Clip Browser 2.0 poor performance
 

Is it just me, or is the mxf re-wrapping process much slower in the new version of CB?

Last night I was converting some 1.5h of the music performance I shot earlier in the evening; this has been my first long project since the CB 2.0 arrival. Not only did re-wrapping take ages, but it slowed my PC down to a crawl with anything else, even though my quad CPU was only used in some 14%!

Yes, I know there is now the CRC (or whatever) verification option implemented, but this is only switchable for moving SxS content; I haven't found the way to switch it off for actual re-wrapping.

Can somebody tell me what (if anything) I'm missing with the Clip Browser configuration?

Piotr.
I'm getting the same problem.
Quick with copying, slow with rewrapping.
I uninstalled and reinstalled Clip browser v1 and tried to rewrap some 720/50p and got the message "unspecified format" so i've come to the conclusion clip browser V2 is slower but more stable. I know what i'd rather have.
Also, i don't bother rewrapping with my laptop whilst on location, i just copy then use clip browser to look into the hard-drive to make sure files have copied ok, clip browser can't see the rewrapped files anyway.

Hopefully soon, vegas, which i use, will be able to use the native footage so all this rewrapping will be a thing of the past.

Paul.

Paul,

It's only the very fist version of the CB that had this kind of problem; I can re-wrap everything (and fast) using the v1.01.

Like you, I'm a Vegas user - but it hasn't been made clear anywhere it's going to support the XDCAM EX MP4's natively, like PP CS3...

Where can i get V1.01 ?
Everywhere i search for it on the net leads me to V2.
The disc i have that came with my EX1 is V1.
I've read somewhere,can remember where that vegas will get an update to pro 8 (c) which will allow use of EX native files.
I understand that the EX needs a firmware update to use the new sony hard-drive so maybe the vegas update will come then, for example for the same day wedding edits, ie, shoot on the EX with the hard-drive, plug hard-drive into laptop and edit instantly.
If sony doesn't update vegas then i think that will be a bummer.
I like vegas, i like the EX1, i think the workflow is almost perfect. With the vegas update it would be perfect in my opinion.
Thanks.

Paul.

I just converted a 12m30s clip (1080/50i) to MXF using Clip Browser 2 - it took exactly 3 minutes so that's slightly better that 4x real time. This was from MP4s that had already been copied to a disk - NOT converting direct from camera - so yes there would be some additional overhead for the copying process.

Converting the same clip to AVI DV took 24m13s

I'm running XP on a quad core box.

Ian

I have observed the conversion time increasing MUCH more than proportionally with the clip size. Your re-wrapping time for a ca. 10 mins clip is realistic (same here), but when it comes to converting some 13GB one (like the clip I did last night, of course merged from several chunks by the Clip Browser), it can take as long as real time! Bummer.

This can only be explained by some poor memory management by CB; consistent with my observations of the whole system being unresponsive for as long as it was converting...

And BTW, I'm also talking re-wrapping from one fast SATA drive to another, even faster (RAID 0) !!!

Does anyone have the installation package for the previous Clip Browser (Windows) version? I can't find it anywhere, and didn't archive mine (the CD contains a not fully functional version 1.00). Please send me a link, or e-mail attachment!

What version comes with the EX 3? I've got that CD sitting in front of me, but have recently upgraded to 2.

I have just switched to my x64 Vista installation (on the same, dual-booting PC), and the 13GB clip has been re-wrapped to mxf in just 4 minutes by Clip Browser version 1.01.07.1567 - vs. 40 minutes with CB 2.0 under XP.

Sounds unbelievable? - I bet, but it's a hard fact. Certainly due to memory management - my system has 8GB of RAM, and under Vista it took as much as 4,3GB but the system never slowed down; while under XP it was only using some 1.3GB and the system was virtually frozen for those 40 minutes.

I'd install the CB 2.0 under Vista x64 for more direct comparison, but - not having the old version installation program - I just don;t want to do that as I'd have to uninstall it first!

Please, somebody send me the 1.01.07.1567 Clip Browser for Windows installation!

I have the older 1.1 version. I just checked it is 36Mb. How to sent to you? I don't think email can go through

The version I have is indeed 1.01.07.1567. Is there any site that I can upload for you guys to download? The file size is 36MB

What about this?

Both Versions
https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz/son...del-XDZP1.aspx

Only good for US citizens, I'm afraid.

John, I'll provide a link for you to upload the install soon, thank a lot!

Piotr

OK,

please upload the install to:

https://megabit.diinoweb.com/webdrop/

password: Piotr

Thanks a lot!

PS. Actuallly, no password is required....

Use this for sending big files. It's free !!
 

For sending big files you can use mailbigfile.com

www.mailbigfile.com

You can send up to 100mb for free, unlimited use, or you can use the paid for version which costs just £10 for a year.
With the paid for version you can send up to 2gb and to multiple email addresses for multiple downloads.
I've got the paid version and use it all the time for sending footage about, much quicker than burning dvd's and posting etc.
Also footage doesn't get compressed anywhere along the line so if you send someone mxf files they get mxf files.
Try it, it's great. I've got the pro account.

Also can i have a copy of clip browser V1.1.
Please send to
paulkellett1971@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks.
Paul.

I just notice something.
 

The clock on my camera is correct but the time of the clips in clip browser is 1 hour fast, but when i rewrap windows tells me the correct time that the clip was imported.
For example, i shoot something at 1pm, put the card straight into pc/clip browser (v2), clip browser says i recorded that clip at 2pm, rewrap to my external drive, look into that drive and it says i imported that clip at 1.05pm.
So now i can film something and get it rewrapped before i've even shot it !!

Paul.

Well, because you and your computer are amazingly fast and are bending the natural laws of the universe. Way to go!

I have sent to you. Pls check.

Paul, I am in the midst of sending the file to you while typing this reply. Yes looks real easy to use.

You're correct on longer clips taking a disproportionate amount of time. I've just exported a clip of 1 hour and 5 seconds to MXF (17,094MB). Running CB2 in the foreground with Vegas idle in the background took 28m26s. Exporting the same clip with Vegas in the foreground playing a 1080i timeline with preview window set to Good with a size of 640x360 playing at 25fps took 37m30s. So although it does take longer it's nowhere near real time.

Ian

The other thing I notice is that .mxf files wrapped by V1.01 play with sound in the VLC player.

John, it's not there - can you try again?

Paul, how can I download from it from http://www.mailbigfile.com/ ?

Tom,
The mxf clips from CB v.2.0 play with sound OK, but with the latest VLC version.
However, they do NOT play with WMP at all (those from v1.01 do).

I think just need your email address to use. What's yr email addr?

John, I've sent you an e-mail with my address. Thanks!

John Woo. Clip Browser V1.1
 

Hi John.
I just got clip browser from mailbigfile, thanks for sending.

I use mailbigfile all the time,it's a good program/site isn't it.
I can definately recommend getting the pro account for £10 a year, you can type in multiple email addresses at the same time when uploading.

I'm gonna install CB v1.1 now.

Thanks again John.

Paul.

V1.1 vs V2 rewrapping times.
 

8gb card, full, 10 mins of clips then last clip spanning card

V1.1
10 mins of clips>3 mins
Last clip>9 mins
Total of 12 mins

V2
10 mins of clips>6 mins
Last clip>22 mins
Total of 28 mins.

Conclusion
V1.1 is about twice as fast as V2 when clips don't span cards, about 2.5 times faster when clips do span cards.

The only thing i can see better in V2 is that you don't have to make a new folder for each card when only COPYING, V2 makes a folder automatically with the time and date as the folder name.

Another note, when V2 is being installed it tells you to uninstall v1, but if V2 is installed first you can then reinstall V1.1 thus having both on the pc.
So for copying, i'm gonna use V2 because of the easy folder creation but for rewrapping i'm gonna use V1.1.

Above test was conducted on pc using sony sxs card reader, maybe using an sxs slot would show an even bigger difference.

Paul.

Paul & John,

Could you please upload version 1.01 to https://megabit.diinoweb.com/webdrop/
for me? THX.

Piotr, send me your email, i'll send it to you via mailbigfile.

Paul.

Piotr sorry for the late reply. I am sending the file to you now via mailbigfile.com

I'd like to get a copy of this as well - could someone forward it to me also? My vcard is in my contact info.

Thanks,

Can't the forum manager just create a sticky with a download of version 1.1? It seems that many here would like access to it.

John

You can get Clip Browser 1.01 here

Thanks John, Paul, and Tom; I have now both versions installed under Vista x64 so my comparisons are more precise. The speed difference increases faster than in proportion to the clip size; with 16GB it's almost 10x (re-wrapping only - I'm not counting the copying and merging process).

Judging from the low CPU usage (in both case some 15% on my quad), there is really not too much processing involved other than disk I/O operations; it beats me why such a big difference...