We have recently begun experiencing problems when conforming AFEs on our Nitris systems. I have contacted Avid support but haven't heard anything yet, so I thought I'd throw this out there and see if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions.
Background: We have 2 Nitris' that share RPs. One of the RPs acts as the controller and the other as the broker. Our producers do their edits on MC Adrenaline units on a Unity(all PC based). The Unity sees the Nitris' as a client through the controller. The producers edit their segments and export AFEs. When conforming we reach across the Unity, grab the AFE and do the conform. Fairly standard practice as I understand it. Oh, DS 7.6 with QFE 3 and Adrenaline 2.1.1 all running on Windows XP Pro SP 2. Nitris cpu's are HP XW8000.
Recently after conforming we are finding that somehow, during the conform, video clips on the timeline are being converted into file based media?! Not sure if the MC is doing this or the DS. This has happened with 3 of the last 7 segments that have been conformed. It happens on both DSs. I have tried exporting the AFE from different Adrenalines with no change. I tried an AAF with the same results. The only thing that has changed recently was the installation of QFE 3.
I haven't tried just using EDLs, but the AFE workflow is what Avid recommends and one of the reasons we have gone this route. We are a PBS station doing several news magazine type shows. The majority of the Nitris work at this point is finishing segments of 6 - 12 minutes in length.
Another related (?) issue is a couple of segments in the last month conformed with a section of video missing. It was in the offline and then on conform there is a hole in the timeline. Possibly related, I'm not sure. I've sent AFEs, both good and bad, to Avid along with bin files from the Adrenalines. Not sure where to go next. All I know is producers aren't happy, editors aren't happy and I'm bearing the brunt of it and am really, really not happy.
Jeff Moorbeck
Senior Editor
Milwaukee Public Television
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