Transferring MXF files from camera to external hard drive

[underseafan]

Still trying to figure out my HVX workflow... slowly, slowly.

Latest hiccup is when starting transfer of MXF files from the HVX200 to my LaCie 2TB hard drive. The LaCie has already been formatted to RAID5, and I've already tested transferring data to it from both my iMac and my PC laptop - no problem there. However, when I choose "copy to HDD" from the HVX menu, the menu reads back "HDD capacity full !" - which is strange because the LaCie is definitely empty. When I chose "property" from the menu, I get the name of my hard drive (LaCie Biggest) with a description of "size: -650.7GB" and "remain: -650.7GB". Hmmm.

I'm baffled. Anyone else come across this problem?

[R Gale]

If you're looking to do this at your computer /edit room, then put the HVX into Device mode and you should be able to transfer all you want, dragging and dropping the contents of your P2 cards on your desktop.
(unless there's some incompatibility with the LaCie I'm unaware of)

To use Copy to HDD, that's in Host mode, and a different story. You need to format your External Hard drive with the HVX200 first, but I wouldn't use that big RAID to dump P2 footage to in Host mode, because according to the manual (p.84-5), formatting the drive will only allow you to place 15 P2 cards on the drive, that's it.

When using your HVX in Host mode, it's really designed for transferring footage in the field. Think of your external drive as a less expensive version of the P2 store, which is only a 60 GB drive and can hold a max. of 15 4GB P2 cards.

Your higher capacity RAID should be used once you get the footage back to edit.

If you're wanting to do this on location, you can get a smaller, inexpensive 60-100GB drive to use as the cheapest way to unload footage in the field if you don't have a laptop. (I'm currently using a 100GB external firewire dirve, which does the job, but it's fragile and not built for location work. Also, it ties up the camera while offloading footage, about 7mins. for a 4GB card. Gotta get a MacBook Pro!) Important thing, also, is to remember to handle the ext. hard drive with extreme care.
Hope this helps.

[underseafan]

Thanks R Gale.
Very helpful.

[Barry_Green]

DO NOT try to transfer from the HVX, unless you don't want to use that drive for any other purpose! Using a LaCie 2TB hard drive as a direct offload drive from the HVX is a big mistake.

First, the HVX will format your drive, destroying all data and partitions on it.

Second, the HVX will only be able to use up to 60GB (if you are using 4GB cards) or 120GB (if using 8GB cards). So you'll be able to utilize less than 5% of the drive's capacity.

[erdiaz]

Yes !!!

Better to have a little tini portable USb-FireWire 2.5 100 GB HD with power supply

I have one, and works fine, I made it's battery power supply

[David Saraceno]

I have one, and works fine, I made it's battery power supply

Would you be willing to share with us how you made the battery power supply?

[Jeff Deveraux]

Would you be willing to share with us how you made the battery power supply?

I'm curious myself...

[underseafan]

OK, will definitely stay keep the HVX and the LaCie far apart from each other.

Does this scary scenario also apply to my laptop (ie: will the HVX destroy my laptops hard drive if I accidentally hit a wrong (button).

If I dump from the HVX to a smaller HDD, then connect that HDD to my laptop, will I still be able to us P2 Viewer? Or is the P2 Viewer only workable with the HVX directly?

[Dan Montgomery]

Either the Windows or Macintosh viewer should work with any recognizable P2 volume. Not limited to HVX directly.

[underseafan]

Thanks Dan.

By "P2 volume" do you mean something formatted by the HVX?

When I dump my P2 clips onto my laptop (or any HDD), in their original file structure, I can't get the P2 Viewer to see them. The Viewer only seems to want to look at P2 files still on the HVX. What am I doing wrong?