FS4 / FS4 Pro HD various topics

[Craig Bellaire]

I did try all the above, So looks like I'll call Focus Support for the help I need... This sucks... latter

[Ty Ford]

Is it just my XL2 or do you have to do EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE when starting your XL2 and FS-4 up?

If I start the camera up first, the FS-4 Pro ignores the camera.

The manual and tech support BOTH say start the camera first.

Very frustrating.

Ty Ford

[Daniel Kohl]

I had the same problem, periodically, on a job I just worked on.

I turned the FS-4 off when the camera was on while composing the shot for lighting. When I turned the FS-4 on again 2 out of 3 times I had to put the XL-2 into (deep) standby and then wake it again (with the standby button) in order to rebuild the connection.

It's not just you.

[Joe Moulins]

I'm fairly new to HDV, Firestore and this forum, and I'm just curious as to whether anyone here was a beta tester for their HDV upgrade. Their support staff have now provided two "workarounds" for the problem of getting HDV from the FS-4 into Final Cut Pro. The first simply didn't work. Using this second workaround, I calculate it would take 4-5 days to get the 800 m2t files on this FS-4pro into FCP.





Quoting from Focus support:

"
1) On the FS-4, cue up the clip you want to capture (use the skip FWD or REV button to find the clip)

2) Connect via firewire to computer

3) Make sure the capture settings are set to HDV

4) Put the FS-4 into AV/C mode.

5) a) With 720/30p clips – the Log and Capture controls will control the FS-4 – BUT you can also control the FS-4 by hand to select the clip to capture.

b) With 1080/60i clips – put the FS-4 into REC/PAUSE mode –

6) Open Log and Capture

7) With 1080/60i clips – now take the FS-4 out of REC/PAUSE mode – all the controls will NOT be usable in Log and Capture – but you can still skip from clip to clip on

the FS-4 to find what you want to capture – then just hit CAPTURE NOW.


--The “trick” is only in 1080/60i mode only – we just have to fool FCP into reading the 1080/60i firewire feed – we do this by being in REC/PAUSE.


8) If none of the above work – then reset the computer and try again.

------------------------------------

If these steps don't work, let us know and we can get one of testers to step through this with you over the phone.

end quote



Bizarre.

[Daniel Kohl]

It just goes to show you - they're humans... just like us. It sounds like they set one of they're trainees in front of FCP and told him (or her) they couldn't go to lunch until they found a work-round.

All I can say is that you would have just about as much work getting the video into your Apple from tape as you will doing it like Focus suggest, only, I would suggest setting the FS-4 to playback all clips instead of capturing one clip at a time.

... From my experience after beta testing the FS-4 (not Pro and no HDV), beta testing doesn't mean anything when they disregard the beta tester's reports. I'm asking myself if they did any Alfa testing with the FS-4HDV - if so, then they have done their customers a disservice by not warning about it's limitations.

[Nicholas Natteau]

I just purchased a Firestore FS-4 Pro HD 80Gig drive, and I found no .m2t file format in the hard drive. So the HDV upgrade did not come in the box. Even though it was offered free to me from Videoguys with my purchase.

Does anyone know where the HDV upgrade is? Does it come on a CD, and if so how come I didn't get it?

Are you supposed to download it? Went to Videoguys web site and to Focus Enchancements' web site, but there is no HDV update to download.

Does any one know what's going on or how you upgrade to HD?

[Sheila Ward]

Straight from Videoguys website:

http://www.videoguys.com/videonics.html

"*Free HDV Upgrade provided direct from Focus. Purchase the FS-4 Pro today and register with Focus here after you receive your FS-4 Pro and your FREE HDV upgrade will be processed immediately."

Click on the "register with Focus here" link that Videoguy's provides.

[Rene Caminada]

What about the camera movement when you change the tape? like when you are shooting a conference for a hour.

[Ray Liffen]

JVC-badged versions of the FS-4 and FS-4Pro are being offered for use with the HD100 and HD101 HDV cameras - www.jvcproeurope.com/prohd .

However, it looks as if the various design flaws identified in this forum have not been corrected - except that users will get a right-angle connector on their firewire lead.

Ray Liffen

[Dan Euritt]

it's a 6-pin to 6-pin right-angled firewire cable, so it won't help for most other applications.

i like the way that they have the unit mounted behind the camera.

[Jim Harvey]

You will have to fax your bill of sale to Focus and they will then send you a CD that upgrades the Firestore to acquire M2T files. It takes a while, but they are pretty reliable in sending the upgrade out in a timely manner. If yo udon't receive it within about two weeks, I sugegst that you call them directly and give them a little nudge.

[Ron Williams]

i just purchased an FS-4 but when i got it i noticed that the box said FS-4HD and it also says that on the welcome screen - did the store screw up or is that the norm now for this product that they all are at least HD?

[Ron Williams]

i guess i just may be dumb - but i am having a hard time getting this recording right - the only way i can get hdd to record is to put it in syncro slave - but once i stop taping it goes back to local [default] then i have to go back in change it record and wham back to local - pls tell me what am i missing - i have the FS-4 HD and using it on an XL-2


thanks

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Ron Williams

i guess i just may be dumb - but i am having a hard time getting this recording right - the only way i can get hdd to record is to put it in syncro slave - but once i stop taping it goes back to local [default] then i have to go back in change it record and wham back to local - pls tell me what am i missing - i have the FS-4 HD and using it on an XL-2


thanks

Ron,

Try hitting the upper left button "SYNC" and it should go right back to syncro slave. That is what mine does.

Let me know if this helps. Good Luck.

Mike

[Ron Williams]

oh well ---- thanks ---- got some shooting to do ..............