EX1 orphaned MP4 files solved! at DVinfo.net

David W Williamson · June 23rd, 2008, 08:44 AM

I, like many others, orphaned my EX1 footage files by copying only the footage folders off of the SxS card, not the entire BPAV folder struction like I should have. After days of trying all the suggestions I got, which included recompression to another format, waiting until July for the new Clip Browser software release, and "you should have read the manual," I finally stumbled upon the easiest, fastest way of accessing my footage the way Sony intended: the camera itself!

If you copy the footage folders (with the MP4 and its contents) into their proper place in a standard EX1 folder structure on to your SxS card, just like the camera creates on its own, when you put the card in to the camera, you'll get a message saying "Media needs to be restored" and an 'execute/cancel' prompt. Choose execute, and a few moments later (literally, not longer than 20 seconds), you orphaned MP4 files are recognized by not only the camera, but the Sony Clip Browser and even the Sony FCP plug in!

To futher clarify, take a blank SxS card, put it in the EX1, record some video, then pull it up on your computer in whatever method you use. Then open BPAV > CLPR and there you'll see a footage folder. Delete this folder and then copy your orphaned footage folders to that same location. Once copied, put the card back in the camera (or disengage USB mode) and you should get the 'media needs to be restored' message.

This was tremendous help to me in my current project. I hope it helps someone else as well!

Craig Seeman · June 23rd, 2008, 08:55 AM

Keep in mind that many people with orphaned MP4s don't have EX or SxS cards or readily available folder structure to modify.

I've heard from editors being handed orphaned MP4s (they do not have EX camera). There also people who work for facilities in which the EX happens to be out the door/on a shoot when they run in to this issue.

David W Williamson · June 23rd, 2008, 10:32 AM

Craig, this fix definately involves having an EX1 handy as is plain to see based on my description of how the fix works (or at least I tried to describe it plainly). For those that don't, I do not have an answer.

Rob Collins · June 23rd, 2008, 06:21 PM

Might this method also allow one to put edited sequences back to SxS? Guessing not, but it sounds close!

Diego Marcone · June 23rd, 2008, 10:04 PM

Hi. Not shure if I understood correctly What you have mentioned but if it is the same problem I've had when I first Copied a full SxS card whit footage to my laptop by copying only the CLPR folder and, as a result, I wasn't able to see the files on Clip browser. I solved this By using the import comand on the Clip Browser Software and importing manually each MP4 file to the clip browser. It creates a new folder whit a new flie structure and new MP4 files, but you can access the clips preview them on Clip borwser and export them to MXF.

David W Williamson · June 24th, 2008, 10:16 AM

that works as well, but as you mentioned, you have to do each file individually. By copying a whole set of footage folders to the CLPR folder, you can get access to them all at once like normal using the camera restore method I described. It's much faster than importing each clip by itself.

June 23rd, 2008, 08:44 AM	#1
David W Williamson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: North Las Vegas, NV Posts: 62	EX1 orphaned MP4 files solved! I, like many others, orphaned my EX1 footage files by copying only the footage folders off of the SxS card, not the entire BPAV folder struction like I should have. After days of trying all the suggestions I got, which included recompression to another format, waiting until July for the new Clip Browser software release, and "you should have read the manual," I finally stumbled upon the easiest, fastest way of accessing my footage the way Sony intended: the camera itself! If you copy the footage folders (with the MP4 and its contents) into their proper place in a standard EX1 folder structure on to your SxS card, just like the camera creates on its own, when you put the card in to the camera, you'll get a message saying "Media needs to be restored" and an 'execute/cancel' prompt. Choose execute, and a few moments later (literally, not longer than 20 seconds), you orphaned MP4 files are recognized by not only the camera, but the Sony Clip Browser and even the Sony FCP plug in! To futher clarify, take a blank SxS card, put it in the EX1, record some video, then pull it up on your computer in whatever method you use. Then open BPAV > CLPR and there you'll see a footage folder. Delete this folder and then copy your orphaned footage folders to that same location. Once copied, put the card back in the camera (or disengage USB mode) and you should get the 'media needs to be restored' message. This was tremendous help to me in my current project. I hope it helps someone else as well!

June 23rd, 2008, 10:04 PM	#5
Diego Marcone Tourist Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Buenos Aires Arg. Posts: 2	orphaned clips Hi. Not shure if I understood correctly What you have mentioned but if it is the same problem I've had when I first Copied a full SxS card whit footage to my laptop by copying only the CLPR folder and, as a result, I wasn't able to see the files on Clip browser. I solved this By using the import comand on the Clip Browser Software and importing manually each MP4 file to the clip browser. It creates a new folder whit a new flie structure and new MP4 files, but you can access the clips preview them on Clip borwser and export them to MXF.

June 23rd, 2008, 08:55 AM	#2
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Keep in mind that many people with orphaned MP4s don't have EX or SxS cards or readily available folder structure to modify. I've heard from editors being handed orphaned MP4s (they do not have EX camera). There also people who work for facilities in which the EX happens to be out the door/on a shoot when they run in to this issue.

June 23rd, 2008, 10:32 AM	#3
David W Williamson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: North Las Vegas, NV Posts: 62	Craig, this fix definately involves having an EX1 handy as is plain to see based on my description of how the fix works (or at least I tried to describe it plainly). For those that don't, I do not have an answer.

June 23rd, 2008, 06:21 PM	#4
Rob Collins Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 229	Might this method also allow one to put edited sequences back to SxS? Guessing not, but it sounds close!

June 24th, 2008, 10:16 AM	#6
David W Williamson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: North Las Vegas, NV Posts: 62	that works as well, but as you mentioned, you have to do each file individually. By copying a whole set of footage folders to the CLPR folder, you can get access to them all at once like normal using the camera restore method I described. It's much faster than importing each clip by itself.