Does Sony a9 XAVC-S work natively in Avid Media Composer or with an AMA Plug-in? If not, is there any possibility to edit a9 XAVC-S footage in Avid? If you are having troubles importing Sony a9 XAVC-S video to Avid, you are in the right place. This post explains how to transcode XAVC-S files taken with Sony a9 to Avid preferred DNxHD for editing flawlessly.
How do you edit Sony a9 XAVC-S files in Avid?
“Hello all, I just recently purchased a Sony a9. It records 4K video in XAVC-S format. I’m trying to edit the a9 footage in Avid Media Composer. But it seems that Avid won’t import the XAVC S files at all. I can neither use ‘import’ command nor AMA plug-ins. What’s your best workflow dealing with Sony a9 XAVC-S video in Avid MC? Any ideas? Thanks.”
As far as we know, Avid is the only NLEs that can not edit Sony XAVC-S files. Fortunately, there are workarounds to go through this. One easy way is to transcode the footage to Avid format. Learn a guide on how to convert Sony a9 XAVC-S files to DNxHD for use in Avid with optimum performance.
How to transcode Sony a9 XAVC S files for Avid editing?
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.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Start up HD Video Converter as a Sony a9 XAVC S 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 Sony a9 XAVC S 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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