Simple DTE Upgrade Question at DVinfo.net

Daniel Weber · December 29th, 2008, 04:35 PM

Well I have decided to upgrade my HD100 with a DTE. With the development of the Clipwrap software, I am thinking that I will get a standard Firestore FS-4HD recorder (which are pretty cheap now) and then record the video as .m2t files. I will then use Clipwrap to convert them to Quicktime for editing in FCP.

Am I wrong in thinking that this workflow will work or not?

I can live with out the info being displayed in the viewfinder on the HD100 from the FS-4HD. I don't want to pay the extra for an DR-HD100 when I will be replacing the camera in the next year or so anyway.

Will I still get the start and stop function on the FS-4HD that I would on the DR-HD100?

I figure for around $700 bucks for 60 gigs, the FS-4HD is a good deal now that Clipwrap is around.

Any thoughts on this before I make my end of year purchase?

Thanks,

Daniel Weber

Ted Ramasola · December 30th, 2008, 12:37 AM

Daniel.

Using the FS-4HD with the JVC is straightforward except you don't have the FS info displayed on your LCD or VF.

You must get used to taking precautionary glances at your FS if it is running.

When you press the rec/stop button on your JVC it will only flash "trigger to hdv".
When you hit it again to stop or pause recording, it will still show the same, "trigger to hdv."

NOW this may not be an indication the the FS is triggered because even if the FS is not set to the appropriate setting the LCD would STILL show the same "trigger to hdv".

If you want to shoot with tape, the FS should be set to "sync", if without tape then fs should be set to "tapeless".
IF, for instance, you set your FS to "sync" and there is no tape inside, when you hit rec on your camera, and you will see "trigger to hdv" you might think you are recording but the FS is actually not.

This is the disadvantage of no LCD interface with the FS.

BUT, once you get used to this and you form the habit of glancing at the FS when you roll then THIS is a cost effective DTE solution.

There are two ways to know if the FS is running, 1st, the front LCD display which will show the counter running and 2nd the status of the LED on the top of the FS which is a contant RED when recording and a blinking red on rec pause mode.

Being aware of these indicators is important because this will determine how you mount your FS to your camera in a way that these two indicators is visible to you at a glance.

Ted

Daniel Weber · December 30th, 2008, 06:21 AM

Ted,

Thanks for the feedback. I will probably shoot tape anyway at first with the Firestore until I feel that I have a full grasp of the device and how it works. I see spending $700 on a camera that I may not keep past the next year or two. No reason to spend more. Most of my shooting is interviews and I will be able to see the unit and if it is recording or not.

Have you had any problems with corrupted files at all?

Also, have you tried to upgrade the hard drive to a bigger unit?

Thanks,

Daniel Weber

Ted Ramasola · December 30th, 2008, 11:50 AM

Daniel,

So far with 8 hrs worth of footage on the 60 gig drive I didnt feel the need , YET to upgrade the drive.

I had no problems with corrupted files.

I'm with you on the idea of not spending more on it. Good luck with your purchase and just use it with tape the first few times.

The benefit of having "sync" recording with tape is that you see something on your lcd, and that's the rec indicator and the counter moving.

However, tapeless has its benefits, such as cache recording and instant record without preroll delay.

Ted

December 29th, 2008, 04:35 PM	#1
Daniel Weber Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 696	Simple DTE Upgrade Question Well I have decided to upgrade my HD100 with a DTE. With the development of the Clipwrap software, I am thinking that I will get a standard Firestore FS-4HD recorder (which are pretty cheap now) and then record the video as .m2t files. I will then use Clipwrap to convert them to Quicktime for editing in FCP. Am I wrong in thinking that this workflow will work or not? I can live with out the info being displayed in the viewfinder on the HD100 from the FS-4HD. I don't want to pay the extra for an DR-HD100 when I will be replacing the camera in the next year or so anyway. Will I still get the start and stop function on the FS-4HD that I would on the DR-HD100? I figure for around $700 bucks for 60 gigs, the FS-4HD is a good deal now that Clipwrap is around. Any thoughts on this before I make my end of year purchase? Thanks, Daniel Weber

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December 30th, 2008, 12:37 AM	#2
Ted Ramasola Trustee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Allen, Texas U.S.A Posts: 1,117	Daniel. Using the FS-4HD with the JVC is straightforward except you don't have the FS info displayed on your LCD or VF. You must get used to taking precautionary glances at your FS if it is running. When you press the rec/stop button on your JVC it will only flash "trigger to hdv". When you hit it again to stop or pause recording, it will still show the same, "trigger to hdv." NOW this may not be an indication the the FS is triggered because even if the FS is not set to the appropriate setting the LCD would STILL show the same "trigger to hdv". If you want to shoot with tape, the FS should be set to "sync", if without tape then fs should be set to "tapeless". IF, for instance, you set your FS to "sync" and there is no tape inside, when you hit rec on your camera, and you will see "trigger to hdv" you might think you are recording but the FS is actually not. This is the disadvantage of no LCD interface with the FS. BUT, once you get used to this and you form the habit of glancing at the FS when you roll then THIS is a cost effective DTE solution. There are two ways to know if the FS is running, 1st, the front LCD display which will show the counter running and 2nd the status of the LED on the top of the FS which is a contant RED when recording and a blinking red on rec pause mode. Being aware of these indicators is important because this will determine how you mount your FS to your camera in a way that these two indicators is visible to you at a glance. Ted

December 30th, 2008, 06:21 AM	#3
Daniel Weber Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 696	Ted, Thanks for the feedback. I will probably shoot tape anyway at first with the Firestore until I feel that I have a full grasp of the device and how it works. I see spending $700 on a camera that I may not keep past the next year or two. No reason to spend more. Most of my shooting is interviews and I will be able to see the unit and if it is recording or not. Have you had any problems with corrupted files at all? Also, have you tried to upgrade the hard drive to a bigger unit? Thanks, Daniel Weber

December 30th, 2008, 11:50 AM	#4
Ted Ramasola Trustee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Allen, Texas U.S.A Posts: 1,117	Daniel, So far with 8 hrs worth of footage on the 60 gig drive I didnt feel the need , YET to upgrade the drive. I had no problems with corrupted files. I'm with you on the idea of not spending more on it. Good luck with your purchase and just use it with tape the first few times. The benefit of having "sync" recording with tape is that you see something on your lcd, and that's the rec indicator and the counter moving. However, tapeless has its benefits, such as cache recording and instant record without preroll delay. Ted