-
Speeding up P2 import
-
This ‘multiple copies from the card simultaneously’ is very interesting. I’m about to start a job with 5 HVX’s and an HPX and 5 days of fast turn around P2 Production.
I’m planning on using a Dual 2.4Ghz MacBook Pro with a P2 Store hooked up as P2 card Reader to ingest cards (8GB’s and 16GB’s). I want one copy of each card to go to a CalDigit FireWire VR connected to the MacBook Pro via FW800 as a backup, and another copy to go across Gigabit Ethernet network to an eSATA array hooked up to the Edit Mac Pro. When this second copy hits the edit array Raylight does it’s trickery and the FCP editor can cut like a madman.
I understand the demo version of HD Log and also P2 Genie can copy to two specified locations simultaneously.
It sounds too good to be true.
Has anyone had success / problems with a workflow based on one of these programs making simultaneous copies to two locations?
Is there any way to achieve the same result using Finder in OSX – an actual simultaneous dual copy? -
[joshwallacefromnz] “I’m planning on using a Dual 2.4Ghz MacBook Pro with a P2 Store hooked up as P2 card Reader to ingest cards (8GB’s and 16GB’s).”
Bad, bad , bad…. The P2 store is USB only hookup, and will slooooowwwww. you down very much, indeed. I just got the 5 slot reader from Panasonic, and its about as fast as anything else. The only thing faster would be to use the duel adapter, but I’ve still had problems with clips that are spanned across 2 cards. With the 5 slot, I can mount both cards at the same time, and look at them to make sure they are there.
The mirrored RAID array would be the most no brainer solution to having a backup.
-
[joshwallacefromnz] “Has anyone had success / problems with a workflow based on one of these programs making simultaneous copies to two locations?
I do it all the time in Windows, it works fine. Don’t know about the Mac though.Is there any way to achieve the same result using Finder in OSX – an actual simultaneous dual copy?”
In Windows you can just drag and drop the contents to a hard disk, and then go back to the card and drag and drop the contents to a second hard disk. I’d imagine OSX would allow the same, wouldn’t it? -
I’d also very much like to know if there’s a way to copy off the cards to two drives simultaneously.
As I understand it, P2 Genie makes 2 copies, but does so one after the other, doubling the copy time.
I did work out a faster method as follows: Set up two external drives as a mirrored RAID, so writing to the RAID writes to the two drives simultaneously. When done, use Disk Utility to delete the RAID which transforms it into two separate and independent drives.
But I’ve been warned that RAIDing external drives is risky. Back to square one…
Jim
-
Matt,
What kind of problems did you have with spanned clips? When you came to import them into FCP?
By the way, is there really nothing cheaper than the 5-slot unit to connect a P2 card to a Mac over USB or Firewire?
Cheers,
Jim
-
Yes, not ideal I know.
As the proud owner of an original old school P2 Store I ain’t spending 2G on a 5 slot card reader though, so my options are P2 Store into MacBook Pro, P2 Card direct into PowerBook G4 with PCM slot or Duel Adaptor for MacBook Pro which I understand requires rebooting every time you swap a card so that doesn’t sound like a time saver!
I’m still interested to hear peoples thoughts on the quickest and most reliable option for making “simultaneous” copies of P2 cards to two locations. -
“Duel Adaptor for MacBook Pro which I understand requires rebooting every time you swap a card”
That sounds like a total disaster! I haven’t heard anyone complain about that before – can anyone confirm the truth of this?
Jim
-
Time for more tests!
-
Yes, the 5 slot reader is expensive. The problems I had with spanned clips go back to when we started shooting with our HPX2000, I only had 4 gig cards, so I would fill up 2 cards with one shot, then i would have issues with only being able to insert one card at a time into my PCMCIA slot in my Powerbook. I would import one card into FCP, and then when I tried to import the 2nd card, it would take the 1st card’s clip offline. Weird. But that can be solved by just copying hte cards to a HD then importing them when FCP can see all of them in one place. I think it was more of an operator error (never!).
But with the 5 slotter, it is sooo fast and easy to load all 5 cards at once. I am setting up a mirrored raid as I type with my sans digital 2 bay drive enclosure. I’ve always had it set up as a RAID 0 from 2 320 gig seagate drives, but with bare drives getting soooo cheap now, I loaded it with 2 750’s, and i am a happy boy! Then as the other person said, break the raid, stick one on the shelf, and I’m done! Well, except for the editing….
I have the duel adapter for our new MacBook Pros, and i think the issue is trying to eject the adapter itself, not the card. You just eject the card like you would normally(apple+E, don’t use the mouse!) and stick in another card. its pretty fast, but I don’t think they could have made it more bulky and ugly. Its like an elephant trunk hanging off the side of the computer.
Fastest way of copying to 2 places? I think the Mirrored RAID is the way to go. otherwise yes, you can copy from the finder twice, but it will be limited most likely to the drive’s speed, and if you have them on the same data buss in the computer (both on the FW buss for expample)
As far as setting up the external raid, I will do some tests this afternoon if my client doesn’t show up, and will post back.
This is a good discussion!
Matt
-
Phew! The clip-spanning doesn’t sound too bad, then. And neither does the Duel Adapter…
We’re desperately trying to find a way to avoid shelling out 3000 dollars (it costs even more here in the UK!) on the 5-card reader. One possibility is to use the camera itself linked over Firewire and see if it’ll allow us to access the P2 cards as raw data drives.
Well, the AVC Intra board and a bunch of 32GB P2 cards arrive tomorrow – no doubt all will be revealed. I’ll post my findings when I’ve got a handle on things…
Jim
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up