Serious problem with the Samurai

Felix Steinhardt · July 10th, 2012, 06:44 AM

READ FIRST: I might have found the problem and it might not be the samurai.
The files which won´t play right on my pc, play perfectly on another PC.
Two possibilities: 1.The Files become corrupted while copying (USB) because they work fine when played from the samurai HD. 2. My PC harddisk is broken, some sectors work, some won´t.

Will now buy Firewire 800 PCI Express card and a new HD.

Hi,

I bought a Sony FS700 and a Samurai last Friday. Everthing worked well until yesterday.
I recorded some files (using a 500 GB WD disc Atomos recommends) and ingested them into my PC.

Those files would hang up quicktime and if imported into premiere cs 5.5 it would freeze the timeline causing my PC harddisk to start working like hell and never ever stop again.

I recorded some more files, formatted the HD of the Samurai...Nothing, the new files would mess up the PC but all the old files play fine. I went to bed frustrated.

Today I put out the batteries (Battery 1 was almost empty, 6,x Volts), waited a little, put them back on again, started the samurai, formatted the HD, tried again and....it works. The files are ok. It´s not the PC. The files from yesterday still don´t work. I´m happy that it´s ok for now, but if that problem reoccurs on a paid job I´m screwed!

I´m trying to upload a "broken" file on my server at the moment but even this does not work, download aborts at 3 %. I´ll try dropbox now. It would be great if someone at Atomos could look into this.

Edit: Ok, even dropbox is beiing crashed by the file. It doesn´t stop indexing and the whole pc is working like an old 486. Had to reboot in safe mode because dropbox autostarts and starts indexing again crashing the PC.

Edit2: Ok, the problem is there again. I cannot say what causes it.

James Kuhn · July 10th, 2012, 10:25 AM

Felix...have you contacted the Atomos Help Desk with your issue? My second question is, how much RAM are you running? These are large files and with the minimum amount of RAM it could cause performance problems. I have 24GB of RAM on my workstation and I'm using Vegas Pro 11.0.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

J.

Felix Steinhardt · July 10th, 2012, 11:49 AM

16 GB RAM, Core I7 2600K, decent machine.

No, it´s definitely something wrong with the files after they are copied on my PC.

I made a new Premiere project. Took a file on the timeline directly from the samurai HD and the same file previously copied to my system HDD. I can do all things with the file on the samurai HD (and that´s only USB 2.0) but as soon the playback marker hits the same file copied to my systems´ HDD it´s over.

Copying this broken file to another external HDD doesn´t work, too. Cannont be read! Cannot be uploaded anywhere! It´s gone.

But on another PC, the same files work flawlessly when copied from the samurai HDD to the systems HDD. That means, the original files are ok. It´s either the copy process or a faulty system HDD.

Another thing is, that my PC doesn´t recognize the samurai HDD everytime. I often have to disconnect and connect again many times until I see it.

I just got a new HDD. Installing a new system on that one. If that doesn´t work I´ll get the Firewire 800 card.

Felix Steinhardt · July 10th, 2012, 05:45 PM

Installed new HDD
Made new System, reinstalled everything
replaced the USB cable

Problem is gone. I don´t know what it was...

THE SAMURAI IS FINE!

James Kuhn · July 10th, 2012, 07:39 PM

Felix...I'm glad you resolved your issue. I wish we had been able to pin-point the problem, but I've used the 'shotgun' method before myself. Heh, heh! You can always do a 'post-mortum' when you get breather, in the meatime, the equipment is earning it's keep.

Regards,

J.

Bob Hart · July 10th, 2012, 09:51 PM

Felix.

Bad SATA cable connection?? I have had two computers go down with this problem.

The plugs may split and allow intermittent contact. Broken plugs are not easy to see. Try to buy the SATA cables with a small shiny pinch clip on the plugs. The overall design of the SATA cabling system is bad with insufficient shoulder support for assured conductor contact unless you are careful not to sideload the plugs and cable material too inflexible. When you route the cables through the chassis of the computer you may find you need to bend several opposed reverse angles of 45 degrees on the cables to put the ends in a position where sideloads are not imposed on the plugs.

James Kuhn · July 11th, 2012, 10:05 AM

I agree, the SATA cable is poorly designed. I have a G-RAID with an eSATA connector, I have to wiggle the cable to ensure contact.

Regards,

J.

Dave Gosley · September 5th, 2012, 03:52 AM

I have a late 2009 iMac in which I have installed two eSATA ports at the bottom deliberately because the eSATA ports / cables are a poor design. At the bottom - the cables hang - so their gravity does not pull them to any particular side and its been flawless for two years now.

I took out the wifi card and replaced it with an inboard twin eSATA card and now have the ability to run external GRAID drives and other storage devices at eSATA speed for editing.

Thunderbolt is obviously thee way to go - but I don't have a mint in the back garden.

July 10th, 2012, 06:44 AM	#1
Felix Steinhardt Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 54	Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze READ FIRST: I might have found the problem and it might not be the samurai. The files which won´t play right on my pc, play perfectly on another PC. Two possibilities: 1.The Files become corrupted while copying (USB) because they work fine when played from the samurai HD. 2. My PC harddisk is broken, some sectors work, some won´t. Will now buy Firewire 800 PCI Express card and a new HD. Hi, I bought a Sony FS700 and a Samurai last Friday. Everthing worked well until yesterday. I recorded some files (using a 500 GB WD disc Atomos recommends) and ingested them into my PC. Those files would hang up quicktime and if imported into premiere cs 5.5 it would freeze the timeline causing my PC harddisk to start working like hell and never ever stop again. I recorded some more files, formatted the HD of the Samurai...Nothing, the new files would mess up the PC but all the old files play fine. I went to bed frustrated. Today I put out the batteries (Battery 1 was almost empty, 6,x Volts), waited a little, put them back on again, started the samurai, formatted the HD, tried again and....it works. The files are ok. It´s not the PC. The files from yesterday still don´t work. I´m happy that it´s ok for now, but if that problem reoccurs on a paid job I´m screwed! I´m trying to upload a "broken" file on my server at the moment but even this does not work, download aborts at 3 %. I´ll try dropbox now. It would be great if someone at Atomos could look into this. Edit: Ok, even dropbox is beiing crashed by the file. It doesn´t stop indexing and the whole pc is working like an old 486. Had to reboot in safe mode because dropbox autostarts and starts indexing again crashing the PC. Edit2: Ok, the problem is there again. I cannot say what causes it. Last edited by Felix Steinhardt; July 10th, 2012 at 09:37 AM.

July 10th, 2012, 10:25 AM	#2
James Kuhn Major Player Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Merritt Island, Florida Posts: 865	Re: Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze Felix...have you contacted the Atomos Help Desk with your issue? My second question is, how much RAM are you running? These are large files and with the minimum amount of RAM it could cause performance problems. I have 24GB of RAM on my workstation and I'm using Vegas Pro 11.0. Sorry I can't be of more help. J.

July 10th, 2012, 11:49 AM	#3
Felix Steinhardt Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 54	Re: Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze 16 GB RAM, Core I7 2600K, decent machine. No, it´s definitely something wrong with the files after they are copied on my PC. I made a new Premiere project. Took a file on the timeline directly from the samurai HD and the same file previously copied to my system HDD. I can do all things with the file on the samurai HD (and that´s only USB 2.0) but as soon the playback marker hits the same file copied to my systems´ HDD it´s over. Copying this broken file to another external HDD doesn´t work, too. Cannont be read! Cannot be uploaded anywhere! It´s gone. But on another PC, the same files work flawlessly when copied from the samurai HDD to the systems HDD. That means, the original files are ok. It´s either the copy process or a faulty system HDD. Another thing is, that my PC doesn´t recognize the samurai HDD everytime. I often have to disconnect and connect again many times until I see it. I just got a new HDD. Installing a new system on that one. If that doesn´t work I´ll get the Firewire 800 card. Last edited by Felix Steinhardt; July 10th, 2012 at 01:46 PM.

July 10th, 2012, 05:45 PM	#4
Felix Steinhardt Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 54	Re: Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze Installed new HDD Made new System, reinstalled everything replaced the USB cable Problem is gone. I don´t know what it was... THE SAMURAI IS FINE!

July 10th, 2012, 07:39 PM	#5
James Kuhn Major Player Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Merritt Island, Florida Posts: 865	Re: Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze Felix...I'm glad you resolved your issue. I wish we had been able to pin-point the problem, but I've used the 'shotgun' method before myself. Heh, heh! You can always do a 'post-mortum' when you get breather, in the meatime, the equipment is earning it's keep. Regards, J.

July 10th, 2012, 09:51 PM	#6
Bob Hart Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PERTH. W.A. AUSTRALIA. Posts: 4,476	Re: Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze Felix. Bad SATA cable connection?? I have had two computers go down with this problem. The plugs may split and allow intermittent contact. Broken plugs are not easy to see. Try to buy the SATA cables with a small shiny pinch clip on the plugs. The overall design of the SATA cabling system is bad with insufficient shoulder support for assured conductor contact unless you are careful not to sideload the plugs and cable material too inflexible. When you route the cables through the chassis of the computer you may find you need to bend several opposed reverse angles of 45 degrees on the cables to put the ends in a position where sideloads are not imposed on the plugs. Last edited by Bob Hart; July 10th, 2012 at 09:54 PM. Reason: error

July 11th, 2012, 10:05 AM	#7
James Kuhn Major Player Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Merritt Island, Florida Posts: 865	Re: Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze I agree, the SATA cable is poorly designed. I have a G-RAID with an eSATA connector, I have to wiggle the cable to ensure contact. Regards, J.

September 5th, 2012, 03:52 AM	#8
Dave Gosley Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hampshire Posts: 226	Re: Serious problem with the Samurai - Files cause PC to freeze I have a late 2009 iMac in which I have installed two eSATA ports at the bottom deliberately because the eSATA ports / cables are a poor design. At the bottom - the cables hang - so their gravity does not pull them to any particular side and its been flawless for two years now. I took out the wifi card and replaced it with an inboard twin eSATA card and now have the ability to run external GRAID drives and other storage devices at eSATA speed for editing. Thunderbolt is obviously thee way to go - but I don't have a mint in the back garden. __________________ http://www.videoproductionshampshire.co.uk