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Converting from an .MXF File to Something Usable on a Mac.

T

The Mastermind

An acquaintance of mine gave me DVDs of raw video and audio footage from a film he was involved with with the hope that I would be able to make an reedit the film.

My issue is that the footage is comprised mainly of files with an .MXF format, which I'd never even heard of before. (I found some basic information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_Exchange_Format).

I'm on a Mac and I've tried to view the footage in these using QuickTime and FinalCut Pro X, but neither program recognizes the .MXF file format. I've also tried converting these files to the .MOV files FinalCut and QuickTime can read, but the conversion apps I downloaded don't seem to work with .MXF files either.

What application can is there to convert these files to a format I can use them in?
 
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I've tried all of the mxf converters that are free... MXF is a sony specific file wrapper either from Vegas or from a couple of cameras that use the format... if it's from a camera, there's a whole file structure that goes with it that needs to stay intact if you're going to open them or use them again.

If it's from Vegas, I think the paid converters will most likely do the trick... don't remember any of the names of them though... sorry.
 
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knightly said:
I've tried all of the mxf converters that are free... MXF is a sony specific file wrapper either from Vegas or from a couple of cameras that use the format... if it's from a camera, there's a whole file structure that goes with it that needs to stay intact if you're going to open them or use them again.

If it's from Vegas, I think the paid converters will most likely do the trick... don't remember any of the names of them though... sorry.
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Thanks for the lead, knightly. I'm not sure if the footage is directly from a camera or not (and I don't know if my acquaintance would be able to tell me either).

Anyone else have any tips?
 
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MXF is usually DVCPRO HD, which is Panasonic. MXF is a wrapper which does not always tell you the codec. This sounds like it came from an HVX200 from Panasonic and you can get a P2 software reader that might install the codec.
 
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If it ends up being from the camera, there's associated metadata files that have to be intact for the mxf to work. generally speaking, if they were dumped out of vegas, you're good to go... if they were dragged and dropped off of the P2 card, you're going to have difficulties getting them to open as the file structure has to exist exactly as it was on the camera for it to work.

I spent a good chunk of time trying to get some clips working for helping out another member here at one point... MXF is a PITA for cross platforming.
 
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Maybe you can get a trial version of Premiere Pro CS5.5.
It can read almost any codec and maybe that way you can convert it.

Isn't there a mxf-encoder to make it prores?
Perhaps Magic Bullet Grinder is the tool you need; check the specs at Red Giant Software
 
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jax_rox said:
MXF is usually used in Avid. No idea about transcoding
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Avid uses primarily OMF file formats.... MXF is a wrapper started for the P2 card craze and is now adopted by Sony and a few others, but it is starting to wane. MXF can be read by Avid, Adobe, Final Cut, and Vegas, but as was said - you need the entire file structure (IE other folders) to make it work correctly.
 
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The CS5.5 Trial is a good idea. I've had many codec problems solved by installing other software, including some footage that wouldn't play in Final Cut, but after installing CSX it worked in Adobe and FCP.

I haven't used much MXF, but there was one camera codec once (I think XDCam, maybe) that I had to use "Log and Transfer" in FCP to get it to work. FCP then imported the footage fine, even when a normal import wouldn't work.

One of the big reasons I switched back to Adobe was because every codec worked every time in every sequence haha. It's fairly bullet proof.
 
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sonnyboo said:
Avid uses primarily OMF file formats.... MXF is a wrapper started for the P2 card craze and is now adopted by Sony and a few others, but it is starting to wane. MXF can be read by Avid, Adobe, Final Cut, and Vegas, but as was said - you need the entire file structure (IE other folders) to make it work correctly.
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Avid MC uses .mxf as its native file format, not OMF.
 
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Adobe cs5.5 and up can open mfx files on Mac. Or go download the p2 reader then you can drag mfx files into Fcp and edit, been doing this for a few years now. Still got my hvx200 ;)
 
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