I’ve got many clients that are asking me to handover material on professional disk rather than hard disk. I shoot with PMW-350 using nano flash at 50 mb hd or sd (depends on their need). My question is: using my hp pavilion dv6 laptop with PDW-U1 to transfer nanoflah files how much time it will take to transfer let’s say one hour material at 50 mb hd/sd to the professional disk in PDW-U1 and how do you do that?
I was thinking about buying the PDW-U1 in order to solve the problem of clients that doesn’t want the material on hard disk but on professional disk.
Is it a long proceed? Anybody works this way ? Is it practice? there are any other solutions?
Thank you all
Samer

I just love my nano flash,here’s a picture of last time use.video assist…

My question is: using my hp pavilion dv6 laptop with PDW-U1 to transfer nanoflah files how much time it will take to transfer let’s say one hour material at 50 mb hd/sd to the professional disk in PDW-U1 and how do you do that?

Hi Samer, I can tell you that transferring NanoFlash files to an XDCAM HD optical disk is approx 1.5x faster than realtime.
So an hour of material would take approx 40mins.

We do this all the time, but I have to add a caveat - we use XDCAM Transfer SW on the Mac.
On the PC with the PD-Z1 software I could not find a way of getting the software to access a folder of NanoFlash files, rather than an image of an XDCAM disk. Maybe there is a way to do this on the PC, but we gave up and use a Mac instead.
I know that the new XDCAM Browser SW due out soon from Sony (for PC and Mac) will definitely do this fine.

Also on the mac, we can stack up multiple U1s and do multiple transfers at once - at one stage we had 3 x U1s all running at the same time.
As long as you don't try to copy two files to the same U1 simultaneously it works fine (i.e. copy one CF card to one U1, another CF card to another U1 etc)

Regards

Dave

Thank you Dave, maybe that explains why i couldn't find any answers on various forum, all i could find is nano files to u1 with Mac only,...that is a problem, i hope that out there somebody does use pc to transfer nano's files to U1, i still hope it is possible..., maybe it's time to move to mac...so many possibilities and too much limits with pc, that is frustrating.
Is there anybody out there that still believes in PC?
Samer

Is there anybody out there that still believes in PC?
Samer

C'mon Samer, I'm sure you know better than start this Mac vs. PC debate again - not on this forum, please...

:)

Piotr

Which mac (laptop) would you advice me to use for HD editing with final cut pro?,Dave, do use a laptop for video editing?
I have already pc for editing ,but i need another laptop and i was thinking about Mac this time...
In this case i will use on the field for copying from nano to U1, and maybe for editing some HD footage.
Thanks
Samer

Samer, I don't think you should feel forced to change platform - as I said the new version of the XDCAM Browser software (that WILL let you move Nano files to U1 on a PC - I checked this at IBC) is due to be released in the next month or so.

Maybe it's worth waiting for that before making a decision about PC vs Mac platforms.

Regards

Dave

Thank you Dave for your reply,i'll wait.
Regards
Samer

I may be off base on this, but I think at one point I tested simply dropping the 50 Mbit 422 MXF file recorded by the nano directly into the appropriate folder on the pro disc using the U-1 with the latest firmware. As I recall it not only copied right in, but the U1 wrote the proxy files at the same time onto the disc.
Make sure you have the latest U1 firmware. Also remember that this works for compatible MXF files, but not for MOV files...
On the road so I can't test, but I remember being pleasantly surprised at the time...

Samer, I don't think you should feel forced to change platform - as I said the new version of the XDCAM Browser software (that WILL let you move Nano files to U1 on a PC - I checked this at IBC) is due to be released in the next month or so.

Maybe it's worth waiting for that before making a decision about PC vs Mac platforms.

Regards

Dave

Just tested the new XBS XDCAM Browser Software from Sony.
Unfortunately they have taken the perfectly usable Mac SW and the pretty clunky PC SW and made...a pretty clunky universal app!! Oh dear.

It's really clamped down and ONLY wants to see XDCAM media, not standalone Nano Files.
You have to 'import' the nano files which means duplicating the clips which is really lame.

So....no advantage there as far as Nano file handling is concerned.

Regards

Dave

I may be off base on this, but I think at one point I tested simply dropping the 50 Mbit 422 MXF file recorded by the nano directly into the appropriate folder on the pro disc using the U-1 with the latest firmware. As I recall it not only copied right in, but the U1 wrote the proxy files at the same time onto the disc.
Make sure you have the latest U1 firmware. Also remember that this works for compatible MXF files, but not for MOV files...
On the road so I can't test, but I remember being pleasantly surprised at the time...

Hi Dave Sperling, what platform did you use when you have done this? pc or mac? Please let me know if you can check this again when you have time..if you can repeat the test and thank you for your reply.

Thank you
Samer

[Just tested the new XBS XDCAM Browser Software from Sony.
Unfortunately they have taken the perfectly usable Mac SW and the pretty clunky PC SW and made...a pretty clunky universal app!! Oh dear.

It's really clamped down and ONLY wants to see XDCAM media, not standalone Nano Files.
You have to 'import' the nano files which means duplicating the clips which is really lame.

So....no advantage there as far as Nano file handling is concerned.

Regards

Dave

Hi, Dave thank you for your reply, maybe it is destiny..!! I can copy the post again:
Which mac (laptop) would you advice me to use for HD editing with final cut pro?,Dave, do use a laptop for video editing?
I have already pc for editing ,but i need another laptop and i was thinking about Mac this time...
In this case i will use on the field for copying from nano to U1, and maybe for editing some HD footage.
Thanks
Samer

Hello Samer,
Did a quick test (of sorts) here as follows.

Set NanoFlash to record 50 Mbit Long-GOP MXF files.
Attach NanoFlash to my EX1 and record three test clips (these happened to be recorded at 60i)
Attach U1 drive to my computer (Alienware Desktop - i7 chip - Windows 7/64 OS)
Insert a blank pro-disc into the U1 drive -- the U1 utility automatically opens. Select 'Format Disc'
(Note - Make sure the Naming Form is set to 'free' in the U1 utility user settings)
Once disc is formatted, I open it in Windows Explorer, so I can see the various directories.
Attach CF card reader with recorded CF card to computer, and have computer open another Windows Explorer window.
Select the }CLP{ directory from the card.
Highlight the MXF files to be copied
Control-Click on the highlighted files and drag them to the 'Clip' directory of the disc (in the other window)
The MXF files are copied to the Disc, and at the same time the proxy files are automatically created in the 'Sub' directory.

This is as far as I went with the test in terms of hardware because I don't have a deck or camera to play the discs (only the U1 drive)
However, both the full res files files and the proxies played just fine once transferred.
I also imported the Disc into Vegas and was able to work with the files.
So I'm going on the assumption that once the U1 utility and driver software are installed on your pc, the process is really quite seamless.

Since I'm PC-only, I can't comment on whether it works in a similar way on a Mac.
I've been happy staying with PC's, and have had almost no issues with my upgrade paths dealing with XDcam and XDcamEX footage, plus I absolutely love the (free) PDZ-10 MXF Player software, which gives you an incredible image while using minimal overhead (and is PC-only). I use a Vaio computer in the field, and am getting ready to upgrade to a newer one (now that the higher end consumer models have i7, USB3, eSata, Blu-Ray, 1GB graphics, Express card and SD card slots, and pricing under 1300).
If you're sold on getting a mac notebook and FCP, my recommendation is to definitely get one with the expresscard slot, to speed up your SxS transfers considerably. At this point I'm not sure what their status is on eSata or USB3, but faster ports are definitely bettter. Also consider a Nexto drive to speed your transfers - I use one to create backups, and it's already saved me many hours of 'my own time'.

Best,
Dave S.

Hello Dave
Thank you for your time, that is really a good news,all I need now is to know if it playback on an Xdcam deck.
But the info you gave me is enough to complete the test that I’m going to do at the Sony dealer, and I’ll do it the way you told me and then play it with PDW-HD1500. The dealer is very far away from where I live, that’s why I didn’t do it yet, and the one near me doesn’t have the U1.
I will post it here once done.
Thank you again Dave.
Samer

This should go without saying, but make sure that you are using the most recent firmware/software for the U-1 / U-1 Utility program, and that the software and firmware releases match.
Sony has made some major strides forward in the firmware during the past year, so using the most up-to-date firmware is vital. (Often the install disk that comes with the drive may have older software / and the dealer may not have updated the drive to the latest firmware -- I often have this kind of problem with rentals.) Before you go to the dealer make sure you not only research the latest firmware, but bring a copy of it on your notebook!
If I happen to be around a deck in the next couple of days I'll test to verify that it plays properly.
Best,
Dave S

Just a quick follow-up... Today I was able to try playing the 50Mbps 4:2:2 disc created as described in an earlier post. It played on a 1500 deck with no problems at all (ie - thumbnails showed up properly and clips played perfectly.)
Best,
Dave S

Dear Dave,

Thank you for your tests, and for reporting your test results.

Our files work very well with the Sony U1 deck.

If one records at 50 Mbps Long-GOP, which is Sony Optical Disk format, and broadcast quality, one can download the files using the U1 deck and the files go into the normal, playable area of the Sony Professional Disk.

Please note that when our files are downloaded, the Proxy files are created automatically.

Then, these files are playable in any Sony Optical Disk device.

Also, one can download any of our files, regardless of format or bit-rate into the user area. But these files can not be played directly by Sony Optical Disk devices. This makes the Sony Optical Disk device a nice archive and delivery medium.

Hi Dan
I hope you mean non playable when you use bitrates farther than 50/mbs,we all know that professional disk does a maximum of 50/mbs playable.
But any other format SD or HD mxf less than 50/mbs is playable on Xdcam deck,am I wright?
You didn’t mean that 50/mbs HD nano files is the only one supported by U1.
I shoot HD AND SD with nano,almost always with 50/mbs.
Thank you Dave for your time. And thank you Dan also,not only for your reply here but for every other info you give here on this forum,CD guys are great.
One last thing Dan,I undertstand that it takes time to other tests with the new firmware,can you confirm that this list bellow will be (or still) in in the new firmware:
SD Aspect Ratio (Video->SD Aspect Ratio) fixed. In earlier versions, this was not always being applied correctly to files.
Improved MPG support.
Improved reliability in .MPG file format.
Fixed audio / video sync during playback from Flash XDR.
Thank you all.
Samer

Dear Samer,

Here are the formats supported by the Sony U1 Deck:

Recording/Playback Format Video:
MPEG HD422 (50 Mb/s)
MPEG HD (35/25/18 Mb/s)
MPEG IMX (50/40/30 Mb/s)
DVCAM (25 Mb/s)

We should support all but DVCam as we do not support that format.

(However, I have not personally tested all of these formats, but our lab may have.)

Yes, I think we have included all of the items that you mentioned in the next Flash XDR release.

Thank you for the kind words.