MediaReactor and MediaReactor Workstation integrate tightly with installed operating systems and applications. This section has tips and tricks on getting the most out of MediaReactor and/or MediaReactor Workstation.
Mac OS-X
Enabling legacy codecs for more output choices in QuickTime 7.4 and greater
(the original Apple article link is dead: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1149?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US)
Symptoms
With QuickTime 7.4 or later installed, some older encoders (codecs) may appear to be missing export options in applications that export QuickTime files, such as Final Cut Pro or Compressor or from the export options in QuickTime Player Pro.
Resolution
Take the following steps to enable additional encoders:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Choose View > QuickTime.
- Click the Advanced button.
- Select the checkbox next to Show legacy encoders.
Using MediaReactor Workstation as a source reader for your own (or other) programs (OS-X)
MediaReactor Workstation provides a number of different ways to read supported file and compression types into your own programs. Here are a list of publicly available interfaces:
- QuickTime Interface - MRWS provides an series of components to QuickTime including file readers, compressors, decompressors and low level data handlers that allow any program to read all the available formats through QuickTime as though they were normal MOV files
- DTMediaRead Interface - This interface is a direct reader that requires an OEM agreement with Drastic. See the DTMediaRead SDK page for more information.
- MkRefMov - MRWS includes a command line program called MkRefMov (Make Reference Movie). This program can make a reference movie (a small pointer only movie) for most supported files that can be read by any program supporting QuickTime MOV files. This includes new programs like Final Cut Pro X that don't normally support formats like MXF variants from Omneon, Pinnacle, Grass Valley and Avid.
Clear Avid MediaComposer Cache
- Close MediaComposer
- Navigate to HD/Users/Shared/AvidMediaComposer/AMA Management.
- Delete the contents of the "AMA Metadata Folders" folder. The folder will be rebuilt once the software is relaunched.
- Rename the "Managed AMA Media Folders.xml" file to e.g "Managed XAMA Media Folders.xml".
- Navigate to HD/Users/Shared/AvidMediaComposer/AvidSourceBrowserCache.
- Rename the "OPFrameGenerator.db" file to "OPFrameGenerator_Backup.db".
- Reopen MediaComposer. Delete the file from its current bin and re-link.
Windows
Using MediaReactor Workstation as a source reader for your own (or other) programs (Windows)
MediaReactor Workstation provides a number of different ways to read supported file and compression types into your own programs. Here are a list of publicly available interfaces:
- DirectShow - MRWS installs a DirectShow Filter called 'Drastic MediaReactor File Source'. This can be opened with any supported file to provide audio and video to a DirectShow filter graph
- QuickTime Interface - MRWS provides a series of components for QuickTime including file readers, compressors, decompressors and low level data handlers that allow any program to read all the available formats through QuickTime as though they were normal MOV files
- DTMediaRead Interface - This interface is a direct reader that requires an OEM agreement with Drastic. See the DTMediaRead SDK page for more information.
- MkRefMov - MRWS includes a command line program called MkRefMov (Make Reference Movie). This program can make a reference movie (a small pointer only movie) for most supported files that can be read by any program supporting QuickTime MOV files. This includes new programs like Final Cut Pro X that don't normally support formats like MXF variants from Omneon, Pinnacle, Grass Valley and Avid.
Clear Avid MediaComposer Cache
- Close MediaComposer
- Navigate to C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Avid Media Composer\AMA Management
- Delete the contents of the "AMA Metadata Folders" folder. The folder will be rebuilt once the software is relaunched.
- Rename the "Managed AMA Media Folders.xml" file.
- Navigate to C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Avid Media Composer\AvidSourceBrowserCache.
- Rename the "OPFrameGenerator.db" file to "OPFrameGenerator_Backup.db".
- Reopen MediaComposer. Delete the file from its current bin and re-link.
Linking footage shot at high FPS to lower FPS project
- In the bin, right click on the clip and go to Source Settings, Playback Rates. Set the Playback Frame Rate to the project's fps. Click Apply and OK. This will play the high speed clip in slow-mo.
- Next, right click again on the clip and go to Audio. Check the "Delete Original Media" and click on OK. What this does is we make a copy of the audio so it's not embedded in the file and Avid does not complain about the length of the audio (which is the acquisition error). Instead it is stored in Avid Media File where it is accessed. Keep in mind this step does not delete the audio in the source file.
OS Independent
mrcmd - Drastic MediaReactor Command Line Interface
mrcmd - MediaReactor Command Line Utility, by Drastic Technologies (www.drastic.tv)
(c)opyright 1995-2017 Drastic Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.
Usage: mrcmd
-I <inputname> = Input file path/name (required)
-O <outputname> = Input file path/name (required)
-s # = Start frame (def: 0)
-e # = End frame (def: length of input)
-S <00:00:00:00> = Start timecode (def: first time code in file)
-E <01:00:00:00> = End timecode (def: last time code in file plus one)
-t = Allow transcode stream (def: convert stream)
-T = Trascode to matched stream
-x # = Horizontal size >1 (def: same as input)
-y # = Vertical size >1 (def: same as input)
-b # = Bit depth 8/16/24/32 (def: optimal)
-q # = Video quality 0..10000 (def: highest)
-d # = Video data rate >=0 (def: highest)
-k # = Key frame distance (def: 15)
-M = Separate audio files (def: internal)
-m = Dual mono audio files (def: stereo, requires -s)
-r # = Audio frequency/rate (def: same as input)
-a # = Audio sample size 8/16 (def: same as input)
-c # = Audio channels 1/2/4/5/6/8 (def: same as input)
-p # = Audio quality 0..10000 (def: highest)
-i # = Output video file ID (from codeclist.txt)
-f <filetype> = Output video file type - AVI/MOV/OMF (def: auto sense)
-F <filetype> = Output audio file type - WAV/AIF/AU (def: auto sense, requires -s)
-v <codec> = Output video codec (text) - MMES/2yuv/DVSD (def: RGB uncompressed)
-n # = Output video codec (numeric hex) - 88000001/1/a/f
-A = Disable audio output (def: depends on input)
-V = Disable video output (def: depends on input)
-P <profile> = MediaReactor profile file path/name (optional)
To get a list of all the file type available in the file codeclist.txt, use
mrcmd -all
To get a list of the codecs for a file type, use
mrcmd #
mkRtIndex - Make An rtin (Real Time Index) File
Usage: mkRtIndex <sourcefile> [-v]
NOTE: parameters must be in order
- <sourcefile> File to be indexed.
- -v Optional, verify rtIndex instead of create.
Application Specific
Adobe Premiere CS5/6
Apple Final Cut Pro (Suite 3/7)
Assimilate Scratch/Lab
Avid Media Composer 6 (Symphony, NewsCutter)
Compressor
Motion
Adobe Media Encoder
QuickTime Player
Windows Media Player
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