Not clear on P2 dumping

[dantewaters]

Ok I just got my HVX Friday and I have used it to do about 3 events.
I have to dump it from the camera since I only have one p2 card, and the laptop I have is a macbook pro.

From what I understand you need an older version of quicktime, and a slightly older version of Final Cut to avoid issues with the duel systems adaptor.

So I either have to buy a powerbook, or the p2 Store.
I also hear that the HVX can format a drive and dump the p2 card contents... That sounds workable, but slower than going from p2 to hard drive.

What is the best solution if you have no PCMCIA slot, or the P2 Store and you using Leopard 10.5.2 / 2gigs of ram/Macbook pro/Final Cut.

[Barry_Green]

Don't buy a powerbook, and don't buy a P2 Store. Get an inexpensive Windows laptop, it'll be vastly less expensive and a lot faster. For $400 to $500 you should be able to pick up a decently powerful new laptop (especially with WinXP) that'll offload to external hard disks that you can then plug directly into your Mac for editing.

[dantewaters]

Thank you sir...

[Barry_Green]

(point being, which I didn't clearly elucidate up above, is that you want to select a Windows laptop that has the PCMCIA slot built-in).

[Nexis]

Barry's right (not that there was any doubt). I use FCP, but I offload to a Toshiba with a pccard slot. Takes a little more time, but the results are much more reliable.

[pmark23]

I have a P2 Store and have never, ever used it -- laptops are so much more convenient.

[dantewaters]

Ok well then that's my move, either I find a used Dell or I buy a new one...
My only concern is battery life I want at least 4hrs.

[schteevie]

Don't buy a powerbook, and don't buy a P2 Store. Get an inexpensive Windows laptop, it'll be vastly less expensive and a lot faster. For $400 to $500 you should be able to pick up a decently powerful new laptop (especially with WinXP) that'll offload to external hard disks that you can then plug directly into your Mac for editing.

I think this advise should be more clear as a sticky or something.

I bought a MBP because it was on sale last month specifically for this purpose, niavely assuming it would work.

I won't need my P2 importing system implemented until next month, but it looks like my shiney new MBP isn't going to be a part of the primary purpose I got it for...

[Barry_Green]

An MBP can be used for importing, you just have to use the Duel Adapter. And if you want to see the footage in the field, you'll have to install the $1200 Final Cut Studio too. Whereas if all you're looking for is a cheap offload device, with a Windows laptop, you can buy a cheap one tht has the slot, offload right away, and view clips right away with the P2 Viewer, and it's less hassle and astonishingly less expensive.

If you want an MBP for other reasons, go right ahead. My main point is that if you're looking at buying something specifically for the purposes of offloading, the MBP is probably the last tool I'd recommend; you can get the job done extremely less expensively and more efficiently if you go with a cheap Windows box.

[schteevie]

An MBP can be used for importing, you just have to use the Duel Adapter. And if you want to see the footage in the field, you'll have to install the $1200 Final Cut Studio too. Whereas if all you're looking for is a cheap offload device, with a Windows laptop, you can buy a cheap one tht has the slot, offload right away, and view clips right away with the P2 Viewer, and it's less hassle and astonishingly less expensive.

If you want an MBP for other reasons, go right ahead. My main point is that if you're looking at buying something specifically for the purposes of offloading, the MBP is probably the last tool I'd recommend; you can get the job done extremely less expensively and more efficiently if you go with a cheap Windows box.

Thanks for the relpy.

I have the mac version of "P2 contents manager", and it looks like I made a mistake assuing it would work as well on a MBP as it does on my G5 tower.
I have FC Studio, so that is not a problem, but I had no intentions of ever wasting time loading the softwaer up in the feild to look at footage...

The PC laptop for dumping is potentially ok, but if you want to post with FCP, which I do, I ultimately have to get the media back to a mac drive, and I have had issues moving big files from a PC formatted drive to a mac drive with out errors.

I am seriously considering bailing on the whole P2 thing all together.
It is clearly not a reliable solution.
We still have time to retool for XDCAM...

[ProfessorU]

Ok well then that's my move, either I find a used Dell or I buy a new one...
My only concern is battery life I want at least 4hrs.
You can get a dell with a second battery in the bay instead of an optical drive. Or you can just get a backup battery.

I customized a Dell Latitude D531 with everything I wanted and I manage 3-4 hours from each battery. I use it for everything: OnLocation as a monitor, dumping P2 footage, testing greenscreen lighting, and even quick edits in the field.

[Digijel]

Has anyone tried running Window XP on the MacBookPro via Parallels or Bootcamp to view the footage using the P2 Viewer?

---Eddie

[ProfessorU]

You'd still need a DuelAdapter. That seems like a lot of extra work!

[mojoprofilms]

Can't you just hook the camera up via Firewire and offload the P2 clips to the MBP or iMac that way?

[Daniel.Valle]

Can't you just plug a firewire cable from the camera to the macbook and dump the clips as you would in a pen drive?

(I'm still don't have the camera)

PS: Sorry, I said the same thing as the guy above.

[Shooter]

Another advantage to buying a Windows Laptop is DVRack (aka 'On Location')

Get a good laptop- you wont regret it.

Suggestion: Get an external H/ Drive (and format it for Mac ie FAT)

Now you are set to go.

(Sometimes its great to be a Windows guy)

[Barry_Green]

Can't you just hook the camera up via Firewire and offload the P2 clips to the MBP or iMac that way?
Yes you can.

[dantewaters]

Yea I have been doing that... Since I was told the duel systems is not dependable.

At 1st I thought Barry was ruling it out completely but he was simply saying if one does not have MBP that they should just get a cheap laptop just for dumping.

I know some dependable company is going to make a p2 reader just like the compact flash / SD Card readers.

[David Jimerson]

It is clearly not a reliable solution.

It may not be perfectly suited to your personal preferences, but I assure you, it's a supremely reliable solution.

(Ask, for example, the guys who shot the entire run of the Iditarod on 4 GB and 8 GB cards and never lost a single frame.)