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Making the lower end cameras 'read only' is a popular trick of Panasonic, but once the data is on the card and in the camera, it shouldn't make any difference unless the camera knows that it didn't write the file itself...

The version is HD Writer AE 1.0 for HDC (build 1.00.051.1033(PAL)

Did a screen grab of the menu item. "Create Media" -> "Create SD Card"
[img]http://www.rgbgals.com/images/hdwritergrab.jpg[/img]

Hi RGB,

Thanks for this - I'll have another look tomorrow for the ' Create Media ' menu.

By the route I used I was only given the option to output to Hard Drive, (re)writeable DVD as HD files for archiving or (I presume) Blu-ray player or (re)writeable DVD in DVD format but of course then 720x576 not 1920x1080. There was not a SD card option.

I have version 3 of HE writer AE installed but also have the disc for version 2.
Assuming the file formats are backward compatible no doubt Version 1 can be downloaded from somewhere other than a torrent site.

As you say if the SD card can be written to using a card reader rather than just the camcorder it ought read & play the files regardless of whether it is read only or read/write.

I'll post an update tomorrow.

Hi RGB,

The screen layout is different in version 3 but using create media with the SD card in a card reader works then inserting SD card into camcorder works - phew - thank you.

To be honest I panicked rather than looking at the program in detail - I wanted to clear the camcorder memory and SD card then suddenly thought 'How do I view files once deleted from the card or internal memory given the camcorder is read only.'

I'm still tempted by something like this (ebay item 200914767992) as if it works easier than setting up a laptop to view files stored on external hard drive.

!happy!