Content Management Utility doesn't work on Mac

[Galen Rath]

The included DVD with the Content Management Utility for AVCHD Camcorder is for Windows only. I guess I will eventually be able to answer my own question, but if anyone can clue me in quicker, what I am losing not being able to install this on my Mac? I wonder why Sony wouldn't include a Mac version.

[Jon Braeley]

What is your editing program on your Mac?

If you have FInal Cut then all you need is to use Log and Transfer.

I have no need for anything else with the FS-100.

[Galen Rath]

Using Premiere Pro CS5 on the Mac.

[Dave Morrison]

Originally Posted by Jon Braeley

What is your editing program on your Mac?

If you have FInal Cut then all you need is to use Log and Transfer.

I have no need for anything else with the FS-100.

Hey Jon,
Are you transcoding into ProRes during ingest? If so, how fast is it?

[Jon Braeley]

Yes - I transfer into ProRes 422.

its very fast - processes in real time. No problems with the workflow at all - on a new Macbook pro with a G-drive.

[Kenneth Sorento]

Does anyone know how to transfer 50p 1080 footage from the Sony FS100 to Final Cut Pro 7? Using Log and Transfer does not work. The software is able to see 25P and so on, but not 50P. I've been told that I need an updated Sony driver, but I can't find it on the net and it's not supplied with the camcorder.

I've contacted Peter Sykes from Sony UK, and he will put me in contact with a Japanese engineer tomorrow, but if anyone has an answer today, it would be just great.

[Matt Davis]

I'm using Episode Pro to convert the .MTS files to ProRes. You need to set the 'Field Order' section to 'Source is Progressive' in order for it to work.

Whilst sound is recorded in the 1080p50 video, Episode does NOT extract it, so for this temporary solution, shoot with dual sound and ensure you slate your shots both visually and audibly of course.

[Galen Rath]

Getting back to importing files to a MAC (I'm using PP CS5)--p. 102 of the FS100 manual says not to try and open and access files in the PRIVATE folder on the FS100 from a computer or else they could be damaged. That is interesting, hope that doesn't happen to anyone. That seems like something everyone get around to doing sometime.

Also the manual says not to copy files on the recording media from a computer. Operation is not guaranteed. Right now that is how I am getting files into CS5--I am copying the PRIVATE folder and pasting it to the MAC, and then importing the clips into CS5 using ADOBE Bridge. Is there a better way to import the files directly from the camera onto a MAC/CS5?

[Derran Rootring]

Thanks for the heads up about not opening files directly from the private folder!

You're talking about "not to copy files on the recording media from a computer". Did you mean TO a computer? Otherwise I don't think you are doing anything wrong. As long as you don't copy files from your computer to the SD card, it should work fine the way you described.

I always use log and transfer directly from the card.

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Jon Braeley

Yes - I transfer into ProRes 422.

its very fast - processes in real time. No problems with the workflow at all - on a new Macbook pro with a G-drive.

Since when is "real time" considered very fast? Transcoding to ProRes is about 6x slower than doing a straight file transfer or ingesting comparable XDCAM footage. That does not fit my definition of real fast.
The workflow for FCP and AVCHD stinks.

[Galen Rath]

After I copy the private folder to the Mac, I drag the private folder to a bin inside of CS5, and the clips are there. I just end up with a PRIVATE folder inside of the Bin, and then have to open that to view the clips. Also get an error message when dragging the PRIVATE folder into CS5 because some of the files in it are not the right type to transfer, I just ignore that message. I just don't think this way is what is intended.

[Matt Davis]

In Premiere Pro CS5.5, are you getting any of the metadata from FS100 shots? User Bits? Exposure info? GPS info?

[Galen Rath]

I'm new to CS5, but clicking around the METADATA tab, I'm not seeing any special stats from the camera like exposure settings, GPS, I see just what I consider standard information.

[Jon Braeley]

Doug realize I am also encoding to Prores 422 whereas you are talking about straight file transfer.

[Doug Jensen]

Jon, I understand exactly what you were saying. My point is that transcoding slows the ingest down by at least 84% -- even slower than real time. That does not fit my definition of being fast. My comparison to a straight file transfer was just to establish a baseline so we can tell exactly how much transcoding is slowing down the ingest. It is easy to see that transcoding takes 6-7 times longer than a straight transfer.

I guess I'm spoiled by XDCAM where ingest is 7x faster than NXCAM and you don't have to transcode to ProRes and have the joy of file sizes that are suddenly 6 times bigger -- with absolutely no benefit.