[D. scott Dobbie]

Russ – you just guided him back to his original post.

-Scott

[D. scott Dobbie]

Sounds like you’re importing the wrong item. On your hard drive, set up new folders and call them Card 1, Card 2, etc. Then transfer the Contents folder AND the LASTCLIP.txt file from the first P2 card into your new Card 1 folder. Repeat for Card 2, etc.

Now go into FCP and select each of these Card folders to import – DO NOT select just the Contents folder that’s inside.

You also didn’t mention the LASTCLIP.txt file that’s on also each P2 Card. This is the file that keeps your spanned clips together (you start shooting on one card and the shot carries onto the second card). You need to be sure to copy this as well.

[D. scott Dobbie]

“. . and also, I’ve heard that each Lastclip.txt file is NOT unique . . . ”

That’s NOT CORRECT. It’s a text file – just open it up and look at it and you’ll see they’re different.

They are also used to link spanned clips, which they could not do if they were all the same.

[D. scott Dobbie]

I also have great results, but with a little different method.

Shot 720/24p and cut in FCP 5.1.4. I export a self-contained QT movie and then import it into DVD SP, where I’ll compress it, using 16:9, 2-pass VBR and setting the bit rate to 7 Mbps with a max of 8.3 Mbps (for an hour-long DVD). Motion Estimation set to Best.

Compressor for me has been buggy in the past – freezing up or crashing after many hours on a render. Haven’t tried it lately since I don’t have the extra day or so it would take to solve an issue. Compressor was also a slower method than letting DVD SP do the compression itself. Again, that might have changed with updates – it’s been 6 months since I’ve used it. And I was doing an Export To Compressor, rather than creating a referenced QT Movie.

Takes me about 10 hours for a 16:9 60-min DVD with a 1.5 GHz PowerBook G4. Did one last weekend and will have another next weekend.

[D. scott Dobbie]

I’m confused as to what you’re asking. Translating a PSA? Do you mean converting it from one format to another? Or was it shot in one language and you’re replicating it into another rather than dubbing it?

I’m not sure how an equipment invoice would dictate if the camera is correct. But yes, the camera is spectacular at shooting PSA’s, Documentaries, Features – pretty much whatever you’d need.

[D. scott Dobbie]

Theoretically the 8 GB cards are on special because they’re being cleared out. Panasonic should be introducing 16 GB cards at NAB for the same price point. 32 GB cards should be out by the end of the year.

[D. scott Dobbie]

I love the picture I get from my .75 zoom-through Century Optics lens. But I don’t do event shooting.

Are you close to the speakers? Maybe the vibration isn’t traveling up the sticks but hitting the camera body directly. With the heavier body weight compared with a small handheld perhaps the wave impact is greater.

[D. scott Dobbie]

“this Firestore HardDrive storage device…”

Unless you have it already, be aware that this forum has PLENTY of entries regarding buggy Firestores. I’d stay far away.

[D. scott Dobbie]

This is bizarre – I just did a search on the .pdf Operating Instructions for “firmware” and came up with zero instances of its use.

Sorry this was of no help.

[D. scott Dobbie]

Thanks. That’s never happened to me. I don’t count the number of clips I should have prior to importing. My fear was that they wouldn’t show in the window and I wouldn’t know what I was missing.

How frequent or constant is this for you?