There is new software available (which we're in the process of evaluating) which would address P2 management issues: HD LOG from Imagine Products.

It will allow P2 clips to be viewed, played, meta-data edited, user tag info edited, imported, exported and even converted to QT all as a stand alone app.

The full version isn't cheap at $699 but it offers P2 managment that so far isn't available anywhere else.

I actually make DVD of the P2 contents I can then take it to a PC and/or edius and make files direct from the DVD.
It only takes a few minutes to render a :30 sec clip from
a .mxf file in Edius.
Why???
Sometimes I need to make a one-file from a 1080 24pA file.
Direct .mxf import into Edius as opposed to copying the QT file in FCP and then messing around with Cinema Tools.
Tell you FCP developer friend to get a PC and Edius and please include that functionality in the next release of FCP.

Robert, what's your opinion so far on HD Log?

Robert,
I looked at the HD Log website. A question. The website seems to imply that it manages direct firewire capture and reads the timecode embeded with the video stream. Is that correct? I have done a couple of shoots with FW directly to Final Cut Pro on a Powerbook, which works fine but you don't get any timecode. Does HD Log fix that problem?

Also, does it allow you to create and upload metadata through the SD card as does P2 Viewer?

I have an assisstant contantly downloading cards on long shoots and he has no time to ue the software to view the footage. The card has to be downloaded, wiped and sent back to the camera. Once the media in on the hard drive of a computer, will HD Log read them or does it have to be on a P2 card to work properly?

I actually make DVD of the P2 contents I can then take it to a PC and/or edius and make files direct from the DVD.
It only takes a few minutes to render a :30 sec clip from
a .mxf file in Edius.
Why???
Sometimes I need to make a one-file from a 1080 24pA file.
Direct .mxf import into Edius as opposed to copying the QT file in FCP and then messing around with Cinema Tools.
Tell you FCP developer friend to get a PC and Edius and please include that functionality in the next release of FCP.

I just got more info on why this workflow is more stable.
It seems that creating a disk image keeps the format of the information in it's native environment (FAT32 I believe). When you drag the contents folder to a new folder it gets copied in OSX's format (HFS+).

The full version isn't cheap at $699 but it offers P2 managment that so far isn't available anywhere else.

Edius "Broadcast" version reportedly offers complete native editing of P2 files with meta-data intact. List price is $999 and runs on Windows.

http://www.canopus.com/products/EDIUSBroadcast/index.php

Edius "Broadcast" version reportedly offers complete native editing of P2 files with meta-data intact.

Just don't expect to work with 720p 25 though. No NLE supports this format yet - only the converters from DV Film and Cineform will allow you access to it.

does [HD Log] allow you to create and upload metadata through the SD card as does P2 Viewer?

I've been using HD Log and I can veryify that the current version does not support upload of metadata through the SD card as does P2 Viewer, however, it does let you edit the metadata and export an XML document that FCP can easily import, and throught that you can map metadata fields to FCP fields.

Once the media in on the hard drive of a computer, will HD Log read them or does it have to be on a P2 card to work properly?

The media need not be on the P2 card itself.

If the P2 Media is in a folder that's identical to the original P2 card, or you create an disk image, HD Log can be used to view the images, and the import time is a fraction of the time it takes FCP to import the image, because HD Log is not converting any media, it's reading the MXF essence directly. When you then convert to FCP compatible QuickTime, then it takes it's time on export.

I used HD Log recently on a four day documentary shoot in the field and we had a PowerBook G4 laptop that we used for ingest and viewing and it worked like a charm. Make sure you're using the latest version of HD Log.

Just don't expect to work with 720p 25 though. No NLE supports this format yet - only the converters from DV Film and Cineform will allow you access to it.

Word is that support for this format should be available in Edius Broadcast version 4, which I believe is due to ship end of June. Check the Canopus forums at that time for confirmation.

I contacted HD Log tech support with regards to my questions above.
Dan Montgomery sent me a response that indicated they were working on being able to edit SD card metadata and that would ready this week.

The techs at Imagine Products don't think there is any timecode embeded on the firewire stream. I read that there was, either on this forum or DVXuser so perhaps that information was wrong to begin with.

Here's a question. What if you MAC doesn't even SEE the P2 card? The HVX is there on my System Profiler under the Firewire tab, but my Disk Utility doesn't see it. I've faithfully followed the instructions in the manual, but alas, no P2 card.

Is the HVX in PC/DUB mode, with the PC MODE menu setting set to "1394 DEVICE"?

...Ghosts in the machine...because TODAY no problems. Maybe I had the powering on sequences wrong. Who knows. But Footage is now residing safely on my drive. Thanks!!