Ptool for beginners / Ptool FAQ

Hello,

I just tried to use the latest ver. of PTool (v3.50d). but there is no limited bitrate check box under AVCHD compression.
How can I fix this problem?

thanks
 
sho said:
Hello,

I just tried to use the latest ver. of PTool (v3.50d). but there is no limited bitrate check box under AVCHD compression.
How can I fix this problem?

thanks
Click to expand...

buy a new computer, then chuck it into the sun.
 
Alright, I'm new here but I've read through a number of different threads regarding Ptool and hacking the firmware.

I have a GF1 that I bought months ago. I updated the firmware right when I got the camera, right now it says I've got firmware v1.2.
I have a SanDisk Extreme Class 10 30mbps 8gb SDHC card.

I have the latest version of Ptool.

My questions are, I think, simple, but in searching around I'm a little confused and I'm hoping one of you knowledgeable fellows can help me out.

First, I've seen the 1.32 firmware referenced. I've got that file downloaded, but I'm just wondering if that's the same official firmware file I should use on my GF1 or not, since officially the GF1 firmware is still at 1.2 I believe. In other words, what firmware file should I be loading up in Ptool for my GF1?

Second, I like the idea of bumping up the bitrate of the video, but most important to me is to be able to shoot in 24p. Is that possible on the GF1? Even if it's only at 720p, that's fine with me. My camera is not PAL, purchased in the United States if that makes any difference. And if 720p24 is possible, what are good settings for stable recording? I don't necessarily need to be able to play back the video in-camera, and I'd prefer not to have to deal with pulldown. My understanding is that if you don't change the audio bitrate, 24p video playback is possible on the camera, but I'm never quite certain what applies to the GH1 and not to the GF1.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
Just got a GF1 too. I think latest firmware download for GF series is 1.2, GH series is 1.3. My camera had 1.1 so it did take the hack.

I too have a question though. I know on some thread I have read about this but I cannot find it. My firmware now says 0.0 but the hack appears to be good and working. Is this right??
 
Okay I answered a couple of my own questions. Looks like I wanted the 1.22 GF1 firmware, not the GH1 1.32 firmware. Got it all loaded up. Couldn't do 720p24, but I was able to enable PAL mode, as well as the 720p50->720p25 conversion, and I can just conform that to 24p with a one frame per second slowdown, which is fine.

@freeheels: Yes, it looks like that hack sets the firmware version on the camera to 0.0 so that in the future it will accept any firmware version number above 0.0. Now, as long as you check the "Prevent Version Check" patch each time you load a firmware on there, you won't have to change the iteration number, and you can also then load official firmwares as well.
 
I just got the newest ptool 3.50D. and downloaded the firmware from Panny GH1_132. The problem is I load the firmware and checked increament and the prevent compare then I click save to enter GH_133 in save file name, click save it always pop out "wrong file name, camera won't be able to read such file" I tried every possible way, put diiferent names, add .bin at end , it just give this messege every time. Is Panny actually change the file to prevent ptool to save it anymore?
 
zebra100 said:
I just got the newest ptool 3.50D. and downloaded the firmware from Panny GH1_132. The problem is I load the firmware and checked increament and the prevent compare then I click save to enter GH_133 in save file name, click save it always pop out "wrong file name, camera won't be able to read such file" I tried every possible way, put diiferent names, add .bin at end , it just give this messege every time. Is Panny actually change the file to prevent ptool to save it anymore?
Click to expand...

It needs to be 2 underscores... __ not _ so it will be GH1__133.bin
 
Hi guys I am new to dvxuser, I have just brought GH1 yesterday with 1.2 firmware. I did hear about the hack with ptool and I tried doing it myself but it seems like the hack is not working? (Or I am not doing it right!!). Though it's my first time using DSLR I am a quick learner, I did search on the net for step by step instructions on how to hack GH1 (I did lots of forum reading too but still was unsucessful)....

I hope by posting my question, it will help me solve my problems as well as many others that may or are facing similar issues.....So can somone please be kind enough to help me/us out by posting clear instructions here (I guess everyone once went through this, so you know what it's like guys, so help would be very much appreciated)..

Ok i will explain what I've done so far, I went to the following link for instructions http://wiki.eoshd.com/index.php/Beginners_GH1_Custom_Firmware_Guide I've followed and done exact steps that were mentioned in this page and few additionals. Additionals were ticking the "Thrid-party battery" box, ticking the "30min limit removal" box and ticking the "Video Bitrate H" and changing the value to 50,000,000 from 16,000,000 under it (Even though ticking and changing the value for "Video Bitrate H" wasn't mentioned in that page, I done it simply because of the image shown there had a tick in it and some forum reading done before)......By the way lots of forum i read talks about using ptool v3.35 and v3.36 but the ptool I used was v3.40d...not sure if that makes any differences?

Then I saved the firmware naming it GH1_133.BIN (yes with double underscore). Then I copied the saved GH1_133.BIN to empty Class 10 Transcend 16GB memory card and inserted into my GH1. After that I clicked "Playback button" in GH1 and it automatically asked me if I wanted to update to version 1.3 which I selected "Yes" then it started to load and after loading, GH1 restarted (Now at this point, I assume that the hack has been already applied).....Piece of cake!! (that's what I thought!! But how wrong was I?)

I then started to record some videos (without changing any setting in the menu, maybe i have should have? If yes, please let us know what settings to change).....Then I took the memory card out of my GH1 and inserted into my card reader and plugged into USB port and extracted the recorded videos (Can I extract the videos from my GH1 straight using the usb cable that came with GH1? instead of taking the memory card out? If yes, how? Because I tried doing it, but my PC didn't find any USB connection, maybe because I should have installed the software that came with my GH1? (which I didn't) I simply didn't do it because I thought it was going to update the firmware version automatically and I dind't wanted to take the risk of having the latest firmware updated in my GH1 where I wouldn't be able to apply the hack if I am right?? and I did make sure that I only buy GH1 with specific firmware so I can apply the hack).....

After looking at the video shot from my GH1 I was sad :(....(because it had very similar quality comparing to my £200 camcorder where as I spent £800 for GH1).....I also compard the videos which I shot earlier without trying to apply hack and the quality were very similar??.....So guys this is my sad story (LOL)....please help me/us out :(

Thank you very much for taking your time to read this. Help and answers to all questions asked above would be very very very much appreciated.....

Now I helplessly wait for a super man :P...hahaha good day :D
 
Yes it is hackable, it's 09 model. I think i saw the hack working while i was shooting for a while, because the quality was much better and plus I got message appearing on my screen saying something like "memory car write speed is too slow" and camera froze, so I took the batter out. I tried again but this time the quality was crap, I mean really crap!! crapper than the first time without hack! I think I got it to work with hack first time when I changed some settings, if I can remember the settings I've changed, all I done was change record mode from AVCHD to Motion JPEG in menu. But now the hack isn't working? Is it because the hacked firmware is in the memory card and I have to use the same memory card inorder to enable the hack? Or once it's updated the hack is saved in my camera body? By the way, now the camera body firmware says 0.00, so I guess the hack was applied?

Today I've brought class 10 Sandisk extreme 16GB today, I will just pop in the card and see if it's going to work. If not, I will try the same settings with increment 2 and see what happens, and maybe I might try with ptool v3.36 this time because there are lots of instructions on forum with v3.36.
 
Until you are comfortable with the hack, I would reinstall the hack with one of the well tested settings contained in a zipped .ini file.
Go to the hack sharing settings sticky and scroll down to lpowell's post. Choose one of his hacks. From the links in that post download the latest ptool (v3.50) as some hacks don't work with the earliest versions like 3.36. Then download to the same folder your choice of zip file and unzip it. When you run ptool v3.50 the chosen unzipped ini file will be installed in your ptool and can be chosen by clicking on the different colour button at the bottom of the ptool window. Save the firmware __.13x bin file as normal and rehack your camera on a clean card formatted in your camera.
 
Problem with installing the hack

Problem with installing the hack

Today, I tried for the first time to install the hacked firmware into my Japanese GH1 (Ser.No.FS9F...), just with the language options, version number increase and version check marked, so I could understand the camera menu. I did everything as recommended, saved the firmware as GH1__133.bin (two underscores), copied the firmware into the camera, pressed "play". The camera displayed the question if I wanted to update to the new firmware, I pressed "yes", then the camera said "please wait while the firmware is installed" --- and since then nothing more happened. I waited for 15 minutes and it kept saying "please wait". Finally I had to shut the camera down. When I switched it on again, it worked as before, withe the firmware version 132 in Japanese. Am I doing something wrong? Or have I overlooked anything? I am lost for the time being.

I recently downloaded version 132 firmware from the Panasonic Website. Would it be possible that Panasonic has changed this version in such a way as to make hacking the GH1 impossible?

I have one more question: I checked "version increment", chose 1 as the increment, the new version read 133, and consequently I saved the hacked firmware as GH1__133.bin. Was this the correct procedure? Does the version indicated in ptool and the file name always have to be the same?
 
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I checked everywhere and I have found NO answer. Please help. I have used all ptools versions with no problems. Version 40 and 50 are given me this problem:
when I try to save the files it tells me: 'Wrong file. camera won't be able to read such file.' I have entered the correct double underscore but still nothing. Does it have anything to do with the directory? this is driving me crazy. Version 36 works fine.
 
Hi all, Im trying desperately to install the hack. Ive got the latest ptools and cant find the firmware image to load??? Im running mac and somehow landed up using wine bottler app maker??? isnt there like a basic step by step installation method for mac people??? :(
 
Valero said:
I checked everywhere and I have found NO answer. Please help. I have used all ptools versions with no problems. Version 40 and 50 are given me this problem:
when I try to save the files it tells me: 'Wrong file. camera won't be able to read such file.' I have entered the correct double underscore but still nothing. Does it have anything to do with the directory? this is driving me crazy. Version 36 works fine.
Click to expand...

Any joy coming up with a solution? I have same issue with version 50. Cheers
 
I ran into an unexpected problem, when I tried to hack my GH1 for the second time. I posted this in another thread, but there has been no answer so far, and the traffic there seems to be rather sporadic anyway. Therefore, I am trying again in this thread, hoping that someone can help.

I hacked my GH1 successfully once, just checking version increment (1 up to 133), prevent version compare and language options. Gave the patched firmware the name GH1__133.bin. Today I tried to hack a second time, using lpowell's high reliability patch. I set version increment 2 up to 134 and called the patched firmware GH1__134. I reformated the SD card, copied the patched firmware into the camera, switched the camera off, then on again, pressed "play", then "do you want to upgrade the firmware"-screen appears all right, but when I press "yes", instead of installing the firmware, a message saying "switch off the camera and then on again" appears. I have so far not been able to install the patched firmware.

Any idea what I could do?
 
Dram, Since I don't know what ptool version you are using let me just explain what I do using version 36 and maybe this can help. I've hacked this way for 42 times with no problems:
I check VERSION CHANGE and enter version increment 1. Then I check VERSION COMPARE followed by my favorite choices.
When I'm finished I name the new hack with the same number as the last, so if my last hack was GH1__139, I name all the following ones GH1__139.
I hope this help.
 
Valero, thank you very much for your answer. I am using ptool version 3.50d. I tried your method, but it did not help. I get the same result as described above. I am now really at a loss.
 
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