Open and edit Sony PMW-F55/F5 XAVC HD and 4K XAVC in Avid


By installing AMA plug-in for XAVC,Avid MC can natively handle Sony PMW-F55/F5 XAVC HD and 4K XAVC footage, but what to do if the plug-in not working? Go to find an answer in this post.

Sony claimed that many of the NLE applications can natively handle XAVC HD and 4K RAW XAVC files shot with Sony PMW-F55 and F5 Digital Cinema Cameras, such as Adobe Premiere, Apple FCP X, Avid Media Composer, and Sony Vegas Pro 12. Unfortunately, users still have import issues one or another during editing process. For instance, the Sony PMW-F55/F5 can record 4K XAVC with the R1 back, which is fully supported in Avid Media Composer v6.5 with the current AMA plug-in from Sony. However, the F55 can also record 4K XAVC to the SxS cards, and this isn’t supported with the current AMA plug-ins.
sony f55/f5

What do to if the Plug-in not working?
Generally speaking, you can transcode Sony PMW-F55/F5 XAVC HD and 4K XAVC to DNxHD .MOV, the native format for Avid applications. This requires third party software like HD Video Converter. The workflow below displays how to use this program to process format shifting.

First of all, you can download a free trial to see if it is able to satisfy your requirements.
free download mac versionfree download win version

Avid workflow for Sony PMW-F55/F5 XAVC HD and 4K XAVC footage

Follow these steps to transcode Sony F55/F5 XAVC HD & 4K XAVC/2K XAVC to DNxHD for Avid systems.
Step 1: Start up HD Video Converter as a Sony XAVC Converter. In the main interface, click ‘Add File’ button to load your Sony PMW-F55/F5 XAVC HD and 4K XAVC files.

Step 2: From the ‘Format’ bar, choose ‘Avid Media Composer’ > ‘Avid DNxHD (*.mov)’ as target format.

If necessary, you can tick off ‘Merge’ to join selected XAVC clips, or you can click ‘Settings’ button to custom video and audio settings like video resolution, bit rate, frame rate, audio codec, audio bit rate, sample rate and audio channels.

Step 3: When ready, click the big button ‘Convert’ to start encoding Sony F55/F5 XAVC footage to DNxHD MOV for using with Avid Media Composer.

Step 4: When the conversion process finished, you can click ‘Open Folder’ button to get the generated DHxHD QuickTime files for using with Avid Media Composer.

Also read:
Import MXF footage into Avid Media Composer
GXF and Avid import issue – open GXF files in Avid
Why Premiere Pro CS6 can’t import MXF files?
Convert P2 MXF to ProRes for FCP 6/7/X without losing sound
MXF and Vegas – How can I edit MXF video files in Sony Vegas?