Sony card driver for the EX1 / Mac

Perhaps one of the lucky beta testers can answer this?

I think most NLE's will need an update to edit EX1 footage.

But will a Mac OS X system see the card as a mass storage device without an update?

e.g., if I had to film some material before my NLE was updated (and as I might only have access to a single 8GB card) will I be able to copy those files across to my MacBookPro and keep them archived until i can edit properly?

Will that need a driver from Sony/Sandisk?

If you are one of those aforementioned beta testers, did such a driver come with the cam?

TIA

EDIT: The manual says the camera will ship with "XDCAM EX Clip Browsing software (x 1), SxS device driver software (x 1)". What I am trying to understand, categorically, is whether one or both of these will allow you to move the clips off the card an on to a Mac laptop running 10.4.10 (probably 10.4.11 by then).

[Alister Chapman]

I believe both Mac's and PC's will need an extra driver to correctly see the SxS cards, however this driver will probably be included in the Transfer tool software that will be supplied with the camera.

[Ray Bell]

Most likely the SXS card reader that Sony shows on their site will have the proper drivers.... the description shows it to be 2.0 USB...

[Alister Chapman]

The new Mac Transfer tool is in the final stages of testing and should be available when the EX ships. I know Sony are working extremely hard to ensure that users will be able to handle and edit EX material from the day the camera hits the stores. That's one of the reasons they are sticking with MPEG2 as to switch to a new more advanced codec would require new editing applications or major updates. I think Sony are very aware of the fact the those that buy this camera will need to be able to edit the footage straight away.

[Greg Voevodsky]

Using the mpg4 rather than mpg2 wrapper - isn't Sony getting more data stored effectively. In other words 35MB in mpeg2 < 35MB in mpeg4 right? Using mpeg 4 might be equivalent to say 50MB mpeg 2 - assuming it is twice as efficient as many claim. Is this correct? Otherwise, why use mpeg 4 and not stick to mpeg 2?

[David Parks]

[QUOTE=Paul Ramsbottom;763479]

But will a Mac OS X system see the card as a mass storage device without an update?


Will that need a driver from Sony/Sandisk?

QUOTE]

Both PC and MAC just require the SxS driver to mount the card. It will be a piece of cake. I have an eSATA Express 34 card and it mounted easily. The smart thing about the SxS is the fact that Express Card is the new slot standard est. 2003, both MAC and PC compatible. PCMCIA, (P2) is already starting to reach obsolete status.

If you have PCMCIA, then you'll have to use the USB card reader from Sony.

[Evan Donn]

Originally Posted by Greg Voevodsky

Using the mpg4 rather than mpg2 wrapper - isn't Sony getting more data stored effectively. In other words 35MB in mpeg2 < 35MB in mpeg4 right? Using mpeg 4 might be equivalent to say 50MB mpeg 2 - assuming it is twice as efficient as many claim. Is this correct? Otherwise, why use mpeg 4 and not stick to mpeg 2?

Nope, you're confusing the codecs with the container - the 'wrapper' is like a box you can put a variety of different video codecs in. An mpeg 4 file with video encoded using AVCHD (h.264) at 35Mb would indeed be higher quality/more efficient, but what sony is doing is creating mpeg 4 videos with video encoded using the MPEG2 codec.

Not sure exactly why they are doing this, but I assume they are using mpeg 4 as the file format because it's likely to be supported more widely in editing systems going forward, but they're sticking with the MPEG2 encoded video because it requires significantly less processing resources for playback & editing than AVCHD does.