time with them always working.

[2reverb]

If I'm using that workflow, I just run the Tri-Casters output into a DVD recorder for my master then duplicate all I want. Skip the middle man!
--Bob

[dhaley]

Thanks Bob,

How exactly do I do that? I'm thinking of getting a Atomos Samurai so I can edit/add a slate for my cable company before burning a DVD. I'm unsure of how to burn a DVD (that plays in a clients home DVD player) while the show is running. This is probably simple stuff, but I've never done that before. How do you do it?

Thanks again Bob.

~Dylan

[Lee-AVP]

A standalone external DVD recorder connected to a video output of the Tricaster. We often put slates and opening graphics and things on the discs ahead of time, and then start the live production on a fresh chapter. Some DVD recorders will let you go back and trim the beginning and end of the clips, which can be handy.

We still record to file simultaneously in case we need to go back and edit or fix anything.

[samsmall]

What do I need to be able to record on an external recorder. This would be ideal for me as I edit on a mac based Avid. Can i get the output of the tricaster directly into my mac and record right in media composer? Or record to firestore? or get it into my pany hvx200 even? Any of these would be great! Anyone?

[dhaley]

I bought an Atomos Samurai and hooked it to the video out on the Tricaster, and it records my shows in real time and converts them to prores 422. I then take the hard drive and hook it up to my mac via usb, and I'm editing immediately in FCP X. Atomos says they will have the ability to convert to Avid's native dnxhd format soon, if not now.

Hope that helps.

[Lee-AVP]

samsmall, two thoughts. First, a file transfer workflow is not too hard to get working and will keep you from having to cary an external recorder, though there are good reasons to do so. The atomos units are very cool and would provide an external backup.

But if you're talking about bringing the tric back to the studio and doing a playout in to a capture device, thats going to be much slower than copying files. If you want to record right in to your mac, though, you could get an sdi card or box from blackmagic design.

[samsmall]

I'm running long format programs so the file transfers just take too long. Plus doing post in speed edit is not working for me. I'd rather get the material into the avid right for the start. Which sdi box would I need to get into my macbook pro?