If you are experiencing the buffering problem, read/post here only

[Fred Davis]

Originally Posted by Matt Lawrence

Yes, the Media Empty function probably zero outs data. Has anyone done this on their FMU128 and still had the problem?

Yes I did this twice and still had problems with all of my cards including the Memory Stick that Sony sent me...So it is very frustrating to be out shooting and miss a scene due to the errors

[Fred Davis]

Originally Posted by Adam Welz

Hi All

Having been buffer overflow-free for over 2 weeks now, and shooting a LOT every day, I thought I'd dodged the bullet -- I have been doing MEDIA EMPTY operations on all my media every now and then, and using a MemoryStick as my primary slot media instead of SDHC, with the understanding that buffer overflow-and-freezes only happened with SDHC cards.

Anyhow, today, less than ten seconds into a shot I got a buffer overflow while recording to a MemoryStick and the FMU128 simultaneously. I had a complete freeze and had to take the battery off the camera to get anywhere. When I powered back up again I went through the clip recovery process for the FMU and the MemoryStick, but the clip was NOT recovered.

This is bad!

My specs: Recording to FMU + Sony MemoryStick PRO-HG Duo 16GB, 25 fps prog scan FX footage to both, LPCM audio.

Adam

I agree it did this to me in Florida while I was shooting migratory birds on their morning flight and guess what???

I missed the shot!!! I was shooting 1080/30p but decided to switch to 1080/60i to fix the problem and still had buffering issues....I am thinking of taking this camera back and going with EX-1r

I am real heated with this situation

[Marshall Levy]

This is being worked on by Sony as this is being typed. I'm getting new equipment from them in the next week or so to do some additional testing.

As of now, I've had the buffer issue happen five times.

Equipment being used is a combination of two cameras, two readers, 6 different SDHC cards, etc, all logged and documented with as many recording variations as possible.

The buffer issue has come up anywhere from within a few seconds of recording to several minutes so there's no found consistency as of now with this.

The primary consistent issue/setup is when recording in HD on BOTH the card and reader.

Unfortunately, I won't be at NAB next week as I have too much to do here, but will be in contact with certain people as applicable.

If anyone will be at NAB, and plan to stop by / say anything to Sony, let me know....I have some info that can be passed on...

[Marshall Levy]

Originally Posted by Ryan Mason

Well I talked to sony yesterday, got a much better response from them this time, they are looking into this, and trying to figure out what is going on, so that is good, but really have nothing to offer at this point. It was suggested that if the camera locks up, to hit the reset button on the control panel under the LCD, it is a recessed button and you need a paper clip or something to hit it. I was told this may speed up the recovery time to get us up and recording sooner. Hopefully they can get this figured out soon.

Now, I am trying to find a "safe" recording manor. I know that everyone that has had it happen had it happen when recording HD to both the FMU and SD card. Is this because that is the main way people are recording. Has anyone used the camera extensively recording in a different manor. I don't really need 2 copies of what is being recorded, so if just recording to the FMU, or to an SD card is much safer, that is the way I will do it. I just really like the idea of a back up and once I have a copy I can delete the duplicate.

Ryan

Hey, Ryan. The issue is consistent when recording HD to both the cards and reader. To be "safe" - at least for now - just record to one media and not both. Since there is no consistency with the timing and frequency of this issue, there's no guessing of it actually happening until it's too late. If it was me, and with what I'm doing, I'm recording ONLY to the cards and not the reader. I have been testing these cameras for a few weeks now and have run countless hours on them and the error has happened five times thus far and the timing of when the error takes place is completely sporadic. I've gone a few days with no errors and then all of a sudden, have it happened twice within just a few hours.

[Ron Evans]

Has anyone had this happen just recording to the FMU?

Ron Evans

[Adam Welz]

I did a Media Empty on all media and was buffer overflow-free for about 10 days -- they had been happening more often before that.

If a bad sector or some sort of corruption is causing this, why has Sony not managed to figure it out yet? It would be fairly simple to corrupt something and check if it triggers an overflow -- but perhaps they're not even thinking down this line???

If Media Empty operations help keep one buffer overflow-free, Sony really needs to make them possible on battery power so you can do them in the field -- at the moment the operation can only be done when linked to mains power, which is LESS reliable than battery power in much of Africa!

Cheers

Adam

[Marshall Levy]

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

Has anyone had this happen just recording to the FMU?

Ron Evans

Unless I've overlooked any recent posts for whatever reason, this issue is only taking place when recording in HD to BOTH the SDHC/MemoryStick & FMU128. As for the card, it's not making much difference between Class 4, 6, or 10, or sizes amongst 16GB and 32GB.

Adam -- Why would there be any difference between using a NPF battery or AC power? The issue has been noted either/or and as long as the power is consistent it shouldn't have much to do with it. It's leaning more towards the transport of data when done simultaneously among both recording mediums/methods.

I'll report back again soon.

[Ron Evans]

You can only do a Media Empty with mains power. It doesn't work with battery power.

Ron Evans

[Adam Welz]

Marshall, I was referring to the MEDIA EMPTY operation, not the buffer overflow issue -- the NX5 will not allow you to do a MEDIA EMPTY when on battery power, and I think this is a problem.

Adam

[Jeff Bradt]

I was recording HD to both FMU and 16GB Sony Memory Stick ProDuo Mark2.

Lost the current clip being recorded and also a clip from earlier in the day. Other clips on the card were not affected.

[Bob Collier]

SDHC (HD) AND FMU (HD)
1080/60i FX
LPCM
Sandisk 16GB Class6

Happened about 10 seconds into recording. It went into recovery mode. After 10 minutes I turned it off. It remained in recovery mode. I pressed the reset. The camera offered to recover the clip. I said "yes". It did not recover the clip.

I formatted both cards just before this occurred. I probably don't have more than 10 hours on the camcorder, cards or FMU.

Unless Sony has a fix in the next few days, both NX5Us are going back. This is unacceptable.

[Curtis Anderson]

Many on this forum have done a great deal of testing and many have experienced ' buffer overflow '. I have worked with AVCHD format for several years and suggest NOT using FX mode but instead use the FH mode. I won't go into detail here, but if those having problems with the NX5U and ' buffer overflow ' , please prove me wrong. Unless someone using FH mode has a problem, I feel very safe to shoot clips of my own son's upcoming wedding in May using just one camera, the NX5U.. I also welcome any good reason to shoot in FX over FH mode. I am very HAPPY with the NX5U. By the way, I shoot FH 1080/60i both to the FMU128 and Sony Pro Duo 4gb mark 2 chips. I burn the chips to dvds, dump the FMU128 to a hard drive after several recorded events, and feel everything is well backed up and protected. Yes, on long projects I do have to change out the 4gb chips, but I never shoot any clip over 25 mins. and should I need too, I still have the FMU.

[Nick Popa]

Why do so many people need to record to the cards and FMU? Can't you just duplicate the clips on your editing system anyway? I am not trying to sound like a jerk or anything, I just can't find a reason why people really need to have two copies of the same clips when they could just duplicate it themselves, especially when a known problem exists.
Thanks! -Nick

[Marshall Levy]

Originally Posted by Nick Popa

Why do so many people need to record to the cards and FMU? Can't you just duplicate the clips on your editing system anyway? I am not trying to sound like a jerk or anything, I just can't find a reason why people really need to have two copies of the same clips when they could just duplicate it themselves, especially when a known problem exists.
Thanks! -Nick

I think many record to both mediums for the purposes of backup (many are still worried about not using tape). At the same time, I'm in the midst of filming a sitcom for ABC and the duplicate recording is crucial in that one copy goes immediately to editing and the other is immediately archived. It's required in this particular instance due to the required completion dates on each episode.

Getting to the fun-filled buffer issue, I'll be calling again on Monday morning and will post back accordingly. I'm supposed to get new equipment to test but we shall see.

[Adam Welz]

Hi Marshall

posted elsewhere, but had a buffer overflow and freeze the other day and due to stressful circumstances I pulled the FMU off the unit instead of the battery while the screen was black with 'Recovering data.' showing -- and was amazed that a warning message to the effect that data writing to the FMU had been interrupted due to removal of the device flashed up!

So it seems the cam is not totally frozen after the buffer overflow -- there's still some part of it's stupid electronic brain active.

The clip, needless to say, was not recovered to either of the recording media in spite of going thru the motions on restart.

Adam