Copy P2 straight to HDD?

S

sodotoguwangus

Well-known member
The manual has me confused.

On page 84 it has a heading entitled copying P2 cards to the HDD. I thought that you couldn't copy directly to a HDD without a computer as a go-between. However, this page seems to imply that no computer is necessary.

Am I reading this wrong?
 
No you're not reading it wrong. The camera can copy the cards directly to a firewire hard disk.

It cannot record live footage directly to that disk, but if you've recorded your footage to the cards, you can use the camera to copy those cards over to the external hard disk.
 
Okay, final question. Make that two questions.

1. Is there any disadvantages to a fire-wire HDD

2. Can you reccomend any good ones?
 
Disadvantages? The disadvantage is that you have to stop shooting while you offload. If you don't mind doing that, there's no real disadvantages at all.

Any drive will work, but you want the fastest you can get (and don't bother with bus-powered drives since the HVX can't supply bus power anyway). And also it depends on the size of your cards -- if you're using 4GB cards, the biggest drive the HVX can use is 60gb. If you're using 8gb cards, it can use up to 120gb. Any capacity beyond that will just go unused.

Finally, do *not* use the drive for any other purpose. The HVX needs to format the drive to work with it, so if you want a drive to store documents or old footage on or whatever, this is not the workflow for you. Only use a drive that you've dedicated specifically for HVX offloads.
 
Thanks for all your help. Awesome.

All this makes me wonder: why would anybody buy a P2 store (60gb storage) when they could buy a fire-wire HDD with the more storage for a lot cheaper.

Oh, and one final question, I swear... How do you power a firewire HDD in the field without a laptop computer. Are they self-powered?
 
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Barry_Green said:
Disadvantages? The disadvantage is that you have to stop shooting while you offload. If you don't mind doing that, there's no real disadvantages at all.

Any drive will work, but you want the fastest you can get (and don't bother with bus-powered drives since the HVX can't supply bus power anyway). And also it depends on the size of your cards -- if you're using 4GB cards, the biggest drive the HVX can use is 60gb. If you're using 8gb cards, it can use up to 120gb. Any capacity beyond that will just go unused.

Finally, do *not* use the drive for any other purpose. The HVX needs to format the drive to work with it, so if you want a drive to store documents or old footage on or whatever, this is not the workflow for you. Only use a drive that you've dedicated specifically for HVX offloads.
Click to expand...

Well I'm glad I read that, because I didn't know anything about those HVX to HD limitations! From what I read previously about HVX host mode to HD xfer, I was planning to use my 1Tb drive sometimes for P2 direct xfers but now I see it would be useless as I also use this drive for storing my projects...... so I will always have to go through the powerbook/FCP to stream or P2 xfer from HVX.... so the powerbook comes on the small shoots too - damn!
I'm using two 4gig cards so I guess I'll get a small 60gig HD with selfpower to use for this purpose. But damn it wont work with my 1Tb drives - I have two seperate LaCie 1Tb drives and was planning to use them.
Thanks for the info though - glad I found it before my foreign assignment.
One thing I am having mega trouble finding in relation to HD xfers on shoots is: I'm travelling in S.Am in regions that use either 120Volt or 220Volt range systems and I've been trying very unsuccessfully for a long time to find one or two suitable Voltage regulators/conditioners that will protect my equipment and recordings(which aparently can suffer quality due to poor mains power/ voltage fluctuations+noise) for both of these voltage ranges... But no joy yet on lightweight systems for my travel requirements.
Thanks
 
I knew about the 60 gig format but what I cannot figure out....
I have a PB and have experimented with copying the entire P2 card to my drive. I make a new folder and copy the contents folder and lastclip.txt. Then I eject the P2 card. Start FCP and say import P2 but no matter what I navigate too I cannot import the clips?
So for now I just import P2 direct into FCP. Plus it is a pain to delete the P2 stuff once it is on your drive. Is there anyway to un-lock all of the clips and info at once??
 
sodotoguwangus said:
why would anybody buy a P2 store (60gb storage) when they could buy a fire-wire HDD with the more storage for a lot cheaper.
Click to expand...
In some situations the P2 store would be more convenient. For example, if you had two P2 cards, one card could be in the camera recording while the second card is being off-loaded to the P2 store. But if you use a Firewire hard drive hooked up to the camera, the camera has to be in "host mode," which means the camera section is off. (i.e. You would have to stop recording while off-loading.)

Actually, another question is -- Why would someone buy the P2 store when a whole laptop can be cheaper? (In this instance, the answer is -- Because the P2 store is smaller and easier to carry around.)
 
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HVXguy said:
I knew about the 60 gig format but what I cannot figure out....
I have a PB and have experimented with copying the entire P2 card to my drive. I make a new folder and copy the contents folder and lastclip.txt. Then I eject the P2 card. Start FCP and say import P2 but no matter what I navigate too I cannot import the clips?
So for now I just import P2 direct into FCP. Plus it is a pain to delete the P2 stuff once it is on your drive. Is there anyway to un-lock all of the clips and info at once??
Click to expand...

To force the trash to empty use the option key while emptying.
 
sodotoguwangus said:
All this makes me wonder: why would anybody buy a P2 store (60gb storage) when they could buy a fire-wire HDD with the more storage for a lot cheaper.
Click to expand...
Because the firewire drive makes you stop shooting and use the camera for offloading. The P2 Store does it automatically and doesn't make you stop shooting to do it. It's a different workflow.

Oh, and one final question, I swear... How do you power a firewire HDD in the field without a laptop computer. Are they self-powered?
Click to expand...
Welcome to our nightmare. So far we've only found one battery-powered firewire enclosure in existence, and it only lasts for about five cards' worth of transfer before the battery's dead.
 
Barry_Green said:
Disadvantages? The disadvantage is that you have to stop shooting while you offload. If you don't mind doing that, there's no real disadvantages at all.

Any drive will work, but you want the fastest you can get (and don't bother with bus-powered drives since the HVX can't supply bus power anyway). And also it depends on the size of your cards -- if you're using 4GB cards, the biggest drive the HVX can use is 60gb. If you're using 8gb cards, it can use up to 120gb. Any capacity beyond that will just go unused.

Finally, do *not* use the drive for any other purpose. The HVX needs to format the drive to work with it, so if you want a drive to store documents or old footage on or whatever, this is not the workflow for you. Only use a drive that you've dedicated specifically for HVX offloads.
Click to expand...

Can I assume this does not apply if I were dumping files from the P2Store to an HD via a laptop? If so, I should be able to dump as much info as the HD will allow, yes?
 
HVXguy said:
I knew about the 60 gig format but what I cannot figure out....
I have a PB and have experimented with copying the entire P2 card to my drive. I make a new folder and copy the contents folder and lastclip.txt. Then I eject the P2 card. Start FCP and say import P2 but no matter what I navigate too I cannot import the clips?
Click to expand...
Don't know what you're doing wrong, but this workflow definitely works. I do it all the time.

I usually make a directory called "Card 1" or "Card 2" or "Card 3" etc. Copy the contents folder and lastclip.txt into the card 1 directory. Go to FCP, file->import P2, and point it at "card 1", and the clips all show up...
 
Barry_Green said:
Welcome to our nightmare. So far we've only found one battery-powered firewire enclosure in existence, and it only lasts for about five cards' worth of transfer before the battery's dead.
Click to expand...


Is there a website where I can see this battery-powered enclosure?
 
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