Something silly is happening when I dump data to a disk.

Using MBP Unibody 17", FCP 7.0.3, and a 6TB eSATA RAID for scratch n capture.

I can Log n Transfer without issues directly from the GH2's card via a cheapo card reader.
I back the footage up by copying the entire "PRIVATE" directory into a named dated folder. L&T will mount this directory, even let me preview all the footage, and will correctly transcode ~2/3rds of the clips.

The remainder of the clips stop transcoding with an exclamatory stop sign, complaining "error: no data." Clearly, this is not the case. I can play the clips through in VLC with no glitches.

A client has also stated they're having this same problem with GH2 data I sent on via data DVD. I don't know their setup.

In each case, the data structure 'seems' intact once copied, at least as per size, number, names, and locations of files.

Where's the stupidity cropping up?

I don't have ClipWrap to use as a workaround, and want to figure out where the trouble is so I can relay a fix to my client, as well.

Don't backup by copying just the Private directory as you need a copy of the entire card for L&T to work correctly. After you have opened the card in L&T then right click on the card name & use the Create Disk Image function. This will clone the card to a .DMG file that can then be mounted etc & used just as though it were the SDHC card.

L&T is very picky about the exact card contents. I have deleted .MTS files that were no longer needed from a card (or .dmg clone) but later when I tried to use L&T it crashed FCP as presumably the metadata on the card did not match up with the actual contents & it didn't handle the error condition well. To retrieve the video files I ended up having to buy ClipWrap which does work well but is not required if you use Log & Transfer properly.

After exhaustive testing, the problem is with my RAID, not FCP or the GH2 footage. When I copy the PRIVATE directory to the laptop hard drive, it L&T's without issue. When copied to the RAID, files sometimes become corrupt and won't L&T properly.

Serious problem, but little to do with the camera or the software.

Kevin,

There are literally dozens of eSATA solutions on the market today, and depending on which setup you've got the issue could be either the enclosure or, the card that connects your system to the enclosure.

Many of the eSATA setups use their own built-in management system to supposedly "optimize" how the data is moved and stored. These are generally designed for the home user who wants just mass external storage, not a video pro who needs "raw" storage for media files.

It's these built-in routines that constantly cause headaches for FCP during the communication handshaking process. Tell me the make/model of your eSATA setup and I might have a solution to keep this from happening.

PS: I don't monitor the forums nearly as much as I used to so don't hesitate to email me directly if you're in a mission-critical deadline situation.