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Focus Enhancements FireStore
Specifically for the FireStore DV Direct-To-Edit Disk Recording Solutions.

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Old August 4th, 2006, 11:49 AM   #1
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FS-4: problems with starting recording

I'm using FS-4 HD with Canon XL H1 for HDV recording, and there is one issue that bothers me. Sometimes, when recording is supposed to start on FS, it doesn't record anything. It does display record icon, but counter is not running.

Steps to reproduce:
-Turn on FS-4 and camcorder
-Connect FS-4 to camcorder
-Start recording on FS-4 by pressing twice record button
or
-Switch FS-4 to Syncro slave mode and start recording pressing rec button on a camcorder

Result: Camcorder displays that FS-4 is recording; FS-4 itself displays record icon, but counter is not running and nothing is actually recorded. Led rec indicator displays red without blinking.

Checked with FS-4: it is always set to HD recorder mode. This is reproducable with normal and syncroslave modes.

But: after disconnecting and connecting firewire cable to the camcorder FS-4 is able again to record properly. The annoing thing is that after putting camera to standby mode, and turning it on again you never know, is the FS-4 now in the mood for recording.

Tested with two different firewire cables - problem still can be repeated with both of them.

FS-4 SW version: 1.0.2.04100505 PAL HD.

It is actually pretty uncomfortable to check every time that FS is actually recording. Especially when it is sticked to my belt.
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Old August 4th, 2006, 11:56 AM   #2
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And one more duplicate of this problem is just found:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=71560

No solution yet.
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Old August 7th, 2006, 03:35 PM   #3
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We will have a solution available for this shortly on the FS-4Pro HD. The FireStore FS-C model does not have this issue.

Thanks,

Matt
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Old August 8th, 2006, 12:51 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt McEwen
We will have a solution available for this shortly on the FS-4Pro HD. The FireStore FS-C model does not have this issue.
How about FS-4 HD (meaning, not Pro)?

Btw, there is also problems with detection of Firestore by PC. Sometimes it works just fine, but yesterday, after three attempts to initialize FS-4 as external drive, I had finally to reboot the PC - and only then it worked.

Steps to repro:
1. On FS-4 select Hard drive mode as DD.
2. Connect FS-4 to PC.
3. Enable DD mode on FS-4: Windows plays sound like there is something connected, but FS-4 doesn't appears in My Computer; neither Autoplay window is appeared.

I have LaCie Firewire external drive as well, and its detection works always - just turning it on and Windows displays it in My Computer.

Using Windows XP.
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Old August 8th, 2006, 12:30 PM   #5
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Yes, the fix will also be added to FS-4 HD. Regarding your computer connection issues, I would recommend you contact our support group in Germany http://www.como.com/index.php?id=kontakt-support .

Hope that helps,

Matt
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Old August 8th, 2006, 12:33 PM   #6
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Hi Matt,

I'm just curious, because I have this same problem with my FS-4 Pro.

Will the fix just be for the HD upgrade FS-4s, or will I be able to benefit from the it as well?

My work-around is to put the XL-1s in standby again and restart it. If that doesn't work, I reboot the FS-4. At some point the two devices make the connection, after repeating this procedure several times. I generally wake the XL-1s well in advance of needing to shoot to accommodate this problem. It is quite unnerving sometimes especially when the need to shoot comes unexpectedly.
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Old August 8th, 2006, 07:22 PM   #7
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Hi Daniel,

It will apply to all FS-4 based models.

Matt
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Old August 9th, 2006, 12:50 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt McEwen
Yes, the fix will also be added to FS-4 HD. Regarding your computer connection issues, I would recommend you contact our support group in Germany http://www.como.com/index.php?id=kontakt-support .

Hope that helps,

Matt
Thanks, I'll try to contact them! (it is nice thing that FS support is listening for end users problems :) )
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Old August 29th, 2006, 12:41 AM   #9
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I have a different problem with my fs-4 hd

Matt
can you tell me why is my fs-4 HD showing up as two drives on my mac?
it's still the same files in both of them, but it's showing up as two drives. kind of like it's partitioned.
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Old August 29th, 2006, 05:48 PM   #10
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Hi,

It sounds like your unit has an older version of the Oxford FireWire chip software. Contact Focus tech support and they should be able to help you out. How old is the unit?

Matt
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Old August 29th, 2006, 07:15 PM   #11
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The Unit is brand new

Matt,
my unit is brand new, I just got it a week ago. I have only used it once just for a test.
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Old September 1st, 2006, 03:46 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt McEwen
We will have a solution available for this shortly on the FS-4Pro HD. The FireStore FS-C model does not have this issue.

Thanks,

Matt

Any ETA for that solution? I experience this problem too, and it's critical for me to record everything I want to record on my FS4-pro. I record weddings, and those are not repeatable.

Thanks,

Feri
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Old September 13th, 2006, 06:44 PM   #13
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To Everyone Who's Thinking About getting an Fs-4 or anything from focus enhencement

Focus Enhencement company don't care about videographers and their clients. if you guys remember a few weeks ago I wrote this post

"Matt
can you tell me why is my fs-4 HD showing up as two drives on my mac?
it's still the same files in both of them, but it's showing up as two drives. kind of like it's partitioned."

and I got this response:

"It sounds like your unit has an older version of the Oxford FireWire chip software. Contact Focus tech support and they should be able to help you out. How old is the unit?"

Well, I had already contacted them by then, but I did it again and no answer. I went ahead and registered the unit and while registering, I listed the problem I was having with the unit and I got an email back saying that whithin 24 hours someone will contact me well it did not happen, so I decided to give them a call and I left a message. two days later which is today I finally got a call from this guy from focus enhancement and he ask me what was the matter with the unit? I explain to him the problem I was having and he told me that this is a well known problem especially with an older unit and he asked me if the unit is still under warranty. I explain to him that I had just purchased the unit less than a month ago and the only reason why he's now talking to me is because they never got back with me. I told him that the main reason for me buying the unit is because I have a big job coming up soon and I already rescheduled once waiting on them to get back with me, now I need it asap. he told me that the sooner that they could get it back to me is 3 weeks. Three weeks to fix a 40gig hard drive that I paid $800 and something dollars for. so I would have to loose my client before they can get me the unit back when the main reason for me getting the unit is for this particular client. I asked him if there is anything else he could do for me. he told me no That's the best that they can do even after I tried to explain to him how important it is for me to get the unit back. He told me that I have to take it with B&H because he can't do nothing else for me. It's now too late for B&H to take it back because I have been waiting on them to get back with me. I feel like they don't care about the consumers and the pro in this business.

To conclude, I was going to buy a mixer from them and other accessories well that is not going to happen and I will make sure that nobody I know deals with them and especially my videographer friends on the net everywhere. The Idea of having a harddrive to shoot directly into is a good one just don't deal with focus enhencement find someone else. I will try to call B&H tomorrow and if they say I have to take it up with them I am just going to send them the unit back and they can keep it along with my money because after I finish this job I will not have a great need for the unit.

I hate writing negatif feedbacks, but this one I had to
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Old September 14th, 2006, 03:00 AM   #14
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Hi Ed,

I can understand your frustration. I just want to let you know that I have an older FS-4 Pro that has the same "problem", which is actually not a problem. The fact that two volumes are showing up on your desktop has no effect on the files or the function of the unit. After you mount the unit just de-mount one of the volume icons if it bothers you. You haven't mentioned any other problems with the unit - so use it for your shoot and then send it in.

Just a suggestion.
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Old September 14th, 2006, 08:00 AM   #15
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Thank you for the suggestion

Thank you for the suggestion, I appreciate it. I recorded three times on it so far and two time out of the three I was missing files. I am not so mad about that because I thought maybe it was me. when I went back and read the book I did everything correctly. I am still o.k with a malfunction of the unit what I am upset about is the lack of concern from focus enhancements after they admit that it's a mistake from their part. I have a great deal of uncertainty about the unit and to go ahead and shoot this project with it the way it is kind of scary to me. after rushing to get the unit I wasn't expecting to be uncertain about it and certainly not expecting the company to react the way they did. I guess I thought customers satisfaction was part of their business obviously not.

I just hope that no one else go thru what I am going thru with them cause there are company out there that worries about the professional and understand that we have people that are expecting a lot from us as well and when our gears are not working properly we can't deliver.
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