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Need to clear SxS cards on computer?
Does anyone know of means to delete clips or reformat SxS cards from a Mac computer rather than in camera? When I reinsert a card that appears to have clips deleted throught the software, my EX3 won’t capture until I stop the camera & delete clips or reformat through the camera.
Often, I need to shoot a lengthy event without interrupting capture (I have 2 hours+ capacity with 40GB on two cards so I don’t want additional cost for more cards). If I stop camera capture, I’m losing irreplacable event footage. I use both XDCAM Transfer and XDCAM EX Clip Browser but haven’t found means to clear the cards through those apps so the camera will automatically capture when reinserted in the open camera slot.
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7 Replies
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I have the same situation as you, shooting long surgeries where I don’t pause the cameras for 4 hours at a time. So when I use XDCam Browser to ingest the card, I then double check that I successfully ingested the BPAV folder by creating a unique folder for that card under the hierarchy of that camera, then double check it to make sure it is there. Then I simply drag the BPAV folder FROM THE CARD into the trash and empty it and go forward, reloading the card into the camera while it is still rolling with the other card. I alternate cards in this manner.
Who says for one shoot it’s better to reformat the cards in the camera. I certainly don’t notice any problem with using this technique.
Later, after the shoot, I use XDCam Transfer, load all the cards from the ingested folders for all cameras, and run them all into Capture Scratch in a unique folder I have made for working in FCP.
Greg Ondera
http://www.Plexus.tv
http://www.SurgeonToday.org -
I will test this again, but I’m sure that’s what I’ve done in the past which wouldn’t allow capture to the reinserted card. I’ll get back with that result.
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Personally I’d think there’s some risk to this and buy lots of Class 10 SDHC cards instead. It may depend on exactly how you’re deleting the BPAV. If done from desktop OS, it’s possible invisible files are placed there that the camera will object to, forcing a format in camera.
Let’s see what Ian has to say.
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Found the culprit in my methods. Thanks! I was deleting the footage files within Clip Browser after completing transfer of the BPAV folder contents, but the BPAV folder still existed when I clicked the SxS card icon on the desktop. When I delete that BPAV folder as you mentioned (even though it’s empty at that point) the camera now recognizes the card as available for recording.
If it’s preferable for in-camera reformat, sometimes a live event facilitates that possibility with an on-time scheduled break, sometimes it doesn’t. Thanks!
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So why do you have to stop recording to format the other card? You can always format one card when the other is recording. May be I did not understand your situation.
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Footage captures in “record” mode but the camera must be switched to “playback” mode to access menu commands for delete clips or format cards. That’s why I needed to find a means to clear the cards through the computer rather than through the camera – so I could simply rotate cleared cards into the open camera slot without disturbing capture mode.
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May be you have not tried this: In camera mode, when recording to one card, press MENU and select OTHERS. Go to the last menu, FORMAT MEDIA, and you will be able to format the OTHER card that is not currently recording. I do this all the time in EX3 and EX1. To delete clips you have to be in VCR mode but to format you do not have to.
Or did I not understand what you are trying to achieve?
-BC
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