Does WinDV transfer a maximum segment length of 19 minutes, 6 seconds?

[VMiller]

In order to archive weather video footage from 80+ mostly MiniDV tapes (and also to have a library from which to edit), I just started transferring video from the tapes (all have about 62 minutes of actual recorded video) via FireWire from my Sony VX2000 to my desktop and than to an external 320GB HDD (Western Digital) via a USB 2.0 cable. I am using WinDV (as a result of reading earlier posts on this forum).

The video (and audio) transfer is flawless as long as individual tape segments are apparently no longer than 19 minutes, 6 seconds or no more than 4,194,289 KB (numbers obtained from the "duration" and "size" columns of files in the HDD folder). However, thus far if an individual tape segment exceeds those numbers, transfer of that individual segment ceases at that point. Any following tape segments on the same MiniDV transfer fine (so far, any following segments have been less than 19 minutes, 6 seconds in length). [Just transferred a MiniDV tape to HDD; the MiniDV consisted of one 62-minute long segment; the transfer ceased at 19 minutes, 6 seconds (but 4,194,285 KB).]

WinDV configuration settings I am using ==> Max Avi Size: 1,000,000; Every Nth Frame: 1; Discontinuity Threshold: 1; Numbering Digits: 2; AVI-type: 2.

Am I doing something wrong, or does WinDV have an individual segment size cap?

Any help will be greatly appreciated, as the video is often tripodded photography of weather events (some are 62-minute-long segments which will be manipulated to show time-lapse of an event) for use in various presentations.

[steveryan]

I'd guess that your hard drive is FAT32 and not NTFS. FAT32 has a 4GB file limitation.

[edDV]

1,000,000 / 30 fps / 60 sec = ~555 minutes

Discontinuity threshold of 1 means it will stop on a timecode break. A zero setting will keep the recording going so long as video is continuous.
http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/61/WinDV.aspx

[edDV]

I'd guess that your hard drive is FAT32 and not NTFS. FAT32 has a 4GB file limitation.

True, the drive needs to be NTFS for long files. That is a Windows limitation.

[gadgetguy]

1,000,000 / 30 fps / 60 sec = ~555 minutes

Discontinuity threshold of 1 means it will stop on a timecode break. A zero setting will keep the recording going so long as video is continuous.
http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/61/WinDV.aspx

A decent user guide however I would NOT use the device control feature (that unmarked checkbox between Config and Capture). There is a known bug that using the device control may cause loss of audio.

[edDV]

I usually capture from a VCR or transcoder so I leave machine control unchecked. I don't think this relates to the op issue.