Missing Mp4 Files from BPAV folder

[Rafael Amador]

Are you using the Log and Transfer?
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Paul Zwicker]

The data is missing on the card. There is no picture of the clip in each thumbnail display in the camera and I get a Media Error when I try to playback any of those clips.

I use ShotPut Pro to transfer the card to hard drive and it took less than a minute to transfer what should be 40 minutes of 720p/50 video. It should have taken a several minutes.

Again everything shows normal except that there are no Mp4 files!

The card does not show the files exist at all.
Not good! Sony 16GB card which is 3 years old.

After reinserting the card in the camera, I am able to record without problem and all files appear to exist.

ZwickFlicks LLC
Wisconsin, US
Sony PMW EX3
MacPro
Final Cut Pro 6.6
http://www.zwickflicks.com

[Rafael Amador]

[Paul Zwicker] “After reinserting the card in the camera, I am able to record without problem and all files appear to exist.”
ALL THE FILES?
You mean the lost ones and the recently shot?
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Paul Zwicker]

No the only files that have with the Mp4 files are the ones I recorded after I reinserted the card.

I lost every file prior to reinserting the card. I did not have to reformat the card-I just put it in the camera and recorded just fine.

Now, after 2 days of shooting and checking replay every so often, I have not had a problem. No loss of files.

I am at a loss.

From now on I will be checking replay after I record a lot more often.

ZwickFlicks LLC
Wisconsin, US
Sony PMW EX3
MacPro
Final Cut Pro 6.6
http://www.zwickflicks.com

[Don Greening]

Hey Paul,

I see you’re a Mac house. Try mounting that problem card on your desktop. Do you have a Macbook Pro with the Express 34 slot? If not then put the card in a reader or your camera and see if Disk Utility can “see” the missing files. If you have Disk Warrior try that as well and see if the program can find the card’s directory and rebuild it. These are all shots in the dark but either they’ll work right away or they won’t. This actually happened to me once a few years ago but it was only a couple of unimportant test clips. I didn’t pursue it. I have a feeling that the missing clips are on your card but the directory is corrupt. Also, see if you can trick the camera into doing the ‘restore’ function. In order to do that you need to create an anomaly on the card that the camera won’t like.

EDIT: and I would try all this on a hard drive direct copy of your card first.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Jim Mcnally]

Can you view the files with the card in the camera? I had a similar situation where one file of many didn’t show up in Log and Transfer after I moved it to my drives via Shotput Pro. However when I viewed it back in the camera it was still there.

Jim McNally
The Commercial Factory
http://www.commercialfactory.com

[Ian Cook]

Hi Paul,

Do you still have the suspect card with the missing/ghosted files?

Correct me if I am wrong but if you open the card in Finder the CLPR folder contains no MP4s? And there are no thumbnails/playback for these clips in the camera?

-Ian

Ian Cook
Sony Broadcast and Professional Company

[Paul Zwicker]

Ian and all-thanks for the responses.

Ian, you are correct, there were no pics in thumbnails while the card was in camera and I got a Media Error when I tried to play back clips without pics.

I found out I had a problem only after I put the card into my MacBookPro and tried to import with ShotPut Pro. The media imported but without Mp4 files.

I then opened up the 16 GB Sony Pro SxS card and saw that the Mp4 did not exist in any clips.

I do not have Disk Warrior and did not have time to dig into the card. I needed to keep shooting and had to reuse the card. My backup cards are not Sony and I was in a run and gun situation and wanted

I put it back into the camera and did test records which were fine.

I decided to reformat the card and do more tests which were fine.

Everything about the card has seemed normal since this event.

I have used it without problem and reformatted it twice.

Of course I am checking replay nearly everytime I record something-wish I had checked earlier.

The card had been reformatted just prior to it failing. I never had an issue with an 8GB card which was loaded in the same camera slot.

Again now the card works fine in both camera slots.

ZwickFlicks LLC
Wisconsin, US
Sony PMW EX3
MacPro
Final Cut Pro 6.6
http://www.zwickflicks.com

[Jesse Kennedy]

Hello all! I’m posting here because I just ran across the same problem with a clip that actually had a few sub-clips written into it as well. The clip (let’s call it 6294) has four parts (6294_1, 6294_2, 6294_4 and 6294_4) and the third clip (6294_3) has no MP4 inside of it’s BPAV folder. Bummer.

Interesting note. During the filming of this scene my camera-op had asked me about a ‘restore media’ message on his screen. I told him to execute the restore media. Now I know that if that happens I should switch the card immediately. I don’t know if this happened mid-clip or even if the EX3 will allow a media restore in mid clip.

Anyways, I’ve tried everything I can think of but I’m interested in the comment above about the file probably being there and the directory not seeing it. Has anyone had any success with directory repair tools? Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance everyone!

[Lucas Traub]

[Jim McNally] “Can you view the files with the card in the camera? I had a similar situation where one file of many didn’t show up in Log and Transfer after I moved it to my drives via Shotput Pro. However when I viewed it back in the camera it was still there.”

Hello Jim. I’m having this problem now. After I moved the BPAV folder from 32GB SXS card onto my Avid, some of the clips worked and some didn’t. The non working clip files are still on the card and working when I put it back into the camera. My Avid software along with any other players can’t play those specific clips, but the camera can see them fine. How did you get these missing clips into your system?
Thanks!
Lucas Traub
Fieldhouse Productions