23.98 XML from FCP7 round tripping as 24

Been seeing all 23.98 xml from fcp 7 converted to 24 on import to resolve 9.1.1
only way around it is deselecting "use sequence settings" on xml import. other users are reporting that they are editing the xml after output by changing "NTSC to "true".
anyone else noticing this? is it a known bug?

Hi paul or anyone else

I'm sorry I'm not posting a answer to your question but another question..

I am just round tripping a film to FCP with resolve shot on Canon 5D at 23.976 and my XML tells me I'm at 24fps (I didn't uncheck 'use sequence settings')..

Firstly I'm a bit confused abut the 23.976 / 24fps thing - the 5D said 24fps but when I imported to FCP to edit I realised it was actually 23.976 ? Can you shed some light on why this is.?

Is it a problem to grade in resolve at 24fps when really the footage is 23.976? I.e. has my footage been changed to 24 from 23.976 and am I going to have trouble with both framerate conversion artefacts and audio syncing? Or am I still at 23.976 and just need to make sure my frame rate is correct on delivery.?

Does the xml timeline need to be reimported at 23.976 and is there a way to relink the grades I have already done?

I sorry if this is more questions and that this is probably a wider problem concerning frame rates that I have just encountered in resolve. I'm just not sure why I have 23.976 footage when it ought to be 24?

What I am kind of gathering is that digital 24fps is really 23.976 and sometimes when your read 24fps it really means 23.976 - but I'm just not sure why??? And what does this all mean for my xml import, my timeline settings or my delivery settings.

Much confusion?!?!

Chris

It sounds like you're having the same problem where resolve 9.1.1 is converting 23.98 XML from fcp 7 to 24 fps on import

I have the same problem, Paul. 29.97 is also converted to 30.

My workaround has been to duplicate the original sequence in FCP and remove all video from it. I then import the XML, select everything in the sequence, copy all and paste on the duplicated 29.97 empty sequence. Since Resolve is rendering the files properly at 29.97, I haven't experienced any problems with this method. Dozens of TV episodes done this way, as well as a few shorts and two features.

Paulo how long have you been seeing this? It's a fairly recent thing for me.
Setting the project settings in resolve first is my fix for now.

This has been happening since 9.1.

Ok that makes sense

I wonder if we can be sure that when the XML says it is set at 24fps, that it doesn't really mean 23.976 as my canon 60D says it is shooting at 24fps but it is really 23.976 (especially if my sequence settings in FCP were 23.976 when I exported the XML)

And if the XML really is 24fps yet the clips are 23.976 and the timeline settings can be changed to 23.976 then what exactly is happening to my clips in the timeline? - I guess I will find out when I deliver it out and try and sync it with my sound mix.

Anyone from Blackmagic out there listening?

I guess firstly I would like to find out exactly what the deal is with 24fps - what variants of this are used and when? I f anyone can help with this I would be very grateful. I hear that 23.976 was created for NTSC land as it is more straight forward to convert 23.976 into 29.97 - as opposed to converting 24 into 29.97? Does it get any more complicated than that?

Chris

Hi again

Sorry Paulo I have re-read and now understand your workaround, and from it I assume you discovered that the XML is indeed 24fps in resolve. And that your particular workaround "as resolve is rendering out the clips with the correct framerate" will return everything back to how it should be in FCP - this also should make the sound mix sync nicely back together..

Well regardless of my confusion around 24/23.976 this sounds like a nice little compromise for now...

Thank you..

Editing the xml worked for me. I was pulling my hair out with this problem. Just open the xml from resolve in text edit and under timebase 24 change ntsc to "true."

Screen Shot 2013-03-20 at 12.46.12 AM.png (6.09 KiB) Viewed 4180 times

I wonder if we can be sure that when the XML says it is set at 24fps, that it doesn't really mean 23.976 as my canon 60D says it is shooting at 24fps but it is really 23.976 (especially if my sequence settings in FCP were 23.976 when I exported the XML)

>snipped<
Chris

Chris, I will assume that most of the (low end) camera will shoot HD with any sort of codec like Qt H.264 and be suitable for TV broadcast. That means that in order to be coherent with teh cirrent TV standard the playout has to be 23.98 (23.976) and not 24.00 even. From the point of view of the timecode and frame count is the same, just the audio will need to be re-pitched to length if you go to Theatrical distribution.

See if you have on of the H264 (again assuming this is the format you get) out from the D60 and open that in Quicktime pro --> read the info and you will see the actual clip speed...

Let us know what you will find and we will take from here...

I am not Chris, but I know the 60D (and all Canon DSLRs) shoot 23.98fps. They just write 24 as shorthand because from a marketing standpoint, they don't want to confuse consumers.

I just sent a 23.98 aaf from symphony 6.2.2 and it it seems to be holding. so this is a 9.1.1 / fcp7 xml only issue?

Paul, have you already sent it back to Symphony? If it creates a sequence with the right cadence, then chances are it is a FCP only issue.

well I can see it's 23.98 in resolve, so I think it's good.
the FCP7 thing happens on import - once the project is in, it's 24 from there...

I have the same issue. Paulo's workaround works, but is there any word from BMD about this?

9.1.3 has fixed this issue.