More Transcend Nonsense

[Jonathan Bland]

Day 2 Remote Asia.

Ok..... todays interview spanned across a fresh SXS card and onto the Transcend card that had stuff on it from yesterday.
I've connected the camera directly to the Powerbook via USB and the card WILL NOT mount on the desktop like it did yesterday when I transfered the Transcend's BPAV folder to the Powerbook.

Anyone know what the issue is now?
ASAP Please!
Huge thanks!

[William Griffin]

Does your MAC book have a 34mm card slot on the left side? if so just insert the card adapter with the card inside it and it should work. If not any SDHC card reader with a USB connector will also work....if where you are, any local camera shop will have them.

HTH

[Jonathan Bland]

No Express 34 slot. Older Powerbook...... Rented Package :(

Sony EX1.
DoRelay SXG 16GB ExpressCard with Transcend 16GB Memory.
Mac Powerbook 1.25 Ghz PowerPC G4 1GB DDR SDRAM 10.5.8
Sony SXS Card Reader.

Anyone else want to take a shot?

[Duncan Craig]

If you adjust your profile to show a proper address, or let us know where you in the world someone maybe able to come to your aid with some different hardware.

[Jonathan Bland]

I'm also seeing that when I try to record more to the Transcend card it's giving me a "Media Needs to be Restored" message.

I've been through the menu and can't see a way to restore media.

Any thoughts?

[Jonathan Bland]

Hi Duncan,

Thank you for your insight but if I thought I could get help by naming where I am I would have done it.

Anyone else have the key?

[Craig Seeman]

Unfortunately I have no idea if you did any initial testing. I see several issues in your workflow.

You need to test the SDHC cards first. There are several tests which I've posted before but it starts with putting one card in each slot and recording end to end non stop. You should never get a media restore. If so, the cards don't go into service.

You should be using a tested adaptor. MxR, MxM, Hoodman . . . some will swear by Kensington but I like to know a manufacture has tested and designed for an express purpose.

Never mix cards. Use two of the same SDHC cards. Don't mix SxS and SDHC or the crossover point may get mucked up.

You buy an appropriate device for card transfer (Sony's for SxS which you have) and any number of SDHC transfer devices or maybe the one by the above adaptor makers that allow you to keep the SDHC in the adaptor (which are so inexpensive I can't see why not). It's small pennies for an investment rather than a big risk you take in using the camera.

PowerBook is the wrong rental for this job. Not using ClipBrowser further increase the risk (unless you're using ShotPut). If you couldn't rent a MacBookPro with Express Port (and the new 13" and 15" have built in SDHC ports if you were entirely SDHC based) there are plenty of Windows computers with Express ports. Those ports usually read both PCIe and USB based cards too.

Sorry if the above sounds like 20/20 hindsight but it's the thinking that does need to happen before one finds oneself in a remote location with no way to get the gear if you need an quick alternative workaround.

_____
If you got media restore message and you did it, it should be fixed. You could try copying clip by clip from SDHC to SxS in camera if the camera sees the clips on the SDHC card.

If the media is unreliable you must retire it or risk loosing footage. If it isn't working in the camera you may need either a device with Express USB reader or SDHC reader. The Sony reader want read Express USB cards.

[Jonathan Bland]

Hi Craig,

Huge thanks for your time and input.
The tools on this job came together in a very haphazard way and without my guidance.

"You could try copying clip by clip from SDHC to SxS in camera if the camera sees the clips on the SDHC card."

- Can you explain how to do this..... it may be my last resort?

Big thanks :)

[Craig Seeman]

It s*cks when one gets dropped into a poorly produced job. You then have to put on your firefighter hat but you do have to make sure you don't get blamed for the fire.

I'd make sure you dump all the clips on the SxS card first and then re-format the card to be very safe (no duplicate clips).

Page 84 of the EX-1 PDF Manual

You can copy a clip selected on the thumbnail screen to another SxS memory card.

1 On the thumbnail screen of the current memory card, select the clip you wish to copy then press the joystick or the jog dial.

The Clip Operation menu of the thumbnail screen pops up.

2 Select “COPY CLIP” from the Clip Operation menu.

The information screen of the selected clip appears, and a confirmation message is displayed below the index frame image.

3 To copy, select “Execute” then press the jog dial or the joystick.

Copying begins.

The clip is copied with the same name to the destination SxS memory card.

An execution message and an in-progress bar are displayed during copying. When copying ends, the thumbnail screen is restored.

Notes
• If there is another clip having the same name on the destination SxS memory card, the clip is copied under a name adding a single-digit number in parentheses to the end of the original clip name.
The parenthetical number is the minimum value that does not exist in the destination memory card. Examples:
ABCD0002(1) if ABCD0002 exists
ABCD0002(2) if ABCD0002(1) exists
ABCD0005(4) if ABCD0005(3) exists

• If parenthetical numbers (1) to (9) already exist
as the result of repeated copying, copying to
that card cannot be done any more.

• A warning message is displayed if there is not
sufficient space on the destination SxS memory card. Replace the SxS memory card with one with sufficient space.

To cancel copying on the way
Press the CANCEL button. Copying is canceled and the thumbnail screen is restored.

[Jonathan Bland]

Craig,

The clip is transferring as I type.

It's more than once you've come to my rescue.....

A huge heartfelt thanks for your time, and talent!

[William Griffin]

I have 2 Hoodman 16gb cards and 4 Transend 8 gb cards and 2 new Transend 16gb cards... I always test out the cards before a shoot and I have not lost any video. I did have one of the Hoodmans fail on me and they replaced it. since then both have worked with no problems.
The newer 16 gb Transends will show a "media restore" every now and then...so I just take them out and then re-insert... then the message goes away and they both work.

But the thing I am trying to say....always test them out before a shoot.

[Thierry Humeau]

I feel the real nonsense here is to put your valuable footage at risk by using a shaky alternative to SxS cards. I know they "work" and that some people have had no failures but there is enough reports of issues and side effects that I would not recommend anyone to go the SDHC route, especially for rented gear. I did test SDHC adaptors (still have 2 MXRs sitting on the shelves) and do not feel comfortable using them.

Thierry.

[Kevin Spahr]

After reading many SDHC threads I was wondering if anybody is having "Media Restore" issues with 8GB SDHC cards?

It seems to be a growing issue with 16 and 32GB cards...

[Matt Davis]

I've had a wobbly moment or two with 8GB SxS, and a colleague has had serious issues with Sony SxS 32GB and 8GB cards.

My rule now is that I don't rent cards (or cameras), I own them. They're soak tested and I know each and every individual bit of kit. Every card, every adaptor, every cable... Thierry, I wouldn't throw mud at anyone in that situation, which ever solution they choose.

I believe (Marcus? Craig?) Media Restore issues are to do with the incomplete writing of the 'Table of Contents' files to the card if pulled out before the LED turns from red to green. I've not known this to be fatal, though. Just a slap on the wrist from your camera to give it more time in the future to complete its paperwork.

[Marcus Durham]

Originally Posted by Kevin Spahr

After reading many SDHC threads I was wondering if anybody is having "Media Restore" issues with 8GB SDHC cards?

It seems to be a growing issue with 16 and 32GB cards...

It only seems to be an issue with certain brands of cards that seem to remain popular despite people noting problems. The fact is (and I keep on saying this) there seems to be alot of people having problems with Transcend cards. Just because the cards were great in the early days doesn't mean that things can't change. I still read about people buying these cards on here and can only assume that either people simply don't believe the evidence posted on here or are making purchasing decisions based on old information.

I've had media restores and performance issues with Transcend cards. The solution was to ditch the lot of them and use the ATP Pro Max cards instead which seem (touch wood!) to be far better suited to our cameras. No errors and great performance when combined with the MxM lockable adaptors.