xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. at DVinfo.net

Rainer Halbich · October 21st, 2011, 01:49 PM

I noticed that the camera creates a new file if a video file exceeds 2 gb in size (or 11 min of recording), the problem is that when you put them back together in post, there is a small glitch where the video goes over to the second video file.

Is this a problem with my camera or is this the same with all xa10's?

I sold my xh a1 because I got sick of all the tape errors, and now it turns out that I am not rid of the problem.

I don't have memory cards, does anyone know if the problem goes away if you record to memory card?

Also, what type or internal memory does this camera use? I checked the manual but it does not say anything about a hard drive solid state flash memory, it only says 64gb internal memory.

Kawika Ohumukini · October 21st, 2011, 03:31 PM

I'll try it out tonight.

What are you using to stitch the files together?

Cheers.

Rainer Halbich · October 21st, 2011, 03:48 PM

Adobe cs5.

Robert Young · October 21st, 2011, 04:31 PM

How are you importing the video files?
Are you simply copying them from the camera, or using the transfer software supplied with the camera?
When importing with the transfer software, the divided clips should be automatically restitched together, and the clip naming (date + index number) should be preserved.

Kawika Ohumukini · October 21st, 2011, 09:39 PM

I recorded my iPhone stopwatch which shows tenths of a second. I then copied the two XA10 .MTS video files directly onto a harddrive then import into PP CS5.5 and yes, there is a glitch. Here's the time shown on the iPhone frame-by-frame. This occurs from files directly from the camera and the transfer utility which did not stitch the files.

Frame : Time as read on iPhone
----------
1 : 0.5
2 : 0.5
3 : 0.5
----------
4 : 0.6
5 : 0.6
6 : 0.6 (MXP only, picture goes out of focus)

[ next file ]

7 : 0.8
8 : 0.8
9 : 0.8
----------
10 : 0.8
11 : 0.8
12 : 0.8
----------
13 : 0.9 ...

Best I can tell is it's dropping frames 1-3 in the 2nd movie and replacing them with frames 4-6. So time is right but I'm losing 3 frames of data at the beginning.

On MXP quality, the last frame of the first movie goes out of focus. This does not occur on FXP. Both recording modes have the duplicate beginning frames problem.

I hope that helps.

Mike Beckett · October 22nd, 2011, 12:58 AM

This is common to any AVCHD camera, not just the XA10. You're losing a few frames around the join of the files if you just drag them both onto your timeline. The camera doesn't start a brand new MTS file, it is continuing the previous one, and some information will be missing because some of the frame data is in the previous file!

The individual files need to be combined into one large file, normally using the software that comes with the camera, before it gets into CS5.

See, for example:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/cineform...ing-files.html

You can either get a tool (software that came with the camera), download something free from the web, or (if you're hard core), merge the files together using a DOS command. A bit of searching round the forum here should provide examples.

Kawika Ohumukini · October 22nd, 2011, 02:03 AM

I see. I was just dragging files around. The Pixela Transfer Utility v1.0 that came with the camera doesn't stitch, unless I'm missing a setting somewhere, so I ran it through Avidemux in copy mode, output as .mpeg and that put back the missing 3 frames (edit: I'm not sure if that's the best quality output). The single glitched frame is still there but that's manageable. Thanks.

Jeff Harper · October 23rd, 2011, 01:55 AM

Pixela does not stitch files, sadly. Go here to download mts merger:

http://vontraining.net/download/

Iker Riera · October 23rd, 2011, 01:57 AM

i use this free program here: MTS File Joiner

it joins the files in seconds with no recompression. It was actually made for Vixia users, works like a charm.

Rainer Halbich · October 23rd, 2011, 08:32 AM

The MTS file joiner works like a atom bomb. Thanks a billion.

Kawika Ohumukini · October 23rd, 2011, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iker Riera

i use this free program here: MTS File Joiner

it joins the files in seconds with no recompression. It was actually made for Vixia users, works like a charm.

Excellent. It's fast and the output filesize is exactly the sum of the files I joined so no compression. Thanks.

G. Lee Gordon · January 7th, 2012, 09:44 AM

Are there any file joiner programs for the MAC?

G. Lee Gordon · January 7th, 2012, 03:41 PM

Is there a program like MTS File Joiner for the Mac?

Buba Kastorski · January 9th, 2012, 08:03 AM

this is interesting,
because I don't have any problem with long files from my HF G10, it does start new file every 2 Gb, this is a FAT file system limitation not the camcorder, but I don't have a single frame dropped in between the files;
although my G10 is one of the first ones and straight from Japan, but i don't think it makes any difference.

Jase Tanner · January 9th, 2012, 09:22 AM

As Buba points out this is a FAT limitation so it shouldn't be an issue on a Mac unless you do have a hard drive formatted in that way. Not something you'd normally do for a Mac unless you wanted to share that drive with a PC user.

No idea if such software is made for Mac.

October 21st, 2011, 01:49 PM	#1
Rainer Halbich Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 41	xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. I noticed that the camera creates a new file if a video file exceeds 2 gb in size (or 11 min of recording), the problem is that when you put them back together in post, there is a small glitch where the video goes over to the second video file. Is this a problem with my camera or is this the same with all xa10's? I sold my xh a1 because I got sick of all the tape errors, and now it turns out that I am not rid of the problem. I don't have memory cards, does anyone know if the problem goes away if you record to memory card? Also, what type or internal memory does this camera use? I checked the manual but it does not say anything about a hard drive solid state flash memory, it only says 64gb internal memory.

October 21st, 2011, 03:31 PM	#2
Kawika Ohumukini Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 185	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are devided causes problems. I'll try it out tonight. What are you using to stitch the files together? Cheers.

October 21st, 2011, 03:48 PM	#3
Rainer Halbich Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 41	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. Adobe cs5.

October 21st, 2011, 04:31 PM	#4
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. How are you importing the video files? Are you simply copying them from the camera, or using the transfer software supplied with the camera? When importing with the transfer software, the divided clips should be automatically restitched together, and the clip naming (date + index number) should be preserved. __________________ Bob

October 21st, 2011, 09:39 PM	#5
Kawika Ohumukini Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 185	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. I recorded my iPhone stopwatch which shows tenths of a second. I then copied the two XA10 .MTS video files directly onto a harddrive then import into PP CS5.5 and yes, there is a glitch. Here's the time shown on the iPhone frame-by-frame. This occurs from files directly from the camera and the transfer utility which did not stitch the files. Frame : Time as read on iPhone ---------- 1 : 0.5 2 : 0.5 3 : 0.5 ---------- 4 : 0.6 5 : 0.6 6 : 0.6 (MXP only, picture goes out of focus) [ next file ] 7 : 0.8 8 : 0.8 9 : 0.8 ---------- 10 : 0.8 11 : 0.8 12 : 0.8 ---------- 13 : 0.9 ... Best I can tell is it's dropping frames 1-3 in the 2nd movie and replacing them with frames 4-6. So time is right but I'm losing 3 frames of data at the beginning. On MXP quality, the last frame of the first movie goes out of focus. This does not occur on FXP. Both recording modes have the duplicate beginning frames problem. I hope that helps. Last edited by Kawika Ohumukini; October 22nd, 2011 at 12:39 AM.

October 22nd, 2011, 12:58 AM	#6
Mike Beckett Trustee Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland Posts: 1,569	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. This is common to any AVCHD camera, not just the XA10. You're losing a few frames around the join of the files if you just drag them both onto your timeline. The camera doesn't start a brand new MTS file, it is continuing the previous one, and some information will be missing because some of the frame data is in the previous file! The individual files need to be combined into one large file, normally using the software that comes with the camera, before it gets into CS5. See, for example: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/cineform...ing-files.html You can either get a tool (software that came with the camera), download something free from the web, or (if you're hard core), merge the files together using a DOS command. A bit of searching round the forum here should provide examples.

October 22nd, 2011, 02:03 AM	#7
Kawika Ohumukini Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 185	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. I see. I was just dragging files around. The Pixela Transfer Utility v1.0 that came with the camera doesn't stitch, unless I'm missing a setting somewhere, so I ran it through Avidemux in copy mode, output as .mpeg and that put back the missing 3 frames (edit: I'm not sure if that's the best quality output). The single glitched frame is still there but that's manageable. Thanks.

October 23rd, 2011, 01:55 AM	#8
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. Pixela does not stitch files, sadly. Go here to download mts merger: http://vontraining.net/download/ __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

October 23rd, 2011, 01:57 AM	#9
Iker Riera Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Caracas, Venezuela Posts: 164	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. i use this free program here: MTS File Joiner it joins the files in seconds with no recompression. It was actually made for Vixia users, works like a charm.

October 23rd, 2011, 08:32 AM	#10
Rainer Halbich Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 41	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. The MTS file joiner works like a atom bomb. Thanks a billion.

January 7th, 2012, 09:44 AM	#12
G. Lee Gordon Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 431	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. Are there any file joiner programs for the MAC? __________________ "Get Er Done!!!"

January 7th, 2012, 03:41 PM	#13
G. Lee Gordon Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 431	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. Is there a program like MTS File Joiner for the Mac? __________________ "Get Er Done!!!"

January 9th, 2012, 08:03 AM	#14
Buba Kastorski Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,414	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. this is interesting, because I don't have any problem with long files from my HF G10, it does start new file every 2 Gb, this is a FAT file system limitation not the camcorder, but I don't have a single frame dropped in between the files; although my G10 is one of the first ones and straight from Japan, but i don't think it makes any difference. __________________ I love this place!

January 9th, 2012, 09:22 AM	#15
Jase Tanner Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 346	Re: xa 10 AVCHD files are divided causes problems. As Buba points out this is a FAT limitation so it shouldn't be an issue on a Mac unless you do have a hard drive formatted in that way. Not something you'd normally do for a Mac unless you wanted to share that drive with a PC user. No idea if such software is made for Mac.