reasonable p2 card reader

P2 reader

P2 reader

The Apple G4 laptop works well for us on location. Usually we have it connected to power through a UPS, or if location power is not available we have a small Honda generator. We always download the P2 cards to 2 external HD's simultaneously using P2 Genie. On returning to the edit room one of the HD's can be connected directly to the Mac Pro tower and the data injested to FCP. Meanwhile the second HD is kept as a failsafe backup until the project is completed. This workflow is easy and has not caused any problems. On location there we always have a digital tech who's sole job is to keep track of exposed P2 cards and download the data returning the empty and reformatted cards to the camera assistant.
 
Hmmm.

Hmmm.

So if I get this straight, a P2 card plugs right into PCMCIA? Any software needed for file storage/transfer? Or can I leave the files as is (.mxf) and in turn transfer them to the mac via network?

BTW, almost fell for the grey market HVX200 deal, until he asked what lens I wanted to add. I am so ashamed of myself for even considering it.:undecided

Well, it's back to Top Ramen for the next few weeks.
 
Doc Bernard said:
So if I get this straight, a P2 card plugs right into PCMCIA?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Any software needed for file storage/transfer?
Click to expand...
You have to download and install the P2 drivers, and that's it. Optionally you can use a program like P2 Viewer, P2 CMS, or P2 Genie to assist with the offloading process.

[quoite] Or can I leave the files as is (.mxf) and in turn transfer them to the mac via network?[/quote]
Yes you can do that.
 
Many notebooks (Windows and Mac) have switched from PCMCIA slots to ExpressCard slots. If you get a newer notebook with an ExpressCard slot, you'll need an adapter which costs around $100.

Also consider using external hard drives with the notebook. Many external hard drives are bus powered, meaning that they get their power off the USB bus. In other words, there's no power cord for the external drive. There's also no drivers for the external drive. You just plug it into your laptop or desktop and copy files in the normal way.

If you transfer P2 files through the laptop to an external hard drive, you have the following advantages:
1) you don't need to set up a network with your laptop and your desktop
2) faster transfers (USB2 is at least 4x faster than 100BaseT Ethernet)
3) External drives generally hold more data than laptop internal hard drives
4) Bus powered external hard drives are generally small - pocket sized
5) You can get a 250GB drive for just under $150. If you get a few of these, you might be able to just leave the MXF files on the external drive as a backup, at least until the project is finished.
6) If multiple people are working on a project, these drives are an excellent way to swap P2 files
7) I've heard there is a way to transfer 1 P2 card to 2 external drives simultaneously for extra security/backup.

So maybe look on ebay for an older Windows laptop with a PCMCIA slot instead of an ExpressCard slot and then pickup 1 or more external hard drives, like this:
http://www.buy.com/prod/western-dig...-external-hard-drive/q/loc/101/204777423.html
 
You don't have to look for an "older" Windows laptop though, you can buy a brand-new one from several manufacturers. Lenovo, Sony, Dell, many manufacturers are making laptops with the P2 slots. Lenovo has some amazingly inexpensive laptops that have both the PCMCIA and ExpressCard slots.
 
I am new to P2 just bought 3 HVX200 cams and the HVX Bootcamp DVD's.
I also built a new Edius NX system and had one free pci slot so i went to my local computer stor and got a PCMCIA card to go in the free PCI slot, only cost £15

The PCMCIA card works fine but when i try to install the p2 drivers for it the p2 driver insulation freezes.:embarasse I have made shore that the p2 drivers are the latest ones.

Do all PCMCIA to PCI cards work with p2 ?? or is there a recommended list?
 
sarah staar said:
I am new to P2 just bought 3 HVX200 cams and the HVX Bootcamp DVD's.
I also built a new Edius NX system and had one free pci slot so i went to my local computer stor and got a PCMCIA card to go in the free PCI slot, only cost £15

The PCMCIA card works fine but when i try to install the p2 drivers for it the p2 driver insulation freezes.:embarasse I have made shore that the p2 drivers are the latest ones.

Do all PCMCIA to PCI cards work with p2 ?? or is there a recommended list?
Click to expand...
I don't know of any hardware compatibility issues with P2, but I do vaguely remember some problems with P2 driver installation. I remember having to try installing a few different ways to get it to work - something about the list of options during install made a difference.

Also, for convenience, you may want to get a front mounted PCMCIA slot, like this:
http://www.amtron.com/reader/p2card_reader.htm
You still need a PCI slot, but there are ribbon cables to get it to the front. You can also purchase these on ebay if that's easier for you.

Hope this helps,
Dave.
 
i have thought about the front mounted one but i want to make sure that it will work first.

i think i will try the old reader in another computer.
 
sarah staar said:
The PCMCIA card works fine but when i try to install the p2 drivers for it the p2 driver insulation freezes.:embarasse I have made shore that the p2 drivers are the latest ones.
Click to expand...
Do you have a multimedia card reader in your system for CompactFlash, SecureDigital or MemoryStick? If so, try physically unplugging it if it is an external one, or disable it using Device Manager.

If that turns out to be the problem, you can create a second hardware profile, one that includes the drivers for the device and one that does not, and then choose a profile at boot time.
 
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