Recording to an External Device at DVinfo.net

Lee Berger · December 22nd, 2012, 10:05 AM

If I'm understanding the manual correctly it indicates on Page 104 (US English) that you can record to an external media device. I assume this would be a portable hard drive connected to the camera's USB port, and formatted FAT32 (via the camcorder's format function). There is a 2 TB drive capacity limitation. If you had a long event to record this would be a great way to do it. I assume that files exceeding 2 GB would be split. I wonder if the camera would provide power to a portable drive, or if you would need external power. Right now I don't have a portable drive that I can reformat to test.

Dmitri Zigany · December 22nd, 2012, 07:25 PM

As I understand the manual, you can only offload data from SD card or FMU to an external drive, not actually record to one.
The recording options are SD/Memory Stick and/or the FMU128. Or via HDMI to a Atamos Ninja or similar.

Btw, the FMU128 is rediculously overpriced, don't you think?

Lee Berger · December 23rd, 2012, 09:24 AM

Dmitry it looks like you are correct. The manual says "saving", not "recording."

The FMU128 is expensive for what appears to be 128GB SSD. A 64 GB SD card provides 305 minutes of recording time (dolby audio), plenty for what I shoot. A quick search showed average pricing at around $1/GB.

Noa Put · December 23rd, 2012, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitri Zigany

Btw, the FMU128 is rediculously overpriced, don't you think?

These type of recorders are usually that expensive and especially if it has the brandname "Sony" printed on it, your much cheaper off just buying sd cards or even those new dual recording sd cards, I have here a sony hvr-dr60 external harddisc for hdv camera's with a firewire connection, it's 64gb and also costed 1600 euro when it came out...

Robert Moran · January 5th, 2013, 07:52 AM

The FMU is overpriced big time now that 64gb cards are selling for about $70.

Ron Evans · January 5th, 2013, 10:33 AM

I got my FMU128 when I bought my NX5U which at the time had a discount which ended up being about $400 for the FMU128. At that time ( 3 years ago) wasn't a bad price for that amount of memory. It still transfers to PC almost 3 times faster than a class 10 SD card which if you do a lot of transfers may be worth considering. Transfer speed is about the same as the hard drive in my XR500 about 10 or 11 mins for 2 hours of video. Takes my CX700 almost 35 mins for the same video transfer whether I use a SD card and card reader or the on board memory.

Ron Evans

Peter Rush · January 7th, 2013, 07:27 AM

Noa - by 'dual recording SD cards' do you mean the new Sony mirroring memory cards? They are hellish expensive at £177 for essentially 32GB! (64/2)

Noa Put · January 7th, 2013, 07:50 AM

Yes I was, and didn't know the price yet, not sure if it is "that" expensive considering it seems to be a highly reliable recording solution. A fmu 128 is 900 euro here, if you would use the mirroring cards as a single 64 card and buy 2 they cost about half of what the fmu costs so I rather would say the fmu is very expensive.
I have read it several times that a card has a limited write span and also the fact that the mirroring cards will tell you when it's time to change is better I guess then finding out your data is corrupt. Only we don't know if Sony has hardcoded the replacement time sooner then needed or if the card itself checks if everything is still ok or not, if Sony determines it themself they might try to force you to buy new cards even if it's not needed.
Personally I feel the recording media is equally important as the camera itself, I bet prizes will go down soon.

Peter Rush · January 7th, 2013, 08:03 AM

what it needs is for 3rd party manufacturers to produce them - then the price would drop :)

Noa Put · January 7th, 2013, 08:07 AM

yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sony has build in a mechanism to prevent those from working, just like they do with generic batteries.

Ron Evans · January 7th, 2013, 08:22 AM

900 euro is expensive the FMU128 is about $650 here still expensive but convenient. The combination , like the NX5U will give you full backup though. For a little more the Ninja 2 would be a much better choice if one is going to spend that sort of money.

Ron Evans

Noa Put · January 7th, 2013, 08:25 AM

yes, welcome to Europe and our overpriced accesories. :) The Ninja 2 is 960 euro here so yes, in our case a better investment.

Steven Digges · January 7th, 2013, 11:15 AM

I am not going to go with the mirroring cards. I am a big fan of backing up everything I can. Backing up on the same piece of SS Media as your main file does not impress me. Maybe that's why Sony demands such a high price for the FMU, to make guys like me take it against our will.

Steve

Noa Put · January 7th, 2013, 11:19 AM

the mirroring card is actually a backup, it does not record to one "chip" but to 2 different "chips" which are "embedded" onto the same card (if that makes any sense :D), that's at least how I understand it.
It is technology that still has to proof itself but I know Sony usually makes very reliable stuff.

Steven Digges · January 7th, 2013, 11:27 AM

Thank you. I spoke out of turn. That is a better system than I thought. I believed it was basically a partition on the card.

Steve

December 22nd, 2012, 10:05 AM	#1
Lee Berger Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 326	Recording to an External Device If I'm understanding the manual correctly it indicates on Page 104 (US English) that you can record to an external media device. I assume this would be a portable hard drive connected to the camera's USB port, and formatted FAT32 (via the camcorder's format function). There is a 2 TB drive capacity limitation. If you had a long event to record this would be a great way to do it. I assume that files exceeding 2 GB would be split. I wonder if the camera would provide power to a portable drive, or if you would need external power. Right now I don't have a portable drive that I can reformat to test. __________________ www.leebergermedia.com

December 22nd, 2012, 07:25 PM	#2
Dmitri Zigany Major Player Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 286	Re: Recording to an External Device As I understand the manual, you can only offload data from SD card or FMU to an external drive, not actually record to one. The recording options are SD/Memory Stick and/or the FMU128. Or via HDMI to a Atamos Ninja or similar. Btw, the FMU128 is rediculously overpriced, don't you think?

December 23rd, 2012, 09:24 AM	#3
Lee Berger Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 326	Re: Recording to an External Device Dmitry it looks like you are correct. The manual says "saving", not "recording." The FMU128 is expensive for what appears to be 128GB SSD. A 64 GB SD card provides 305 minutes of recording time (dolby audio), plenty for what I shoot. A quick search showed average pricing at around $1/GB. __________________ www.leebergermedia.com

January 5th, 2013, 07:52 AM	#5
Robert Moran Regular Crew Join Date: May 2011 Location: Redding, CT Posts: 71	Re: Recording to an External Device The FMU is overpriced big time now that 64gb cards are selling for about $70.

January 5th, 2013, 10:33 AM	#6
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,220	Re: Recording to an External Device I got my FMU128 when I bought my NX5U which at the time had a discount which ended up being about $400 for the FMU128. At that time ( 3 years ago) wasn't a bad price for that amount of memory. It still transfers to PC almost 3 times faster than a class 10 SD card which if you do a lot of transfers may be worth considering. Transfer speed is about the same as the hard drive in my XR500 about 10 or 11 mins for 2 hours of video. Takes my CX700 almost 35 mins for the same video transfer whether I use a SD card and card reader or the on board memory. Ron Evans

January 7th, 2013, 07:27 AM	#7
Peter Rush Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK/Yorkshire Posts: 2,069	Re: Recording to an External Device Noa - by 'dual recording SD cards' do you mean the new Sony mirroring memory cards? They are hellish expensive at £177 for essentially 32GB! (64/2)

January 7th, 2013, 07:50 AM	#8
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: Recording to an External Device Yes I was, and didn't know the price yet, not sure if it is "that" expensive considering it seems to be a highly reliable recording solution. A fmu 128 is 900 euro here, if you would use the mirroring cards as a single 64 card and buy 2 they cost about half of what the fmu costs so I rather would say the fmu is very expensive. I have read it several times that a card has a limited write span and also the fact that the mirroring cards will tell you when it's time to change is better I guess then finding out your data is corrupt. Only we don't know if Sony has hardcoded the replacement time sooner then needed or if the card itself checks if everything is still ok or not, if Sony determines it themself they might try to force you to buy new cards even if it's not needed. Personally I feel the recording media is equally important as the camera itself, I bet prizes will go down soon.

January 7th, 2013, 08:03 AM	#9
Peter Rush Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK/Yorkshire Posts: 2,069	Re: Recording to an External Device what it needs is for 3rd party manufacturers to produce them - then the price would drop :)

January 7th, 2013, 08:07 AM	#10
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: Recording to an External Device yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sony has build in a mechanism to prevent those from working, just like they do with generic batteries.

January 7th, 2013, 08:22 AM	#11
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,220	Re: Recording to an External Device 900 euro is expensive the FMU128 is about $650 here still expensive but convenient. The combination , like the NX5U will give you full backup though. For a little more the Ninja 2 would be a much better choice if one is going to spend that sort of money. Ron Evans

January 7th, 2013, 08:25 AM	#12
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: Recording to an External Device yes, welcome to Europe and our overpriced accesories. :) The Ninja 2 is 960 euro here so yes, in our case a better investment.

January 7th, 2013, 11:15 AM	#13
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Re: Recording to an External Device I am not going to go with the mirroring cards. I am a big fan of backing up everything I can. Backing up on the same piece of SS Media as your main file does not impress me. Maybe that's why Sony demands such a high price for the FMU, to make guys like me take it against our will. Steve __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up!

January 7th, 2013, 11:19 AM	#14
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: Recording to an External Device the mirroring card is actually a backup, it does not record to one "chip" but to 2 different "chips" which are "embedded" onto the same card (if that makes any sense :D), that's at least how I understand it. It is technology that still has to proof itself but I know Sony usually makes very reliable stuff.

January 7th, 2013, 11:27 AM	#15
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Re: Recording to an External Device Thank you. I spoke out of turn. That is a better system than I thought. I believed it was basically a partition on the card. Steve __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up!