About the P2 card not being recognized on Mac laptops at DVinfo.net

Sergio Perez · August 23rd, 2005, 10:42 PM

I've heard of the unix driver workaround. Would the installation of this driver mess up with my Powerbooks partitions and overall performance? Would I still be working on OS X?

Is Panasonic working on this, actually, or did they leave it windows compatible only?

I own an expensive 17" Powerbook and really don't want to feel ridiculous for having to use my girlfriends 15"2 years old toshiba windows laptop to dump the files... I invested a lot on this thing for it to feel useless in production! And I will need to keep my camera recording while I dump the files, since I'll be doing event coverage! 1800 $ "2x windows laptop price" P2 store my %$^%!!

Mathieu Ghekiere · August 24th, 2005, 04:19 AM

I think they will come up with a solution. Many people edit on a mac, so I think Panasonic won't ignore that.

Peter Richardson · August 24th, 2005, 01:14 PM

Yes, Panasonic is pitching seamless integration with FCP, so I imagine they will have to come up with a solution.

Peter

Sergio Perez · August 25th, 2005, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Richardson

Yes, Panasonic is pitching seamless integration with FCP, so I imagine they will have to come up with a solution.

Peter

Yes, this seems to be the logical thing to do, but they have been dead quiet about the issue, and this problem is out since the introduction of the spx 800- which was many months ago...

Riley Harmon · August 25th, 2005, 02:41 PM

final cut pro 5 (newest) has a direct import from P2 card feature already built in

Sergio Perez · August 25th, 2005, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riley Harmon

final cut pro 5 (newest) has a direct import from P2 card feature already built in

The problem is not with the software, but with the cardbus not recognizing the card. Even tough FCP 5 can import the files, it can't "see" the card on the desktop. It can, however, import the file if it was already saved on the desktop. In order to pass the video files to your desktop on a Mac, you have to either dump the files with the camera or with the $1800 (gulp!) P2store. Bare in mind that on a Pc laptop you just plug in the card on the cardbus slot and voila, it's there for download.

And what does this do for your workflow? Yo can't record "Non stop" with the camera if you are relying on a Mac laptop to dump the information, which means an additional investment on a PC laptop, which is something many Mac users really don't want to do and will mess up with their entire workflow. Ah, the tought of going back to windows is making me nuts !

Patrick Jenkins · August 25th, 2005, 11:50 PM

Is this a filesystem problem, or an actual hardware problem? Cardbus is Cardbus - pretty standard interface. If Panasonic broke the spec that's a pretty big blunder on their part.

My money is on a software filesystem related issue (write new software - trivial fix). Flash memory cards usually have some FAT variant filesystem. It's easy, it's cheap, it works everywhere. But your limited to a maximum filesize (FAT32 limit is 2/4GB which most flash cards use - also very bad for error recovery). When working with big video files, a limit on file size and lack of CRC isn't good.

Panasonic probably implemented some sort of new filesystem on these cards which Macs can't recognize yet. Which makes sense why you could see it on Linux. I have no idea what format might be, but as there's a linux driver floating around to allow you to access the card it's clear that it's not a hardware issue at work.

No worries.. it'll be working sooner or later.

(this is all speculation)

Jaime Valles · September 8th, 2005, 09:18 PM

You could bypass the laptop entirely and dump directly from the P2 card that's inserted in the HVX to an off-the-shelf external USB2 hard disk connected to the camera. Then plug the hard disk to the PowerBook and bingo.

EDIT: Oops, I just saw that you need to keep recording while you dump the footage. The USB2 dump doesn't work while the camera's recording, I believe. Nevermind. But I'm sure Apple will have all this figured out by the time the HVX is available.

Jan Crittenden Livingston · September 11th, 2005, 12:40 AM

Apple is working on it. It is about their OS not recognizing the PCMCIA slot as a Hard Drive.

Best,

Jan

Graeme Nattress · September 11th, 2005, 06:21 AM

But when I put my compact flash card into my laptop mac via a PC card adapter, it appears as a drive???

Also, why is the nice five card reader so darned expensive???

Graeme

Sergio Perez · September 12th, 2005, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jan Crittenden Livingston

Apple is working on it. It is about their OS not recognizing the PCMCIA slot as a Hard Drive.

Best,

Jan

Jan, can you confirm this being fixed at launch? This is essential for my proposal for my company to invest on the camera.

Thanks

Sergio

Jan Crittenden Livingston · September 16th, 2005, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sergio Perez

Jan, can you confirm this being fixed at launch? This is essential for my proposal for my company to invest on the camera.

Sergio, this would be a question better asked at Apple. I am not even their employee, but I do know they are aware of the situation and are working on it.

Best,

jan

Ivan Hurtado · September 16th, 2005, 06:28 AM

Three months till the camera is under the tree. I think it´s plenty of time for apple to fix the problem.

Jan Crittenden Livingston · September 18th, 2005, 01:25 PM

Sergio:And what does this do for your workflow? Yo can't record "Non stop" with the camera if you are relying on a Mac laptop to dump the information.

Hi,

I am assuming you mean with the PCMCIA slot. You should be able to do this eventually as Apple is aware of the OS situation and the P2 card. They are working on it.

Best,

Jan

Federico Martini Crotti · September 20th, 2005, 04:41 PM

Hope Apple takes care of those of us who already have a PBook. Hope Panasonic presses on it. Many of us will buy the HVX only if all this works fine.

August 23rd, 2005, 10:42 PM	#1
Sergio Perez Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Macau Posts: 331	About the P2 card not being recognized on Mac laptops I've heard of the unix driver workaround. Would the installation of this driver mess up with my Powerbooks partitions and overall performance? Would I still be working on OS X? Is Panasonic working on this, actually, or did they leave it windows compatible only? I own an expensive 17" Powerbook and really don't want to feel ridiculous for having to use my girlfriends 15"2 years old toshiba windows laptop to dump the files... I invested a lot on this thing for it to feel useless in production! And I will need to keep my camera recording while I dump the files, since I'll be doing event coverage! 1800 $ "2x windows laptop price" P2 store my %$^%!! __________________ If you don't believe in your film, no one else will.

August 25th, 2005, 11:50 PM	#7
Patrick Jenkins Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 382	Is this a filesystem problem, or an actual hardware problem? Cardbus is Cardbus - pretty standard interface. If Panasonic broke the spec that's a pretty big blunder on their part. My money is on a software filesystem related issue (write new software - trivial fix). Flash memory cards usually have some FAT variant filesystem. It's easy, it's cheap, it works everywhere. But your limited to a maximum filesize (FAT32 limit is 2/4GB which most flash cards use - also very bad for error recovery). When working with big video files, a limit on file size and lack of CRC isn't good. Panasonic probably implemented some sort of new filesystem on these cards which Macs can't recognize yet. Which makes sense why you could see it on Linux. I have no idea what format might be, but as there's a linux driver floating around to allow you to access the card it's clear that it's not a hardware issue at work. No worries.. it'll be working sooner or later. (this is all speculation) __________________ PAL shooter in NTSC territory

September 11th, 2005, 12:40 AM	#9
Jan Crittenden Livingston Panasonic Broadcast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Secaucus, NJ 07094 Posts: 271	Apple is working on it. It is about their OS not recognizing the PCMCIA slot as a Hard Drive. Best, Jan __________________ Jan Crittenden Livingston Panasonic Solutions Company, Product Manager for 3D and Handheld Cameras

September 11th, 2005, 06:21 AM	#10
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	But when I put my compact flash card into my laptop mac via a PC card adapter, it appears as a drive??? Also, why is the nice five card reader so darned expensive??? Graeme __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

September 16th, 2005, 06:28 AM	#13
Ivan Hurtado Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Granada, Spain Posts: 75	Three months till the camera is under the tree. I think it´s plenty of time for apple to fix the problem. __________________ IvI

August 24th, 2005, 04:19 AM	#2
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	I think they will come up with a solution. Many people edit on a mac, so I think Panasonic won't ignore that.

August 24th, 2005, 01:14 PM	#3
Peter Richardson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 608	Yes, Panasonic is pitching seamless integration with FCP, so I imagine they will have to come up with a solution. Peter

August 25th, 2005, 02:41 PM	#5
Riley Harmon Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 424	final cut pro 5 (newest) has a direct import from P2 card feature already built in

September 8th, 2005, 09:18 PM	#8
Jaime Valles Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: New York City, NY Posts: 316	You could bypass the laptop entirely and dump directly from the P2 card that's inserted in the HVX to an off-the-shelf external USB2 hard disk connected to the camera. Then plug the hard disk to the PowerBook and bingo. EDIT: Oops, I just saw that you need to keep recording while you dump the footage. The USB2 dump doesn't work while the camera's recording, I believe. Nevermind. But I'm sure Apple will have all this figured out by the time the HVX is available.

September 18th, 2005, 01:25 PM	#14
Jan Crittenden Livingston Panasonic Broadcast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Secaucus, NJ 07094 Posts: 271	Sergio:And what does this do for your workflow? Yo can't record "Non stop" with the camera if you are relying on a Mac laptop to dump the information. Hi, I am assuming you mean with the PCMCIA slot. You should be able to do this eventually as Apple is aware of the OS situation and the P2 card. They are working on it. Best, Jan __________________ Jan Crittenden Livingston Panasonic Solutions Company, Product Manager for 3D and Handheld Cameras

September 20th, 2005, 04:41 PM	#15
Federico Martini Crotti Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Uruguay Posts: 57	backward compatible Hope Apple takes care of those of us who already have a PBook. Hope Panasonic presses on it. Many of us will buy the HVX only if all this works fine.