How to convert Avid DNxHD mov to AppleProres mov
 on MacOS X?

I was given a FullHD mov in Avid DNXHD for post-production in Apple Final
Cut Pro and Apple Color. 

Since Avid Codecs LE codecs for QuickTime made all my QuickTime applications
crash (Compressor on startup, FCP 6.x while trying to import the file)
and I didn't want to leave my PowerPC machine (still working, and sufficient
for FullHD post-processing, isn't it?), I had to return to command line
(bless the console), which worked well.  The tool, which works well is
ffmpeg, the first tool for video editing, I ever used,
long long time ago in computer prehistory, even before I had GUI.

1] First, if you still don't have MacPorts installed, install macports.  For
this, you'll need 'developers tools', which are part of optional package on
Installation DVD of MacOS X.  You'll find a lot of ports usable even for the
other stuff and it will make your mac a well-behaved Unix with compiler and
developer libraries & tools.

2] Make port library up-to date. Under the Terminal (application/utilities) enter:

sudo port selfupdate



3] Install port ffmpeg.
Since standard ffmpeg in ports repository is not the last version, install
ffmpeg-devel, which is (unstable) cutting edge.

sudo port install ffmpeg-devel


4] Convert.
The magic line for conversion DNXHD to PRORES is:

ffmpeg -i input-dnxhd.mov -vcodec prores -profile 3 -acodec pcm_s24le output-prores.mov 

Where profile number means:
0 - prores proxy
1 - prores lt
2 - prores sq
3 - prores hq

If your shell (tcsh, bash, whatever) doesn't see the ffmpeg command, restart
it:

bash

or rehash the command cache in case of tcsh:

tcsh


5] You can play with ffmpeg options (particulary "-profile"), whose can by displayed 
using:

ffmpeg --help


or


man ffmpeg


It can convert many video formats to many others. And it's free. Commercialy
sold tools for conversion are often just GUI for ffmpeg. 


                   ---(*$*)---

Comments?
Binary Sxizophreny - index of comp related stuff
Kangaroo's Homepage (czech)