Just purchased a Sony fs100 & Sony vg30 for low light wedding use over our Canon XLH1 only to find out that every 2 GBs it splits a file only to lose audio. We have not used these out in the field yet is this true? If so what do you do to avoid this? Really looking for advice thank you very much.

You need to use the software that comes with the camera. It will rejoin everything for you and name the files according to date and time. If you do this the audio will be intact.

M.

No issue Frank

Just download the Content Management Utility from Sony and it will join up any split files without any audio gap. Make sure you get Version 2 ... You connect the camera initially but after that it will just read from the card in your computer's card reader. All AVCHD cameras have split files!

Search the Sony EA-50 forum ..there is an extensive thread on it there and a link to download (free of course)

Chris

Some cameras only ship with version one so make sure you get Version 2 of the Content Management Utility NOT the Content Management Browser!! On Sony website!

I downloaded the sony software and it has asked to plug in my fs100.
Now the question is do I use the utility always to import my sd card
or can I just plug in my card and import into my NLE software.
I am not understanding how the 2 files are joined properly.
Thank you in advance.

I will read that forum Chris

1 more question, do I do this install for each camera vg30 and fs100

Hi Frank,

Before using a Sony utility, I'll ask what do you edit with? With Adobe Premiere, do NOT use any conversion or transfer utility software - copy the ENTIRE contents of the memory card straight to the computer media drive, all folders intact. There is metadata in those folders that is important.

In Premiere, rather than "File > Import" which brings in the broken clips with audio gaps, use "Media Browser" to import. This understands that AVCHD file structure and will intelligently import ONE long clip from the broken parts and that clip will be seamless for editing. Nothing is rewritten, rather it just properly interprets the source media.

I'd read posts that suggest Sony Vegas will do something similar, but have no experience with that. In general, it is best to not "mess with" the source files prior to editing if it can be helped. Depends on the NLE I guess. If you do "convert" the footage somehow, good idea to keep a backup of the unmolested footage as well until the project is delivered. Just in case.

Thanks

Hi Jeff

Yep Vegas will do it as well but I find it's a pain copying the entire file to the drive and then getting the NLE to join the files. Using the Sony utility it simply reads the card in the computer and does the copying for you straight to your folder selected. I just find it way easier.

Frank? You need to connect the FS100 to your computer initially after installing the utility so it can setup the software for a Sony camera. Once that is done, disconnect the camera and the utility will allow you to join and import any Sony AVCHD files on the card directky from your card reader so you only need to connect the camera the first time. The FS and VG use the same structures so cards from either camera will be able to be imported direct from the reader then. If you have been shooting shorter clips simply copy them direct from the reader. You don't need the utility at all. Just be careful though ..if you shoot a LONG clip the card will show MTS0000 as a 2GB file and then MTS0001 as a 2GB file and then MTS00002 as maybe less than 2GB ... the entire clip therefore is made up of all 3 files.

Chris

Well I am a old time pinnacle 16 user, it imports the files fines from the card.
If I do a church wedding I might have both cams running 1 hour straight.
I tried it a few minutes ago and the utility joined the two 11:47 clips together
BUT the file is now 27:41 long
I did check at the 11:47 mark and it is seamless.
I will video a digital timer with music background so I can see what is happening
also under properties the .mts became .m2ts
Thank you once again.
We are excited changing from tape to cards.

Thank to all,
Chris I have it perfect..................
Once again thank you for the support.
Frank

Yep it does change the extension to MT2S for reasons I have yet to fathom out and also gives it a long and awkward file name based on date/time so you might want to rename to make it more visible.

Does anyone know if you can change these parameters in the Utility ...I don't mind an MT2S file but a more sensible extension would be nice!

Chris

Sony have a new content software called Catalyst Browse, which replaces the older content browsers - it will also allow basic colour adjustment and file conversion.
You can find it here:

Sony Creative Software - Catalyst Browse (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/catalystbrowse)

Thanks Paul

I am assuming since you posted in this thread the new utility will also automatically make split files into one clip? It looks interesting so I downloaded it. Will try it out later. The Content Management Utility was a little cumbersome so this might be better??

Chris

Has anyone tried this ?? I have a card with 5 MTS files on it but MTS0002 and MTS0003 are one sequence split when the first clip reached 2GB yet the new software still shows all 5 files where it should be showing the split file as one clip

Is there anything else one has to do to get this software to join the files..if I select both to copy it also shows it as 2 files to be copied not 1

Chris

Hi Chris,

Nope - I have to say, I posted the link, having downloaded it myself and played around with it a bit, but having just checked it out, i doesn't appear to link clips, only allow logging.

My apologies - I only looked at the Sony publicity, who said it was a replacement for the older versions, without checking it myself!

More info from News Shooter at IBC
Newsshooter at IBC 2014: Sony Catalyst Browse and Catalyst Prepare on Vimeo

Hi Paul

What a bummer! It's a really nice easy interface to use and much simpler than the Content Utility too.

If only it would join the files like the old software does!!!

Chris

Sony have a new content software called Catalyst Browse, which replaces the older content browsers - it will also allow basic colour adjustment and file conversion.
You can find it here:

Sony Creative Software - Catalyst Browse (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/catalystbrowse)

Tried the latest build of Catalyst, 1.0.1 today. It will not 'import' and stitch together time code contiguous clips into one long clip. Catalyst has a 'copy' only function and that is all it does, copy. A request has already gone in to the Development team to see if this functionallity can be incorporated into Catalyst. Otherwise Catalyst can't be used for the seamless import and merging of 2GB Fat 32 2GB files which is what AVCHD files are coming off an SDHC card.

Catalyst is useless to color correct AVCHD footage with if you can only 'export' single clips and still end up with audio breaks at every 2GB file boundary. Apart from anything else there is no batch export function in Catalyst. Oh what fun it would be to export a few hundred clips one at a time:) Catalyst has a long way to go before it's close to ready for prime time. Batch export has also been requested of the Dev team.

If using Sony software you do need to use either Content Management Utility or Vegas to seamlessly import and stitch together time code contiguous 2GB clips into one long file.

Another thing I've discovered. CMU is the only software I am aware of that can read the full card file structure from a hard drive as opposed to reading it from a card reader or direct from a camera and correctly do the import and stitch job. Importantly though you must make sure that the WHOLE card structure is sitting on the hard drive for this to work. If you have just the .MTS files you are screwed trying to join them without the card metadata that is required for the job. You will end up with audio breaks at the 2GB file boundaries on the timeline.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

Hi Chris

Yep it's a big pity as they certainly got the interface right. It's simply easy and nice and big compared to CMU which is very cluttered.

I know this sounds crazy but being a Vegas user from Version 4 I have NEVER attempted to use Vegas to stitch the files ... would you say it's easier with Vegas and does Vegas retain the MTS format.... I find it tough having to use the long winded file name that CMU creates.... !

What's the easiest work flow when using Vegas ... Obviously one would need to copy the entire card structure over to the computer otherwise there is no metadata for Vegas to work with.

Chris

As I posted Chris. I cannot get Vegas to see the file structure if it's sitting on a hard drive. Yes if it's on a card in a reader or in a camera. CMU is the only software that I have found that will see the card structure if it's parked on a HDD.

Vegas is the same as CMU in that you get all those long date based names on ingest. Basically I just do a global rename in Explorer to a suitable name for the job in hand.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

Hi Chris

I always import from the card anyway and it works pretty well within Vegas ..yeah the date, time and how much you ate for breakfast file names are a pain ..just like the CMU .... I think Vegas might be a fraction faster than the CMU if one is time saving but both work from the card nicely. Something weird happens if I rename the file in Windows from the numeric file name to something normal like "ceremony1" on my wedding footage. The extension changes from a M2TS file back to a MTS but it plays and edits perfectly in the NLE ... Have you found this as well??

Thanks for the update

Chris