Media Express Playback | Format (ProRes) not supported error

We've been having trouble using Media Express to playback files we've transcoded with Compressor. For example, I was given an anamorphic SD file in H.264 format that we need to playback during an upcoming event. I used Compressor to convert it to a letterboxed 4:3 NTSC file, which is the target format I need to playback as. I've tried multiple options and setting based on Compressor's built in ProRes presets, but with every render Media Express will refuse to import the resulting ProRes file. Instead, Media Express will give me a "The file format is not supported" popup message.

This is with a new Media Express project; no other media exists in the application. The manual does not give any specifics as to what settings Media Express will accept; I'd assume that anything in ProRes would be supported natively, but this does not appear to be the case. It's not clear if this is human error on our part, or a bug in the Media Express software or supporting drivers, but surely one would expect Media Express to accept Compressor ProRes transcodes without issue.

I've used the most obvious settings for NTSC ProRes transcode settings, none of which seem to work:
720x486, 720x480, 640x480 (letterboxed aspect; 16:9 source file)
29.97, or 59.94
PCM 16bit, 48k Stereo audio, big or little endian
ProRes 422, or ProRes HQ

BlackMagic Decklink HD Extreme 3D PCI, Drivers 9.6.4
Media Express 3.1.2
Compressor 4.0.4
OS X 10.7.5

Any ideas or guidance is appreciated. As of now it seems I can only get Media Express to playback files that were captured with Media Express.

For a bump and additional notes; I've also tried a transcoded uncompressed clip with the same result. Am I completely wrong to assume that Media Express should be capable of playing back media created from other programs? Again, the manual indicates that it should just work, but Media Express refuses anything I try to feed it that wasn't originally recorded or created via a Blackmagic device, despite using the same supported formats and codecs.

Hello,

Along the same lines... what is the "best practice" for converting .mp4 and .mov files for play back video (with audio) in Media Express connected to a UltraStudio Express? Ultimately, I need to end up with 720X486 with audio.

I have an UltraStudio Express connected to a 2012 8GB MBA that I am using as an NTSC playback source for an ATEM 1 M/E. I am currently using Media Express and am having difficulty converting customer supplied .mp4 and .mov files into a playable format. So far I have Pavtube Video Converter and am able to convert .mp4 and .mov files to DVCPRO-50 with success, but it does not seem to convert the associated audio?

Thanks in advance - Damon

I was briefly excited when I saw this in the newly released 9.6.6 drivers:

Media Express 3.2

• WAV, AIFF, AIF QuickTime Audio clips can now be linked to Video clips for playback.
• WAV, AIFF, AIF QuickTime Audio clips can now be "Exported To Tape" for inserting into Master Tapes.

However this didn't fix my issue. I still can't import ProRes files created/transcoded from Compressor. I'm not exactly sure what the above even means. "Linked to video clips"?

I can't import more than one clip aat the time... Always an error message.
If BlackMagic would give us precise details how to export our media... Or give us an easy "transcoder".
Hurry a patch

Related topic, so I'm just going to add it to the list and also, with a bit of luck provide a solution to original poster:

Media Express 2.4 onwards, including latest 3.2 revision, is doing something extremely silly when importing files compared to Media Express 2.3 and below. It looks like it's looking up something specific in a full codec name, and as a result, will only import files captured with Media Express and encoded manually via Quick Time. ProRes (and Uncompressed 8/10 bit) mov files created with anything using Lavf to mux the file, ffmpeg, Episode Pro, now, it seems also Compressor, are rejected as "The file format is not supported".

I first reported this problem in summer 2011, I then posted details about the problem on creativecow.net together with link to these two samples - two identical files, with identical codec, one plays in Media Express higher than 2.3, one is rejected by every version BlackMagic released since 2.3. With every release of Media Express, the compatibility of third party files is broken further and further.

What's worse, Media Express is still a mess. None of the bugs since Media Express 2.3 were fixed.
- Media Express still doesn't capture multi audio channels in any standardised way - instead of separate streams, it amalgamates everything into bizarre single audio track with 8,10 or 12 unlabelled channels without any coherent mapping.
And if you try to fix it - I personally remap and remux audio tracks back to regular 5.1 + LtRt stereo mov with ffmbc just by copying the streams with -map_audio_channel, without re-encoding anything - but then you discover the files won't play in any Media Express newer than 2.3, because daft software rejects them as soon as any other software remux or touches the container. It's the same video and audio!!!

- Some progressive 1080 25Hz signals are still not always recognised by Media Express correctly (just black screen) and cannot be captured, despite being correctly recognised as 1080p 25 by decks and Blackmagic's own UltraScope. Happens on all cards we have - Multibridge Pro 2, Multibridge Eclipse, Intensity, UltraStudio Pro etc. I did some testing with TVOne standards converter and it turns out the only signal we could capture using 1080p 25 setting in Media Express was one output as 1080i 50Hz.

- Why do all captured files always end up with 4:3 specifically set in headers? I understand that the "anamorphic" flag in Media Express settings is just smoke and mirrors, Joshua Helling of BM team explained once, that this setting doesn't do really do anything in process of capture and the resulting file was meant to be "data stored out of aspect", but Media Express still sets "pasp" (pixel aspect) atom in the captured .mov file specifically to 4:3. Is it meant to be doing this?

To the original poster - try Media Express 2.3 from old drivers, it will take ProRes made out of any software, as long as it has standard PAL/NTSC/1080/720 size and frame rate.

Silly newby question, I have the same problem, where can I download version 2.3? Also will it have the drivers for my ultra studio mini-monitor? Thanks,

We're having the same problem here. Isn't it sort of nonsense to reject even raw data?