Help needed - PDZ1 software

[Uli Mors]

Hi everybody,

if running a f30 / f70 XDCAM HD Recorder/Player thru Ethernet:

Is it possible to transfer just a short portion of a long clip?

Example:

If you shot 1hr 35mbit/s = ~20GB.

The whole Clip is therefore 20 Gb big.

If I transfer the proxy to Vegas or other NLEs via firewire , I know that in the end (->HD) at least VEGAS copies THE WHOLE HD CLIP (20GB) - disregarding of how you cut the clip in the timeline.

QUESTION: I heard you can select a portion (IN/ OUT) via PDZ1 (PDZ10?) to transfer only. I also heard this works only thru Network functionality, NOT via Firewire.

To those people, who own a recorder (with network) - CAN YOU agree/disagree?

The idea is to look thru long term recordings and take out just a few minutes each without transfering these long clips first.

?

Thanks

ULi

[Greg Boston]

Uli, it's time for you to study the portion of XDCAM workflow called 'clip lists'. You can do cuts only editing with clip lists in camera, via the deck, or through the PDZ proxy browsing software.

You can grab multiple sections of the same clip and put it into a clip list. And the beautiful part is that it's NON-DESTRUCTIVE. Your original footage remains intact.

Also, with Vegas, you can edit the proxies on the timeline and then do a conform to HD which will substitute the proxy material for the full resolution material. It shouldn't copy the entire clip at this point because it defeats the purpose of XDCAM that strives to ingest only what you actually need, thus reducing hard disk storage requirements.

-gb-

[Uli Mors]

Hi Greg,

sorry, but you are wrong:

If a long proxy clip (60min) is edited within vegas (lets say cropped to 1 minute only), Vegas transfers THE WHOLE 60min MXF file. Though it presents you the 1 minute HD clip afterwards, you have to wait for the long transfer time first...
I "fell" over this wondering why the transfer size (one clip was 1.4Gb) was always the same - no matter how I cropped the proxy before.

Please have a try (I dont have a recorder/cam here):

Take ANY HD / proxy clip and try to cut a 10s piece out of it via PDZ or whatever. Is the transfer FASTER than transfering the whole clip?

Thanks for you help!

ULi

PS: The whole workflow is perfect , my special request is only rg. long shots.

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Uli Mors

Take ANY HD / proxy clip and try to cut a 10s piece out of it via PDZ or whatever. Is the transfer FASTER than transfering the whole clip?

Wow, if that's true about Vegas, it's a serious issue. PDZ will let you create a clip list to grab the smaller pieces out of a longer clip. In PDZ, you have the option of transferring entire clips, or 'partial FAM copy'. The latter function will transfer just the sections of your full res clips to the hard drive. Each section will be written as its own MXF file with a name you choose.

I'll admit that I'm fairly new with Vegas and I'm going to experiment as you suggested to see what I can learn. Hopefully we can figure this out.

-gb-

[Uli Mors]

thanks for that info!

As far as I understand , partial FAM means Firewire, not necessarily transfer via Network? (I read SOMEWHERE, "partial.." would be only possible via Network).

thanks

ULi

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Uli Mors

As far as I understand , partial FAM means Firewire, not necessarily transfer via Network? (I read SOMEWHERE, "partial.." would be only possible via Network).

Partial FAM copy via firewire did not work for XDCAM HD in the earlier version of the software/firmware. If you are running the latest camera/deck firmware and software versions of the FAM driver and PDZ1, it works. That was one of the first things I checked after the upgrade because I reported the issue to Sony early on.

I didn't try the Vegas thing yet because it was 3:30 AM local when we discussed it and I was too tired to try.

-gb-

[Uli Mors]

Hi Greg,

just downloaded PDZ1 latest update - and found that I cant open XDCAM images (complete folders) from Harddrive.
I have no deck or camera here but copied complete discs to my harddrive.
Seems that PDZ supports only network and iLink Fam (insists on iLink connection).

So I cant try at the moment but the way you explained partial FAM this is what we have been looking for.

I´ll be on the Roadshow next week again (last event: Hamburg) and will try with a F30 or pdw-f350.

If there is a way to open Harddrive folders with XDCAM images, please let me know...

THANKS!!

ULi