download P2 card

Looks interesting - let us know if it works. Also, how do you plan to mount it in your CPU (and are you using a Mac or Windows machine)?
 
srucci said:
Oops, forgot the link. P2 reader for desktop:

http://www.amtron.com/reader/pciecb110.htm
Click to expand...

Don't forget the SCPCI-P2. It's been optimized for P2 cards. And if you need support, you know where to find us. ;)

http://www.spec-comm.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=135

Best,
Jasmine Moore
Administrative Assistant
Specialized Communications Corp.
20940 Twin Springs Dr.
Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510 USA
800-359-1858 (US)
301-790-0103
Fax: 301-790-0173
jasminem@spec-comm.com
www.spec-comm.com
 
Just installed the Amtron reader. Did not come with instructions and was a little tricky to install, but seems to be working (I had to manually install the driver twice from device manager and then experienced several blue screen crashes. But upon repeated attempts, it seems to be OK now).

Ran a test. Transferred 18.9GB of footage from card to system. Using the card reader this took 12 min 5 sec. 26MB/sec. Using the camera connected via usb it took 17 min 33 sec. 18MB/sec. I was expecting a bigger difference in speed, but it's worth it to not have to tie up the camera offloading footaqe.

The card was only $50 so if it continues to work well, it will have been a great deal.

I am on a Windows machine, not sure what the Mac support situation is. I am getting ready to install a Windows 7 boot disc, so we'll see if there are any problems with that. Amtron lists W7 32 and 64 as compatible.

Core Microsystems PC
Axio LE
Dual quad core Xeon
20GB RAM
NVidia GEForce 8800
Win Vista Ultimate 64bit SP2
Adobe Creative Suite CS4 4.2 (Premiere version 4.2.1)
Matrox Utilties 4.2.0.133
All drivers up to date, all windows updates installed

Panasonic HPX500, 64 and 32GB E series P2 cards.
 
Hi TVTerry I use the USB download in final cut log and transfer on my HPX-301 to a mac all the time, it will also dump and verify the P2 card data to a USB hard drive.

Is this what you mean?
 
Jury is still out but I'm having problems. When it works it works fine but the system keeps losing the driver. You get it installed and it works then next time you use it, there's no driver. I've yet to troubleshoot to try and figure out when and why this happens. But the company's support contacted me about another user with the same issue. If/when I come to any conclusions, I'll post it here.
 
Hi Gary, Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm trying to figure out how to log and transfer (or dump footage) straight from the camera but I can't find out how in the manual. I've been putting the P2 card in my old G4 powerbook with the PCMCIA slot and dumping to a drive that way....which works fine, but I'd like to be able to skip that step.
Thanks for helping a newbie out!
 
HI TV terry I have an old G4 too and use it to dump to firewire drives or I use usb drives direct from the camera which clones and verifies the P2 card.

There are two different USB connectors on the camera and the one for use direct with USB drives is the oblong one, you also need to set the camera USB menu to HOST.

The other square USB connector on the camera is the one you need if you are connecting to a computer and you then need to also set the USB menu to DEVICE.

You can then use log and transfer to files from the P2 card into FCP and if you have FCP v7 you can re-wrap the AVC intra files into movies and this option is very quick.

I personally tend to use two modes of operation with USB cloning as my safety mode for high end jobs so I end up with a verified clone of the P2 cards on the USB drives via HOST mode and then import to FCP from these. I also have the G4 as a back-up copy station on location if I need to keep shooting and clear the cards but with 4X32gb A ser cards I have never used it yet.

I also use the DEVICE mode direct into FCP for quick turn around jobs and import and re-wrap the files direct into FCP.
 
srucci said:
Jury is still out but I'm having problems. When it works it works fine but the system keeps losing the driver. You get it installed and it works then next time you use it, there's no driver. I've yet to troubleshoot to try and figure out when and why this happens. But the company's support contacted me about another user with the same issue. If/when I come to any conclusions, I'll post it here.
Click to expand...
srucci,

Any update on your P2 reader??
 
It's not working and I got bogged down in work and haven't looked at it recently.

After initial installation, it worked, but after the next time I went to use it the driver was unrecognized. I think the only solution would be to reinstall the drivers (not difficult, but a 2 step process which is not at all obvious) which I haven't done yet. But to have to install the thing everytime I use it is crazy.

It also is prone to crashing the machine, sometimes but not always when a card is inserted.

Per tech support at amtron, there is at least one other customer with the same problem.

I'd love to find one of these things that actually works.
 
I find that I have to reboot each time I change a card, at least I don't have to reload the drivers, and I haven't had the machine crash, I'm running XP PRO SP3.
 
I'll give it a try when I can, maybe rebooting between would work. Still pretty stupid to have to do. I'm Vista64, maybe that has something to do with it. On the verge of installing Win7, who knows how that will be.
 
I agree, would have thought that it would simply be a matter of changing cards or inserting a card whenever one wanted to, maybe it's or expectations from the days of tape(lol!!!)
 
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