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NX5u dropping 4 frames of audio after 30 minutes
I use the NX5u’s for events that are sometimes over 1 hour in length. After 30 minutes the cameras automatically create a new file. This is a headache for syncing multiple cameras but I’m dealing with it.
However, when I butt those two clips together it’s supposed to be seamless, but it’s not! The video is seamless, but the end of each 30 minute clip has 4 frames of no audio. The audio file is there, but no waveform or audible sound.
It is like this on both of my NX5Us so I don’t think it’s a random problem with one camera. If this is how these cameras record I cannot use them professionally. I have projects now where every 30 minutes there’s an audio glitch.
Somebody please tell me I’m doing something wrong.
Any advice or thoughts? I’m using them in conjunction with FCP 7
Thank you,
Eric -
32 Replies
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This is a new one on me. I haven’t filmed any one clip that’s as long as 30 minutes.
Have you contacted Sony support? We all need to hear the answer on this one.
Regards,
Joseph
Joseph in Ireland with his new NX5
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I have seen this too.
I had seen it last July, then documented it fully to Sony tech Support in August.
From September through November they were in contact with me, and succeeded in duplicating the issue. Then they went silent.
So I started hounding Sony Vegas software folks, who investigated and said it was a camera issue.Since no firmware updates have occurred, I suggest pestering them. I will start again. The following are the specific characteristics so that you can know where the pot holes are at:
1. If you record in HD, you get about 12 minutes per file. The camera closes the file and starts a new one. Unfortunately it drops x amount of frames closing and opening the new file. It drops the video and the audio. If you are syncing two cameras video, it will drive you nuts. If you are syncing a camera’s audio and an independent audio, it will drive you nuts.
2. More details. MOST of the time it seems to drop two frames every 12 minutes. Thus 30 minutes it would drop 4 frames.
3. If you have a 3 hour dance recital with some audio on the camera and some recorded separately, you have to resync every 12 minutes.
4. It is terrible, but the worst is yet to come. I have been shooting a lot of multicam. And about 5 % of the time, it is only 1 frame dropped. about 1 % of the time it has been 4 SECONDS dropped, that is 120 frames!!!!
5. I have just completed a three hour test of two cameras recording a watch onto the fmu and the sd cards. There is no difference between cameras, nor between a given camera’s sd and fmu.
I am trying to figure out how to get 3 hours of video onto something small enough to show Sony and you folks.
John Lenihan
John Lenihan
LeniCam Video Productions
https://www.lenicam.com -
Thank you for your reply John. I appreciate your feedback once again.
I think this is the final straw for me with these cameras (remember the SD problems of severe interlacing and flickering footage?). First thing Monday I am going to start the – probably ill-fated – attempt to return these cameras to Sony. I’ll get my attorney involved if need be because there’s a chance I will end up having to refund a lot of money to clients.
If I was a client receiving a video and it had all the problems I’ve mentioned before with the SD footage, and then now has audio and video dropouts, I would not pay for the product. I’m expecting my clients to feel the same way.
It is a shame, but these cameras cannot be used professionally. I did a lot of research on cameras before I purchased these NX5Us. Nowhere did anybody review the cameras that it had these limitations/problems. Everybody just said how wonderful they were. Yes, there are a lot of great features and they’re good cameras, but I feel they are totally unacceptable for my professional services (and believe me, I don’t say that with an ego, I do very little for broadcast and I’m not doing anything more than most readers of this thread are doing). Sorry for my rant, but I just can’t believe Sony could put out this good of a camera with “show-stoppable” limitations and problems.
Wish me luck as I prepare for battle with Sony!
Eric
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Eric,
Here is my wish. That your crusade ends with Sony offering a firmware upgrade so that we can all benefit.
Have you checked with other tapeless cameras to make sure that they don’t do similar frame dropping?
As much as I hate these problems, this is still less problems than my tape based cameras where I had to resync at every tape change anyway.
John Lenihan
John Lenihan
LeniCam Video Productions
https://www.lenicam.com -
I hope it all ends in a firmware upgrade because I would never have bought an NX5 if I knew this problem existed.
I will see if there’s anything I can do to start causing trouble at my end too (Ireland).
Cheers,
Joseph
Joseph in Ireland with his new NX5
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My sentiments exact Joseph. Again, I did a lot of research before investing in 3 of these things and I wish I would have known these issues before.
Anyway, a firmware update would be just fine! I’d prefer that to trying to sell or return these and then buy new ones.
John, to your point, I have talked to others who use tapeless format and they do not seem to have this problem. HOWEVER, I have a little Sony palm camera that I use as back up or hide in the flowers at a wedding and it does the same thing! I just noticed this. I talked to somebody last night that suggested maybe it’s the HDSC cards I’m using. He is going to lend me one of his which is a different brand and size than mine just to see if there’s any difference.
What cards are you guys using? I’m using Transcend Class 10 32GB. Hey, I’d be happy if buying all new cards solved the problem.
I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for all your support… misery loves company!
Eric
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I am using Kindston 32 gig class 10. I am also using the sony digital storage unit, I thinkg it is called FMU128. Both of them drop the EXACT same amount of frames.
John
John Lenihan
LeniCam Video Productions
https://www.lenicam.com -
That’s interesting that they both drop the frames, definitely sounds more like a camera issue then.
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OK. Thoroughly confused now.
Regarding the issue of dropping audio and video frames, and the headaches of resyncing the camera-created clips every 12 minutes: I just did a test where I recorded for 38 minutes. Keep in mind this test would mark the first time I’ve recorded HD for over 10 minutes (although I had plans to later this month). My expectation was that a new clip would be created every 12 minutes and that I would lose a couple frames of audio and probably video too at the end of each clip.
What happened? It created ONE clip 38 minutes long. What the crap? I mean, that’s really awesomely fantastic, but why didn’t it break up the clips every 12 minutes?
This test was done with settings at 1080 30P. I’m doing the same test now at 1080 60i. Would this really make a difference? We’ll see.
Eric
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Just following up. I did the same test where I shot about 40 minutes in 1080 60i. Same thing… it only created ONE clip the entire length.
I mean, that is really great, but I’m confused now. Reminder, this is the first time I’ve experimented with HD clips over 10 minutes. Before it was SD and the cameras created a new file after 30 minutes – which was my original post because the end of that 30 minute clip had a loss of 4 frames of audio.
Others replied to my original post and shared their stories of these cameras creating a new clip every 12 minutes with HD footage, and losing frames of video and audio at the end of those clips. So I tested this in HD and found that the camera did NOT create the 12 minute clips like I thought it would.
Any thoughts?
Eric
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