Corrupted m2t files

Dan Measel · February 15th, 2006, 10:56 AM

So, having captured from the FX1 to m2t, editing Gear Shift proxies and then trying to switch back to the m2t's I got a bunch of red (and a few black) frames replacing the proxies, presumably representing corrupted files. The only thing I can figure is they were corrupted transferring over fire wire to my external hard drive. I guess I'm hosed and can't go back to HD with this project unless I recapture and edit. But the m2t files that are apparently corrupted I can still play and they look fine, I don't understand that (but there are many things I don't understand, so no big surprise).

Maybe my computer isn't up to par for HD? I'm using a standard notebook P4, 3GHz. I capture to my hard drive but then have to transfer to an external drive.

Anyway, does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Do I NEED a new computer? Maybe, I need to trade my FX1 for a SD Panasonic 100A, until HD is more idiot proof.

Chris Barcellos · February 15th, 2006, 11:10 AM

I ve had trouble using USB 2.0 external drves, too. Have you tried using laptop drve or firwire drive?

Dan Measel · February 15th, 2006, 12:33 PM

I've not noticed this problem using the laptop drive the few times I've been doing small projects, but it's only 80Gb so impractical to keep the files on there long term.

I haven't tried transferring over a fire wire yet. Have you noticed better results doing this?

Chris Barcellos · February 15th, 2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Measel

I've not noticed this problem using the laptop drive the few times I've been doing small projects, but it's only 80Gb so impractical to keep the files on there long term.

I haven't tried transferring over a fire wire yet. Have you noticed better results doing this?

My drives are only usb. Next one will be FW

Dan Measel · February 16th, 2006, 02:34 PM

Ok, I ran a test. I captured HD with Vegas to my hard drive and transferred m2t files to an external hard drive over firewire, rather than USB 2. I then used Gear Shift to create proxies, edited and then "switched gears" back to m2t. Everything worked great. The video looks awesome.

On the assumption that transferring over the USB was the culprit in corrupting my files I am going to start my corrupted project over from scratch, recapture and reedit. Of course my test was only 20 events and 3 minutes of finished video, so it could just be coincidence that it worked while the USB 2 did not.

I'm surprised this issue hasn't come up more. I would've really liked to have know this a week ago. It would've saved me about 3 days worth of work. Oh well. Hopefully I have found the solution at least.

Dan Measel · February 17th, 2006, 11:03 AM

The worst. I just loaded a Veg with all of the m2ts on my computer hard drive and about half of the events on the timeline were red boxes again after I used gearshift to switch proxy for m2t. Explicative! So the problem isn't in USB transfer of files. Now what? I'm at a loss. There's got to be someone else out there besides Chris and I that are experienceing this problem or have found a solution. Is it just larger projects this happens in? The small test I did was perfect. My options are:

A. Get a new, more robust computer and hope the problem lies in my otherwise perfect running laptop.

B. Switch NLE's (but I really like Vegas!)

C. Sell my FX1 and get a Panny

Don Donatello · February 17th, 2006, 12:26 PM

how about
D) you convert your m2t to cineform avi's and edit them ... your system should be up to handling them ... you edit cineform files - no going back to m2t ...

John Rofrano · February 17th, 2006, 02:22 PM

What version of Vegas are you using? Make sure you update to Vegas 6.0d. There have been documented problems with Vegas having difficulty with projects that have too many M2T files on the timeline. How many do you have? You might want to contact Sony about this and see what they say.

~jr

Dan Measel · February 19th, 2006, 08:41 PM

Thanks for the feedback. I'll look into both of those solutions.

I am using Vegas 6.0c so I'll have to download 6.0d. The shortest timeline that I experienced problems with had 50 m2t files.

Dan Measel · February 20th, 2006, 06:50 PM

OK, strange. I download Vegas 6.0d and the when I shifted gears all of the m2t's were correctly replaced in a 50 event timeline and all but the last 5 in an 82 event timeline. Anyway, this suggests that it is a Vegas problem as Mr. Rofrano elluded to. Still working on that one.

As for converting m2t's to Cineform avi's I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do that. Many threads I've read mention dragging the m2ts to the timeline then "render as" Cineform HD. But I don't have that as one of my templates. Is it just the template that says HDV 1080i intermediate? Did they decide to drop the word Cineform?

Thanks

Douglas Spotted Eagle · February 20th, 2006, 06:55 PM

Dan, it's the HDV 1080i intermediate. Due to trademark issues, GearShift cannot say "CineForm" in it. But it uses the CineForm codec to create the avi's.

Dan Measel · February 20th, 2006, 08:25 PM

Thanks. That helps.

Can I ask one more stupid question?

If I have m2t's and the proxies and I want to now create the cineform intermediate can I then swap the proxies for the intermediate instead of the m2t? I am assuming the answer will be no, since it seems you probably wouldn't typically create a proxy and intermediate file, but rather one or the other. I'm just having a heck of a time with the m2t's and would like a back up plan in place before I edit any further, but anxious to get back to work on the project.

Sorry for the persistently dumb questions.

John Rofrano · February 21st, 2006, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Measel

If I have m2t's and the proxies and I want to now create the cineform intermediate can I then swap the proxies for the intermediate instead of the m2t?

Yes. When GearShift does the swapping, it actually looks for intermediary files first (either CineForm or Sony YUV). If it doesn’t find them, then it looks for the M2T files. So if you started with M2T and DV proxies and then later created the intermediaries (either CineForm or Sony YUV) GearShift would now switch between the intermediary and the DV proxy. In that scenario you would have to place the intermediary files in the same directory as the DV Proxy files for it to work.

~jr

Dan Measel · February 21st, 2006, 12:29 PM

Wow. That's great news. That will save me so much time. Thanks.

February 15th, 2006, 10:56 AM	#1
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	Corrupted m2t files - help So, having captured from the FX1 to m2t, editing Gear Shift proxies and then trying to switch back to the m2t's I got a bunch of red (and a few black) frames replacing the proxies, presumably representing corrupted files. The only thing I can figure is they were corrupted transferring over fire wire to my external hard drive. I guess I'm hosed and can't go back to HD with this project unless I recapture and edit. But the m2t files that are apparently corrupted I can still play and they look fine, I don't understand that (but there are many things I don't understand, so no big surprise). Maybe my computer isn't up to par for HD? I'm using a standard notebook P4, 3GHz. I capture to my hard drive but then have to transfer to an external drive. Anyway, does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Do I NEED a new computer? Maybe, I need to trade my FX1 for a SD Panasonic 100A, until HD is more idiot proof.

February 15th, 2006, 11:10 AM	#2
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Exrernal Drive ? I ve had trouble using USB 2.0 external drves, too. Have you tried using laptop drve or firwire drive? __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

February 17th, 2006, 02:22 PM	#8
John Rofrano Sponsor: VASST Join Date: May 2005 Location: New York Posts: 516	What version of Vegas are you using? Make sure you update to Vegas 6.0d. There have been documented problems with Vegas having difficulty with projects that have too many M2T files on the timeline. How many do you have? You might want to contact Sony about this and see what they say. ~jr __________________ Developer: VASST Ultimate S, Scattershot 3D, Mayhem, FASST Apps, and other VASST Software plug-ins Web Site: www.johnrofrano.com

February 20th, 2006, 06:55 PM	#11
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	Dan, it's the HDV 1080i intermediate. Due to trademark issues, GearShift cannot say "CineForm" in it. But it uses the CineForm codec to create the avi's. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

February 15th, 2006, 12:33 PM	#3
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	I've not noticed this problem using the laptop drive the few times I've been doing small projects, but it's only 80Gb so impractical to keep the files on there long term. I haven't tried transferring over a fire wire yet. Have you noticed better results doing this?

February 16th, 2006, 02:34 PM	#5
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	Ok, I ran a test. I captured HD with Vegas to my hard drive and transferred m2t files to an external hard drive over firewire, rather than USB 2. I then used Gear Shift to create proxies, edited and then "switched gears" back to m2t. Everything worked great. The video looks awesome. On the assumption that transferring over the USB was the culprit in corrupting my files I am going to start my corrupted project over from scratch, recapture and reedit. Of course my test was only 20 events and 3 minutes of finished video, so it could just be coincidence that it worked while the USB 2 did not. I'm surprised this issue hasn't come up more. I would've really liked to have know this a week ago. It would've saved me about 3 days worth of work. Oh well. Hopefully I have found the solution at least.

February 17th, 2006, 11:03 AM	#6
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	The worst. I just loaded a Veg with all of the m2ts on my computer hard drive and about half of the events on the timeline were red boxes again after I used gearshift to switch proxy for m2t. Explicative! So the problem isn't in USB transfer of files. Now what? I'm at a loss. There's got to be someone else out there besides Chris and I that are experienceing this problem or have found a solution. Is it just larger projects this happens in? The small test I did was perfect. My options are: A. Get a new, more robust computer and hope the problem lies in my otherwise perfect running laptop. B. Switch NLE's (but I really like Vegas!) C. Sell my FX1 and get a Panny

February 17th, 2006, 12:26 PM	#7
Don Donatello Hawaiian Shirt Mogul Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: northern cailfornia Posts: 1,261	how about D) you convert your m2t to cineform avi's and edit them ... your system should be up to handling them ... you edit cineform files - no going back to m2t ...

February 19th, 2006, 08:41 PM	#9
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	Thanks for the feedback. I'll look into both of those solutions. I am using Vegas 6.0c so I'll have to download 6.0d. The shortest timeline that I experienced problems with had 50 m2t files.

February 20th, 2006, 06:50 PM	#10
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	OK, strange. I download Vegas 6.0d and the when I shifted gears all of the m2t's were correctly replaced in a 50 event timeline and all but the last 5 in an 82 event timeline. Anyway, this suggests that it is a Vegas problem as Mr. Rofrano elluded to. Still working on that one. As for converting m2t's to Cineform avi's I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do that. Many threads I've read mention dragging the m2ts to the timeline then "render as" Cineform HD. But I don't have that as one of my templates. Is it just the template that says HDV 1080i intermediate? Did they decide to drop the word Cineform? Thanks

February 20th, 2006, 08:25 PM	#12
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	Thanks. That helps. Can I ask one more stupid question? If I have m2t's and the proxies and I want to now create the cineform intermediate can I then swap the proxies for the intermediate instead of the m2t? I am assuming the answer will be no, since it seems you probably wouldn't typically create a proxy and intermediate file, but rather one or the other. I'm just having a heck of a time with the m2t's and would like a back up plan in place before I edit any further, but anxious to get back to work on the project. Sorry for the persistently dumb questions.

February 21st, 2006, 12:29 PM	#14
Dan Measel Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 196	Wow. That's great news. That will save me so much time. Thanks.