I’ve written a small Mac OS X 10.5 compatible application named ‘Xi’, which copies MXF files from XDCAM disks via ftp to any locally accessible storage device.

This tool is about 80% faster than any FireWire based ingest process, and it automatically renames files during the copy process. You need a QuickTime plugin like the MXF4mac Importer to read the files.

Here are the main features of Xi:

• about 80% faster than FireWire based import
• automatically adds disc name or custom prefix to file names (this way you can distinguish different disks on your storage and in your CMS)
• standard ingest process takes only two clicks
• supports up to 8 XDCAM decks within one GUI
• automatically detects files which don’t conform to your standard codec and optionally writes them into a separate folder (e.g. for automatic conversion purposes)
• automatically converts upper-case ‘MXF’ suffixes into lower-case ‘mxf’ suffixes. Many playout servers like EVS and Omneon systems need that.
• comprehensive manual included
• works non-destructively: no conversion of files, all XML data will be preserved. This allows highly customized automated workflows.
• supports ‘edit-while-transfer’. IMX30, IMX40, and IMX50 files on the XDCAM disks are D10 OP1a files which can be edited while the file is still being copied. In live and other time critical situations this can be your life saviour.

Xi doesn’t convert the original MXF files to QuickTime, as this would take additional time for no reason as we can read and write mxf containers using MXF4mac.

Neither does Xi combine all files on an XDCAM disk to a single file. I assume that XDCAM disks will be overwritten after file import, so I prefer to create a new original on my storage. Conversion or stitching should then be a second step, which can be done by your CMS or an additional software.

Xi copies any file to one target folder only. I assume that you use a redundant storage system for your data.

To see Xi in action, right-click the following graphics to download an 85 MB movie:

If you are interested in trying Xi, please get in touch with me using my feedback form at http://www.andre-aulich.de/en/send-feedback.

I am also very interested in your ideas how to improve the software and make it fit your needs.