My BIGGG BEEEF w/ the HVX

rgdfilms

rgdfilms

Wet poodle
Okay.. I don't know if you guys are experiencing this or not but I get weird dropouts whenever I do longform recording - recording that lasts over 40 minutes or close to it - Every so often I get those tiny digital blocks that will appear in a gridlike pattern across my frame - This happens ALOT more than any tape based system I've ever used - And you can't say its the camera or the p2 because I've seen it on several HVX cameras using several different P2 cards - Either the camera is flawed or I am crazy - I remember Jan and company promising no such thing before this camera was released and now I'm seeing it - It's not ALL the time but during a 2.5 hour long job, I'll see it popup maybe 2-4 times - they are quick and can be cut out since its only one frame but go*da*n is it annoying..
 
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I know I've had dropouts in the past but it was always the import into FCP that was doing it. If I had a dropout on a clip I'd look st the clip on the P2 card and see that everything was fine. So, I'd try again.
Since I've switched to P2 Genie and P2 log, I haven't had another dropout.
 
Thanks n8ture but how does p2 genie solve your problem exacty? You still have to import into FCP, no?

My method is to make DMG files off all my p2 dumps and then from that I import them into FCP -

thanks
 
I get them too. They don't happen all the time, but they do happen. Like n8ture, I've noticed that they happen mostly on import for me as well. When I check the clip on the HVX LCD, it looks fine.
 
Thanks Barry -

Damn - When the heck is FCP going to support native MXF support? I hate all this importing business nonsense - friggin Apple
 
rgdfilms said:
When the heck is FCP going to support native MXF support? I hate all this importing business nonsense - friggin Apple
Click to expand...

Preaching to the choir, my friend.

Heck, I'd settle for them just fixing the bug, for now. How hard can it be? Focus had the same problem with the first version of the FS-100 and they fixed it, so surely Apple could fix the bug they've got, right?

Second, I seriously don't get their reticence to include native MXF support. It just doesn't hold water. They say that it's quicktime and quicktime only. So, does that mean that I have to convert all my audio files to Quicktime AIFF audio before they can be used in FCP? FC Express can import WAV, AIFF, MPEG-4, and audio CD data files, so -- what's the problem with importing MXF?

What about still pictures -- do you have to convert all your still pictures to PICT format before you can use them in FCP? No, you can import PSD's and BMPs and GIFs and JPGs, PNGs and Targas and TIFFs...

In video they already support a few different formats, such as AVI, QT .MOV, and Flash. What's one more? They ALREADY support multiple file formats, just add this one! Sheesh.

I really don't get these restrictions on file formats at all. In Vegas or in EDIUS you can put a Quicktime movie on the timeline, and a video-for-windows AVI, and a Flash animation, and an MPEG file, and in Vegas you can even drop the .VOB files from a DVD straight onto the timeline. MPEG-2 HDV .m2t transport streams? No problem, just drop 'em on the timeline. Animated .GIF files? Sure, throw 'em on the timeline. Mix and match just about any frame rate, any frame size, interlaced or progressive, any file format, it doesn't matter -- you can put 'em all on the timeline.

So what is Apple's problem? Why can't they just get on the bandwagon and allow multiple file formats, which would solve all our HVX workflow issues... sigh.

Of course, now I'm starting to wonder if the FCP group is even who we should be griping to. Maybe it's the Quicktime developers who should be hearing our frustration, because as near as I can tell, if Quicktime supports it, FCP supports it. So if Quicktime develops native MXF playback support, MXFs would probably start working in FCP with perhaps little effort. Maybe.
 
Barry, what do you edit on?

What can us FCP users do to solve this problem? Do we need to sign a friggin petition? Call them? Send them letters?

I think if enough of us shouted, they would hear our pleas..

maybe....
 
I bought FCP/mac to use with the HVX, but I sold it when I moved across country. I do expect to get another one when they introduce a Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro.

Right now I mainly use EDIUS and Vegas/Raylight. EDIUS is sweet for its P2 integration, but it's not Vegas, much as I wish it was. So I hop between the two. I think FCP with native MXF support would probably be the ultimate. (actually, I think Vegas with native DVCPRO-HD/MXF support would be the ultimate, but that ain't gonna happen!)
 
I was moving, and then going to NZ for a month, and I expected Apple to introduce new desktops so I figured there was no reason to keep the G5 locked away on a moving truck and then sitting unused in my office for a month. Selling it and moving to a new system seemed like the only way to go.

I was really hoping Apple would introduce a Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro at the WWDC, I would have bought instantly. Mac Pro looks very nice but I don't really want/need another big desktop, I'm travelling so much I'd rather have an MBP but I don't want to settle for a Core Duo when the Core 2 Duo is already out.

Which raises a very interesting point -- now that Apple's using Intel processors, can they continue their glacial upgrade pace? I don't think they can sit on the same model for a year or two at a time anymore, or they'll find themselves having to answer questions about why Dell etc. are offering more powerful systems so often. When they were PowerPC/proprietary there was no direct comparison, but now I can look at Dell and see a Core 2 Duo, and the MBP is only a Core Duo, and ... well... let's see how they react.

I'm hoping for a Core 2 Duo laptop that adds the PCMCIA slot back in. Like how they took away the FW800 port on the MBP 15", but brought it back on the 17", maybe they'll see the error of their ways in having taken PCMCIA off the first-gen MBPs but they'll bring it back on a higher-end Core 2 Duo 2nd gen? There are Sony and Dell laptops offering both slots right now (ExpressCard and PCMCIA on the same laptop) so there's precedent from other manufacturers...
 
If you follow the P2 genie route, it seems to work just fine, but it is a pain. I haven't had a single drop out yet (insha-allah) and I've shot 14 hours so far. On the other hand, the import process is ridiculous, and kind of makes the p2 pointless, since you're waiting so long to import then convert. I too will replace this powerbook when a core2duo comes out.
 
rgdfilms,
What I used to do was to import from the P2 card into FCP using Import from P2 selection in the FCP menu. That's when I was getting dropouts.

Now using P2 Genie and P2 Log, I copy over my P2 cards with P2 Genie then use P2 Log to create the Quicktime files and XML list. Then I use that to import the files into FCP.

So far, I have yet to see a drop out versus allot of dropouts using the direct import from P2 option in FCP.

Does that kind of explain better what I was saying? Hope so, cause I haven't had my morning coffee yet and things are still a bit fuzzy. :)
 
What am I missing here? I thought that Apple was shipping MacBook Pros with Core Duo chips.

Are talking Meron versus Yonah?

Or is this something else.
 
David S. said:
What am I missing here? I thought that Apple was shipping MacBook Pros with Core Duo chips.

Are talking Meron versus Yonah?

Or is this something else.
Click to expand...

Core 2 Duo, a significant improvement over the Core Duo.
 
David S. said:
Ain't gonna happen.

Apple is committed to ExpressCard/34.
Click to expand...

That would be unfortunate, and a mistake on their part. Hopefully they will see the wisdom in allowing both -- I mean, what does it hurt them to offer both? Adding ExpressCard is fine, but there are an awful lot of PCMCIA cards out there (besides P2 cards!) and it can't cost much to support it. Hopefully they'll come out with a version that offers both. Probably wishful thinking, I know...
 
Barry, the sole reason we are staying away from the MacBookPro is the lack of p2 card capability.

We wish it weren't so. I BTO option for PC Card slot would be a great idea.
 
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