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# Compressed Media Support

The Wiretap Gateway allows you to import and grade compressed media files (e.g., RED, QuickTime, MXF files and OpenEXR) to Lustre.

The Transcode menu is specifically for compressed media files and is dynamically updated based on the format currently in use. The playback performance of these files varies depending upon the file format, resolution, codecs (see Wiretap Gateway Supported Ingest File Formats), and configuration of the Wiretap Gateway. Since reading native compressed media files is CPU intensive, you can improve the playback of your media by transcoding your RED or ARRI media into a DPX file. If you are using a local Wiretap Gateway, you can also improve performance by increasing the number of Slaves. The default number of Slaves is four. See Transcode Workflow 2012 Extension 1.

For Wiretap Gateway configuration details, refer to the Autodesk WiretapCentral and Wiretap Gateway Installation and Configuration Guide

Note Since OpenEXR is a very flexible file format, there are some limitations regarding what is supported by Lustre:

- Mattes encoded in an OpenEXR file have to be RGB media. If not, the OpenEXR file will not be visible in the Media Browser or the non-RGB channels will display a red 'X' in the viewer.
- Channels must have the same resolution.
- OpenEXR playback requires fast CPUs and you may need to enable multiple Wiretap Gateway slaves to achieve acceptable playback performance. Also, when working with multiple channels, real-time playback may not be available and you may need to generate proxy media locally. In this case, make sure to enable the Project / Network Rendering / Wiretap / Local Proxy to be able to generate proxies for content coming from the Wiretap / Wiretap Gateway server.

WarningOnly RED media with firmware 16 and higher is supported in Lustre.

There are some limitations when it comes to assembling an EDL with compressed media. For example, not all QuickTime files contain a reel name and timecode data, therefore, only files with this data can be used to assemble an EDL. Also, only MXF files with timecode data can be used to assemble an EDL.

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- Browsing for Footage with the Wiretap Gateway