New media transfer software

[Bruce Schultz]

If like me you prefer to have your transfers checksumed for verification you probably use either Sony ClipBrowser for SxS footage or Shotput Pro for SxS and other media like CF card NanoFlash files. This company has a new software transfer program out that does pretty much what Shotput Pro does, with one very interesting extra feature. It will email/SMS you when the transfer finishes to let you know it's done. If you are like me and start the final transfer while you wrap at the end of the shooting day, you probably put the transfer station off to the side and either glance over at it or walk over to it to check progress. Now you can concentrate on getting your gear put away and when the transfer finishes, your phone lets you know from wherever you are. Love it.

The transfer times don't seem any faster than Shotput Pro and the software costs a little less at $79 - Mac or PC versions available. It's designed to work with Arri Alexa SxS .MOV footage, but it works with CF card MOV files - don't know about MXF files or Sony EX MP4 clips.

It's available for 15 day trial here;
Al3xa Data Manager - Alexa Digital Data


Disclaimer: I have nothing whatsoever to do with this company or it's products.

[Conrad Hunziker]

Sorry for the late reply, I was waiting for my account to be authorized to post.

I need to clear up the air here. Al3xa Data Manager currently only supports downloading from Al3xa formatted SxS cards. It does not currently support any of the Convergent Design products. It will download everything it finds, but doesnt do some of the intelligent checking that it does for the Al3xa SxS media, or that R3D Data Manager does for Red Media.

That said, we have been in discussions with Convergent Design, and they have been extremely helpful. We will have a product soon that does fully support all of Convergent Designs products, including the Gemini. This will be an extension of the Al3xa Data Manager product.

Additionally, Al3xa Data Manager goes beyond what Shotput does, in that it does a true checksum and verification. Shotput, the last time I checked it, does a read-back method so that it checks the destination against the source. But once the source is deleted (as it must be for Red Media, Alexa SxS, etc) then there is no way to re-verify he footage. R3D Data Manager and Al3xa Data Manager use computer industry standard methods for generating checksums, and then store the checksums alongside the footage. You can use any tool at any time to re-check the footage, including our software, and know that this copy is exactly as it was first read the first time it was copied, even if this is generations later.

Theres a whole list of features that our software does, and its being used on some of the biggest 3D blockbusters shooting now, worldwide.

We are proud to be working with Convergent Design, and hope to have a version out soon that will fully support their products.

Full Disclosure: Yes, I do have a financial interest in the software and company.