MEP2016 Plus - Using SD Cards

CarpentersMate wrote on 7/14/2023, 11:24 PM

Hi Gang

I picked up a nice used Panasonic HC-V770K Full HD camcorder, (the advantage having an 1/8" Mic Jack Input). It uses SD Cards and I'm thinking about an internal Multi-Card Reader. I have a few questions: When recording an interview, (perhaps a 60 minute piece), I would assume the content would be recorded as ONE large file on the SD Card? Although I'm still learning to use the camcorder, would it be advisable to divide the discussion into smaller pieces by stopping and starting (with the record button), dividing the conversation into (shorter conversations), thus smaller individual file sizes? Would a 60 minute piece (Standard 1080), be too large a file dragging it onto the MEP timeline? And I'm looking at an internal Multi-Port Card Reader HERE. This StarTech model gets higher ratings than others.

As Always Thank You For Your Input (and thank you johnebaker for your support)

Mike 🙂

Comments

AAProds wrote on 7/14/2023, 11:52 PM

@CarpentersMate

Mike, my thoughts:

One large file or multiple small: I don't think it would matter, system-wise. I think your i7 will cope with a 60min AVCHD file. Give it a shot and see how you go.

Card Reader: I would rather not. Repeatedly pulling out SD cards is fraught with danger IMO. Plug your camera into your PC and see if it's card appears in Windows Explorer; if so, you can just copy the files over to one of your HDDs.

If it doesn't appear, you need the HD Writer AE 5.2 camera software. I don't know where you'd get that.

johnebaker wrote on 7/15/2023, 2:57 AM

@CarpentersMate, @AAProds

In addition to Al's comment the camera is very similar to my previous Sony camera - connection by USB cable is the easiest method - see page 211 in the user manual, if you do not have the paper one you can download it here.

I totally agree with Als comment 'Repeatedly pulling out SD cards is fraught with danger', I never pull the cards out to transfer the video/images to my PC, only changing the card is full and need to use a spare.

John EB

emmrecs wrote on 7/15/2023, 3:16 AM

@CarpentersMate @AAProds @johnebaker

One thought occurs to me: depending on the formatting chosen for the card is there not a "danger" that a 60 minute Full HD recording will actually be split into smaller files "automatically"? I know FAT32 has a file size limit of 4GB and, according to this Sony article it seems that exFAT is not recommended for SD cards, I think.

(I write this as someone who has experienced this "problem" - multiple small video files from a single long recording - and then having to join them using TSMuxer.)

This should not be a problem for Mike if his camera includes software that can seamlessly join the separate files; mine, which recorded to internal Hard Disk, did not!

Jeff

johnebaker wrote on 7/15/2023, 4:38 AM

@emmrecs, @CarpentersMate

Hi Jeff, Mike

In my experience there should be no need to join the files prior to import. I had no problem with this on my old Sony camera - it recorded to an internal HDD formatted FAT32 - at FullHD 25 fps the max file size is 2GB, ~ 16mins long.

The longest continuous recording I did was just over 90 mins giving a sequence of 6 files which, on import, joined together perfectly in MEP 2016.

Note if the camera is set to fade in/out on start/end of recording or inserts a blank frame - my first Sony camera did this, then these have to be clipped off. MEP 2016 has a setting for doing this

HTH

John EB

CarpentersMate wrote on 7/15/2023, 5:29 AM

You gentlemen all make perfectly valid points 😀

Shame on me for not grasping this: (I increasingly read comments) about the cheaper card readers where sometimes folks would have to TUG (or) Pull Firmly or sometimes the card wouldn't even fit properly in the cheaper readers. I just thought it might be less stress on the camera = nonsense 😜

(And)

Its one less device I have to purchase and make slot room for in the case.

Yes its true I've got to run the camera thru its paces first.

And BTW johnebaker this is a totally different project about "The 60's Music Scene" in the town I grew up and the first of many bands I joined; inserting discussions from other musicians, classmates and friends, using archival 60's footage and stills of New York City and North Jersey. A mixture of many different file sizes.

Thanks everyone (Glad I checked in) 😅

testataan wrote on 7/20/2023, 9:31 AM

Hi Gang

I picked up a nice used Panasonic HC-V770K Full HD camcorder, (the advantage having an 1/8" Mic Jack Input). It uses SD Cards and I'm thinking about an internal Multi-Card Reader. I have a few questions: When recording an interview, (perhaps a 60 minute piece), I would assume the content would be recorded as ONE large file on the SD Card? Although I'm still learning to use the camcorder, would it be advisable to divide the discussion into smaller pieces by stopping and starting (with the record button), dividing the conversation into (shorter conversations), thus smaller individual file sizes? Would a 60 minute piece (Standard 1080), be too large a file dragging it onto the MEP timeline? And I'm looking at an internal Multi-Port Card Reader HERE. This StarTech model gets higher ratings than others.

As Always Thank You For Your Input (and thank you johnebaker for your support)

Mike 🙂

Panasonic HC-V770 records max. 50 mp4 or 28 Mbit/s AVCHD Mbit/s

50*3600s = 180,000 Mbit/1h = 22500Mt/h.

Your Panasonic automatically distributes the files (Fat32) less than 4GB = 4096Mt

When I use the memory card reader, I always turn on the card lock. Then, for example, Mep 2016plus will not write any of its own files there.

The new cards are now so cheap, that I use them as a backup, although you can write on them a few times almost without worry. The slowest (read cheapest) V10 class card is enough for you, you can practically write a ton of 50mbit/s, i.e. 6,25Mt/s, which they are marketed for.

In theory, it is always possible that there will be problems with the automatic splicing point of the video file (e.g. a small clip is left out). => When playing on the safer side, you can break. I have sometimes given the camera pictures for 2 hours straight, without problems.

Otherwise, you can use it with a 5v USB Power Bank

I am sorry my eglish