In most cases, the "Disk Space Remaining" indicator is just what it says it is -- the amount of free space on the volume currently being used for digitization. However, in cases where there is more than 2GB of disk space available for recording, Avid Cinema will always report a 2GB limit.
This is due to a limitation in the current Macintosh file system, HFS. The largest file that can exist on an HFS volume is 2GB due to the fact that HFS stores the file size in an unsigned 32-bit variable. Because Avid Cinema records clips of video to individual QuickTime files, the most it can record at one time is 2GB, or about 37 minutes of video.
If you want to record more than 37 minutes of continuous video, and you have a fixed source (such as pre-recorded tape), you can simply record the first 37 minutes, stop, rewind the source so there is slight overlap, and then record another 37 minutes. You can then place the clips back to back in Avid Cinema, trimming the end of the first clip and the beginning of the second so that there is no overlap. You may need to zoom in on the clip in order to make frame by frame adjustments. The two clips will then play as if they are one continuous clip. You can do this with as many clips as you like, by placing them back to back and editing as described above.
This article was published in the 3 June 1997 "Information Alley".