Host Mode

D

doccutter

Well-known member
OK, maybe this has been beaten into the ground, but on the HVX page on panasonic.com, it claims that the HVX200 has an IEEE 1394 host mode. I remember when the first rumors about the HVX were running around the net, there was the possiblity that you could use any generic Firewire drive with the HVX. Later, it seemed to be confirmed that you would need a firestore or similar device to store video, which is too bad since alot of us were talking about buying ipods in bulk and storing everything via firewire. So if we can't hook up a standard firewire drive, what does "host mode" mean? How does it differ from any DV camera with a firewire port?
 
I'm pretty sure that in "Host" mode you can dump the footage off the P2 card onto a Firewire hard drive without the need of a computer. This is different to what the Firestore is capable of which captures footage directly to the drive. BTW, I guess iPods could work, but the newer ones are only USB.
 
On Panasonics site:

"Can I use the FireWire output to record directly to a FireWire drive or Apple iPod?

Yes, we have done tests on original iPod models over FireWire by putting the camera into the "Host Mode," though its performance is a little slow. However, the latest iPod models do not have a FireWire port. On a standard 1394 drive, it would be a bit faster."

http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/hvx200faq.asp

WTF?
 
Bad wording. Also noticed this badly written part:

"It has a wide-angle Leica Dicomar high definition lens with optical image stabilizer, which can be off."

I think they should have written, "Which can be turned off"
 
Still,
Very interesting. If I could use an ipod as a storage device (an HD with it's own battery)
I could dump the P2 cards to that...
The only problem is that it might take more time to transfer than it's worth
I think people have mentioned this
So if it is slower to tranfer
I doubt that you can Record directly as they say on the site
http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/hvx200faq.asp

That being said...I wonder if you USB'd a 4G P2card to a New Vpod,
if you could preview the footage there?
Hmmmmm
 
What do you know...they just updated it:

"Can I use the FireWire output to transfer previously recorded content from P2 cards to an external hard drive or Apple iPod?
Yes, we have done tests on original iPod models over FireWire by putting the camera into the "Host Mode," though its performance is a little slow. However, the latest iPod models do not have a FireWire port. On a standard 1394 drive, it would be a bit faster."
 
CinePorter

CinePorter

Personally I'm waiting for the Cineporter because the speed will be the exact same as the P2 since all it is, is an extended, larger capacity P2 card. It looks like a P2 card adapter that connects to a larger (100GB, 120GB, 200GB or 240GB) HD. I heard it will be out next year sometime. <http://www.spec-comm.com/cineporter.php> If you want to see it.
 
I feel like I'm being watched

Luis Caffesse said:
What do you know...they just updated it:

"Can I use the FireWire output to transfer previously recorded content from P2 cards to an external hard drive or Apple iPod?
Yes, we have done tests on original iPod models over FireWire by putting the camera into the "Host Mode," though its performance is a little slow. However, the latest iPod models do not have a FireWire port. On a standard 1394 drive, it would be a bit faster."
Click to expand...
 
OK, that makes sense, you can't stream to the ipod, but you can offload p2's, much like on a digital still camera with an ipod and the CF adaptor. That's too bad, at least until there's 64GB P2 cards and a terabyte ipod... I suppose cineporter or firestore is the way for now. I just liked the idea of being able to supply one's own hard drives in the interest of cost. Imagine, you can buy 7200RPM 100GB laptop drives for around 300$. Get a case of those, and you have storage for an entire DVCPROHD documentary.
 
The Last time I bought an HD I bought a 300GB SATA 7200RPM Drive for $192 CAD. There not as compact as the laptop drives but are cheaper for more space.
 
doccutter said:
OK, that makes sense, you can't stream to the ipod, but you can offload p2's, much like on a digital still camera with an ipod and the CF adaptor. That's too bad, at least until there's 64GB P2 cards and a terabyte ipod... I suppose cineporter or firestore is the way for now. I just liked the idea of being able to supply one's own hard drives in the interest of cost. Imagine, you can buy 7200RPM 100GB laptop drives for around 300$. Get a case of those, and you have storage for an entire DVCPROHD documentary.
Click to expand...

remember it needs it's own power source
might as well just throw an old Powerbook around it and go to town
 
Host mode means that the camera can control the hard disk. It's not streaming, but it is for copying. A nice touch (well, necessary actually, but it's nice that they put it in) is that you can execute the copy with verify, so it'll copy the card contents over and then read it back and compare it to the card to ensure that it copied properly.

I also have an Archos AV500, and it can sort of work with the HVX. It's a 100gb battery-powered hard disk device, but it's USB2 only. The HVX can't control it, but it can control the HVX. With the current version of the software you can only copy a single file over at a time, so it's too limited to be of much use, but if Archos updates the firmware to support copying full folders (including subdirectories) then it would be most sweet.
 
ha ha no, but i think they have a little elf working there that reads DVXuser all day and writes down all the great suggestions or mistakes.
 
Barry_Green said:
Host mode means that the camera can control the hard disk. It's not streaming, but it is for copying. A nice touch (well, necessary actually, but it's nice that they put it in) is that you can execute the copy with verify, so it'll copy the card contents over and then read it back and compare it to the card to ensure that it copied properly.
Click to expand...

Barry:

How convenient is it to dump from the p2 to hard drive?

Will you have to cycle through multiple menus to get to host mode in order to dump? Will a successful dump clear the p2 memory, or will you have to execute the erase p2 memory as an extra step?

I hopefully envisage this scenario: Hvx with 4gig p2 and harddrive attached:

Shoot, press dump button, shoot, press dump button... and so on.

Cycling though menus in that workflow ("shootflow?") would be a pain in the butt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top