FS-4 Checklist questions

T

Terraform

Active member
I know there are a slew of threads regarding the FS-4
I just want to clarify before I purchase mine.
I am shooting with a DVX100a

also I Want to know about this Dropped audio issue and if it is a issue
I will be recording long interviews and one of the reasons I want to go to the FS-4 is so I can record interrupted for multiple hours. I don't want dialog to be interrupted.

this is my understanding please correct me if I am wrong.
-there is little advantage in getting the pro so the FS-4 should suffice

-you can replace the HD easily with a HITACHI Travelstar 100GB (is there any advantage of disadvantage to the 7200 rpm or the 5400 rpm?)

the battery from http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2000 will work flawlessly with the FS-4.

the battery low power signal is very loud (but I would assume with the above battery pack this won't be a problem)

the fan should not be loud (I have read in some threads of a loud fan but that should not be the case. correct? also if HD is replaced with a 7200 rpm would the fan work harder and thus be louder?)


I plan on taking these drives into the field remotely and abroad.
I will be backing them up on my G4 powerbook 1.67 w/ 2GB of Ram
and then backing them up on ESATA portable HD's.

I want to ensure that I run into as few problems as possible.
if I am miss-informed about any of my above statements or if there is anything that I should know but am leaving out Please Please let me know.
thank you.
 
I can't say much about your questions but I can offer my problem with the FS-4 which caused me to return the unit and abandon the idea.

The timecode didn't match what was on the tape.

This may not be a problem for most but the whole reason I bought the FS was to not have to capture from the tapes BUT, I wanted to record to tape for backup purposes.
My workflow would have been record to tape and FS together at the same time. Take the FS clips right into my NLE and edit, simple right? However if I ever wanted to revisit the project I simply had to open the NLE project file and batch capture all the long since deleted clips. Well ,when the timecode doesn't match the edited clips (from FS) then every edit point in the project would be off by whatever the timecode discrepancy was.

So, to make a long story short the unit didn't do what I was told it would (record correct timecode).
This was the entire basis on which I bought the FS and it was the entire basis for which I returned it.
 
the timecode thing does not trouble me that much.
I wish it were otherwise but I don't plan on shooting film at all.
I would rather take the raw data and back it up to 2-3 HD's and store those
(at $4.50 per hour of data) than worry about the tape and HD matching.
it seems to me that data on a few HD's is more stable than on 1 miniDV or DVpro
tape. but if I am wrong please let me know I want to do this right and hear why.
thanks for your post.
 
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