HVX and external harddrives the final word

R

Ryan McCarvill

Well-known member
Hi,

I have seriously been considering buying a HVX200. However the purchase price will seriously hamper me financially, I doubt I would be able to purchase any p2 cards for a while. Because of this I have researched extensively on the net and on this website for information about recording directly to a Hard Drive. Some sites say you can record directly via firewire, others say you can only do it to a Firestore, others say you can only do it if you have a P2 Card that it can backup.

One site that I saw said that you could record multiple framerates to miniDV which im sure is incorrect.

What is the definitive list of features/limitations with exporting directly to an external HD?
 
Disregard what the misinformed sites say -- you can in fact record to a computer using Firewire with no P2 card inserted. I have done so.
 
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I have a G4 Powerbook.

Is there no way to record striaght to a HD without a computer, do you loose the multipe framerate ability?
 
No, you cannot record straight to a hard drive without a computer.

You need a Focus FS-100 or Cineporter when released.
 
Ok You can record straight to a Hard Drive through a computer running certain capture software and in multiple framerates, without a p2 card? Or are you stuck with 720 60i?

I have heard that there are problems with macs.
 
There is no 720/60i, it's 720/60p. And yes you can record straight to a hard drive through a computer including variable frame rates.
 
RyanMc said:
One site that I saw said that you could record multiple framerates to miniDV which im sure is incorrect.
Click to expand...

No it is correct!. The available frame rates when shooting to mini DV tape are 480i/60i, 480i/30p, 480i/24p and 480i/24pa.

RyanMc said:
What is the definitive list of features/limitations with exporting directly to an external HD?
Click to expand...

You can export directly to a hard drive only when you have footage on a P2 card in the camera. In this "host" mode the camera will transfer footage as files off the P2 cards to a hard drive that has it's own power source. The camera will need to format the drive first so it will erase everything on the drive.

As others have said you can use your G4 and FCP to capture via firewire to an external hard drive. This can be done, without P2 cards, in any of the shooting modes except 24PN and 30PN. So in other words you can capture in 1080, 720 and in 480 mode you have a choice of DVCPro50, DVCPro and DV.:love4:
 
just buy a p2 card even if you have to borrow to buy it

buying an HVX without a P2 card is like buying a car without wheels and waiting to get them weeks later when you save up. Get it now pay for it later.

If you cant afford p2 media youre not going to be able to afford the terrabytes of data storage you are going to need to store and edit the p2 media you shoot. Maybe a DVX and a ton of accessories might be of better use to you than a barebones HD camera and not even afford the proper media to record on.
 
RyanMc said:
Ok You can record straight to a Hard Drive through a computer running certain capture software and in multiple framerates, without a p2 card? Or are you stuck with 720 60i?

I have heard that there are problems with macs.
Click to expand...

What "problems" have you heard and with what workflow and applications and computer?
 
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