P2 Workflow

Sherman

Well-known member
When I was using my two 16 GB P2 cards, I would often transfer the files to an external HDD and then ingest to my on editing HDD when I returned to the editing suite.
Now I have two 64 GB cards. And for a lot of shoots there's enough room that I don't have to do that.
Question is, can I go directly from the camera (HPX 170) to my editing machine HDD?
I seem to recall this was problematic.

'q
 
can I go directly from the camera (HPX 170) to my editing machine HDD?

the answer is probably - YES. but before i go into detail. what software are you using?
 
You can import the files straight off of your HPX, however some NLE's (Final Cut Pro) will make you "log and transfer" the footage which rewraps it in a quicktime file instead of the XML files stored on the P2 cards. Yes you can plug the camera straight into the computer, the only question you have to answer is whether or not your NLE can edit the XML files natively, or if you will need to "rewrap" the footage to a native format for the NLE.
 
whatever you use. i wouldnt do ANYTHING that didnt leave me the full P2 card on a drive - SOMEWHERE.
i ALWAYS transfer my cards to a drive, before introducing them to my NLE.

same way i wouldnt selectively capture/edit from a tape in my camera then throw the tape away
 
That's my original workflow.

Transfer to an external drive first, my backup.

BUT, the last clip will not go from the P2 card (via PCM-CIA slot on laptop) to the external HDD connected to laptop, backup destination.

When opening the laptop file the audio file is NOT there!

Yesterday when beginning the transfer from P2 to HDD a time bar appeared showing 81 minutes. But the transfer carried on for at least two hours and the time bar was gone.
Also it seemed to be hung on one file for quite a long time.

I see when beginning the transfer today NO time bar appears.

This is all pretty weird.

My next communication is to the retailer and then Panasonic.
This should no be, right?
 
Last edited:
That's my original workflow.

Transfer to an external drive first, my backup.

BUT, the last clip will not go from the P2 card (via PCM-CIA slot on laptop) to the external HDD connected to laptop, backup destination.

When opening the laptop file the audio file is NOT there!

Yesterday when beginning the transfer from P2 to HDD a time bar appeared showing 81 minutes. But the transfer carried on for at least two hours and the time bar was gone.
Also it seemed to be hung on one file for quite a long time.

I see when beginning the transfer today NO time bar appears.

This is all pretty weird.

My next communication is to the retailer and then Panasonic.
This should no be, right?

You should be using P2 Viewer to transfer your clips. You set up a virtual card on your editing machine's HDD and then transfer the clips from the card into it. No muss, no fuss, nothing missed, and spanned clips are stitched together.
 
Downloaded ShotPut Pro and Bob's your uncle.
Thanks Steve.
I've been trying to figure out P2 Viewer since I bought the camera a couple of years ago.
Beyond me.
ShotPut is more intuitive.
Sorry about the price, but it's either a hundred bucks for the ShotPut or a toupe as I've been tearing my hair out.
Still wonder why this was never an issue with my 16 GB cards.
 
I may give P2 Viewer another shot as it is free.
Another thing. The project I am currently editing runs over an hour.
I shot non-stop for the first 1:10:00, but the footage is broken up into segments that are about 5 minutes each.
One think I am thankful for is that the segments are at least in sequential order.
Was having trouble with that with projects containing short clips.
A tad maddening trying to get shots in order on the timeline.
 
Hey now, P2 fans, ShotPut Pro's hung up.
Hour and a half so far to transfer about 20 minutes of footage.
We were down to one minute left not we're back to twelve minutes.

Now back to that free P2 Management Viewer I download a couple of years ago and never used 'cause I couldn't figure it out.
Anyone know of a walk through tutorial that is easy to understand?
One where the presenter talks real slow like?

Used two 16 GB cards for more that two years, with no problem.
Snag "contents" and "last clip", drag to an external HDD in the field.
Then dump it on my editing machine back at the office.
Never an issue, not once.

No P2 Viewer, no ShotPut, just an external HDD, P2 Driver and a laptop.
Then I aquire two 64GB P2 cards,----and this.
Should it be this way?
Just thinking out loud, and writing.
Thanks for reading.
I'm going for a walk down to the bridge now.
Bye
 
This one is WD Scorpio Blue 320 GB, in a NexStar enclosure, bu Vantec. Used it many times before to dump from P2 cards.
Don't know from fat or skinny. Looks sleek to me. 2.5".
Sorry background is journalist, announcer, not a techie, though at times like this I wish I were!
 
i have found several mass-consumer brand enclosures (lacie, maxtor and western digital) and cheap branded stuff like you get at frys, (vantec being one) often have sub-par interfaces and can lead to data problems.

i stay with tried and true media-focused brands like owc, promax, glyph, caldigit and iomega
 
Last edited:
Back
Top