Importing media files

Use the Import Directory command to import media files on your disk into CatDV and build up a thumbnail catalog. You can also drag files and folders into the CatDV main window to import them.

This window shows the catalog as a list view. Each row (a "clip") either represents a file or a shot within a movie file.

The columns that are shown in a list view are completely customisable and you can sort the clips by clicking on a column header.

When you import a media file it is analysed and all the metadata stored in the file (such as file path, image size, audio sample rate, recording date, and so on) is automatically extracted and stored in the catalog, along with the thumbnail and any notes or other text you type in. For movies, automatic scene detection is used to create a separate record of each shot within the movie.

The catalog forms a permanent record of your media assets, whether or not the files themselves are currently accessible - handy if the files are on removable media, or if they represent a video tape that was captured for editing but subsequently deleted.

Any media file format supported by QuickTime can be catalogued, including movies, JPEGs, MP3s, and Flash files, together with several other formats such as Windows Media and Avid OMF. But what sets CatDV apart from other cataloguing applications is its support for timecode and subclips.

An entry in a CatDV catalog can represent not just a media file such as a movie or a still but also a clip within a movie or on a tape, described by its timecode In and Out values.

As a result, CatDV can also import files such as edit decision lists or batch logs to build up a detailed description of individual clips and scenes within an edited programme or on a given source tape and where they are used.