JVC DR-HD100 vs FE FS-4Pro
 

Does anyone know if the new Focus Enhancements harddrives are the same thing as the rebranded DR-HD100? The specs look very similar with the exception of a 100GB version.

supports Quicktime HDV 720p30

We are purchasing one of these units and it seems like they would work.

Thanks

Dave Beaty

The only difference I know of is that the DR-HD100 has "J" control for JVC specific control and talk-back features.

Basically, you can see in the viewfinder the status of the DR-HD100 and how many minutes of recording are left.

Cosmetically, the DR-HD100 says "ProHD" on it.

The DR-HD100 has the following advantages over the FS-4:

1. Status in the viewfinder/LCD monitor - you can see in the viewfinder how many minutes are available on the drive, and you can see what mode it is in. This assures you that the drive is getting a good signal, and that it is rolling when it's supposed to.

2. Power Management - when you turn the camera off, the drive will shut off as well


3. Split Record - allows you to program the camera so that one start button will roll only the tape, and another start button will roll only the drive.


Some nice features that are worth the small difference in price.

Regards,

I have the FS4HD Pro and purchased it over the DR-HD100 for only one reason: I didn't want one more thing on the camera when I do handheld which has been 80% of my filming so far. The extra cable is rarely a nuisance and the weight on my belt isn't noticable at all. Once the drive is set to record with the tape it's pretty much foolproof, just an occasional look down to see the battery status.

Otherwise the DR-HD100 is probably a better way to go especially for the integration that Carl mentions.

The DR-HD100 does come with a belt clip as well. Or, you can mount it on-camera with various brackets.

Does the DR HD100 support 24p?

Yes and no.

It will capture m2t files exactly the way a program like DVHSCap would. Therefore, any frame rate, inlcuding 720P24 will record as m2t. I haven't actually tested 480P60 or 576P50 yet, but will get around to that.

If you are referring to the real-time quicktime encapsulation for FCP 5, then only 720P30 will work. However, Focus says they are working on 720P24 QT support.

That sucks. I guess I'm going to wait on that purchase then.

Thanks for the info Carl and Tim.

Rolling the DTE and tape simultaneously is huge...as is seeing the DTE status in the viewfinder.

Does anyone know if the current JVC DR-HD100's out there have the firmware to record Quicktime 720p30 or will we have to order that sperate software I read here about.

IOW, Has JVC/FE integrated this patch into the current model?

Dave Beaty

That's a question Carl Hicks can answer best. If JVC supplies the support for the DR-HD100 then all is well as long as they don't imitate the upgrade policies of Focus Enhancements.

If I get another HD series camera in the near future (and I might, fingers crossed), I will purchase the DR-HD100 instead of the standalone FS4HD Pro, although I know I can use the FS4HD I have now with other HD cameras if those come into my possession.

The HDV 30p Quicktime file format is now included standard in new shipments of the DRHD100 units.

Regards,

Focus knows there is high demand for 24p quicktime HDV support on the DRHD100. They are working hard to finalize it.

Carl - I'm not getting ANY of these things (just purchased a DR-HD100). Is there some trick to making it work with the GY-HD101E? We are selecting JVC mode on the DR-HD100 and at the moment all our tests have been run in DV format using Avid OMF. It seems to roll fine, but no feedback in viewfinder, no powering up with camera (haven't tested the split recording mode). All I see in the viewfinder is the normal tape remaining time.

Firmware revison for my camera:

SYS CPU - C1590 - VO401
CAM CPU - C1591 - VO202
VTR CPU - C1594 - VO114
ENG CPU - L1187 - VO205

PS any tips on how to use in tapeless mode? do you have to set timecode on the DR-HD100 to int or is there still timecode on the firewire from camera?

Thanks


John

There are a few menus in the "Others" menu of the camera to take a look at.

Viewfinder feedback should be there. The power feature is power down, not up.


set mode in camera "others" menu to split slave or syncro slave.

Timecode comes in thru firewire from the camera.

I'm not a service person, so I can't check your firmware versions. What I can tell you is my personal experience, which is that when the GY-HD100U camera and DRHD100 have current firmware versions, all of the features I described in my post above do indeed work. I don't know if the HD101E is different in that regard.

You should consult with JVC tech support in your country to get assistance with the proper set-up.

Regards,

Can you mount the FS-4 on the camera like the DR-100?