How do UK MX300 Owners get the Firmware Upgrade?
 

i'm sorry to open a new thread for this, but hopefully it will have some use for any other UK owners :)

i was so glad to hear about the glitch solution, as it was the only fault with this excellent camera. Just under a year ago, i rang Panasonic who told me to speak with the supplier, who told me to speak to Panasonic etc.. and I spent near a good afternoon until i reached someone who seemed to have a brain in Panasonic UK, though he said it was most likely a PC problem.. though other cameras work fine with it. I was unable to send the camera back, as i needed it while in India.

So before i go through the hassle of ringing again, and possibly sending my camera and not getting it back for a couple of months, does anybody have any proof that a Panasonic UK centre knows about the upgrade and the tools etc.. to do it.

As the prospect of sending it half way across to world to Malaysia or Oz, doesn't really excite me.. not only the time, but the possibility of damage and customs etc..

Have any other UK MX300 owners got the upgrade and how did it go?

It looks like my best option is find some cheap 2nd hand camera with DV out.

Any help would be greatly appeciated!! :D
Tj

PS - on a seperate note about another problem with the camera.. (sorry about the overkill on details btw!) in the first month or so within buying the camera (early last year), i experienced a complete lockup on it, it would just stop responding, none of the buttons worked etc.. but in both instances i can put it down to it being new, and the conditions weren't normal (i.e.condensation) .. the first time was after extended use up a hill, where the weather felt a bit humid.. the second was in a VERY stuffy hall, packed with people -- where i also experienced slight visual glitches.. again i put it down to climate and the camera being relatively new and not run in etc.... though other people were using cameras with seemingly no problem... But while i was in India, the camera would lockup on such a continous basis that i simply ceased to use it there.. i'm wondering whether this would have had anything to do with the electricity there? because for the first week or so i was having no problems (batteries had been charged in the UK).. but soon i did run into problems with it locking up.. would this have anything to do with the current etc. there? i thought it was to do with the climate, but really while it may be India, indoors the climate was nothing out of the normal, and at night it's more or less the same as a summer's night here.

I did use my old JVC DV camera there the year before, and one of the 3rd party batteries completely died.. and my Laptop adaptor also died (though it was very old).. so i'm assuming it has a LOT to do with the current, because i've experienced no problems back home. If electricity is the problem, what's the solution if i go back? do i need to get some sort of Step-Down Transformer? if so where from? :)

has anyone else experienced this problem.. is it something that needs to be pyhsically repaired?

again help would be so so so appreciated!! :o

To make things a bit easier for you, contact:

StuartC@panasonic.com.au

and ask him where you can send in your cam to get the version 1.6 firmware upgrade. I'm sure he'll know where.

<<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : To make things a bit easier for you, contact:

StuartC@panasonic.com.au

and ask him where you can send in your cam to get the version 1.6 firmware upgrade. I'm sure he'll know where. -->>>

shall do!!

Cheers Frank :D

Hi, Trishul. Welcome to the club of MX300 users!


Your lockup problem: It could be one or MORE factors occuring in combination. TOO MUCH Humidity's no good. And the MX300 gets hot after a few minutes use, so if you move from hot to cold or vice versa you have to watch out for condensation. I know for Sony cams, in extreme humidity / condensation they lock up with an error code, and refuse to work.

Maybe you have a flaky battery, or your battery connections are loose, or even a loose board. Does jiggling the battery or cam about cause any lockups?

As for India's power supply, you may want to lug around a AVR (automatic voltage regulator) or even better, a UPS. Though the UPS can be quite heavy, but if there's a power cut you can continue working! Check out the brands APC or PK Electronics.

Here's a post that I got from another UK owner, Allan.

WHEN I GOT THIS CAM IN JULY 2002 (MX300EG) INCIDENTALY, I LIVE IN UK, I TRIED INPUTING VIDEO INTO MY COMPUTER FROM FIREWIRE SOCKET ON CAM TO STUDIO-7, YES YOUV`E GUESSED IT, IT HAD THE DREADED GLITCHES, I PROMPTLY SENT IT BACK TO SHOP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, WHO SENT IT TO A SMALL REPAIR COMPANY CALLED NEWARK VIDEO SERVICES WHO REPAIRED THE PROBLEM, AND SENT THE CAM BACK 2 ME WITHIN 2 DAYS FULLY REPAIRED, (GREAT-SERVICE) NO CHARGE TO ME, I NOTED A REPAIR FORM SENT BACK IN PACKAGE STATING NEWARK HAD ADJUSTED THE EEPROM WHATEVER THAT IS, THE CAM NOW INPUTS VIDEO INTO MY COMPUTER WITHOUT A GLITCH, (BRILLIANT)

I've tried to email him back for the exact location of this Newark Video Services, but no reply yet.

Perhaps you can check out the phone directory somehow? And let us know your story - with the details.

Thanks in advance!

hiya Steve :)

in the case of it locking, in both time, yes i had been using for some time, and at the start in both events the surrounding temperature was normal.. then i moved into abnormal climate. I think the lockups are purely down to those reasons, i haven't experienced it when as you say shaking the camera/battery etc..

Cheers for the info about using a UPS.. i feel a bit stupid now, because the house i stay in at India has one of those units for regulating current and protecting the PC.. i really don't know why i didn't think of using it before!!

But i have been hesitant of using the camera, at least i know that humidity can be a cause for it.. CHEERS! :)

and thanks Frank for the email address, Stuart got back to me with a promising reply. When i ring Panasonic UK and confirm it, i'll let anyone who's interested know about it! :D

<<<-- Originally posted by Steven Khong : Here's a post that I got from another UK owner, Allan.

I've tried to email him back for the exact location of this Newark Video Services, but no reply yet.

Thanks in advance! -->>>

that's very promising! i'll try find it, because i may need to compare prices etc.. as my warranty may be running up!

I'll let you know how things go!

i haven't rang Panasonic yet (i have night shift sleeping schedules!!), but i have found the Newark company the UK owner refers to (http://www.grovefarm.force9.co.uk), who charge just over a hundered pounds for collection, repair and delivery, and seem to be a very competent firm.. so even if my warranty is up (which i think it is), i now have a cheaper option than buying a 2nd hand camcorder.. and the news all seems to be good.. i only paid £1200 for the MX300 in the first place, and another £100 doesn't seem all that bad, considering i love my camera to bits (its a real piece of sex!), and it costs a massive £1700 on the high street here!!!

cheers for the info guys, i think my problem has been solved.. even if my camera doesn't work in India, i'll always have my old JVC.. it may be almost 5yrs old, and not 3CCD, or even in the same class as the Mx300, but at least it does the job, if only 30 minutes at a time, thanks to the ancient batteries!! :D

Much Thanks Steve and Frank!!!!

Thanks, Trishul, for tracking down Newark Video Services. I still hadn't got a reply from that UK bloke...

I've started a list of places where the EEPROM / firmware can be upgraded, at

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7265


Hope it helps us MX300 users!

just to let you guys know, i sent the camera to Newark Video Serives (excellent customer service by the way!!) who fixed the camera under warranty, i just had to pay for postage.. got the camera a few days afterwards, and glitches fixed!!

the company i purchased from rgbdirect.co.uk weren't having any of it, claiming they sold the camera advertised and my camera wasn't at fault etc.. etc.. and i honestly belive their call centre is one of those in India... i just know an Indian living in UK, compared to one in India, and he sounded just like one.. using only email to contact other firms etc.. and taking a day to speak to manager etc.. so better than all that hassle paid £8 for postage, and am not very happy!!!

Many Thanks guys for all the info!! it's been very appreciated! :)