U1 as Backup drive
 

I am not sure if everybody knows this already.

The newest driver of the U1 allows the newest XDCAM CLIP BROWSER SOFTWARE (EX1) to switch into "USERDATA" Mode (a new folder on the disk) and backup up to 23 GB (50GB) of ANY data written to the disk.

I had a try yesterday - that rocks!

Uli

Do you know if this driver allows for backing up ANY data to the U1? Sony had mentioned this as a possibility, but it was so long ago I gave up on the drive.

That's what Uli said, ANY data. And he is quite correct any type of data, video of any format, documents, still anything you want.

There's a folder called userdata on the disk and you just drag and drop whatever you want into it. Works like a treat.

So to create that folder, you just install the latest U1 driver and the latest XDCAM CLIP BROWSER SOFTWARE (EX1), and then after that you don't need to do anything with that software, since you're just gonna drag and drop files to the created folder, and just launching that software for each writable Professional Disc will create that folder, correct?

Sounds cool!

Install the FAM drivers and U1 2.2.1 utility software. Use that to update the u1 firmware if needed. Userdata folder is created on all disks automatically . EX clip browser is not needed in the mix if you just want to copy data.

works like a charme - just takes some time (U1 is writing not THAT fast).

Uli

It would be nice if the clip browser recognised EX footage copied to this new folder so you could use the U1 as an EX backup device without any conversion of the clips :) Alister mentioned converting the EX clips to 422 format and writing in the normal way but I've not tried that route yet.

Paul, It alreay does.

You can use both Clip Browswer and XDCAM Transfer to view/import native EX files that have been stored in in the UserData section of an optical disc. I'm already using optical to archive my native EX files, and I can view them at anytime without moving them off the disc.

Clip Browser:
With Clip Browser you have to go to the preferences, choose the General Tab, and click the "UserData" radio button. Clip Browser will then look for BPAV folders and EX clips on the optical disk. The other radio button option is "Clip". If you leave the preference for "Clip" then Clip Browser will only see XDCAM MXF files on the optical disk and not the BPAV files.


XDCAM Transfer:
Clicking on the XDCAM disc icon in the Source window will only reveal the XDCAM MXF files. However, if you twirl the triangle icon that is shown just to the left of the disc icon, then the BPAV folders inside the UserData folder will be revealed.


The above instructions assume that you are running the latest versions of all software and drivers.

Excellent - you're an absolute star for pointing that out - thanks!!! :)

The next question is, how fast?

I just did a speed test this morning to answer Ivan's question on another thread. I figured I might as well test writing as well.

To transfer 17.1GB of clips from the internal HD of my MacPro to the "UserData" folder of a 50GB optical disk took 36:01.

Backing up to a PDW355 camera???
 

I know you can back up to the U1 drive but is it possible to use the drive in the camera to do the same. Basically does the camera have a "user data" mode?

Scott Sniffen

Yes, if you have the latest PDZ-1 driver, XDCAM Transfer Tool (Mac) or U1 Drive driver, using a camera, deck or U1drive, they should all show a "user data" folder.

Thierry.

yes it does - I just tested that with pdw700 only.

Uli