VG20 - 2GB file size limit & audio

qazwsx

qazwsx

Well-known member
I noticed that the VG20 has to create a new clip every 2GB, and while the video seems to be cache/buffer recorded and stitches together seamlessly, the audio has a 12 frame dropout at the end of each clip.

I understand that 2GB is a restriction of the FAT file system of the SDHC card, but since the VG20 supports SDXC as well, does this mean that it will use the exFAT file system for those cards thus enabling the camera to record clips longer than 2GB?

Has anyone tried exFAT SDXC cards in their VG20?

Thanks.
 
I tried formatting an SDHC card to exFAT and while the camera recognizes it and writes to it, it still breaks clips at 2GB.

It seems the only solution is to import the footage using Sony's PMB utility. That extra step is kind of a bummer, but I suppose it's better than not being able to record long clips at all.
 
Using the PMB utility to dump the files from the card to a PC, the audio dropout is gone and the spanned files are stitched together.

With a good card reader, the entire process seems to only add about 30 seconds for every 16GB.
 
PMB stands for Picture Motion Browser. I think Sony has a new one, but I'm not sure what it's called.

Adobe Premiere Pro will import, stitch and restore the gap in the audio automatically upon import as long as all of the folders and files that were on the SD card are in tact from wherever you're importing from. Strangely enough though, Sony's own Vegas Pro won't do the same.
 
qazwsx said:
I noticed that the VG20 has to create a new clip every 2GB, and while the video seems to be cache/buffer recorded and stitches together seamlessly, the audio has a 12 frame dropout at the end of each clip.
Click to expand...

Are you using software to import the video from your VG20 ( or the memory card ) or are you manually copying and pasting the 2 GB files in to your editor's timeline ?

The reason I ask, is that when you use an import utility it will read the meta-data stored on the memory card and will automatically know how to re-assemble all of the 2 GB files in to one large video file with NO audio dropouts.

I edit with Sony Vegas Pro, which has a "Device Explorer" utility to import segmented video files to your computers hard drive and automatically restore the full video clip with NO audio dropouts.
 
At first I going from the card and transcoding the MTS files directly to cineform, but then I started transferring them using the Sony PMB utility and it stitched them together into m2ts files with no dropouts, and then transcoded those to cineform.

When I tried Device Explorer, it wouldn't detect the SD card or the camera when they were attached, just displayed "No Device Connected" (all of the meta data and folders in-tact). This is on Vegas Pro 9.0e. But if it works for you then there must be something wrong on my end. Maybe a re-install of Vegas is in order.
 
Have you tried using a SD card reader, and then pointing the Vegas "Device Explorer" at your SD card reader ? ( this works perfectly for me )

I now use the new ioGear USB 3 compact SD card reader, even when connecting to a USB 2.0 port. ( 34 MB/sec transfer speed with a USB 2.0 port )
 
Yeah, I tried multiple readers and when I would browse and choose it manually, the "OK" button would be greyed out so I couldn't click it. Same for when the camera was connected.

However, I just finished uninstalling and re-installing Vegas and now it does recognize the card, but still not the camera. Not really an issue though as I wouldn't use the camera for dumping anyway. Anyhow, after refreshing the install, it works perfectly! I think I will still continue to use the PMB for most instances as it's faster for my workflow (dumping footage on site) and because I am sill transcoding to cineform anyway.
 
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