It looks like Firestore is a great solution to the endless tape. I have a few questions about the FS-2 deck/rack unit though. If this unit is used in a truck or studio, according to the specs there is no composite RCA or BNC ouput for a monitor. All of my monitors have a BNC composite input. Using the FS-2, you will have to have a monitor with Y/C or component inputs. I know that there is adaption but that means more money to spend. So why not just include a composite video output on the deck?

Why are these units not compatible with the NT 4 OS?

Can file ID numbers created/assigned to the clips in the portable or rack unit be renamed to whatever needed once copied to another drive? Can they be renamed on the FS drive if it is used as the source to actually edit?

If files are captured in one format such as Matrox AVI, can they be changed after the fact for another NLE system to use them if needed?

Can the FS-1 or FS-3 be used at least with an XL-1 without a tape inserted in the transport? The issue being that the camera cannot trigger record start/stop without the tape mechanism being triggered, in turn triggering the FS unit. I guess you could use an empty tape shell to trigger the mechanism if you didn't want to roll tape but did want to use the camera's record button. The XL-1 apparently does not have the DV Control menu option to turn off as the S model does.

The demo video that I saw for the FS-1 states that you can chain link up to 4 drives but specs from Focus's site states up to 8 drives. Which is it?

Does Firestore intend to move to solid state in the near future before I heavily invest in spinning drives?

Thanks

Okay. I have been notified that there is a composite video output and then I saw it on the spec list. I don't see how I could have missed it because it's the 3rd item on the list, but I did.

Hi James,

Let me see if I can answer some of your queries...

FAT32 was the selected file format because at present, it is the only file format that is compatible with the largest number of OS' including Mac OS9, OS10 and Win 98SE, ME, 2000 and XP. Also, I don't believe that FireWire drivers exist on Windows NT, but I may be wrong. It would be possible to transfer files from FS-2 to your system via Ethernet however.

File names can be edited and used on FireStore at anytime.

A tape is required in an XL1 camcorder in order to trigger record on the unit. You can trigger record on FireStore itself however.

It is possible to daisy chain up to 4 drives on FS-1.

Hope that helps,
Matt McEwen