Here is what I think I have been told. after I bring in the files from the CF
cards (from Nanoflash) and they are on my HD. I can just drop the files from the HD to the user data part of the XDCam disc on the U1 and that is all there is to it.

Is this correct?

After I do my editing I can also take those files and drop them on the disc?

Dear Ray,

Personnally, I have not worked with the Sony U1, but, as I understand it, you are correct.

You can put anything you want, including any of our files in the user area.

If you record at 50 Mbps Long-GOP, then you can put it into the main file area, so that the Sony Cameras and Decks can play the files.

(I hope anyone with more knowledge of this will post their experience. I learned the above from Alister Chapman, but I may have it wrong.)

Here is what I think I have been told. after I bring in the files from the CF
cards (from Nanoflash) and they are on my HD. I can just drop the files from the HD to the user data part of the XDCam disc on the U1 and that is all there is to it.

Is this correct?

After I do my editing I can also take those files and drop them on the disc?

Hi Ray - what you describe is correct, but it's only half the story. You CAN drop the nano files in the User Data folder, just as you can drop any files you like in the User Data folder.

If, however, you drop 50Mbit Long GOP Nano files in the 'Clip' folder, the U1 drivers will create the MP4 proxies for you and the Nano files will then be playable on any Sony XDCAM HD VTR.
If that's important to you then it's worth using the Clip folder. If you just want to back up your Nano files or if they are anything other than 50Mbit long GOP then go ahead and use the User Data folder.

Dave

Putting MOVs in clip folder to create proxies.... is that using Sony software? Or just drag and drop?

Thank all of you for your responses. I am just using this as a permanent backup. I am using the Nano at 100 Mbs so I could not use the clip area

I got scared when I heard of all the Hard drive failures. which is interesting since I have never had but one failure on a HD except once since 1980 and I have had many many computers & HD's since then. I also use a NAS system to backup.

I am also going to use these to back up my many thousand photos.

It seemed like the least cost between LTO-4 and this. The tapes are much less but the least expensive LTO-4 device with ethernet I could find was over $9,000.

Thanks again

I've been using the U1 drive as an archive backup option. I will admit, however, that I really only use it for things I'm sure need to be archived, as opposed to the data I hold on multiple Hard Drives as a backup for clients for a month or two after a shoot before erasing. (As a cameraperson, I want to make sure my clients are sufficiently backed up, but I'm not donating enough PRO-Discs to back up the 500-750 GB that I typically shoot for a longer form documentary unless I get paid for the process.)
Be aware that the smaller (and much cheaper) 23GB pro-discs seem to end up holding closer to 20GB of user data because of reserved areas on the discs, so compute your archive needs accordingly.
In the last 6 months, however, I've had 2 cases in which client-provided hard drives (one Lacie Ruggedized and one Mini-G-Raid) haven't lasted through a production, so I'm very glad I had backups on hand.

Putting MOVs in clip folder to create proxies.... is that using Sony software? Or just drag and drop?

Sorry, should have been clear - you can only put MXFs in the clip folder, not movs.
..but yes you can use the Sony XDCAM Transfer tool to do it, or just drag and drop.

Dave