small mxf file mystery

Shooter

Veteran
What are all the small mxf files that seemed to be created in my FS100 ? - shot DVCPro50

The clip files are obvious by their size but I see a bunch of small mxf files and usually they are repeated

eg

D:/HVX Clips/Converted
126348kb (obviously a clip and it decodes using DVCPro HD DEc and plays as one)
1285kb
1285kb
780kb
156788kb ( the next clip)
......


THe small files (between the large ones) do not convert to anything it seems and although DVCPRo says conversion complete, no clips appear in the target directory.
 
When I open the FS100 in Windows Explorer, the folder with the current date has all the mxf files displayed as an alpha numerical filename ( 123621351ae12.mxf). Each has a file size in kbs.
 
These are raw data files Focus formats on the drive. They aren't readable by anybody but Focus's OS at that point. When you run the "Organize P2" fuction, this data gets formated into standard MXF format, and moved to the CONTENTS folder. If you open your FS-100 and see files in that folder, I'm going to guess you didn't run the P2 Organize function.
 
You are correct. I did not run P2 organise function before looking at the drive with Windows Explorer. (I will do this now to see what happens)

Are you suggesting that on completion of a shoot, I should run the function as a standard procedure (everytime) before Down/Uploading or Encoding to NLE or another drive.?

What happens if I let P2 Genie do the Down/Upload?
 
I did the P2 Organise thing and it works fine.

The small mxf files get placed into other folders eg Audio.

It all makes sense to me now and explains why I could not view them after converting them to avis.
 
You can do an extra step with P2 Genie. Or avoid it with the new FCP 5.1.2 upgraded P2 Import window. But for fast off-loading of P2 cards really fast, P2 Genie is really great. Depends on your preferred workflow.

All that matters on the FS-100 is that you run the P2 Organize function before you EVER try to import into FCP. Run the disk reformat after that to clear the disk for new footage.

And remember that in the P2 world, there are only two thing you need. One is a folder called CONTENTS, and the other a file called LASTCLIP.TXT. That's all you need to archive. Keep them together in their own folder on your media drive.

Anything else on that FS-100 drive, ignore, it's none of your personal business, anyway. I

t's a "Firestore" thing, you wouldn't understand...

Unless I'm missing the point, best of luck!

Sorry to rant, I just do that unknowingly sometimes.
 
Last edited:
For P2 Genie (win) to work with the firestore, you need to run the "organize P2" operation first. Otherwise it wont get detected.

Personally I don't use P2 Genie to empty the firestore , as I tend to use P2 cards and the Firestore very differently.
The P2 cards I offload in the field, the Firestore I offload when I get back home.
As it's just two files you need to backup, I find that just using the windows explorer or the Finder is easier.

Hmmm, that's not gonna help me sell my own product...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top