All my settings are there after updated.

Just did my upgrade and the settings are all intact. SxS cards read the same times as others have posted here. Haven't tried SDHC yet. Very smooth upgrade (I think it actually took less than 15 min. but I may be mistaken). So this is what people have sent their cameras back and forth to the Sony service centers and sometimes charged a fee! Amazing!

Happy to report I upgraded my EX1 to firmware 1.20 from 1.11 this afternoon without any major problems.

The only issue I had was when it was installing 'drivers', it came back saying it could not find usbsvr.sys and to feed it the Win XP SP3 disk. Which I did and it still could not find it.

So I did a search for the driver and found it on my hard drive in \windows\system32\drivers.

Once I pointed the versionupdater program at it, all was fine.

I have a powerbook g4 1.67 Ghz running Mac os x 10.4.11. Downloaded the .zip file, expanded, version up tool won't open. Message says: Upgrade tool error.
I did download again, and again, no way. What's wrong?

Pietro, it may be that you need an Intel mac. G4 is fairly ancient. And 10.4 pretty old system. I think you need 10.5. Maybe it is in Sony's notes somewhere or someone here may know.

If possible fiend a colleague with a newer Mac or PC and see if she/he would let you do the update using their computer.

Personally I am waiting a month or so before upgrading to see how things shake out. So far it seems pretty solid.

Strange, i read on sony's pdf that comes with the downloaded file that Mac os x 10.4 is ok. I'll try later with my girlfriend's mac, which is newer.

"Personally I am waiting a month or so before upgrading to see how things shake out."

Olof: I think I'll hang out in the scaredy cat corner with you for awhile. That okay?

I was actually going to do the same thing - had some strong ice tea with a little caffeine buzz so told myself "what the hey" - it was a very smooth process except midway through I read in the instructions about having the battery in the camera even though you powered the camera with DC converter just in case your power went out and there was a storm system approaching so was a bit anxious until everything was done.

Maybe it is my imagination but the camera does seem to boot up more quickly and the red light on an SxS card seems to turn green in less time after recording.

Hi,
I just wanted to post my own experience updating my EX-1 just few minutes ago.

I have been using an Intel iMac with Leopard 10.5.8.
The updater was starting ok.
After connecting the camera and hit ok after the license screen, I got a message that the USB connection got lost. I clicked ok and let it go, as I saw the uploading progression bar going fast toward 100%.It took quickly to reach 100%, then the system reported applying the portion to the camera: it went fast up to 50%, then it asked to reboot the EX1.
I switched off for about 10 seconds, then after I switched on into camera mode again, I got again the error message about the USB connection being lost.
I closed that one and hit ok on the main screen to continue.
The uploading phase went fast again from 0 to 100%.
This time the upgrade to the camera from 50% to 100% took more than before.
But at the end the EX1's red light flashed and the program informed me that the update went ok.

As I have an original 8GB SxS and couple of MxR adapters, I tried those first.
I lost the usual couple of minutes as reported already by others (on both SxS and MxR).
With my surprise I switched to the MxR with the Sandisk Ultra II 16Gb 15MB/s and I was able to shoot 10 minutes of 720p 25fps overcrancked 60p: never happened before.
I remember getting media error immediately and being able only to crank it up to 48fps.
I played back the clip from the camera and didn't get any media error as well.
So for me it was a great update as it looks like I'm now able to slowmo with the Sandisk as well as the SxS.

Cheers,
Armando.

Tried again after failing with a G4 Powerbook. Used a Intel Macbook, everithing was fine.
I also had a couple of "USB connection lost" messages and let go.
I had to reboot the camera twice, this is probably because my EX1, that is one of the first ones sold in Italy and that I have just bought used, had never seen a firmware update before.
I have checked, the firmware version is now shown in the menu.
Thanks to all who posted about the update!
Time to buy some cards..

Updating the FW on an expensive camera (EX1) is a guaranteed way to raise your pulse rate, but all went well. I used a laptop (Vista) so I had battery backup on both camera and computer.

I thought it only calls for 1 reboot, but it needed 2. SD cards work great now. Does this take care of the battery drain problem too?

It won't change the battery drain, that's hardware :-(

Upgrade went smooth on my EX-1. Everything working normally. Overcrank won't go longer than 2 1/2 minutes on Transcend SDHC Red Stripe Class 6 32Gb and 16Gb using MxR. I'm guessing Class 10 will be more reliable due to higher throughput capability. Although I get Media Errors I don't have to reformat to clear them. The card continues to function after rebooting the camera.

I was wondering if once the firmware upgraded, is the interval when recording and stopping and recording again shorten? I did read that the red light turns green faster but can you trigger it faster than before.

I have an EX1 and noticed when I switched to MxR adapter, that when you would record and stop and record over, the interval was about 1 second longer than using SxS cards.

Since recording times on cards have been shortened by the new firmware, I was wondering if this would have an incidence.

I never had any problems with recording media other than this with my EX1 and MxR. Never had any media errors or restore, has been extremely reliable, so I would greatly appreciate your feedback on that subject matter before I decide to upgrade.

Thanks

If you want a live view video upgrading the firmware to ex1:
Upgrading the Sony EX1 to Firmware 1.2 on Vimeo

It won't change the battery drain, that's hardware :-(

Hi Alister,
I take it, then, that the battery drain problem has to be corrected by Sony.
Is this an expensive fix?
Malcolm

Is there a way to "back-up" the actual firmware on the camera (ex-3) before proceeding to update with the new one ?? ... Just as with computers .... To have your old nice backup in case something go wrong (as some cases reported...)

kind regards

I finally updated my EX3 and EX1 tricky getting the usb plug into the EX3 usb port. I had some cards laying from the early days of testing The Lexar express SSD 8 GB card now works in HQ mode fill whole card twice 1080 24 and 1280 60p no errors cannot over crank with the card. The MSAC-EX1 duo adapter still does not work.

i am also getting the tool error message when i try to install the up grade on my ex1. anyone have another site i can try to download from?
aloha
tito

The update on the EX3 has solved my sandisk 32gb extreme SDHC card issue of re-formatting!

Tito,

chances are that you have the same problem I had. What computer are you using?
I tried downloading the tool from differents places but in the end it was my laptop which wasn't working well enough (in spite of the requirements that came with the attached pdf).
The same tool opened and worked well in a younger laptop.

Hi Alister,
I take it, then, that the battery drain problem has to be corrected by Sony.
Is this an expensive fix?
Malcolm

When I sent my EX1 to Sony for firmware upgrade last year, they also replaced a circuit board that was responsible for the battery drain. This was done under warranty at that time. I have no clue what it would cost otherwise- but it is a "known defect", so maybe you could make a good case for it even if out of warrenty
The new board dramatically improved the drain problem, but didn't eliminate it completely.
I've noticed with the EX1r that the situation is even more improved, but battery will still drain over a peroid of several weeks. Seems like with my prior Sony cams (PD-170, etc.), you could leave it for months and the battery was still good.

The set up procedures on the Sony Sony | Micro Site - XDCAM EX (http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-xdcamexsite/resource.downloads.bbsccms-assets-micro-xdcamex-downloads-XDCAMEXFirmwareUpgrade.shtml)
site failed to mention the USB connection on the EX-1 is not the USB port you use for file downloads. There is a hidden USB port next to the normal USB port. It is hidden by a tiny black panel. You need high quality precision Phillips screwdriver to remove the screw.

I spent over an hour trying to connect by the normal USB. I finally stumbled on video that revealed the hidden port Upgrading the Sony EX1 to Firmware 1.2 on Vimeo

Once I had the correct USB port connected the update using my Vista 64 machine went smooth and took about 20 minutes.
Rob

The set up procedures on the Sony Sony | Micro Site - XDCAM EX
site failed to mention the USB connection on the EX-1 is not the USB port you use for file downloads. There is a hidden USB port next to the normal USB port. It is hidden by a tiny black panel. You need high quality precision Phillips screwdriver to remove the screw.

I spent over an hour trying to connect by the normal USB. I finally stumbled on video that revealed the hidden port

I'm going to bust you on this one Rob. Page 2 of the installation instructions have a drawing that shows removal of the little cover plate and connection to the upgrade USB connector. Sony does a great job of detailing the upgrade process.

For anyone who wants to do the upgrade yourself, be sure to carefully read the instructions.


Pete

Posted a new blog about my bricked EX3 due to correct use of their firmware upgrade tool - and their denial to pay for the repair:

Beware of Sony EX3 firmware update ? camera bricked due to software malfunction, Sony ?Prime?Support denies to pay for repair | Nino Film - Blog - Nino Leitner (http://ninofilm.net/blog/2010/03/16/sony_firmware_fail/)

Posted a new blog about my bricked EX3 due to correct use of their firmware upgrade tool - and their denial to pay for the repair:

Beware of Sony EX3 firmware update ? camera bricked due to software malfunction, Sony ?Prime?Support denies to pay for repair | Nino Film - Blog - Nino Leitner (http://ninofilm.net/blog/2010/03/16/sony_firmware_fail/)

Sorry to say, but something that works faultlessly when instructions are followed for everyone else but fails on your computer, indicates it highly likely your computer that failed, not the software.

That's probably the Sony default position, and a fair one. You need to prove otherwise.

I concluded I'm going to pass on the upgrade, for now. Seems like most people aren't having an issue; but I've always been the exception, so I'll wait.

Beside: I hear Sony's got a new camera coming out at NAB that's between the EX3 and the PMW 350. I'm definitely interested. And I don't want to be stuck trying to sell a brick.

I don't know how anyone can stand to look at COW. All those flashing ads gave me a headache. They're very distracting. The stuff here is more subtle, and does draw me in from time to time.

Several people out of tens of thousand perhaps may have poor quality or failing motherboards which don't have properly working USB ports. Some older VIA based board are notorious for this. I'm not arguing with you, I'm highlighting the logic applied to computer problems.

When most work, and a small percentage don't, that's the way the problem solving flow chart works.

Does anyone know if third party cards such as this Transcend 32GB ExpressCard SSD from Amazon work with the firmware upgrade. I'm assuming that if SXS-1 cards works perfectly with the 1.20 firmware, then other USB based cards should have no problems.

Or maybe Sony's software will fail in certain unanticipated configurations that Sony did not test for. While Sony may have made a best effort it's ultimately their responsibility.

If during a shoot my camera fails due to a mechanical malfunction I'm still liable to give the client a positive outcome.

If Sony's software fails during an install they should still be liable for a positive outcome.

If the failure rate is so small, Sony should be able to make good with little cost to keep a customer happy who may spend many thousands of dollars or euros on future Sony products. It's not like he dropped the camera on the floor or committed some act overtly warned against in the instructions.

One uses Sony's software with the belief they have made a reliable program and will back that with a warranty agains failure during a normal upgrade process.

I can PERSONALLY attest that when Sony did my EX1 upgrade to 1.11, it was botched (and I do not blame the technician) and I had to bring the camera back for the upgrade to be redone. Their software is fallible and they should take responsibility.

Several people out of tens of thousand perhaps may have poor quality or failing motherboards which don't have properly working USB ports. Some older VIA based board are notorious for this. I'm not arguing with you, I'm highlighting the logic applied to computer problems.

When most work, and a small percentage don't, that's the way the problem solving flow chart works.

Or maybe Sony's software will fail in certain unanticipated configurations that Sony did not test for. While Sony may have made a best effort it's ultimately their responsibility.

The are literally billions of hardware combinations out there, and not every PC component manufacturer makes their parts fully up to spec. What you are asking Sony to do is totally impossible. There are so many variables. Every single piece of software ever written will have some issue with some combination. That's just the way it is, and likely the reason Sony were reluctant to allow user firmware flashing.

And Sony's massive savings by releasing the firmware to the public would more than offset fixing the few cameras that get bricked in the process.

When any company releases any hardware or software to the public they take on the responsibility of fixing those issues they missed.

There may be no way you can anticipate equipment failure in a shoot, for example, you still do your best to keep the client satisfied.

It's called Customer Service. It's also called good PR. If those with bricked cameras spread the word widely, Panasonic, JVC, Canon will benefit.

The are literally billions of hardware combinations out there, and not every PC component manufacturer makes their parts fully up to spec. What you are asking Sony to do is totally impossible. There are so many variables. Every single piece of software ever written will have some issue with some combination. That's just the way it is, and likely the reason Sony were reluctant to allow user firmware flashing.

I believed this update is an option so the older cameras can use the alternative medias better. Those who are using the Sony SxS Pro card don't need this update.

Besides when run the update firmware, an user accepted the "End User License Agreement". We should be extra careful to follow the instruction line by line or good chance it will failed. (same as we update any bios on your computer - firmware) Or ask someone in your area to help you out.

However, I hope Sony can offer a solution for the failed update.

And Sony's massive savings by releasing the firmware to the public would more than offset fixing the few cameras that get bricked in the process.

When any company releases any hardware or software to the public they take on the responsibility of fixing those issues they missed.

There may be no way you can anticipate equipment failure in a shoot, for example, you still do your best to keep the client satisfied.

It's called Customer Service. It's also called good PR. If those with bricked cameras spread the word widely, Panasonic, JVC, Canon will benefit.

Why quote my post? A total non-sequitur. You can generate random reason why Sony should do this, or Sony should do that, ad infinitum. These are not arguments, it's your wish list, I'm just telling you that is how it works.

Being nervous about upgrading firmware (although I've never wrecked anything), and noting the above posts about bricks, I checked with our local ASC (authorised Sony Centre) about the costs of them doing it for me (and resulting cost if I failed).
Although the upgrade has been released for user implementation, it seems that a bit of crucial information has been omitted from the documentation:

"The EX1 must at least be at V1,13. – preferably at V1,14 prior to the V1,20 upgrade.
If upgrade to V1,20 is done from earlier software versions, the camera operation becomes erratic. Therefore, the EX1 should be upgraded to V1,20 by ASC’s. Hence, should a camera fail after a DIY upgrade, costs to recover the camera will be for the customer."

Now I know many people have reported success upgrading from versions earlier than 1.13, but mine is v1.11 so I'll be getting it done by my ASC.

EDIT: I haven't checked, but I presume that in my case the ASC will need to first upgrade the firmware to v1.14.

Many thanks for pointing this out Serena.

When Sony insisted on cameras going back to then for updates they got a lot of flack and a lot of people moaning about not being able to do it themselves. Now they have given users the option to do it themselves they are getting flack because a few people are having issues.

Sony are not forcing anyone to do the update themselves, you can still get it done by Sony or you can have it done by a dealer. Us end users now have a choice. It's no different to servicing a car. You can save money and do it yourself or take it to a dealer or to a local service center. If you mess up doing it yourself, say with a wrench that's not quite right and damages a bolt so it cant be removed, you have no recourse, if you get it done by a dealer and they mess it up then they would need to sort it.

It's up to you. The vast majority should have no problem with the update, but there will inevitably some failures, lets face it the EX1/EX3 was never designed to be updated by end users. A reputable dealer can do the update for you and it shouldn't cost much. If they mess it up, then they would have to fix it.

Does anyone know if third party cards such as this Transcend 32GB ExpressCard SSD from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-32GB-ExpressCard-SSD-MLC/dp/B000SK9DLY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1268702097&sr=8-4) work with the firmware upgrade. I'm assuming that if SXS-1 cards works perfectly with the 1.20 firmware, then other USB based cards should have no problems.

Lexar Express 8 GB SSD card work in HQ with update NO OVER CRANKING

Hey guys. This is my first post to the sony boards because I don't currently own one. However, I ran across this on a blog that I subscribe to earlier today. Hope this helps.

Looks like Sony has dropped the ball a little here.

Beware of Sony XDCAM EX firmware update ? EX3 bricked due to software malfunction, Sony “Prime”Support denies to repair damage | Nino Film - Blog - Nino Leitner (http://ninofilm.net/blog/2010/03/16/sony_firmware_fail/comment-page-1/#comment-399)

Lexar Express 8 GB SSD card work in HQ with update NO OVER CRANKING

My Lexar Express 16Gb SSD card still doesn't work in my EX3 after the Update. After about two seconds of recording I get the media error.

But, my CL10 Sandisk 16GB SDHC cards are ready to record again after only 2.5 seconds. That's almost a 5 second improvement from before the update. Also, full 60fps over cranking without a problem. I shot a bunch of flashing colored lights with a lot of intentional movement, panning, tilting and general crazy moves. No media errors.


Hey guys. This is my first post to the sony boards because I don't currently own one. However, I ran across this on a blog that I subscribe to earlier today. Hope this helps.

Looks like Sony has dropped the ball a little here.

Beware of Sony XDCAM EX firmware update ? EX3 bricked due to software malfunction, Sony “Prime”Support denies to repair damage | Nino Film - Blog - Nino Leitner (http://ninofilm.net/blog/2010/03/16/sony_firmware_fail/comment-page-1/#comment-399)

The update went very smoothly. No problems. The only thing that tripped me up was whether to put the camera in VCR mode or Camera mode when it said to turn the device on. After my computer couldn't find it in camera mode I tried VCR and no problems from that point on. Did I miss that in the instructions?

Garrett

Us end users now have a choice.
Where is this expressed on Sony's site?
What is the cost to have Sony service centers do this?
What is their responsibility for repair if they brick the camera?
What is the cost to the user if they do it on their own and brick the camera?

If you've seen any of the above on any Sony site please do point the way.

I have always been one of those daredevil types when it comes to hardware and software upgrades. I found the 1.20 firmware on the US Sony Pro site, downloaded and installed on two EX1's with no issues. One of my cameras was still on 1.03, and I had to reboot twice. But now it appears to be all caught up.

You need a very small Phillips head screwdriver to open the hidden USB port, and I highly recommend using a pair of needle-nose pliers or tweezers to lift and replace the cover. The instructions say to use the USB cable supplied with the camera, but I had no problems with a generic one.

Where is this expressed on Sony's site?
What is the cost to have Sony service centers do this?
What is their responsibility for repair if they brick the camera?
What is the cost to the user if they do it on their own and brick the camera?

If you've seen any of the above on any Sony site please do point the way.

It's very clear on the Sony UK web site:

"IMPORTANT! Before attempting to upgrade your firmware please read the installation instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions may result in damage to your camcorder. If you don’t feel confident to upgrade the firmware yourself, contact either PrimeSupport, your Sony Accredited Dealer or Authorised Service Centre*

*There may be a charge incurred."

If Sony brick it or someone else bricks it then it should be thier responsibility, again just like a car dealer, if they break your car they would have to return it to the state it was in when you left it with them.

If you got your camera from a reputable dealer that would be where I would start. I don't know what the charges are, but it shouldn't be much for a dealer to do it for you, especially if they want to keep you as a loyal customer.

Just performed the update with no problems with mac OS 10.6.2. My EX3 is a happy camper and over cranks on my sandisk cards now : ) I updated from firmware 1.02.
Thanks for all the "dvinfo" people.

Updated firmware on a Windows 7 based HP dv2-1110us from version 1.05 without a hitch. However, I don't have generic SSD or adapters to test with; just that the SXS Pro 8 & 16GB still works fine.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder if the people having problems have inadvertently tried do the update on your EX3 via the "normal" usb port rather than hidden port under the shoulder pad? Is that possible?

And Sony's massive savings by releasing the firmware to the public would more than offset fixing the few cameras that get bricked in the process.

When any company releases any hardware or software to the public they take on the responsibility of fixing those issues they missed.

There may be no way you can anticipate equipment failure in a shoot, for example, you still do your best to keep the client satisfied.

It's called Customer Service. It's also called good PR. If those with bricked cameras spread the word widely, Panasonic, JVC, Canon will benefit.

On the contrary, the massive savings goes to the end user. I don't have to spend $125 plus shipping for something I can do myself.

Agreed on good PR. Customer service is huge and with the internet word spreads fast.

When Sony insisted on cameras going back to then for updates they got a lot of flack and a lot of people moaning about not being able to do it themselves. Now they have given users the option to do it themselves they are getting flack because a few people are having issues.

Sony are not forcing anyone to do the update themselves, you can still get it done by Sony or you can have it done by a dealer. Us end users now have a choice. It's no different to servicing a car. You can save money and do it yourself or take it to a dealer or to a local service center. If you mess up doing it yourself, say with a wrench that's not quite right and damages a bolt so it cant be removed, you have no recourse, if you get it done by a dealer and they mess it up then they would need to sort it.

Agreed, said perfectly Alister. And if you were planning on purchasing alternative media or want to benefit from the increased capabilities of the new firmware then it's a safer bet to have an authorized service center perform the upgrade for you. Despite the bricked cameras I am glad they gave us a choice this time around instead of forcing us to download firmware that was on a foreign Sony site for a day and could only be found on an end-user's web server.

Hey guys. This is my first post to the sony boards because I don't currently own one. However, I ran across this on a blog that I subscribe to earlier today. Hope this helps.

Looks like Sony has dropped the ball a little here.

Beware of Sony XDCAM EX firmware update ? EX3 bricked due to software malfunction, Sony “Prime”Support denies to repair damage | Nino Film - Blog - Nino Leitner (http://ninofilm.net/blog/2010/03/16/sony_firmware_fail/comment-page-1/#comment-399)

Did you use a laptop or a desktop computer?

Agreed, said perfectly Alister. And if you were planning on purchasing alternative media or want to benefit from the increased capabilities of the new firmware then it's a safer bet to have an authorized service center perform the upgrade for you. Despite the bricked cameras I am glad they gave us a choice this time around instead of forcing us to download firmware that was on a foreign Sony site for a day and could only be found on an end-user's web server.

Well said. I am happy to have the choice.
Furthermore, it looks to me that the EX1r has been designed for easy, bulletproof firmware upgrade from the SxS card rather than a tricky computer interface. It looks like the major problems are occuring with the EX1 & 3, where Sony has had to improvise a bit to develop the user upgrade procedure.

I've been following this thread right from the start (I posted at No 2) but from what I've read I don't need the risk of upgrading my fully functioning EX3 right now - it's on the July 2008 launch firmware and has basically been problem free - I only ever experienced the loss of focus thing twice and a simple reboot fixed that on both occassions.

I use Kensington adapters with 16GB SDHC cards (I have 4 "combos" of these) infrequently - and never for overcranking - and three 8GB SxS cards all the time. So all this update will do for me is knock 3 x 2 minutes off my SxS card space (I'd rather have the extra 6 minutes of recording space!) and possibly make the KxS/KxT combos a little more reliable, especially for overcranking (that bit is more tempting, for sure). I can't see me buying any other media soon (of the SxS or cheaper kind) so all in all it's not really worth the risk of bricking my main business tool.

I'll sit it out a while longer I think and maybe review this again in a month. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.