I hate to come here to bother others with my problems, but there are so many possibilities with the issue that I’m having that I can’t seem to find an answer in any other thread.

I have digitized about 30 episodes of an NTSC show from Betacam SP at Avid 2:1 resolution using a Blackmagic UltraStudio 4K.  I am using a iMac Retina 27-inch from late 2015 with El Capitan and MC version 8.6.5.  Yes, I realize this is an old version but I have a perpetual license dating back to 2010 and I will probably be retired before I need an upgrade for the work I am doing now.

I have transferred some of the media files to a hard drive so that the show producer can screen them and make notes using the latest version of Media Composer First on a PC laptop.  He doesn’t edit the footage; he’s just screening it, so he doesn’t need an elaborate system.

After launching a project on his PC, I am able to get his Media Composer to recognize some of the files by using the Media Tool.  Only about 25% of the clips show up.  I drag these into his project bin and can play most of them.  There are a couple that display thumbnails and can be scrubbed, but they will not play.  Some thumbnails display the file name but no video in the thumbnail and they will not load into the source monitor.

I’ve tried using the Source Browser to link to media.  It recognizes files but refuses to link them in the bin.

These are the notifications that MC gives me:

Exception: cannot create the ama sample mapper to play this clip
[MSP_MXF Plug-In] MXF file to AAF file failed
[MSP_MXF Plug-In] Could not find any linked slot
Unable to auto detect plug-in for F:\ (place filename here)

I can understand that there would be complications if I were linking to another manufacturer’s format, but given that they’re Avid files I would have expected that the process would be more seamless.

Barry

Image attached.

A third image.

Hi Barry,

The Electric Wallpaper Co.:

I am using ... MC version 8.6.5.

The Electric Wallpaper Co.:

I have transferred some of the media files to a hard drive so that the show producer can screen them and make notes using the latest version of Media Composer First on a PC laptop. 

MC First is not able to work with the full version of Media Composer.

https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/faq/If-a-friend-sends-me-a-standard-Media-Composer-project-to-work-on-can-I-use-Media-Composer-First-for-working-on-this-project

The producer can run Media Composer in trial mode for up to 30 days, which might fit your needs.

"No. You cannot import or export a Media Composer project or bin with Media Composer | First"

We are not opening the project or bins from my Media Composer.  We are just attempting to link and play the media from my drive in a new project created in Media Composer First.

Or are you trying to tell me that Media Composer First is incapable of linking to media created on another system?

- Barry

You wrote that you capture the material as Avid 2:1 res media.  That tells me that the media is now Avid MXF managed media.  It needs to live in the normal "Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1" folder structure now.  Attempting to link to this type of media will fail.

That said, I have 0 experience with Avid First.  I would hope it recognizes Avid 2:1 media.  But in reality, this is an old codec.  So Avid First may not.  I can not say.

I agree with the other poster you said the producer should use the 30 day demo or rent for the amount of time necessary.

Jef

If the Producer wants to just view them and make notes, why don't you just try using any compatable media player?

Something like VLC or MPV might work with this media. 

Davinci Resolve is also known to be good at being able to handle most types of media.

Bruno M:

If the Producer wants to just view them and make notes, why don't you just try using any compatable media player?

Something like VLC or MPV might work with this media. 

Davinci Resolve is also known to be good at being able to handle most types of media.

I will look into this, thanks.

Does anyone else find it odd that I should use another company's software because the Avid software doesn't fully recognize Avid files?  Despite the fact that technology is getting better and cheaper, there are still obstacles to making it work seamlessly. Will my show producer recommend using an Avid system in the future, or will Resolve become the name he's familiar with?

Not much has changed in 20 years.  I've owned a garden spade for 20 years that still works as well as it did the day I bought it. 

jef:

You wrote that you capture the material as Avid 2:1 res media.  That tells me that the media is now Avid MXF managed media.  It needs to live in the normal "Avid MediaFiles/MXF/1" folder structure now.  Attempting to link to this type of media will fail.

That said, I have 0 experience with Avid First.  I would hope it recognizes Avid 2:1 media.  But in reality, this is an old codec.  So Avid First may not.  I can not say.

I agree with the other poster you said the producer should use the 30 day demo or rent for the amount of time necessary.

Jef

All the files are foldered as you suggest, which makes it more of a mystery that some are loading up but others are not.  It could be because it's an older codec, but that doesn't fully explain why some are linked and others are not, or why some are linked but won't play.

Barry

The Electric Wallpaper Co.:

Does anyone else find it odd that I should use another company's software because the Avid software doesn't fully recognize Avid files?  Despite the fact that technology is getting better and cheaper, there are still obstacles to making it work seamlessly. Will my show producer recommend using an Avid system in the future, or will Resolve become the name he's familiar with?

Not much has changed in 20 years.  I've owned a garden spade for 20 years that still works as well as it did the day I bought it. 

To be fair, Avid has been one of the companies that has tried to maintain backward compatability.

Try opening an Adobe Premiere Project from 5 years ago and see what happens.

The latest was when I tried opening a Camtesia project from 2019 in the 2022 version. Not only was I told that this wasn't possible, but the recording format has changed since 2019, so I couldn't even bring in the screen capture video.

The Electric Wallpaper Co.:

Does anyone else find it odd that I should use another company's software because the Avid software doesn't fully recognize Avid files?

I don't mind some good old fashioned Avid bashing when they've done something wrong, but this is unfair. Avid First is not intended to be used as a free viewing station for Media Composer in order to save your producer having to purchase their own Media Composer license. In fact, Avid First is designed intentionally to be self-contained so that it cannot be used the way you're trying to use it.

If they're that cheap that they can't afford to spend $34.99 for a one month subscription, then just run Media Composer in trial mode, which is totally free AND will work the way you're trying to force Avid First to work.

camoscato wrote:

"If they're that cheap that they can't afford to spend $34.99 for a one month subscription, then just run Media Composer in trial mode, which is totally free AND will work the way you're trying to force Avid First to work."

Before I try to talk him into wasting more time upgrading and spending $34.99 a month, convince me that we're not going to waste two weeks (time is money) trying to make it work with files that were created in Avid.

I don't think it's ridiculous to use MC First to do something as basic as playing back footage.  It's not like he's cutting a feature film on it.  I do think it helps Avid's cause to have a way for producers to preview footage so they can assemble a paper-cut for their Avid editors.  Then again, I now have a perpetual license that was paid for long ago, so I can see why there's no upside for Avid in cases like this.

I could have brought the footage in as Quicktime clips.  At least then he could watch it.  But I have an Avid system and would prefer MXF.  So much for that brilliant plan.

At this point it's easier for me to just toss my Mac in the car and let him use it for the weekend.

But I'm still frustrated that his MC wants to play the footage - just not all the clips.  It works, but it doesn't.  What a tease. I've been editing on Avid systems since 1996.  I've owned Avid systems since 2001.  I'm a fan.  It seems like there's always been some kind of issue that makes it a struggle and after 25 years one would think things would be easier.

Barry

The Electric Wallpaper Co.:

Before I try to talk him into wasting more time upgrading and spending $34.99 a month, convince me that we're not going to waste two weeks (time is money) trying to make it work with files that were created in Avid.

Try using Media Composer in trial mode, which is free and lasts for 30 days. Even if it's a waste of time, it's a better waste of time than however much time you've already wasted.