Came upon issues that Avid cannot read XAVC S footage? If so, you may have interest in this post. It displays a way of converting XAVC S files to DNxHD for use in Avid system with optimum performance.
If you are trying to import XAVC S footage into Avid Media Composer for further editing, you may find it’s not an easy thing. That’s because Avid neither supports XAVC S footage natively nor Sony provides a free AMA plugin-for XAVC-S format.
To be able to make XAVC S footage recognizable in Avid, we would recommend using a Video Converter to transcode XAVC-S into anything the Avid will accept first. Considering the ease of use and optimal DNxHD output, you can give HD Video Converter a shot. This converter comes in both Windows and Mac versions, featuring optimized DNxHD (*.mov) output format preset for Avid system.
You can download a demo version (for both, PC and Mac) to have a try. They are not free but it is totally worth it.
How to transcode XAVC S files to Avid editable DNxHD codec?
Step 1: Start up HD Video Converter as a Sony XAVC S MP4 Converter for Avid. When its main interface pops up, click ‘Add File’ to input your source media.
Step 2: Choose output format for Avid MC
From ‘Profile’ list, select ‘Avid DNxHD (*.mov)’ as output format under ‘Avid Media Composer’ column.
Important: If you’ve loaded a number of video clips to do batch conversion, please do remember ticking off ‘Apply to All’ option before you start.
Step 3: Custom video and audio settings
If necessary, you can click ‘Settings’ button and go to ‘Profiles Settings’ panel to modify video and audio settings like video encoder, resolution, video bit rate, frame rate, aspect ratio, audio encoder, sample rate, audio bit rate, and audio channels. 3D settings are also available.
Step 4: Start XAVC S MP4 to DNxHD MOV Conversion
When ready, click ‘Convert’ to start format conversion. As soon as the conversion is complete, you can click ‘Open Folder’ button to get the exported DNxHD MOV files for use in Avid apps with optimum performance.
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