Is anyone using the Sonnet Qio card reader? I would like to know how well it works.

Thanks
Art

It has not arrived yet - maybe December or January...

I see that now. I'm going to keep my eye on it. Seems nice.

Why is it that everything connected with P2 seems to take FOREVER to come out? Kind of like the HVX200, HPX170, all of the larger P2 cards, the QIO, etc. I love the P2 but man, do we have to be super patient to use P2.

Dan

Hi Dan,

Yes I think your correct about patience. the "P" in P2 may just signify "Patience".
I'm sure others will have opinions on this..
Lets hope we can have some bench tests on the Qio prior to Christmas. Mine is on Pre Order.

Cheers
Tom k

Guess - Panasonic just tell about what they are working on, on day one. I do not remember for how long I have been waiting fo the AG-HMR 10 and camera - but it's about a year and it has changed design through that time. Whats with the Sonnet thing - Heard that they are not quite satisfied with it yet. Maybe it has something to do with the release of the new P2 cards that other non-Panasonic P2 readers also have problems with.

Hi Bob,

Sonnet - Qio: Professional Universal Media Reader/Writer Plus Four eSATA Ports (http://www.sonnettech.com/product/qio.html)
Probably late delivery as far as i know sonnet have packed alot into this multi-card reader, and as I found out with my own efforts towards getting a P2 card reader up and running, OS changes like Apple SL and new windows, must have been a nightmare to deal with.
Sonnet are now saying on their site delivery may be prior to christmas. Lets hope.

Cheers

Panasonic's AJ-PCD35 is lightening fast in terms of file transfer and comparing its specs to those of the Sonnet, it's more than twice as speedy and, of course, twice as costly. You get what you pay for but, then again, the extra speed may not benefit everyone.

Hopefully the QIO is beng delayed to include USB3 and/or a Light Peak port. Of course I'm assuming the next Macs will have one of those ports as well, which may be a leap of faith on my part.

You mean like how Apple jumped all over Blu Ray for the Macs? Always on the cutting edge (NOT).

Dan

Hopefully the QIO is beng delayed to include USB3 and/or a Light Peak port.
Why wait for USB3 when Sata offers the speed today...?

https://secure1.sonnettech.com/index.php?cPath=100_122&osCsid=d89&osCsid=68a3ac59390dc27787ca82de1d4278b5

Qio Reader,
(Pre-Order; Avail. mid-January)

Oh well, yet more patience...

Cheers

Here is an interesting machine on UK e-bay for P2 file management:P2 Workflow Tool with Panasonic AJ-PCD20 (Broadcast) on eBay (end time 21-Jan-10 17:00:06 GMT) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170431078387&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_5985wt_1167)

Looking forwards to hearing how this reader stands up in the real world.

Regards the Ebay auction, I cannot help thinking that the owners of something so specialized would have missed its arrival...

Looks like not too much longer to wait.... Mac Version shipping very soon...

Who's going to be the first to test drive the Qio, and post some results ?....

Cheers

From your website and exhaustive research on the subject, I nominate you Tom!
But honestly, since I already have the MXO2 with the necessary PCIe card (same board) it may be the pathway of least resistance. Just need longer Express 1x cable.

As it stands now, I am using a PC with Amtron with great results.
-C

Hi Christopher,

Love to be the First, but alas i'm downunder in OZ, the first units I believe will be shipped in the Good ol US... So some lucky guy over there will be the first... Maybe Barry Green ?
Either way, hope it delivers what's promised by the Sonnet guys.
My Qio delivery will be well after it's release in the US. "that's Life".

PC with Amtron reader, well done, a very cheap fix....Late model Macpros has been the challenge as most FCP users are there. So Panasonic and Sony solid state users may love this puppy.

Cheers from downunder

A "Read performance" chart on the Qio has just been posted by Sonnett.
Sonnet - Qio: Professional Universal Media Reader/Writer Plus Four eSATA Ports (http://www.sonnettech.com/product/qio.html)

Cheers

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=16405&stc=1&d=1265792069


Cheers

With P2 cards, only 25 - 50 MB/sec? That's kinda of slow ... I expected it to be faster.

Hi TSW,

Let's hope "real world tests" will yield better than that performance, who knows, for those running SxS gear and cards, that looks like a real speed transfer.

P2 at only 25mb / sec equals 1.5gig /min, that's not as fast as I'd hoped for,
at that rate it would make a 32g card take approx 21mins to ingest, I wonder if the tests were with an R series card or an E series.

I suppose as all these connected digital formats come and go, the QIO may a great product for the future ?.

Time will tell I suppose.

Cheers

Got my sonnet now - Just no windows drivers so it's a no-go.
Have to wait again.

I am getting rates similar to that with my old PB G4. That is disappointing.

Dan

Considering the speed and the long time before it was available - guess they just should have made a USB3 Card reader.

In 2 - 3 months time, there is the Panny's single slot USB2 reader ... I think I will go for that - more universal. If the speed is similar to the Qio for downloading P2 data, I would be inclined to think there could be something not quite right with the Qio implementation then.

The con for getting the Qio as far as I am concerned - I don't have any PCI Express slots left on my PC.

I am getting rates similar to that with my old PB G4. That is disappointing.

Dan

Hi Dan,

what's your connected set-up with the Qio,
-what connection to computer/PCIe or Expresscard to laptop
-what HDD, connected direct to the Qio or to an internal/external HDD

I can't see why it should be not be as fast as the pana card readers, unless they cut build corners somewhere, you'd imagine for the cost of (three cheap window's laptop's)it would be as fast as the pana's card readers.
More reports/transfer tests would be good to hear from, best test would be a transfer comparison between the Pana PCD35 and the Sonnett Qio.

Cheers

Hi Tom:

I meant that I am getting those rates just using the PCMCIA slot on my old PB G4. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Dan

Sorry Dan,

I read that as if your had compared the Qio to your lappy.

Cheers