CinePorter vs. P2 Store

Michael Erlewine

Michael Erlewine

Well-known member
CinePorter vs. P2 Store

I am not the expert that I expect many of you reading this are, so bear with me if my logic does not synch with your own.

Task: Several documentaries, not rushed, using the HVX200, and other related video equipment.

Computer: PC environment.

Question: What is the best work flow? I don’t have the time to dump the P2 cards directly from the camera to a laptop or other storage device. I need somewhere to port the P2 footage, that I can later move to the laptop or desktop.

I have been looking at both the forthcoming CinePorter and Panasonic’s P2 Store as ways to store footage. My analysis so far, briefly, of each is something like this:

CinePorter:

PRO: A great bargain for storage, getting 160 GB (or more) of P2 storage for something like the price of two 8 GB P2 cards.

CON: I am married to the CinePorter rig, another 2.5 lbs. grafted to the DVX200, and most concerning of all, I have added a hard drive to the mix, where without it I was enjoying the sense of working with the solid-state P2 cards. Now I have to be careful of whatever hard drives require care for.

Panasonic P2 Store

PRO: For the price of a little more than one 8GB P2 card, the P2 Store provides me with a modest amount of storage, looks to be ruggedly built, has all the necessary connections, and looks to be where I can dump my P2 cards during a shoot. Since my laptop does not have a PCMI card slot, I can port from the P2 Store via firewire into external drives on the laptop or wherever.

CON: Relatively small amount of storage. I might have to buy two P2 Stores to feel secure.

That is what I am looking at.

My gut feeling is to buy the somewhat dinky P2 Store, a third 8 GB P2 card, and make that work, and not get the CinePorter.

I am wondering what you think?
 
For me it's the swapping of the cards mid stream, the P2 store is a great tool, just too small when your taping all day. The cineporter looks like the one for me, I am shooting tomorrow...waiting for the release of "the cineporter"
 
Cineporter -

PROS - Excellent for when you're shooting continuously longer than 8 minutes (going by the amount of space needed when shooting in 1080i mode) and / or you don't want to stop to change out cards.

DOWNSIDE - Heavy, bulky and if you're concerned about looks, it really is not the slickest looking piece of hardware...especially when you have a cable looping out from it into the P2 slot of the camera; this could be a hazard. Also, don't know about what considerations Spec-Comm has taken to prevent dust getting into the slots. Remember, the P2 door on the cam has to remain open when this device is connected and therefore exposes the other slot to the environment. Maybe this has already been discussed and solved; haven't researched this yet.

P2 Cards and P2 Store -

PROS - Excellent for shots that take less than 8 minutes at a time (1080i mode). P2 door remains closed during shooting. P2 store seems easy to carry and not too bulky.

DOWNSIDE - Limited continous uniterrupted shoot times. Again, limited to 8 minutes (1080i mode). If you had three P2 cards and a P2 Store, in theory, you could continuously shoot (up to the 60gb P2 Store limit). But you have to touch the camera to eject the card every 8 minutes. Not good if you're locked down on a tripod. You may be able to get away with it on a handheld shoot in which you are intentionally using a lot of camera movement.

I'm sure there are other factors too, but it all boils down to what you can afford.

Have fun and good luck with whatever option you decide to go with!!

AC
 
Andrew Clark said:
Cineporter -

DOWNSIDE - Heavy, bulky and if you're concerned about looks, it really is not the slickest looking piece of hardware...especially when you have a cable looping out from it into the P2 slot of the camera; this could be a hazard. Also, don't know about what considerations Spec-Comm has taken to prevent dust getting into the slots. Remember, the P2 door on the cam has to remain open when this device is connected and therefore exposes the other slot to the environment. Maybe this has already been discussed and solved; haven't researched this yet.
Click to expand...

.....Spec has apparently redesigned the look of the CP. We're anxiously awaiting the new pics. :) They've also indicated that they're working on a solution to the open P2 slot issue.
 
Barth Gimble said:
.....Spec has apparently redesigned the look of the CP. We're anxiously awaiting the new pics. :) They've also indicated that they're working on a solution to the open P2 slot issue.
Click to expand...
It was mentioned before that there will be some sort of plug or second port cover. Like a fake p2 card or something. I believe it is in the works. Gaffers tape can save the day again if in a crunch.

Like I said earlier, the cineporter is supposed to be a saving grace for people who cant blow $1,400 a pop on p2 cards plus a p2store. It is not supposed to be better then a P2 workflow... although in some situations it can be!

For example: Me. If I had an extra $6,000 for 3 8gig cards and a p2store, I would probably just buy that..... But I don't.

Therefore the cineporter despite some negatives, is a godsent wonderful alternative for the $$. I can get 160gigs with all the p2 perks (except compactness) for a little under $1,800... (I have 10% off for group buy and 10% off for buying my HVX from spec-comm :) )

Like Barth I can't wait for those new pictures. But who really cares what it looks like?
 
the beauty of the HVX, DVX, PD-150 whatever, is that these pro-quality cameras are small and able to be handled very easily. I for one do a lot of hand-held shooting with my current projects this summer, so the P2+HVX no strings attatched (or wires) is working perfectly for me... so i'm hesitant to add something such as the cineporter to my rig...
i personally would rather spend the money on P2 cards+p2 store just because i'll be able to move unconstrained. Also, we're not talking one more XLR cable here, this is a hard-drive. and it also happens to leave one of my P2 slots open. we're shooting a garden show, and gardens can get wet and dusty... i don't like that combination with an open p2 slot even if it has a gaffer tape lid.
I prefer to keep it simple and run the cards with the camera, no more than that.
 
=Prodigy= said:
. . . It is not supposed to be better then a P2 workflow... although in some situations it can be!
Click to expand...

I think it is, from what I have read in the CinePorter thread, actually a P2 device so it probably is "equal" to P2 workflow . . .

I only scimmed this thread -- probably should have read the entire thing word for word . . . am I undertanding correctly that with the P2Store and multiple cards there is a limit to how long one can shoot continiously?

Nope, sorry . . . as long as you have two or more cards the limit is when you fill up the entire P2Store. At 720/24pn that's about two and a half hours plus whatever number of P2 cards you have wil hold after that. I just shot a major portion of a doc over the 4th of July weekend (yeah, it rained some and was pretty humid), and I had nary a problem shooting as long as necessary. Really does'nt matter what size cards you use either--I prefer the cost efficiency of the 4 gigs.

Just a note: I like this setup for many applications. I am on the list for a CinePorter as well. Another option (when your talent will be stationary) is to live capture it to a laptop.
 
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