Re: Received footage copied from optical disc to hard drive via Windows Explorer - any hope?

Thanks Ian.

I would think it would be to EVERYBODY'S benefit for Sony to add what should be a small amount of additional functionality to the existing utility so it can process this file structure anywhere it is found, rather than just on optical media. Prior to this my own experience was limited to P2 media and AVCHD media, both of which can simply be copied off onto a hard drive at the raw file level as long as the entire directory structure is preserved, so this whole situation is a new thing for me.

The Sony rep I spoke to yesterday, who helped me discover what the problem was, seemed astonished that it could have occurred. In fact he said flat-out that you'd have to almost TRY to make this mistake. However, looking through the Internet knowing what I know now, I can see how easy it would be for someone unfamiliar with XD-Cam to make this error, and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more, at least at the nonbroadcast level. When a PDW-U1 drive is connected to a Windows-based computer with no other driver installed, Windows installs a generic USB mass-storage driver, making the raw file structure visible and available for copying. The smart thing for Sony to do, I suspect, would be to set up the firmware so the drive appears as a proprietary device and won't install at all except with the correct Sony drivers in place. Then this really COULDN'T happen.

What happened here is that a local crew was engaged in Denmark and in turn rented the multi-camera package from a Denmark rental house. The PDW-U1 drive was supplied as part of the rental but without a computer, driver install disc or manual. Since it operated when connected to the client's notebook computer, the entire contents of each optical disc was copied to its own hard drive folder. Yes, the local crew, which uses XD-CAM extensively, should have known better. Not sure what happened there but the effect is on the visiting US client who has no recourse in Denmark. And MY company hired the crew, so we're the ones on the hook here.

For those familiar with XD-CAM the idea of raw-copying the files off the drive may seem barbaric but for those unfamiliar it's clearly an easy trap to fall into. And since the ENTIRE structure was copied - all the subfolders and all the XML files, etc., the data is THERE to do the muxing. It's just that no software has been developed to do it.

I'd be thrilled to hear that your prediction was wrong and that there actually is an in-house utility to do the impossible.

Best,

Pete