Contents of the SD card at DVinfo.net

Tim Dashwood · October 15th, 2005, 05:56 PM

I bought a small SD card reader today so I could read the contents of the SD card from the HD100.

The card mounts as a hard drive on my Mac with the name "NO NAME" and says there is 13.9Mb of space available, 224KB used. The format is "Macintosh PC Exchange (MS-DOS)," and there are only the 4 very very small scene files on the card:

EXT1.SCN
EXT2.SCN
EXT3.SCN
EXT4.SCN

I duplicated the scene files and renamed the 4 new ones EXT5.SCN, EXT6.SCN, etc., hoping I might unlock the "possible 8 scene files" someone mentioned in another post. It didn't work. After I put the card back in the camera I still only had the option to open the 4 external scene files.

I tried opening the scene files as text files in MS Word, but I just got a couple lines of garbage. I've zipped my 4 scene files, so maybe someone else can open them and decipher the contents.

http://homepage.mac.com/timdashwood/.../SCN_files.zip

Chris Hurd · October 15th, 2005, 07:10 PM

Thanks Tim -- most interesting! Much appreciated,

Stephen L. Noe · October 16th, 2005, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

I tried opening the scene files as text files in MS Word, but I just got a couple lines of garbage.http://homepage.mac.com/timdashwood/.../SCN_files.zip

Tim, I attempted to open up the files with notepad, no dice. It's not a text file. Instead is is a control language. If we could figure out what language their using we could download a parser and take a look at it. I don't think that is as important (to me) as if the scene files themselves can be placed on the card and exchanged between users and if the naming convention you've described is 'set in stone' for the camera to be able to recoginize the files.

What if you delete 3 of the 4 on the card. When you place the SD card in the camera does it show just the one left on the card? What if you rename the file to a friendly name. Does the camera recognize the scn file?

Diogo Athouguia · October 16th, 2005, 07:19 PM

It seems that the sise of the card is not important, you can only use 4 scene files. Never thought about that, we can exchange the files... cool!!! By the way, Tim are those files the color adjustments you have been posting?

Nate Weaver · October 16th, 2005, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen L. Noe

Tim, I attempted to open up the files with notepad, no dice. It's not a text file. Instead is is a control language.

You think? I would just guess that after a few bytes of padding, it's a matter this byte at this offset is this parameter, the byte next to it is this parameter, etc etc. Not hard to reverse-engineer...just VERY time consuming given it's trial and error.

Jon Jaschob · October 16th, 2005, 09:30 PM

Opened the files with a hex editor.
Since I don't have the camera, let alone the card, I couldn't try messing with the file, then saving and trying to open it in the camera.
Jon

Guy Barwood · October 17th, 2005, 02:33 AM

Wouldn't it be cool if JVC could provide a little software tool to create and edit scene files with. You could have an unlimited number of scenefiles on your PC you can manage with it, you could enable any 4 at a time of course. SD card reader required of course.

Diogo Athouguia · October 17th, 2005, 04:39 AM

You can always create them and store on your PC. Creating or editing on computer would be nice only if you could see the results, and for that you'll always need the camera. It would be cool, but not very usefull... i think!

John Mitchell · October 17th, 2005, 06:26 AM

I guess it's deliberate "crippleware" to limit the HD100 to 4 scene files. The card can hold 100's more. Perhaps if JVC perceive it as a sought after enough feature they could enable more scene files in a firmware update.

It really depends on what other products in their line they are "protecting".

I really don't see the feature as being that valuable in the buying decision or for that matter that impossible to work around (use multiple cards) that JVC might enable multiple scene files. Perhaps they thought 4 scene files was more than most DOP's could handle!

Stephen L. Noe · October 17th, 2005, 07:14 AM

What if you delete 3 of the 4 on the card. When you place the SD card in the camera does it show just the one left on the card? What if you rename the file to a friendly name. Does the camera recognize the scn file?

Werner Wesp · October 17th, 2005, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy Barwood

Wouldn't it be cool if JVC could provide a little software tool to create and edit scene files with. You could have an unlimited number of scenefiles on your PC you can manage with it, you could enable any 4 at a time of course. SD card reader required of course.

It would be cool, and I'm guessing, no I'm certain it exists. Just don't see it coming to consumers of the product. Just for development....

October 15th, 2005, 05:56 PM	#1
Tim Dashwood Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 3,637	Contents of the SD card I bought a small SD card reader today so I could read the contents of the SD card from the HD100. The card mounts as a hard drive on my Mac with the name "NO NAME" and says there is 13.9Mb of space available, 224KB used. The format is "Macintosh PC Exchange (MS-DOS)," and there are only the 4 very very small scene files on the card: EXT1.SCN EXT2.SCN EXT3.SCN EXT4.SCN I duplicated the scene files and renamed the 4 new ones EXT5.SCN, EXT6.SCN, etc., hoping I might unlock the "possible 8 scene files" someone mentioned in another post. It didn't work. After I put the card back in the camera I still only had the option to open the 4 external scene files. I tried opening the scene files as text files in MS Word, but I just got a couple lines of garbage. I've zipped my 4 scene files, so maybe someone else can open them and decipher the contents. http://homepage.mac.com/timdashwood/.../SCN_files.zip

October 15th, 2005, 07:10 PM	#2
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Thanks Tim -- most interesting! Much appreciated, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 16th, 2005, 09:30 PM	#6
Jon Jaschob Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 232	Hex Editor Opened the files with a hex editor. Since I don't have the camera, let alone the card, I couldn't try messing with the file, then saving and trying to open it in the camera. Jon

October 16th, 2005, 07:19 PM	#4
Diogo Athouguia Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Portugal Posts: 282	It seems that the sise of the card is not important, you can only use 4 scene files. Never thought about that, we can exchange the files... cool!!! By the way, Tim are those files the color adjustments you have been posting?

October 17th, 2005, 02:33 AM	#7
Guy Barwood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 423	Wouldn't it be cool if JVC could provide a little software tool to create and edit scene files with. You could have an unlimited number of scenefiles on your PC you can manage with it, you could enable any 4 at a time of course. SD card reader required of course.

October 17th, 2005, 04:39 AM	#8
Diogo Athouguia Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Portugal Posts: 282	You can always create them and store on your PC. Creating or editing on computer would be nice only if you could see the results, and for that you'll always need the camera. It would be cool, but not very usefull... i think!

October 17th, 2005, 06:26 AM	#9
John Mitchell Contributor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 873	I guess it's deliberate "crippleware" to limit the HD100 to 4 scene files. The card can hold 100's more. Perhaps if JVC perceive it as a sought after enough feature they could enable more scene files in a firmware update. It really depends on what other products in their line they are "protecting". I really don't see the feature as being that valuable in the buying decision or for that matter that impossible to work around (use multiple cards) that JVC might enable multiple scene files. Perhaps they thought 4 scene files was more than most DOP's could handle!

October 17th, 2005, 07:14 AM	#10
Stephen L. Noe Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,214	What if you delete 3 of the 4 on the card. When you place the SD card in the camera does it show just the one left on the card? What if you rename the file to a friendly name. Does the camera recognize the scn file?