Success with 10.6 and XDcam Transfer

[Olof Ekbergh]

OK so I had some time to spare after a long trip.

So I decided to try SnowLep and FCP7 with all the latest Sony drivers and Transfer App. On one of my MBP's, a very well backed up one (easy to restore).

I have read the forums and it seems people have very mixed results.

This was on an upgrade install (as a matter of fact this early 09 MBP had all the apps and settings migrated from a previous MBP, about 6 months ago, and then upgraded to all the latest OS and Apps). I ran Cocktail and DW first as well as DU.

I was surprised to find everything works great. Even the new M100 Suite 1.0.2

I also have the MX02 on this MBP, I will test that later today.

So far everything is very stable, thumbnails show up. No crashing on shutdown. Maybe I am just lucky or maybe being blessed by the TSA X-rays does the trick, and the french chicken bones of course.

I must say that everything seems much faster, apps launch really fast etc. Maybe that is just my jet-lag talking.

[Barry J. Anwender]

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

I must say that everything seems much faster, apps launch really fast etc. Maybe that is just my jet-lag talking.

Snow Leopard is indeed faster all the way around - I'm on a MacPro Octo 16GB Ram. I also have FCS 3.0 working properly with XDCam Transfer. My schedule will open in about a week to move from field work to editing and compression work. I'm looking forward to seeing how Snow Leopard's Grand Central Station will improve upon workflow performance. Some early reports are beginning to show up and they indicate significant gains (50%) for HD video compression work. Cheers!

[Olof Ekbergh]

Well guess what I just tried Transfer again on some footage I shot yesterday.

And now I get the thumbnail error.

You have to highlight each clip and then import, after stopping thumbnail task. I had 45 clips to transfer.

It was a real pain.

At one point I got 30 to transfer before error came back.

I guess I am not so lucky after all.

[Larry Huntington]

I'm having the same thumbnail error after going to Snow Leopard. Any fixes out there?

[Craig Seeman]

I've heard Sony may not have this fix until next spring. Seems it's not very important to them. I have a STRONG hunch that it's related to how permissions and file/folder ownership works under SnowLeopard.

I heard one report of someone using Pacifist to extract an older version of XDCAM Transfer and installing it but I personally don't think that's a fix because that won't change the behavior I believe causes the issue.

[Daniel Goyette]

Originally Posted by Craig Seeman

I've heard Sony may not have this fix until next spring. Seems it's not very important to them. I have a STRONG hunch that it's related to how permissions and file/folder ownership works under SnowLeopard.

I heard one report of someone using Pacifist to extract an older version of XDCAM Transfer and installing it but I personally don't think that's a fix because that won't change the behavior I believe causes the issue.

Craig i agree 100% it is not our job to fix-it it is Sony job , if we have to use other softwares to offload the SxS cards and rewrap-it to use it in FCP that pretty bad.

Is there enough independents producers willing to start calling Sony as often as possible , e-mail them as often as possible , is any big studio willing to follow this advice from me.

Can some brodcasters can join us in this idea , if Sony is serious in pushing XDCAM formats as the new Betacam of production they must react accordingly ... now.

[Craig Seeman]

I'll avoid a rant on Sony but I will say this, it would be a quite vicious rant.

The workaround is to use Sony's Final Cut Pro Log and Transfer plugin (uses FCP Log and Transfer instead of XDCAM Transfer).

[Craig Seeman]

Sony | Micro Site - XDCAM EX

[Daniel Goyette]

Originally Posted by Craig Seeman

I'll avoid a rant on Sony but I will say this, it would be a quite vicious rant.

The workaround is to use Sony's Final Cut Pro Log and Transfer plugin (uses FCP Log and Transfer instead of XDCAM Transfer).

I agree with you Craig but how can we put pressure on Sony otherwise ....

In the meantime we as users feel a little left alone for maybe months ....

I love Sony and only use Sony as video products that should tell them a lot ....

[Markus Bo]

I can't believe it neither. We are at the end of september and still waiting for news. I would be happy to get any communication from Sony informing us but for them it seems to be a joke like surprise, surprise.

Markus

[Craig Seeman]

I'm hearing a few reports that trashing the app and the folder related to the app in Applications Support (both user and system) and installing the old XDCAM Transfer 2.5.1 will work. I've heard this from several people so that's worth a shot.

If the workaround is that simple you'd think Sony wouldn't have to take 6 months to fix this. It's not as if the app crashes totally. It's simply how it's accessing the thumbnail cash and I suspect it's a file ownership issue. Sony is either seriously understaffed (due to the economy) or simply doesn't think this is a priority, to not fix this in a few weeks. How about at least posting the compatibility issue in the support area of their site.

[Daniel Goyette]

2.5.1 is better than nothing if you are under Snow Leopard but be aware about the fact some frames rates and few bug exist with 2.5.1 not related to Snow Leopard.

But as Me and Craig said for a few weeks Sony should have post something about-it and also since XDCAM is the next Betacam they said they must react quickly.

The sad part is i have assist to the Apple and Sony HD Tour Show i think in 2007 where the Sony XDCAM EX was present to us videographers ... well 2 years later Sony seem surprize by Apple new OS .... in a rock solid support for Sony Flagship format we are shocked ....