I'm using a couple of Sony CX550 along side my main cameras for recording stage shows. They are fantastic little cameras which are difficult to fault, except for something I've just noticed in the audio track. Let me explain.
My main camera shoots 1920x1080i as a 35Mbps MP4 file. The Sony's are set at highest quality 1920x1080i 17Mbps.
The shows usually run without a break for 60-75 minutes. The cameras a switched on and left to run so they go over the 2GB (12 minute) limit but make contiguous files. So the show will have 5 or 6 continuous files.
I usually feed the desk audio into the main camera.
I edit in Premiere CS4. I have had no trouble putting the two formats on a timeline; they play fine and even mix well with the MP4 files from my main camera. I sync the start of each show to a common frame, Usually an audio cue and then disable the tracks from the Sony's (there are 2 or 3) as I only usually need one of those wild tracks at the end for the applause that's no problem, all works well.

I have just shot a show where the audio feed was mixed all wrong. Instead of giving me the record feed they sent and unmixed feed from all inputs , including all open mics backstage, so I need to use one of the Sony tracks. There was one near a speaker so it sounds okay; now the problem.
When I get to the point where the 2GB files meet the picture is frame perfect but there is a gap in the audio of 12 frames at the end of the leading clip. Nothing, just half a second of silence and a short straight line in the waveform.
This is the same for every clip from three cameras. I've looked back at previous work and it is the same. It doesn't seem to make a difference if it's recorded direct to the internal flashdrive, or to SDHC cards.

I have googled and found that some others have reported other Sony AVCHD cams exhibiting something similar, though none as many as 12 frames.

Has anyone else encountered this?. Is it a problem with AVCHD in general at the crossing point of contiguous clips, or the Sony cameras, or CS4?

Any light shed on this will be appreciated.

The answer to this problem has been provided in the post by Michael Bray below Many thanks Michael.

I would say that the easy fix is to use the Content Manager software included with the cam as noted in one of the threads. But, having not experienced the workflow of HD editing, I can't say that is a viable solution for me or anyone else.

Hi George,

I can't speak for the CX550, but I have an older HDR- CX12. That camera had the same problem. The solution was to transfer the footage to the computer via the supplied software "Picture Motion Browser". Though I don't like using PMB, it properly "stitches" the continuous files back together thus eliminating the audio glitch. Again, I can't say for sure that's the answer with your CX550, but many of the other Sony AVCHD cameras if not all of them require either PMB or CMU "content management utility" in order to stitch multiple continuous files back together. PMB is supplied with Sonys consumer AVCHD cams and CMU is supplied with their pro AVCHD cams. If you have access to CMU, that will also work with the files from your CX550 eliminating the need to use the clunky PMB.

Many thanks Michael. That'll teach me to read the handbook.

I was so pleased when I found I could just drag the files off the camera into CS4 and they line up perfectly that I've never loaded the software that came with the camera. The way I've used them up until now has meant that I've never really bothered with the audio. It shouldn't be problem for most of what I do but I'll look out the disc just in case I need that vital half second at some point.

I posted this as I've been praising this camera in another area of the forum and I didn't want anyone to buy one of these on the strength of my enthusiasm only to find this after purchase.

I've experienced the audio glitch problem described if I copied clips from the stream folder to hard drive.

My solution has been to copy the entire AVCHD folder from the card to hard drive (via Windows Explorer). Long clips are stitched together automatically when dropped in my timeline.

you mentioned recording at 17mbs on the cx550. i have the same cam and im sure you know you can record at 24mbs. which is the highest.

you mentioned recording at 17mbs on the cx550. i have the same cam and im sure you know you can record at 24mbs. which is the highest.

Thanks Jim, I do record at 24mbs, my mistake in the post.

I want to reiterate to anyone joining the thread at this point that the cause of my problem as been solved as I have stated above. It's a matter of using the software that is bundled with the camera to strip the files rather than drag and drop as I had been doing.

CVX550 is back on top of my recommend list for anyone looking for this sort of camera.