What are these AV1, AV2 files?

Question

Level 2

203 points

What are these AV1, AV2 files?

My editor finally sent me back my project, 3 QT files, run about 10 minutes each. But below each of these are clips AV1 & AV2. I asked my editor what these are and says he sometimes gets them, but does not know why. That I should test playing without them.

I tested and the QT's wont play without them. They add 12GB that I now have to permantly archive on my hardrives. any tips appreciated.

Mac OS X (10.4.10), G5 dual 1.8 , 2mb ram

Posted on Oct 16, 2007 5:59 PM

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Answer 1

javabob

Level 3

670 points

Oct 16, 2007 6:05 PM in response to kevs55

we're these on a PC ever?
External Hard drive formated as FAT32
Check the hard drive (apple I "get info") what is the format? should be Mac OS Extended.

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Answer 2

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Oct 16, 2007 6:23 PM in response to javabob

This happens when you exported the file using:

1. A fat 32 formated drive

and/or

2. the export file size limit set to something less than what you need.

The solution is to make sure the drive is formatted as Mac OS Extended (not MS-DOS) and to also make sure the export file size limit is not enabled.

good luck.

x

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Answer 3

Shane Ross

Level 8

43,110 points

Oct 16, 2007 6:25 PM in response to Studio X

And the REASON you have AV-1, AV-2 is that Fat 32 has a 2GB data limit for files, so your captured video is being broken up into 10 min chunks, each 2GB. And all these files are linked, so if you toss one, the whole file structure gets corrupt and unusable.

When you format MacOS Extended, there is NO limit, and the clips will remain as one chunk.

Shane

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Answer 4

kevs55 Author

Level 2

203 points

Oct 16, 2007 7:38 PM in response to Shane Ross

Thanks guys!
I'm pulling my hair out.
Here is what happened:
I captured to an external FW drive, they are all formatted Mac OS Extended.
but.......

I then copied the raw footage to a new USB external, mobile to send to the editor --not paying attention to formatting, that is
MS-DOS File System (FAT32)

That is the culprit then?
If I format that external, I'll be ok in future?

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Answer 5

kevs55 Author

Level 2

203 points

Oct 16, 2007 7:50 PM in response to Shane Ross

PS
nothing I can do one this first round?
Can't unify the files into one? have to carry around these extra 6 GB forever?

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Answer 6

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Oct 16, 2007 7:58 PM in response to kevs55

You can bring the file(s) back into FCP then export it back out to a Mac OS Extended drive. Give it a new name and make it self contained. This should recombine all the segments into one file again.

Get it out of your head these files are extra. They ARE the file. It is just the version you have has been segmented and the idea noted above may put it back into one file.

Reformatting the drive will prevent this from happening again. Just make sure you are not trying to edit from the USB drive. USB is not recommended for that purpose.

x

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Answer 7

kevs55 Author

Level 2

203 points

Oct 17, 2007 9:16 AM in response to Studio X

thanks Studio
I only have FCExpress 3.0, can that work?

This was done by my editor who has studio pro.
I don't know how to export it back into... honestly. Let me know how!

Yeah I get what you are saying , it's kind of like now a layered Photoshop file that needs to be flattened.

USB, that's interesting: I just got this USB 2 drive cause it was a cheap way to fed ex my footage to an editor. Should I tell the editors to drag the files over to their hard drive? (I'm not even sure if the editor edited from the USB mobile drive directly, but my guess is yes) -- why is USB bad? I thought a drive is a drive.

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Answer 8

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Oct 17, 2007 9:37 AM in response to kevs55

Open your program
put the file in the timeline
Export>Current settings & make self contained
Give the file a different name.

USB works as packets, firewire is isochronos (creates a dedicated connection). USB can not guarantee the material will arrive on time and on budget. Firewire does a better job. E-Sata does a better job than firewire.

x

x

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Answer 9

kevs55 Author

Level 2

203 points

Oct 21, 2007 3:38 PM in response to Studio X

Ok, Studio, I made a unified version, getting rid of AV files. only difference is the new version says little endian, while original says big endian, in format. mean anything? Any other side issues by unifying everything and not keeping those AV's?

Now issue #2:
The size of the unified is the same as the the orginal file plust the 2 AVs! -- 6 GBS, so in that sense I did not win. Maybe that's the deal with HD footage. Still - 6GB for a 9 minute clip. is that about right? thanks

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Answer 10

kevs55 Author

Level 2

203 points

Oct 23, 2007 11:06 AM in response to kevs55

Anyone out there? Like I said, I unified the AV files, but it came out also at a huge 6GB, so I'm still puzzled.

I've made a new thread here:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1191008&stqc=true

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Answer 11

Shane Ross

Level 8

43,110 points

Oct 24, 2007 7:04 AM in response to kevs55

6GB is not that huge. Seriously.. not at all.

Shane

<edited by host>

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Answer 12

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Oct 23, 2007 11:21 AM in response to kevs55

Kevin,

Not to be harsh here, but you are swimming way above your depth if you don't understand data rates and their relationship to video formats.

You need to hire someone locally to help you out.

x

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Answer 13

Oct 23, 2007 11:28 AM in response to kevs55

Kevin,

As Shane stated earlier "these files are not extra." By combining them you have just made three files into one. They are going to be the same size as the original because you are not compressing them, which BTW, you probably don't want to do.

Also as Shane has stated, 6 GB is not that big. I routinely shoot in DVCProHD and I will shoot anywhere from 4 to 32 GB's in one day. I have over 3 TB's of storage on just one of my edit stations. 6GB's is tiny in video world.

K

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Answer 14

kevs55 Author

Level 2

203 points

Oct 23, 2007 3:19 PM in response to Ken-Summerall-Jr

thanks guys, appreciate it, time to go back to the store for more storage then. I wish hard drive technology would keep up, ie, get smaller and cheaper, faster

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Answer 15

Zebulun

Level 5

6,749 points

Oct 23, 2007 3:50 PM in response to kevs55

why you young whippersnapper!

not long ago, i was working on a show and i walked into the audio room. the audio director was doing jumping jacks as he'd just got his new removeable 9 gig drive for the protools rig.

that 9 gig drive was $1,500.00 at the time.

now, 25 cents per gigabite is too expensive?????

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