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Formating P2 cards
I have been using a P2 store for reading P2 cards and transfering them to a raid system. I recently purchased the Duel Systems adapter to read the cards. What is the best way to re-format the cards once I have them downloaded to the raid? I don’t want to have to do it in the camera if I don’t have to.
Thanks
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10 Replies
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When you move the contens folder on the P2 card to your raid or hardisk you have to format your P2 card again. This could be done with some software downloadable from panasonic p2 downloadpage. If you copy the Contens folder it’s still on the P2 card and all the Mxf files are there still too. This is very anoying. Panasonic launched some new software called”P2 contens management software”. With this you can ingest the footage but it come up with a folder for each clip, why ? Then I cannot import all the files at once.
If you have to get the P2 card fast back to the camera for more recordings to be made – what is the fastest way to offload the P2 card and get it back into the camera – formatted? -
No – you don’t necessarily have to reformat the cards again. But doing so in the camera just takes a few seconds and doesn’t hurt the card
As for clearing the cards without reformatting, I’m not sure what system you’re using, but you can do it if you transfer your footage from your P2 card using a computer, either directly to the hard drive or an attached firewire drive.
Double-click on the P2 card to find a Contents folder and a Text file. “Show Info” or view properties for the Text file and uncheck the “locked” box. Now drag both the Contents folder and Text file to your trash and delete them. That’s it.
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If you have a laptop in the field with you check out P2 Genie. It works with Mac and PC. It both off-loads P2 cards and formats them. And you can have it do that automatically. I don’t advocate that since I think you should first play back clips from the hard drive to make sure all is well before formatting the P2. You can name your folders and have their number incremented automatically, or name them by time/date. Very nice, inexpensive program.
John
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use P2 Genie, quick and easy way to erase cards
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Much appreciated gentlemen. Now I can unload my P2 store and put the money towards some more gear.
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I usually just delete the contents of the CONTENTS folder on the card, and don’t seem to have any issues.
If I’m going to be shuffling lots of cards, though I use P2 Genie
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How to “erase” a P2 card with the Finder in 2 keystrokes….
1- the P2 card is mounted on your desktop
2- select the “CONTENTS” folder and press “apple-delete” to send the folder to the trash
3- press “apple-option-shift-delete” to force empty the trashThe P2 card is now ready for the camera. The camera automatically overwrites the old “lastclip.txt” file once you start recording again.
rock on
\m/ -
I tried the “erase” a P2 card with the Finder in 2 keystrokes method with my 16G card and I received a “format error” when I put the card back in the camera. I know some things have changed with the new cards and I think that the problem. Anyone know how to format a 16G card from the computer? I’m on a Mac.
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You fellas that can still erase P2’s by unlocking lastclip, sending to trash, and apple-option-deleting, are you still on Tiger? My old PBG4 finally bit the dust, so I had to use my other Macbook Pro (with express slot & Leopard) to ingest, so had to get a Duel Adapter.
Unloads cards like a dream, but formatting the cards is not possible…I can’t use that manual method anymore. It acts like it’s sending to trash but the items remain in their folders. I think it’s a Leopard thing, not Duel-related. I went to Panasonic’s downloads page, dl’ed the latest P2 drivers (1.33, which are supposed to allow leopard formatting, according to this) and the P2 Card Formatting Utility just in case, but the driver causes an error when installing, as does the formatting utility when i select a card and choose “format”.
Anybody having no issues with Leopard, Duel Adapter, and formatting cards? Please no “format in camera” replies, anyone working with DP’s knows that’s not an acceptable solution. Thanks
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Having exactly the same problem since I updated my MBP to 10.5.x, except that when I try to delete the content folder I’m asked for my password then it doesn’t move anyway. In looking at “No Name”‘s info, I see that I’m only authorized to read the card.
In last night’s case, I was single-cam shooting a long meeting and needed to dump and reuse cards as they would fill up. I ended up pulling out my old Titanium PB since I couldn’t stop rolling to format cards.
Additionally, I noticed that in using HDLog to transfer the P2 media, another folder level called “No Name” is created in the process which contains the content and lastclip stuff. PITA since now you’ve got to move the stuff OUT of that folder and up a level for FCP to recognize the clips in the Log and Transfer window.
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