Hello everyone,

just to warn that if you have a pdw-u1, don't update your driver to 3.00, but stay at 2.3.2.

When you try to import graphic files, png, jpg... etc Avid MC5.5 will say Exception, no Memory.
after reinstalling the driver 2.3.2 everything is ok again.

You do have a problem if you want to buy a pdw-u2, cause that only work with driver 3.00


working on qualified XW8600, MC 5.5  nitris DX

Thanks for the warning but...

The VFAM v3.0 driver is so far beyond what has been tested and qualified by Avid that I'm not surprised.

It hasn't even been posted on the Sony XDCAM Microsite. Where are you finding this and what do you expect to solve by updating to this driver version?

http://support.sonybiz.net/search.aspx

-then fill in pdw-u1
-software and drivers tab
-first/latest driver you find there.

Form me, before knowing I couldn't import any graphic stuff, it solved the loading and recognizing the discs. Everytime I put in a disc, it recognized it, even switching between discs, switching between projects with the disc still inside... That's because driver 3.00 always runs in the background (and is visible in the notification area).

Wim Van den Broeck:

Everytime I put in a disc, it recognized it, even switching between discs, switching between projects with the disc still inside...

Hi, did you try disconnecting the U1 or U2 when you were not actuallly importing from it? (with V 3.0 driver installed).

Were you  using AMA  or import for the media from the U1? Thanks

What I did was:

-at one time with v3.0 loaded, in the notification area, I clicked there on a quick command. Don't remember what it was, unload driver, not sure. After that, the import of png and jpg files was ok again. But the XDCAM disks that I loaded from then on, where not recognized by MC. Had to restart the pc to get it recognized again. But, of course, the import of graphic files failed again...

-I only tested with AMA in MC, not importing.

Wim Van den Broeck:

-I only tested with AMA in MC, not importing.

Thanks for the reply. I was guessing that something  to do with how AMA automatically opens whenever a disk was loaded may be the cause.  

 If you had no troubles rolling back driver versions I will put the new U1 driver thru its paces later this week.  (mainly without AMA)

AndrewAction:

Wim Van den Broeck:

-I only tested with AMA in MC, not importing.

Thanks for the reply. I was guessing that something  to do with how AMA automatically opens whenever a disk was loaded may be the cause.  

 If you had no troubles rolling back driver versions I will put the new U1 driver thru its paces later this week.  (mainly without AMA)

Don't get me wrong: the new v3.00 driver works great for loading and unloading XDCAM discs in AMA. Far better than v2.3.2.

MC  filled the bins EVERY TIME I inserted the disk.
Ejecting the disc, files go offline, inserting the disc, MC fills the bin.
With driver v2.3.2 this sometimes wasn't the case, and after inserting the disc again, bins didn't get filled.

This is even reported as a bug in the latest MC 5.5.3 readme:

Bug Number:

 

UDevC00140133. With the latest VFAM Sony Drivers 2.30, if you link

XDCAM AMA clips using the Sony PDW-U1 device, the clips display offline in the bin if

you eject the disk and then reinsert the same disk.

 

 

 

BUT BUT BUT, with driver v3.00 a normal import of graphic files was impossible (a memory error).
that's why I rolled back. If I have to choose between bins not getting filled automatically or being unable to import graphics, then I choose the first one obviously.

Rolling back went super, no problem there, so you can try it out for yourself

wim

Wim Van den Broeck:

If I have to choose between bins not getting filled automatically or being unable to import graphics, then I choose the first one obviously.

Thanks Wim I would as well.  In fact I would prefer to have to manually tell Avid when to look at a disk in the U1 and not have it automatically second guess me.

Most of my XDCAM projects have more than one disk so I MAINLY work on them with AMA off and the U1 unplugged. It is with this workflow I am interested if I would have the same problems with graphic imports.  If it shows no problem with AMA off that could be a good clue to where to look for an answer.

Wim Van den Broeck:

with driver v3.00 a normal import of graphic files was impossible (a memory error).

Same problem here with all graphics.  Like you when I rolled back a version all problems went away.

I did not try it with the latest Sony AMA plugin as their site was down when I went looking for it.

AndrewAction:

Wim Van den Broeck:

with driver v3.00 a normal import of graphic files was impossible (a memory error).

Same problem here with all graphics.  Like you when I rolled back a version all problems went away.

I did not try it with the latest Sony AMA plugin as their site was down when I went looking for it.

thanks for trying this out... well, the question now is, who has to fix it, Sony or Avid...?

AndrewAction:

Same problem here with all graphics.  Like you when I rolled back a version all problems went away.

Any other PDW-U1 (or PDW-U2) xdcam owner who can try this out, so we have a third person with this issue...

to get the VFAM xdcam v3.0 please visit:

http://support.sonybiz.net/search.aspx

-then fill in pdw-u1
-software and drivers tab
-first/latest driver you find there.

I couldn't import any graphics (jpg, png) anymore in Avid (memory issue).
Try it out, it is easy to roll back to the latest driver, v2.3.2

thanks!

And I know, if you read the Readme of MC 5.5.3 it says in the compatibility chart that win7-64 VFAM 2.3.2 is supported. But what happens if you get a pdw-u2 and can only run VFAM v3.0?

yep anyone else can confirm this?...

yep - confirmed - same here with MC 5.5 running on Z400/Win7x64... neither importing graphics nor creating titles!

doc.phibes:

yep - confirmed - same here with MC 5.5 running on Z400/Win7x64... neither importing graphics nor creating titles!

thanks for trying it out!

so thats doc.phibes, Andrew and me having the same problems with VFAM driver V3.00

anything from Avid or Sony regarding this issue???