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[reflex]

Hi everybody,
i've some questions about the choice of app for data download.
As everyone at the beginning of the "digital era" I just copy clips from a folder to another and print a root whit some apps like print window, but as many persons here i've found the terrifing surprise: same data, same file size, but dropped frames on the backup hd! In one occasion all the clips where just a green clip identical in file size at the original footage....
Well, i've to purchase an app to handle this, and a lot of people uses alexa data manager...but a lot of people has got bad surprises whit this app too, like copy still running after the hard disk has been removed!
Silverstack set seems to be good, i've tested the trial an works good, just...a bit slow!
Any suggestions? Other apps?
I'm lookin for free apps too, cuz i think: in the end what we need is just an md5 cecksum program, and there are a lot of app like this, free, and working. Do we really need a specific "video data menagement" md5 ceck app, or is ok one of the billions of md5 programs on the net?
Thanx everybody, this forum is really useful and clear, fantastic!!!

[Rainer Fritz]

what is also very safe and for free are terminal commands (rsync for example). specialy if you use mac os or linux.
to copy safe data is one thing and comparing checksums then the other, but be sure you are generating them from
the data on the sxs cards and from your disks and then compare all of them if they are equal (script or copy software).
only then you know if your copied data is the same, as it was on the cards.

your case of damaged copies but the right filesize shows one more that a secure copy process is mandatory.
to setup the right equipment (harddisks or raid, software, cardreaders, computer, interfaces, cabling.....) is the next point and after that comes the right handling with all of those.
don't use crap like USB harddrives... metal housing with quality harddrives (server disks) and connectivity with eSATA or thunderbold or USB3.0, disks getting hot when they have to work.... don't do anything what interfears the copy process when material is copied.....

and so on....

just my two cents

[reflex]

yes, I get a look to the terminal command for handle this, but it's a bit long procedure. On features film a data manager is ONLY a data manager, but sometimes, on smaller low-budget productions, data and second ac are the same person, I think lot of us have been in this situation! The latest short movie I've done I used to share myself between set and camera van, and the crew aspect from me more or less the same downloading time of a clapper loader! Difficult perform a good job in this situation whitout a good workstation and professional tools. People has to understand data manager is not a loader, but until that we need secure and fast tools.
So I agree whit everything you've wrote, it's dangerous and counterproductive work whit cheap tools, but it's quite difficult too for a private invest thousands dollars into an high-end toolkit. I remeber my lexar cf reader firewire 800, 120 dollars and a couple of months and some commercials after purchasing, the RED dismissing cf cards for ssd! ahahah! Or a 600$ new nvidia quadro on a 2 years old macpro for running resolve...
Thanx for your post, i'll try out a fast workflow whit terminal or some app for cecksum, but i fear i'll have to spend those new 600$ for a proper download program!


Don't worry. As long as you hit that wire with the connecting hook at precisely 88 miles per hour, the instant the lightning strikes the tower... everything will be fine.

[Gerhard Riesenhuber]

I would go for Alexa Datamanager which only costs about $ 79. I use it every time and haven't had a problem with it.
You can also do save copies from one harddrive to another with it.

But don't forget that safe copying is only the half job, also a visuel check is necassary (at least spot tests)!

Regarding the Datamanager:
Maybe it was in the veryving process and worked at this moment out of the RAM.
Did it finish the process?

[Dief]

Hello there,

I'am currently using SilverStack SET on a feature film, it seems like a good tool for backing up and sum checking
your footage. I must say that i'am quite happy with the app especially if you are in a position where you are 2nd AC, DIT and whoever else is needed in a small budget productions.
It does shows your footage in 709 if you choose so, although not in real time(at least not on my old MacBook Pro).
But, it will not gonna check if you have any problems with your footage, drop frames for example or anything else that is not associated with the file structure.
We had quite a few problem with a kind of drop frames on this production, i did not seen them until the footage went for down-converting.

Preview all of your footage as quickly as possible, so that you can find a solution to it fast.
Use Express Card slot if possible (old MacBooks Pro)
Check and re-check everything..
I cannot stress this enough.

Regards,

Wiktor Roch Dobraczynski
DIT

[reflex]

Yes, check whit your own eyes seems to be the only safe way! For now I ll go ahead whit my old-school metod, so check filesize, check the image and print a pdf of the root file... Thanx to god days of Hard disk recording on camera are gone ahah!