10 Replies Latest reply: Aug 8, 2012 7:53 AM by Jack Banatoni

FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

Jack Banatoni Aug 7, 2012 7:27 PM

Got a project sent to me that was started in FCP7 and I'm a Premiere CS6 user on Windows 7 64. I am testing the XML import option in Premiere, which seems to work fine, except that the .mov files don't import. I get a "Codec missing or unavailable" message.

Installed the latest version of QuickTime and it still doesn't work. Files play audio but no video in Windows Media Player and QuickTime. Files play fine in VLC. Is there a specific codec I need for .mov files created with Final Cut to work in Premiere?

1. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

shooternz Aug 7, 2012 7:33 PM (in response to Jack Banatoni)

You may need to install QT Pro if the files are Prores.
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2. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

Jack Banatoni Aug 7, 2012 7:36 PM (in response to shooternz)

I tried installing the standalone ProRes installer and got an error that I already had a newer version (presumably, installed with QuickTime).

Also, I suspect this is an HDV file I'm working with. Would that likely have been captured as ProRes in FCP?

Thanks
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3. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

able123 Aug 7, 2012 7:42 PM (in response to Jack Banatoni)

maybe use gspot or mediainfo to see what codec in in the file..could be animation in QT file, or any number of things...
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4. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

SimonHy Aug 7, 2012 7:43 PM (in response to Jack Banatoni)

HDV can capture to ProRes in FCP. I'm not sure why they would. I'd check with the FCP editor if possible, might save a lot of guess work.

Is this the standalone installer you mean?:

http://support.apple.com/downloads/Apple_ProRes_QuickTime_Decoder_1_0_for_Windows
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5. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

Jack Banatoni Aug 7, 2012 7:45 PM (in response to SimonHy)

SimonHy, that is the installer I mentioned, yes.

Asking the FCP editor in this situation isn't an option, unfortunately.
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6. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

Jack Banatoni Aug 7, 2012 7:50 PM (in response to able123)

GSpot says "hdv2" "Codec Status Undetermined". Any ideas where to go from here?
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7. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

ComputerNovice25 Aug 7, 2012 7:52 PM (in response to Jack Banatoni)

It's seems likely that the FCP editor used Apple's Intermediate Codec. Which sadly doesn't work on windows. It used to be used to capture HDV footage.
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8. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

Jack Banatoni Aug 8, 2012 6:20 AM (in response to ComputerNovice25)

Is there any hope of me getting these files to work in Premiere on Windows?

It's been a while since I've used Final Cut (I switched to Premiere around CS2). Do you know what instructions I could pass on to have them not capture in Apple Intermediate Codec?

Thanks
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9. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

ComputerNovice25 Aug 8, 2012 7:10 AM (in response to Jack Banatoni)

My experince with Final Cut Pro is pretty minimal. However I think that if you use FCP 6 or higher you can capture stuff as ProRes and ProRes plays back great in Premiere. I use it everyday because the BMD hyperdeck studio that we record our studio stuff too uses it.

From what I understand though with Final Cut people capture the HDV footage and then Transcode it to either AIC or ProRes if they so chose to do so. Here is the article where I read this. Keep in mind though I'm not a final cut guy. So someone else here might be able to provide a better answer.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2704?viewlocale=en_US

http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/professionalformatsandworkflows/index.html#c hapter=2%26section=4%26tasks=true

But I'd basically just ask them to stop transoding the footage to AIC. Although it would be good to ask them if they are chosing that option just to be sure thats what is going on. But since your codec info says HDV and it won't play the AIC codec is the only option that makes since to me. Since as far as I know it's pretty much one of the only formats that PC's can't read at all. I actually got some footage from someone awhile back that was AIC and I experinced the same problems you have mentioned.

So anyways just ask them to start using ProRes instead of AIC and you won't have this issue anymore. It's somewhat silly to use AIC if they are though conisidering it loses more quality that ProRes although it's possible they are using some really old version of FCP that doesn't support anything besides AIC.
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10. Re: FCP .mov in CS6 (Windows)

Jack Banatoni Aug 8, 2012 7:53 AM (in response to ComputerNovice25)

Thanks for the feedback. I think that will help a lot. I didn't realize AIC had more quality loss than ProRes, so that should help convince them to stop using AIC.

For what it's worth, I changed the file extension from .mov to .mpg and Premiere accepted the clip. Playback wasn't particularly smooth, though.

I'm wondering how translating projects started in Premiere back to FCP will work. I heard FCP has an extra step to import HD footage (log and transcode, is it?).
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