P2 Viewer for Mac: P2 Log Pro

K

Kholi

Section Moderator
Hope this isn't a repost. if it is, sorry!

But damn, it's about time Mac users get an MXF Viewer!!! http://www.imagineproducts.com/

Although ya gotta pay for it. Hopefully Pana will give all o'us Mac users a free p2 viewer like they dun gone and did for the Windows based people. Ayup.
 
I have had two different folks at Panny say the same thing to me, "You'll NEVER see anyone at Panasonic writting Mac software!" Panny for some reason refuses to get involved with Macs, they leave it all up to Apple the third parties.
 
BenB said:
Panny for some reason refuses to get involved with Macs, they leave it all up to Apple the third parties.
Click to expand...

Which drives me batty in some respects because it appears from all accounts that the heavy percentage of HVX200 users are Mac based.

p2 Store has no FW transfer ports
Defaults to PC
No firmware updates for p2 cards on Mac
No bundled Mac p2 viewer.

Wish it were different.
 
Last edited:
That's how fickle industry partnerships are. Apple doesn't get along with Sony's computing and entertainment departments yet they promoted Sony Ericsson phones and the first prosumer Sony HD cameras. That promotion was enough to annoy Panasonic not to write Mac software. At least indie developers have an opportunity to make some money here.
 
Thing I don't understand about Imagine Products and the P2 Log stuff is this:
1- No upgrade path from P2 Log to P2 Log Pro, and the ONLY diff is P2 file repair.
2- The ONLY reason to get HD Log is to do QuickTime chapter markers, and you lose functions in P2 Log Pro. Again, no upgrde path from P2 Log or P2 Log Pro to HD Log. So they get you by making you buy TWO products to get the total functionality, P2 Log Pro and HD Log. Cause HD Log can't do everything P2 Log can, and in the chart, the only thing HD Log does is diff is QuickTime chapter markers. Just doesn't make sense to me.

So, if you have P2 Log already, you can get P2 Log Pro, but you'd have dished out $350 for it! That's about the most lame upgrade path I've ever seen. And the side by side feature set, well, I just don't see the logic. Shame for such nice software to be marketed in such an illogical manner.

That said, look at the comparison charge for HD Log. Now THAT looks more like a reasonalbe line of product features. The more you pay, the more you get, without losing anything.

Comparing P2 Log, P2 Log Pro, and HD Log, it's not the same. You can pay more, get "different" features, meaning you lose features in the cheaper versions. Just doesn't make any logical sense to me.

IF there were an upgrade path, and if HD Log kept all the features of P2 Log Pro, I'd be on an upgrade path over the next few months. I'll stick with P2 Log. All I ever use it for is to get the clips FCP "claims" are corrupt. And even then it won't get them all, and I have to go to a PC. I'd love to see an independent test to see if the repair function in P2 Log Pro will fix the Mac problems. I already spent money on P2 Log, I'm not dishing out another $200 for an experiment on software that, in my personal experience, is no more reliable than FCP's P2 Import.
 
Last edited:
So, in your oppinion BenB, which might be the most trustworthy software out there -at this moment- for the most efficient workflow? For users with a macbook pro, P2 store and FCP 5.1.2. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
I'd say P2 Genie for sure, and if you are paranoid, P2 Log. Maybe the P2 Log Pro cause it has a repair feature, but I haven't heard any feedback as to how well it works. Imagine's web site is not the most informative, IMHO.

Some folks swear they get 100% good imports with FCP 5.1.1. I had problems with 5.1.1 and went to 5.1.2 hoping they were fixed, but they're not.

Again, my strong suspicion is that OS X causes good P2 data to read as corrupt, when it's actually not. Thus, we Mac users have to jump through hoops, switch between various apps, just to get all our footage.

Personally, my FS-100 is set to QuickTime mode permanently. Why not QuickTime Native? Cause I do a lot of Alternative Frame Rates and Time Lapse, which is not suppored in QT Native mode on the FS-100 (at this time). I lose clip spanning, which the FS doesn't support (at this time), but at least I don't have to rely on Apple's blunder for my footage.
 
We've tried our best to produce cost effective solutions for Mac users of the P2 format. We stepped up to the plate when no one else did, and in the process, showed Apple how to do the nifty 'quick view' of P2 clips.

I saw no need to post our upgrade information in this forum as all users were contacted directly and the information is on our Update page. (BTW Ben, your email still blocks any messages from Imagine.)

1. All P2Log customers that paid $199 for the product got the P2 Log Pro upgrade for --FREE--.
2. Anyone that paid the introductory price or 2nd copy price of $99 can upgrade until end of Feb for just $30. (Since this is a terrific deal, it will not be extended.)
3. Since the introduction of P2 Log back in May, we have always given 100% credit of your purchase price towards any version of HD Log. All you have to do is ask.
4. We felt it was important to roll out P2 Log Pro as soon as it was complete because of the great need for MXF repair tools, and to give Avid and other NLE users a P2 compatible tool. The other cool features for printing, searching, and combining clips are not insignificant either.

All of the Pro features will be in the next version of HD Log due out this month including some additional P2 specific functions. One is the upper end version will sport direct Quantum SDLT600A interfacing for archiving. Imagine is signed up as a reseller for Quantum products too, so customers will be able to 'one stop shop'.

I thought the purpose of this forum was to help each other?
 
Dan-
Thanks for the information. I have been looking at your products, and they look very promising. But, like ben, I'd like to know if the clip repair function is a solution for the current Apple problems people have been having. If so, I'm all over it. If that can't be confirmed, it's gonna be a tough sell ... for me, at least.
 
Dan, great to have you guys coming up with the Mac support Panasonic is not giving. A quick question: Can p2log wrap a Quicktime file back to mxf?
 
Dan, not sure what the email block is your talking about. No one else is having any trouble sending me email. I'll PM you the correct address. I suspect you have a bad address for me.
 
senomar said:
Dan-
Thanks for the information. I have been looking at your products, and they look very promising. But, like ben, I'd like to know if the clip repair function is a solution for the current Apple problems people have been having. If so, I'm all over it. If that can't be confirmed, it's gonna be a tough sell ... for me, at least.
Click to expand...
All I can say is try the demo. It will repair one MXF file. Basically, P2 Log Pro can recreate a new CONTENTS folder from just MXFs. If there are any XML files it will use it and repair it, if none exist it will make a new XML file itself. If audio files exist it will auto link those to the video MXF.

It is best if you know the format of the MXF files, otherwise choose 60 as it opens most formats.

P2Log Pro also creates a 'lastclip.txt' file and overwrites any existing one with corrected information. It does not grab new bitmaps however, so the thumbs will be missing on any reconstructed files.

P2Log Pro does not "fix" damaged MXF files per se. So if you corrupted the file, turned of the computer in mid save, etc. you likely will not be able to correct it with this tool. We have helped a few people get files like these re-opened with some other magic/assistance and are happy to help you if we can provided you're a paying customer.
 
Maybe I downloaded the wrong demo, but I couldn't get it to do anything. I lost just the "CLIP" folder and everything else was there, but I didn't seem to get it to open anything, did I get the wrong version or something?
 
Dan, I would love to see the same repair functionality on the PC. I was given some media that was missing the audio and xmls. It would be great to reconstruct a correct CONTENTS directory with MOS video.

Any plans for a PC product?

George
 
Dan, I just tried your demo of P2 Log Pro and it said it would repair the clip, said it did and created a new p2 volume. Opened in FCP and it found the volume, but wouldn't open the clip, said it was corrupt or something. I know the clip is not because I opened in up on a PC in Avid. Any Ideas?
 
That's the OS X P2 bug again. Fill out the FCP Feedback page and let Apple know! OS X/FCP claim clips are corrupt when they really aren't.
 
AHHH this sucks! I even tried to rebuild the xml file in the clips folder by editing the info and when I opened up FCP and went to import p2 it actually saw the clip for the xml I edited (except no thumbnail) but when I tried to import it did nothing, no errors, no nothing. I hate to edit part of this stuff on a pc in avid but I'm running out of options with these clips. I have a feeling there is no way possible for any app to rebuild the clips folder so I can import these files. Damn! This sucks. Is there anyway to export a quicktime from Avid that will retain the HD video and import into FCP. I'm starting not to like P2. AHHH I'm pulling out what hair I have left!:crybaby: :crybaby: :crybaby:
 
So, why not just capture it live in FCP with Log & Capture rather than waste time trying to import it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top