Working with XDCAM EX BPAV files in Premiere Pro


What’s the good workflow to import Sony XDCAM EX BPAV files to Premiere Pro for post production? If you are having issues working with XDCAM EX BPAV files in Premiere Pro, you can follow this guide to transcode BPAV MP4 files to DNxHD/ProRes for use in Adobe Premiere smoothly.

Like the Panasonic P2 format, the Sony XDCAM EX is solid-state recording format for video production that eliminates tape from the workflow. Adobe Premiere has advantages when working with XDCAM EX format, because it doesn’t transcode XDCAM EX into another file format, editors can edit the camera source files directly. File formats can also be mixed and matched in the software’s timeline, making the editing process much faster.

You can import assets into Premiere Pro directly from tapeless media. However, it is more efficient to transfer tapeless media contents to a hard disk before importing. Also, playback performance is much better from a dedicated internal hard drive or RAID than from a camera or memory card reader.

A good workflow between XDCAM EX media and Premiere Pro is to make sure you copy the entire BPAV folder structure and its contents from memory card to hard drive, not just one MP4 file at a time. Do not use Sony conversion utility software. Then in Premiere, import using the Media Browser, NOT “file > import”. Media Browser will access the metadata to better understand and interpret the files you are importing, especially when sometimes audio and video might be in different folders.

If for whatever reason you still have issues working with XDCAM EX BPAV files in Premiere Pro through the way above, we would recommend transcoding BPAV MP4 files to format that is best suitable for use in Adobe Premiere, such as DNxHD or ProRes. Read on to find a step by step guide on how to convert BPAV files for Premiere editing.

How to encode BPAV MP4 files to MOV for use in Premiere Pro with DNxHD/ProRes codec?

Here’s what you need
HD Video Converter
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.
import Sony XDCAM EX BPAV files to Premiere Proworking with XDCAM EX BPAV files in Premiere Pro

Follow these steps:
Step 1: Start up HD Video Converter as a professional BPAV Video Converter for Premiere. When its main interface pops up, click ‘Add File’ to input your source media.
transcode BPAV MP4 files to DNxHD/ProRes for use in Adobe Premiere

Step 2: Select output format for Premiere
If you are running Premiere Pro on a Windows PC, you can from ‘Profile’ bar, select ‘Avid DNxHD (*.mov)’ as output format under ‘Avid Media Composer’ column.
encode BPAV MP4 files to MOV for use in Premiere
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.

If you are using Premiere Pro on a Mac, you can select ‘Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov)’ as output format under ‘Final Cut Pro’ column.
BPAV Video Converter for Premiere

In addition to DNxHD and ProRes, you can also select ‘MOV (AVC) (*.mov)’ as output format under ‘Adobe Premiere/Sony Vegas’ option.
BPAV Video Converter for Premiere

This method is also available when you want to edit XDCAM EX BPAV video files in After Effects and Sony Vegas.

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 BPAV files to 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 MOV files for use in Adobe Premiere with optimum performance.

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