Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? at DVinfo.net

Ray Paula · August 24th, 2015, 06:16 AM

Hi,
I'd like to backup my x70 video off my 64g SDXC cards on a couple of external hard drives at the end of the day. I believe all I would need to do is open the SDXC card from my SDXC card reader and open the Private-XDROOT-Clip folders and drag and drop the clips from there. In addition, I see there is a MXF file and a MO1 document for each clip. I don't understand what the MO1 doc is for? Would I need to download both? I'd like to know the proper process without losing any video. Also, I haven't installed Catalyst Browse yet due to moving up to an iMac in the very near future. Any help/information would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks, Ray

John Mitchell · August 24th, 2015, 09:37 PM

As a rule of thumb always copy the entire file structure - generally under the "PRIVATE" directory on a Sony camera. Many NLE's use the metadata in this file structure to correctly interpret clips, concatenate long files etc (although that is not necessary in XAVC). It's also easier than drilling down into sub folders.

Ray Paula · August 25th, 2015, 05:19 AM

Thanks for the reply.... Are you basically saying to copy all the Private sub folders? I'm shooting in both XAVC and 4K. Thanks again, Ray

Jeff Harper · August 25th, 2015, 05:23 AM

I edit with Vegas, so I find it unnecessary to copy anything other than the clips themselves. I rename the clips, then drag and drop into a folder onto two hard drives for backup. You are talking Apple, so what Ray has told you is correct.

Roland Achini · August 25th, 2015, 06:21 AM

I edit with Avid Media Composer 8.4 and proceed the same way as Jeff does (copy Clips only).

John Mitchell · August 25th, 2015, 08:41 AM

I too edit with AMC and AMA relies on structure with many camera card formats. It may "work" but will it continue to work with future versions? What have you gained by only copying the clip folder? Probably less than a megabyte.
Other formats like XDCAM rely on that file structure. Eg if you don't copy the entire BPAV folder you cannot link correctly in AMC.
The point is don't get into bad habits. The surrounding file structure takes up very little space and contains important metadata.
It also has no bearing whether you are on a PC or Mac. Yes copy everything under the PRIVATE directory.

Jeff Harper · August 25th, 2015, 09:09 AM

John, I edit a wedding, and delete all files after two weeks and have been doing so for years. For some theorectical future use the file structure could be necessary, but I am dealing in the here and now.

Besides, I rename all clips on the card before transferring to my hard drive, so the metadata would likely be useless anyway. I do this because when I'm dealing with four cameras the logical thing is to rename the clips on the card to avoid confusion with other cams, it's just a logical workflow for me.

For Sony to begin requiring the metadata so one can edit it would truly be a sad day. Vegas may not be a perfect program, but for ease of use and simplicity it still delivers for me.

Roland Achini · August 25th, 2015, 09:20 AM

I never rename clips on the card but transfer them into a temporary folder on the PC and rename them there. I hesitate to edit my card using my PC.

Jeff Harper · August 25th, 2015, 09:48 AM

It's interesting how we all have our own way of doing things, our own ideas?

Roland, I have been renaming on the card since my first Panasonic GH1 probably fifty or a hundred weddings ago. It never occurred to me that it could cause a problem.

But I definitely see your point, but knock on wood so far I've had no issues. Now you've got me paranoid! :-)

Ray Paula · August 25th, 2015, 12:07 PM

I'm assuming to be safe..... I should download all my sub folders from the Private one. My habit for renaming clips has always been downloading them to a couple hard drives. May be overboard, but I feel safe not corrupting anything.

John Mitchell · August 25th, 2015, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

John, I edit a wedding, and delete all files after two weeks and have been doing so for years. For some theorectical future use the file structure could be necessary, but I am dealing in the here and now.

Well you're lucky - I have to keep media for years in case clients want changes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

Besides, I rename all clips on the card before transferring to my hard drive, so the metadata would likely be useless anyway. I do this because when I'm dealing with four cameras the logical thing is to rename the clips on the card to avoid confusion with other cams, it's just a logical workflow for me.

All good Jeff and from the sounds of it your method works for you. However I was pointing out to the OP what a standard industry workflow is. If you own any of the Sony cameras that split files into 2GB chunks (Any of the EX series cameras, XDCAM HD cameras and a bunch of others including the JVC HM700) then the files will not automatically be joined into a single master clip if you don't retain the file structure. Plus you'd have to drill down into multiple sub directories just to access the individual clips which just doesn't make sense when most NLE's can read all the clips from the master BPAV folder.

You may also be missing out on important metadata like colorspace settings etc.

If you go on the Avid forums you'll see thousands of posts of people who've had big problems AMA linking after receiving renamed files or incomplete file structures - which is another reason I advise against it.

I too deal with 4 cameras all the time and my method is to put the cameras into different named folders. If I want to rename actual clips I can do that inside Premiere or Avid but I find it unnecessary in a multicam environment. That's just me of course. YMMV.

Terry Wall · November 15th, 2015, 04:12 PM

I just noticed this thread as I had my first experience in my clips being divvied up into 2GB chunks. I bought my X70 a couple of months ago and up until now had been shooting short segments that didn't hit the 2GB threshold. I called up Premiere Pro and placed two of these clips on a time line and at the break, the video seems OK, but there is an audible drop in the audio between them. It recovers quickly but it's still noticeable. What is the fix for this? There's gotta be a way to splice them. BTW, I'm using Premiere CC 2015.

Thanks in advance! I love this camera and would hate the notion that I made a bad purchase if I want to shoot long programs! Even my ("trusty old") GH2 will shoot as long as I have battery and media! P.S. If there is another thread that addresses this, please point me there.

John Mitchell · November 15th, 2015, 05:43 PM

Shoot in XAVC and the camera doesn't split it into 2GB chunks. You'll need a minimum of SDXC card to do that and a decent speed card. It is much better quality than the AVCHD video. A word of warning though - do not run out of battery in this mode. The file won't close properly and you're in for a massive headache.

With AVCHD if you keep your folder structure intact Premiere should read it as a single file not multiple chunks as soon as you access the AVCHD folder.

Terry Wall · November 15th, 2015, 09:28 PM

Hi, John! Unfortunately, I kept the files together when I imported them, but alas, they were broken up into "bite sized" chunks. Even with Premiere. I've surfed around and see that Sony might have software that keeps the clips from breaking up, when being imported onto a computer. Any feedback on that? Something called "PlayMemories?"

Thanks again!

John Mitchell · November 15th, 2015, 10:16 PM

What version of PP are you using? I don't use AVCHD on my X70 but from my FS700, PPCC seems to keep the files together for me provided I keep my AVCHD folder structure intact.

Your only other option may be to export a file from Catalyst Browse or the old Sony Content Browser if that doesn't work..

August 24th, 2015, 06:16 AM	#1
Ray Paula Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 132	Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? Hi, I'd like to backup my x70 video off my 64g SDXC cards on a couple of external hard drives at the end of the day. I believe all I would need to do is open the SDXC card from my SDXC card reader and open the Private-XDROOT-Clip folders and drag and drop the clips from there. In addition, I see there is a MXF file and a MO1 document for each clip. I don't understand what the MO1 doc is for? Would I need to download both? I'd like to know the proper process without losing any video. Also, I haven't installed Catalyst Browse yet due to moving up to an iMac in the very near future. Any help/information would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks, Ray

August 24th, 2015, 09:37 PM	#2
John Mitchell Contributor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 873	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? As a rule of thumb always copy the entire file structure - generally under the "PRIVATE" directory on a Sony camera. Many NLE's use the metadata in this file structure to correctly interpret clips, concatenate long files etc (although that is not necessary in XAVC). It's also easier than drilling down into sub folders.

August 25th, 2015, 05:19 AM	#3
Ray Paula Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 132	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? Thanks for the reply.... Are you basically saying to copy all the Private sub folders? I'm shooting in both XAVC and 4K. Thanks again, Ray

August 25th, 2015, 05:23 AM	#4
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? I edit with Vegas, so I find it unnecessary to copy anything other than the clips themselves. I rename the clips, then drag and drop into a folder onto two hard drives for backup. You are talking Apple, so what Ray has told you is correct. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

August 25th, 2015, 06:21 AM	#5
Roland Achini Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Therwil, Switzerland Posts: 45	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? I edit with Avid Media Composer 8.4 and proceed the same way as Jeff does (copy Clips only).

August 25th, 2015, 08:41 AM	#6
John Mitchell Contributor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 873	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? I too edit with AMC and AMA relies on structure with many camera card formats. It may "work" but will it continue to work with future versions? What have you gained by only copying the clip folder? Probably less than a megabyte. Other formats like XDCAM rely on that file structure. Eg if you don't copy the entire BPAV folder you cannot link correctly in AMC. The point is don't get into bad habits. The surrounding file structure takes up very little space and contains important metadata. It also has no bearing whether you are on a PC or Mac. Yes copy everything under the PRIVATE directory.

August 25th, 2015, 09:09 AM	#7
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? John, I edit a wedding, and delete all files after two weeks and have been doing so for years. For some theorectical future use the file structure could be necessary, but I am dealing in the here and now. Besides, I rename all clips on the card before transferring to my hard drive, so the metadata would likely be useless anyway. I do this because when I'm dealing with four cameras the logical thing is to rename the clips on the card to avoid confusion with other cams, it's just a logical workflow for me. For Sony to begin requiring the metadata so one can edit it would truly be a sad day. Vegas may not be a perfect program, but for ease of use and simplicity it still delivers for me. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

August 25th, 2015, 09:20 AM	#8
Roland Achini Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Therwil, Switzerland Posts: 45	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? I never rename clips on the card but transfer them into a temporary folder on the PC and rename them there. I hesitate to edit my card using my PC.

August 25th, 2015, 09:48 AM	#9
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? It's interesting how we all have our own way of doing things, our own ideas? Roland, I have been renaming on the card since my first Panasonic GH1 probably fifty or a hundred weddings ago. It never occurred to me that it could cause a problem. But I definitely see your point, but knock on wood so far I've had no issues. Now you've got me paranoid! :-) __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

August 25th, 2015, 12:07 PM	#10
Ray Paula Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 132	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? I'm assuming to be safe..... I should download all my sub folders from the Private one. My habit for renaming clips has always been downloading them to a couple hard drives. May be overboard, but I feel safe not corrupting anything.

November 15th, 2015, 04:12 PM	#12
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? I just noticed this thread as I had my first experience in my clips being divvied up into 2GB chunks. I bought my X70 a couple of months ago and up until now had been shooting short segments that didn't hit the 2GB threshold. I called up Premiere Pro and placed two of these clips on a time line and at the break, the video seems OK, but there is an audible drop in the audio between them. It recovers quickly but it's still noticeable. What is the fix for this? There's gotta be a way to splice them. BTW, I'm using Premiere CC 2015. Thanks in advance! I love this camera and would hate the notion that I made a bad purchase if I want to shoot long programs! Even my ("trusty old") GH2 will shoot as long as I have battery and media! P.S. If there is another thread that addresses this, please point me there. __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff! Last edited by Terry Wall; November 15th, 2015 at 04:13 PM. Reason: Added more copy

November 15th, 2015, 05:43 PM	#13
John Mitchell Contributor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 873	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? Shoot in XAVC and the camera doesn't split it into 2GB chunks. You'll need a minimum of SDXC card to do that and a decent speed card. It is much better quality than the AVCHD video. A word of warning though - do not run out of battery in this mode. The file won't close properly and you're in for a massive headache. With AVCHD if you keep your folder structure intact Premiere should read it as a single file not multiple chunks as soon as you access the AVCHD folder.

November 15th, 2015, 09:28 PM	#14
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? Hi, John! Unfortunately, I kept the files together when I imported them, but alas, they were broken up into "bite sized" chunks. Even with Premiere. I've surfed around and see that Sony might have software that keeps the clips from breaking up, when being imported onto a computer. Any feedback on that? Something called "PlayMemories?" Thanks again! __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

November 15th, 2015, 10:16 PM	#15
John Mitchell Contributor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 873	Re: Anyone Transfer X70 Clips to External HD? What version of PP are you using? I don't use AVCHD on my X70 but from my FS700, PPCC seems to keep the files together for me provided I keep my AVCHD folder structure intact. Your only other option may be to export a file from Catalyst Browse or the old Sony Content Browser if that doesn't work..