Love this site.... thanks Chris and valuable contributors like Barry.

OK -- I've searched here as well as the other major DVX/HVX site and still don't feel like I have an accurate answer.... so here goes:

Buying a few P2 cards would place the AG-HVX200 out of my budgetary reach. It sounds like a Firestore solution is likely. But I specifically would like to know: is there an even lower-priced HDD storage solution? i.e., Will I be able to record directly to a battery-operated IEEE1394/Firewire 7200rpm hard drive via the IEEE1394/FW port? Would a laptop be required to do this?

Any ideas? (I apologize if my search was not broad enough to find this topic here.)

Thanks,
--Jim

Jim,
Yes evidently you can record to a laptop, but not directly to a non "intellegent" HD
like a Firestore (which will com out in March, I hear, sun 2000$)
if you have one P2 card you can, plug the HVX in to a self powered external HD and download it pretty fast.
But if you have 2 smaller cards you may pullout one as it gets filled and Dump it in the slot of a laptop download it before the other is full and repeat.

I was thinking I could strap my Apple 17 laptop on my back with Final Cut's Log & Capture going and go to town.
but I have a few questions about this:

1) Can I Capture to a PB 17 that is older (1.33Gz), but that I have put a 7200 HD into? or is 1.33Gz too slow?
2) If So, Can I Capture in this way on to another external Bus powered 7200 USB2ed from the PBook
3) Will this work with no P2cards at all on the Camera