Don Greening
Forum Replies Created
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You need the PDW-U1 utility software available for both Windows and Mac. You can find it at the bottom of the page here:
https://www.sony.ca/xdcamex/support.htm
– Don
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[Teri Murphy] “Do you see any downside to using the Economy cards, provided that we have the updated firmware? “
Not at all. The new economy cards are good for about 5 years or something like that and I think you’d have to shoot 8 hours a day every day in order to see the cards fail in 5 years. I think that’s how Sony bases their estimate on the life of the cards. Other than the life expectancy there’s no difference in the way the cards record or the speed, which is 800 Mbits sec. just like the SxS Pro Cards.
Don’t forget that Sony is also coming out with their own version of the SDHC cards as well. Worth looking into if you don’t need to shoot a lot of overcranked footage.
– Don
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Sony\’s latest PDF document states that the PMW-EX3 and the PMW-EX30 (deck) will need to have an upgrade to be able to utilize the new SxS economy cards. The upgrade will be available in the spring. There was no mention of an upgrade available for the PMW-EX1.
– Don
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Is that DVD recorder an external one purchased from a third party or is it the internal one that came with your laptop? If it’s the internal one then do a software update (from the Apple Menu) and see if there’s something in the update that resolves the issue. If it’s an external recorder then go to the manufacturer’s web site and look for a software driver that works with Snow Leopard.
I don’t use Snow Leopard so that’s about all I can recommend.
– Don
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If your computer is running Snow Leopard then make sure you have the very latest SxS driver from Sony:
https://www.sony.ca/promedia/drivers.htm
If you don’t then this might be the reason why your Power Book is crashing. Note the version number of the SxS driver currently installed on your machine and compare it to the version at the provided link above.
– Don
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Mark,
The blog at AbleCine has a pretty good article showing the differences when using the Tiffen T1 IR on the EX1. The far red issue is a lot better on the newest version of the EX but it’s not perfect. The PMW-350 looks pretty good though. You can see the article here:
https://blog.abelcine.com/2009/10/29/tiffen-t1-ir-filter-and-the-ex-cameras/
– Don
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The Canadian Sony website has Sony Clip Browser 2.6 for download. Contained in the .zip file is the Users Guide in PDF format. You have to download the Clip Browser for Mac/Win. to get the User’s Guide.
https://support.sonybiz.ca/esupport/eSupportHome.asp
– Don
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[Adam Alphin] “What if I log material on a laptop in order to import the footage later on a workstation at the office? XDCAM Transfer can’t do that right?”
Correct, unless you figure out which XDCAM Transfer preference file is in charge of storing the data and copying that over to your work station for use with another copy of XDCAM Transfer. I don’t think anyone has asked this question before. I think what you really want is a logging and database program that works directly with Final Cut Pro, such as CatDV.
For now, I think the simplest workflow for you would be to use your laptop and Sony’s Clip Browser to copy your BPAV folder to a portable hard drive. Then take your HD to work and use XDCAM Transfer to convert your native EX files to MOV format for FCP. Then you’ll have your clip database available all the time on your computer at work. It’s sort of what I do when I’m transferring cards on-site with my laptop and then connecting that hard drive to my workstation back at the edit suite.
– Don
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[Frank Manno] “How do I make the picture a little sharper?”
Here’s a link to one of Sony’s shooting tips that deals with picture profile settings:
https://www.sony.ca/xdcamex/tips.htm
You’re looking for Shooting Tip #2, specifically the edge detail settings and how to adjust to increase/decrease sharpness.
[Frank Manno] “Any drawbacks to doing this? “
Yes, The more edge detail you dial in the more chance there is to have line twitter present in your image. Not good. Different television displays will handle sharpness better or worse than other displays. It’s also important to adjust edge detail differently depending on your recording format (interlace or progressive). Testing is important before you shoot a whole project and find out later you didn’t choose the right picture profile settings.
– Don
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[Tim Kolb] “Tiffen has an IR filter developed specifically for the purpose of neutralizing this issue. “
…and it’s called the Tiffen T1 IR filter. It’s worth about $140.00 ea. CAD and it’s a “must have” for anyone using an EX1, EX1R or EX3.
You can read a great (but short) article about the issue here:
– Don