85 views and no one with an answer? This is a focus enhancement forum, right?

You're going to find disparities in model numbers and in pricing with the FireStore FS-4 line as there are a number of different FS-4 models; some are HD and some are SD, there are different storage capacities and so on. The Focus Enhancements parts numbers beginning "ASYF" have changed over time as well. Prices are all over the map when you consider how many grey-market dealers are out there. So the different part numbers and prices are not at all uncommon.

Here's what you need to do if you're looking for an FS-4 to use with your Sony PD150.

First, disregard these part numbers and prices.

Second, contact one of our trusted DV Info Net Sponsors (http://www.dvinfo.net/sponsors) such as Abel Cine, Zotz, B&H, ZGC, TapeWorks, Videoguys. Any of them will assist you with finding the right FS-4 for your particular needs. Their prices are competitive and they are all completely trustworthy. They are the only FireStore dealers we recommend here at DV Info Net. Hope this helps,

Manufacturer. Manufacturer Part Number Universal Product Code (UPC) Weight. (lbs.)
FOCUS ENHANCEMENTS ASYF-1158-01LF 095357011588 3.3

FS-4 Portable DTE Recorders - 40GB - Black



EMJ Sku:4133813
FS-4HD 40GB ( BLACK) Featuring a comprehensive backlit display, an easy-to-use menu system, a hard drive, and a removable, rechargeable battery, the Focus FS-4 is the perfect DTE companion for DV and HDV handheld shoots. Designed for use in even the roughest conditions, the FS-4 includes a six- or ten-second (model-dependent) electronic shock cache to ensure that you never lose footage. Audio, video, timecode, and control information is passed through a single FireWire cable, allowing you to record to disk and tape simultaneously. FS-4 Portable DTE Recorders are compatible with a wide range of nonlinear editing systems.

Damon and Chris,
Thanks for the replys!

Damon, I do not have one at this point. I am looking to obtain one. The description you gave sounds like the way they are all described, except for the color silver or black.

Chris, you are probably right. I am probably going to have to contact B&H with whom I have done a ton of business. I was hoping I could find a used one for less money - don't we all!.

Is anybody using the FS-4ProHD (60 gig) and recording HDV720p @ 24fps not 30?

I'm recording 24p on an FS-4HD, not the pro version.

http://www.digitaljuice.com/djtv/segment_detail.asp?sid=153&sortby=&page=1&kwid=0&show=all_videos

In this segment its stated that a Firestore recorder apparently can capture uncompressed footage from your camera, where the DV tape compresses the signal 5:1 . Is that the case in any format you capture in on the FS-4 HD, whether you use Raw, AVI2 or HD?

I looked at the Digital Juice video, interesting, and informative in general, but I believe you were mislead by that reference to capture showing a Firestore unit. They capture DV or HDV, which are both compressed formats. Uncompressed outputs are available on the Canon XL H1 and XH G1 cameras, but not recordable by any Firestore unit that I have seen so far, but maybe they can tell you what plans they have for that.

The data rates of SD DV and HDV 1080i are the same (25Mb/s) due to the fact that HDV uses MPEG-2 compression even though it's a larger higher res image, thereby allowing you to use the same tape format with the same running times. HD-SDI has a data rate of 1.485 gigabit/second along with 4:2:2 color sampling. Big difference there. There are recorders for uncompressed HD, but not in that price range.

My school is using a Firestore 4.

My school is using a Firestore 4.

The individual who used this system last is no longer with the program and is not around to help me with using this program.

I was wondering if anyone could help me.

I am looking for what file type to record as. I have tried a few and the conversion is going to take ours to get it onto the server where we post the pictures.

We do not need the audio. I have tried AVI type one. Tonight we tried AVI type two. We can not use quicktime. I was just looking for some help and any help would be nice. I am looking for a little smaller consuming of space as that will help the transcode process. I think that it needs to be an .avi. I just don’t know the difference between the two. I know that the transcoder is switching it to .WMV file. Please let me know. I am a little lost with the options, I have tried reading up with all the different types of files that are available but couldn’t find anything that would help me out.

Please any of your experience can help,

.avi is the most common Windows format for standard definition from a miniDV digital camcorder. I assume your camcorder uses tape and not DVD or hard drive. Is that correct? What make and model is it?

The .avi type really effects the editor. What editor are you using? AVI Type 2 is used by Premiere, Vegas and most others.

Each hour of .avi video is about 13GB. When you connect the FS-4 to the computer and set it to act like a hard drive, Windows should show is as just another hard drive on your system. You can then drag the files to the hard drive in you computer. That shouldn't take more than 10 minutes for an hour of video.

Buddy

We i dont not know the names of the camcoreders we are using.

I am currently trying to code it over with Type 2 avi.

It takes about 10 mins to code over then we need to use a special Game Manager program that will allow us to upload and share with other teams.

That is where the length comes into affect(or effect). I thought that Type 2 might be a smaller file. So i tried that today...seems to be about the same.

Last year one of the coaches said that they used to have the files come out in an audio and video. Two separte streams. They would delete the audio and just use the video for uploading.

I am going to try to stick with one of the two formats. We have a scrimmage this Sat. I just dont know which one to go with. At this point I will take the audio included.

I think the camera's we are using are mostly the mini DV based cameras.

About the video editor.. I think as long as it is an .avi it will read it. I just dont know which one is better to go with.

Thanks again for any more help you can provide.

Thanks,
Ryan Fiereck

Hey there - The firestore itself isn't ever going to manipulate the video, so the filesize is the same no matter what format you choose. Each of those options is just a different wrapper - the actual video data is the same, and the filesize will be the same (plus or minus a few bytes of wrapper I suppose). Type-2 is more standard for video editing software on Windows, and if your transcoding software is supporting it, I'd stick with that.

to have the audio and the video in two different files?

Not straight off the Firestore

Is anyone able to playback an HD Quicktime file generated by the FS-4 Pro HD on a Windows PC?

I have QuickTime Pro, but must be missing a codec or something. (M2T files do playback with a variety of editors and viewers on my PC.)

Buddy

HD Quicktime files are only for editing in Mac FCPro users.

Itest several computers, none of them can recognize my FS-4, even they can recognize it previously. But when I record video to FS-4, everything looks fine. Does anybody know how to fix this problem? THX!

Itest several computers, none of them can recognize my FS-4, even they can recognize it previously. But when I record video to FS-4, everything looks fine. Does anybody know how to fix this problem? THX!

This is generally because you are just plugging it in and not MOUNTING it to the computer. Once it is attached to the computer, you have to go into the menu on the FS-4 and mount it to the computer. This procedure is not very well explained in the manual and I don't have mine any longer.

By the way, I forgot to do this many times! :)

Mike

Mike, I did that, and the LCD of FS-4 even showed "succeed", then the FS-4 got stucked, and there were no any response when I push any button on FS-4. So finally I had to unplug the Firewire cable and then I got response from FS-4 again.

Mike, I did that, and the LCD of FS-4 even showed "succeed", then the FS-4 got stucked, and there were no any response when I push any button on FS-4. So finally I had to unplug the Firewire cable and then I got response from FS-4 again.

Sounds like it could be a problem with the unit then. You may have to send it for repair. You might try a reset on it first, but you will probably loose your video. I always backed mine up with tape. Sorry!

Mike

This sounds exactly like what I went through with the second unit I had. Contact Focus and have them do a return. They said mine was the first they had seen do this.

Good luck.

I am bugging out here because I am having a problem with the FS-4 I just got. I bought a JVC-110U off of eBay used with only 24 hours on it. The camera came with the FS-4 40GB hard drive. When I follow the directions to the “T”, the direve will not sync up with the camera and record. No matter how I set up the settings it just wont sync. It just keeps trying to sync. But when I put it and the camera into DV mode, it looks like it is synced but it won’t record manually or with the camera giving the commands.

Has anyone had a problem similar to this?

The camera arrived late and I expected to have a bit more time with it before I was going to shoot. But I have a job tomorrow and don’t know what to do.

Please help!!!

-mike-

P.S. I also have a different problem with using this camera with avid. I posted this differently and if you feel you can be of any assistance, please go there and take a look at it.
http://www.avid.com/exchange/forums/270875/ShowThread.aspx#270875

Hi Michael,

This might seem stupid, but are you sure that your firewire cord is plugged into the DV/IO cord, and that the cord is still good? Ive gotten the comp IO and DV/IO confused alot in the past. The FS4 can be tricky to setup at first but if its not the system then you should start thinking about the firewire port being blown out on the HD110- its very easy to do this. Id try testing getting footage from the tape using DVHScap- just a minute or two so you can rule that out as a possibility.

Alan

Probably not what you want to hear but it does sound like a firewire port issue on the JVC HD100.

It is a well known problem with the HD100 that the firewire interface can be destroyed by plugging or unplugging the firewire cable in with the camera and PC switched on. Also selecting HD/DV on the firewire out selector switch can cause the interface on the cam to fry too.

On the Menu screens make sure the output is IEE1394 (Dont have the manual with me so cant say which screen it is on.)

With the cam and pc switched off, select DV on the firewire out switch turn the pc and cam on. When the pc has booted up it should detect the camera and offer you some choices. If this does not happen, first try a new cable (cheaper than paying for someone to check the cam out initially).

If you are lucky and the computer detects the cam, then the DV side of the firewire is OK.

Time to test the HD side. Windows does not recognise the HD signal so its up to the NLE to do this. Switch off the PC and camera, then select HD output on the firewire switch. Turn on the computer and camera, then load up AVID. The cam should be on before the NLE is loaded well thats the case with Liquid anyways.

Another option is to make sure that the output is on HD or DV and in the Firestore make sure that you are set to the correct input signal. I dont think it converts the input.

Hope this helps

Ian

Are we going to see a dedicated HD only recorder for the new Sony XDCAM EX camcorder. PS. If it were possible you would sell tones of these if you could convert HD to SD in such a recorder as the FS4 that would allow us to record to SxS in HD and have a copy in HD or SD.

My thoughts.

Hi,
where did you get your firmware upgrade for the JVC GY-HD111E?
Thans , Mike
Hi there! I am sorry if my English is not correct as your, but I never studied it too much (only 3 yrs at school): the rest is self learned on the Web, so please forgive my mistakes (I hope you'll understand me by the same).
It's my 1st post: congratulations to all the friends in this Forum, I found many helps in these years from you. But now... I am not able to find a solution to my problem:

I have a JVC GY-HD111E (PAL) with "(A)" firmware, so the one recommended by Focus. I have also a Focus FS4 HD (firmware 1.1.0) and I am not able to capturing in "tapeless" mode.

It's all ok with the tape, but when I switch it in "tapeless" mode I can capture clips of 2-5 secs and when I stop the recording with REC button the FS4 doesn't stop (or better: it stops and restart recording a new clip=!

FS4 Configuration:
Record: Normal
Hdd Mode: DV Recorder (same problem in HD, but let's use DV mode); Use ext. FS4: no
DV Formats: AVI Type2
Setup: time and date identical to the Camcorder's ones
Functions: FA Tapeless, FB Disp, FC Lock
Utilities: nothing special, I've formatted the HDD several times and restored factory default settings
Play: Play Clip
Control: Tapeless

When I press "Tapeless" (FA) button a black square (Stop Icon)+ "E" appears in the top left corner of the display. I press REC button on the camera and it starts recording (display light blinks blue and pink): it records few seconds, then it stop and restart recording a new clip of 2-max 5 seconds.

Could someone kindly help me?

Thank you all!

I am wanting to buy an FS-4 Pro HD hard disk for my one of my Z1U's, and another in the future.

I am looking at buying the 60GB hard disk from videoguys.

I thoght the cheapest, and safest way to buy would be, to get the hard disk from videoguys with the Educational Special...

http://www.videoguys.com/FireStore.html

...and then, buy the kit from BHPhotoVideo...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/466898-REG/Focus_Enhancements_ASYF_1044_01_Camera_Mount_Kit_for.html

Am I overlooking anything? Do I need to buy anything else? I am in the 9th Grade, so I would be eligible for the Educational Special.

Would you suggest me to buy something else? Thanks for everybody's input, and feedback!!!

Also, does anybody see anything on the horizon, or anything already out there that is much more for the money?

Joseph Hutson
nearsightedproductions.com

I bought the FS-4 Pro HD kit from Videoguys and was very happy with the accessories (camera mount, several cables, high capacity battery). It's the same kit BH has in your link,

The FS-4 Pro HD works great in both SD and HD modes. The only problems is that if you try to use the Retro Cache in M2T HD mode it may produce corrupted files. It did with my Canon A1 and Sony HC3. If does, however, work in HD in Sync mode with no Retro Cache. In tape-less mode the Retro Cache works, but one does not get a tape backup.

Buddy

Thanks for the info. I don't think I would shoot m2t files, because I am using a mac...therefore I will use Quicktime HD, Quicktime, or Quicktime24.

Thanks again for your input...by the way, how much did you spend on your
FS-4? Did the price tag of $1195 for both the kit(with 3 hr. battery, and mounting kit) look good? It is a special bundle the Videoguys are offering.

Any others want to give any feedback?

Check out my new website, and let me know what you think.

nearsightedproductions.com

Hi

Just got the FS-4HD and run into 2 production work. I have read all the setting pdf and info from Both FS-4HD and V1E. All is prefect on location shot and record as much as what I need. Only I setting I still missing in action is the V1E connect to FS-4HD the NO tape flashing on my V1E. I have used just FS-4HD record in NO tape. But still flash when press record saying no tape.

Do anybody did it in V1E with NO tape loaded and not flashing on screen display when DVinput?

help....

when i start up my fs-4 the screen is blue only....looked at the website but can't find (or overlook?) a re-set option.

what can be done....help please....

I am going to be using in the a DSR 450 and was wondering if all the negative comments in the past have been addressed

We had to send our units back for mods, as there was an issue using them with the DSR series. A shielding issue where a high pitch wine from the HD was recorded in the audio track. We have also had other issues as well.
Just make sure you shoot to a DVCam tape as a backup.

All the best!

what mods were done?

I'm guessing some additional shielding.
All I know is after we got the units back, the audio problem stopped.

Another issue using them with the DSR series, is sometimes the 1/2 indicator in the viewfinder, which shows the camera and HD are recording at the same time, will indicate that both are recording fine, while in fact the HD has locked up.

Got a Silver FS-4 which the DC input has gone faulty and needs to be replaced as the battery won`t charge, anyone got any idea as to what the part number is or where I can source one, as Focus want me to send the whole unit for repair at major cost. I`ve just done this with a HP laptop and have upgraded in the past the FS-4 from 40 gig to 80 gig so I`m not affaid to get my hands dirty. Also Im in the UK, so a supplier in England would be great.

Cheers Sean.

When recording time lapse with the FS4 and my XL2 do I need to press the record button on the FS4 front panel instead of using the camera record button as I do for continuous footage?

If so do I have to switch the FS4 control menu option to local, or can I keep it at Tapeless, as I do for continuous footage.

If anyone does timelapse on an XL2 with the FS4Pro your full settings would get this poor geezer out of a lot of trouble!

Many thanks

Andy

I use JVC with the DR-HD100. but its all the same as far as the basics go (obviously the communication with the cameras is a little different). I would assume that the FS-4 will allow you to just hit the record button on the camera in order to start a timelapse. thats what mine does. but if you want to make sure, its not much harder to just hit the front panel controls. just make sure its recording and that your camera is plugged in to it and you should be fine.

see if your camera has "dv control" in its menu options, if so enable it and your good to go.

Thanks guys but I tried this the other day and the timelapse failed to be captured.

The XL2 is set for dv control always, and the tape backup recorded the scene in normal time fine but the FS4 didn't record a single frame - I had set it to record 1 frame every second to get a x25 cloudscape.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the FS4 rec button had to be pressed to do timelapse, but I can't find where I read it!!

i use it with a canon h1 and it does timelapse fine by pushing record on the camera. Make sure your settings on both are the same. For example, if i leave my H1 in HDV mode it can`t record timelapse because thats SD only. I know your cam isn`t HDV, but check similar settings and make sure you`ve activated timelapsing and tapeless recording

were you able to put the real time footage all on one tape then? if so (and if it is anything like the DR HD100) hook up the FS 4 to your camera, put it in local mode, put the camera in VTR mode and play the tape, meanwhile capturing with the hard drive in time lapse mode.

essentially you are just doing it all over again, but if you screw up, you can just re-rack the tape and try it again until you get it right.

Yes Ian I did capture it all!

I've found out why it didn't record the timelapse footage in the first place - suffice to say you are reading a reply typed by a plonker who didn't read the manual properly...................doh!.........lol!

I would have 'cocked' the shot up anyway as I'd guestimated the framerate at 1 frame every second, which in my crazy brain would equate to x25 normal speed (I'm PAL) - playing around in PremProCS3 Speed control and uping to 1000% (x10) looked just right for what I was after..........doh again!

Only just bought the FS4 and it's the time-lapse facility I've bought it for - so I need to get framerates sorted in my head. I know that most of my finished sliptime clips will be around 30 seconds in duration, at 25fps out of the NLE that would be 750 frames. Here's where I start to come unstuck:

If I need to film a process that's 10 hours in duration then that would equate to 25x60x60x10 ie 90,000 frames in realtime. Or if you like, 10 hours is 36,000 seconds, so cramming that into 30 seconds, or packing 90,000 frames into 750 frames gives me a required speed increase of x1200.

Now my pathetic maths tells me that if I set the FS4 to record 1 frame every 48 seconds, after 10 hours I'll end up with my required 750 frames.

Or have I gone completely mad?........Arrrggghhhhhhhhh!!!

There's got to be a simple way of working this out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you lost me when you said math....


I suck at that.



sorry I cant help with that angle. good luck with figuring it out though. hope it works out well.

you lost me when you said math....


I suck at that.



sorry I cant help with that angle. good luck with figuring it out though. hope it works out well.

Well Ian - you've lost me now!

When you shoot a timelapse how do YOU personally decided what fps you are going to use then - surely the rate has to fit the job at hand - shooting timelapse on a city street might be okay at x10 normal speed, but say a 20 hour shoot of flowers blooming would require a massively different fps, as at x10 speed it would still take 2 hours to view in real time.

well, I have never really shot timelapse until recently. and that was when I got the firestore. so it has all been trial and error for me. I have found that for a 20 hour shoot, usually the 1 frame every second works great. here is a page I found on calculating timelapse, it may not help you too much because you are PAL, but it could help get you on the right start.


http://www.videomaker.com/article/2384/

I think it is pretty old, but not much should have changed.

hope that straightens things out a bit for ya!

Thanks Ian!

Your 20 hour shoot would therefore have given you 48 minutes of video where everything was moving 25 times faster than normal - so you would I presume use small clips taken from that sequence.

I think you and I are approaching this timelapse thing from different angles and that you're probably more interested in it's creative use.

Where I'm comming from is the 'show the process in full' angle - fungi sprouting on rotting wood etc where I know the finish clip length before I even start.

Cheers for the input Ian - when I've got something worth showing I'll let you know!

Best Regards

Andy

Hi I was just wondering how i go about upgrading my FS4 to record HD clips. I looked at the Firestore website and it was priced at $299!! That is about £150.00 stg. A new FS4 HD costs about £500.00!!! Is it just a cd with upgraded software and if so why does it cost so much?

Thanks for any help.

Because it is their software. They are not selling you a CD, they are selling their intellectual property.

Mike

I select DD drive, connect the 1394 cable to the FS and press enable.
After a few seconds the FS-4HD reboots and ends up at the first menu page.

I have been using this unit sucessully for a year now and this is the first time I've had this problem.

I've checked the computer and it seems to be okay, but I do not have another device to check it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Joe