Firestore FS100

H

huber tuber

New member
Ok forgive me - I am new, and I am sure there are threads on this but!


I was wondering if anyone has an opinion about using the firestore with the HVX200. I would like to get a HD solution for my HVX but need solid advice before I jump. Please help, any advice????


Thanks so much!
 
I have been using the FS100 for a couple months and it has worked well for me. I shoot journalism and documentary style with 50% or so handheld. Its certainly more of a pain to be connected to a box with a fragile wire but dollar per gig its a nice large storage solution for HD. Downloading p2 cards constantly can be a pain depending on your style of shooting. The fs100 is also a more fragile storage solution than p2 cards both in its construction and archival qualities.

I will be acquiring p2 in the future and anticipate using them more in the field and saving the fs100 for long interviews and studio shooting. If you need 1080 aquisition exclusivley go with fs100 other wise p2. These are my initial suggestions as a new user of the system.
 
Dick Campbell said:
all your questions answered with a search.

you might also look into DV Rack.
Click to expand...


As I said I am sure there are threads on the subject. DV rack does not serve the same perpouse.
 
What specific questions do you have?

I've tested and written a review of the FS100, but you are vague on what you want addressed.

Help us out.
 
I love the firestore, and I have a few tips for you:

1. Someone on this site sells a connection protector for the firewire input on the HVX. It's a great thing to have. If that person could reply here, let more people know about your great product!
2. Try not to fill the firestore past 60%. If you are going to have a problem, it will be when the drive is getting full.
3. If you overwork the drive, it will freeze. Just pull the battery and restart it after 10 seconds.
4. Try not to use the playback function until you are getting reaady to organize P2. The less you shuffle between functions, the less likely you would have a problem.
 
David S. said:
What specific questions do you have?

I've tested and written a review of the FS100, but you are vague on what you want addressed.

Help us out.
Click to expand...


Sorry your right. Ok. here I go.

1. Is it pretty reliable i.e. good quality?

2. How does it deal with 1024x24p, any frame drops? Does it even do 1024p?

3. Ease of use with FCP? Any conversion necessary or is it plug and play?

4. Does it record in any of the slow mo formats like 720x60P?

5. Do I really need a FS100 or will the fs4 work as well?

Thanks
 
FS-4 will not work with HVX200.

Quality is the same as p2 cards

Ours is reliable; there are reports of problems with some units.

No conversion if you record QT pn. If you shoot MXF pn, just import the data in FCP after doing the "organize p2" in the FS.

It doesn't record natively in slo mo, but if you shot 720 60, the FRC in FCP produces beautiful slow motion
 
Minor correction: the FS-4 would record DV, but only DV, from the HVX200. So David's correct in saying don't waste your money on the FS-4, the one you want is the FS-100.

But I'm just pointing out: you could record straight DV onto an FS-4 if you wanted to. But only DV, no DVCPRO50 or high-def.
 
huber tuber,

I've been using my FS-100 and I'm very happy with it. Mine seems very reliable. I had some problems with my unit, but it was more of an incident with my cats and FocusEnhancement took care of it free of charge. (under warranty, but it did take 3-4weeks)

No method of recording is trouble free. P2 cards are probably some of the most reliable. but people still have problems with a few frames here and there.

Using a Mac to unload seems like has more problems than a pc, but I haven't seen any solid statistics and/or surveys.

I highly recommend the drive for long shoots. and to save you having to dump during the day. you can probably shoot with cinema style setups without having to dump from morning til lunch break. then dump and then continue til night time. if you are efficient and shooting 720pn 24fps, you can probably go a whole day with it.

1. reliable- Yes (mine is and most are as well. few report transfer errors, but I haven't heard about whether it occurred during transfer and if the footage is still intact in the drive.
Quality - Yes (image wise its the same as p2) (built wise, I'd say they build a pretty nice piece of equipment.

2. haven't had a frame drop.

3. Can record in qt. (though I don't use that option) and standard mxf just as the p2 cards. so if you get a p2 card and you need conversion on a mac you would also w/ fs-100 if in MXF mode. (I use pc so I cant tell you)

4. I will record in 720p 60fps. and when you put it on your NLE time line and you tell it to play at 720p 24fps over 60fps. will play real time and NLE drops required frames. when you slow down the play to 2.5x real time, it will show all 60 frames without dropping anything, and achieving smooth slow mo. It also lets you do time lapse photography at rates that you cannot achieve on P2 cards. (at least I think it does if memory serves me right)

5. you need FS-100 if you want HD.

Also, I'm the one selling the device that was mentioned above that helps to reinforce the FireWire connection on the HVX. Take a look at my website below.

Hope this helps.
 
HVX200 "direct capture"

HVX200 "direct capture"

This is a GREAT forum. Thanks for educating me. . . :dankk2:

A few questions: Can I capture DVCPRO HD direct from the HVX200 to FS-100 with NO P2 cards or tape inserted? What about capturing the same HD output (again with NO P2 or tape loaded) directly to a laptop with an external hard drive connected? Anyone use Pinnacle studio and/or Avid liquid for post production of HVX200 output?

My application is producing DVDs of classical Indian Dance. It's not unusual for the performances to run MULTI-hour, so capturing uninterrupted streaming data is essential.

Many thanks,

...tom k
 
You can capture DVCProHD directly to the Firestore without any p2 cards.

You can also capture via firewire to a laptop without p2 cards in every mode by pNative. You'll need a NLE that supports that, such as FCP on a Mac, or Scopebox or HD Monitor Pro on a Mac, or DV Rack HD 2.0 from Adobe on a PCs.

But you cannot just capture to a laptop without a supported NLE or these other programs
 
My thanks to everyone replying to this thread. All this information has been helpful to me as well.

Is there anything that the FS-100 can not do that the p2 can?
 
You can record under and over cranked footage to p2 cards and drop them in your timeline without having to do anything further.
 
There area a couple of things that the FS-100 can do that P2 can't (like recording directly in Quicktime format), but there are lots of things that P2 can do that the FS-100 can't, like:

Thumbnail playback of any clip right away
Audio playback for 24pN or 30pN footage
Space savings when recording variable frame rates
Ability to see your played-back clips in high def through the component output
etc.
 
yeah. what David S. said.

with the P2 card, you can record slow motion at 60fps, and play it back on camera at 24fps. 2.5x real time and review it right away. or record 12fps and play it back on camera at 24fps so speed up 200%. with the fs-100 you can achieve the same thing (I believe you can even get a few more frames rates) but you cannot review it right away. you have to get your NLE to either drop the frames or show all the frames. Other than that, the FS100 does everything.

oh yeah, and you don't get the thumbnail views that you get with the p2.
Not a big deal if you ask me.

its more a question of can you sacrifice the extra weight and the cable and battery, for longer recording time.

you can also record to quicktime with the fs-100 and you can't with the p2. (I haven't tried this so I'm not sure how it works, other than changing the setting on the fs-100)
 
I cannot get my FS100 to record 720p 24pN. I thought I read that the release of os 3.0 missed this important feature of the HXV. Is that true, or am I doig something wrong?

Goodness, I hope this question isn't hijacking this thread....
 
I want to jump in and ask a simple Firestore question:

How long does it take to transfer/ingest the Firestore footage and put the drive back into use? (Say with a ram-full laptop and fast hard drive.)
 
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