Hi all,

So I recently purchased an HVX200 with a CitiDisc 120 gb firewire drive.

I can't, for the life of me, seem to ge tthis thing to work correctly.

I think the problem is in the drivers I have. Where can I download the drivers necessary to play all of the recording formats of the camera? (1080i, 720p, and 480i). I've been able to get some footage to work, but not all, and the 480i footage just shows up as colored scrambles of pixels.

Please help so this $7000 investment doesn't continue its current role of an expensive paper weight!

Oh yeah, and I'm on an intel macbook if that makes a difference.

Which Citidisk did you get? And if it isn't working, you should call Shining technology, as it is their product.

It's the FW1256HD-120

I don't think it's necessarily the HDD, I just don't have the right codecs, and I'm wondering what I need to make them run correctly. I do have an older version of final cut that runs (albeit crippled) on my new intel mac. I'm planning on upgrading it soon, but for now, I just want to get the footage working to see how the adjustments I'm making in the settings are affecting it. I should just be able to play the footage in quicktime with the right codec

AH. Yes, you need at least FCP 5.0.4 in order to import P2 footage. Get 5.1, as it is far more stable, and what Apple is currently selling.

I haven't tried the CitiDisk, but you might want to look at this thread on DVXUser, in which some users report problems, particularly with the 120 gig version.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=66853

well i am on the same boat too. i just purchase the HV200 with a cididisk my is 80 gig i have the same problem too i start to record and the rest of the image scramble after about 15-20 nimute the the battery went dead and systerm shuts off. I call the maf tech support explain them exatly whats went wrong. The comapany realize the problem the said theare working on a new version software. to void this problem you have to stop recording every 15-20 nimute and star again/ on DVCPRO/HD/ BUT THE SAID you shouldn't have any problem on Dv.

well i am on the same boat too. i just purchased the HV200 with a cididisk my is 80 gig i have the same problem too. I started to record and the rest of the image scramble after about 15-20 nimute andthe battery went dead, and systerm shuts off. I call the mafg tech support explain them exatly whats went wrong. The comapany knew the problem. they said thear'e working on a new version of software beceause the capacity of the hardrive cannot hold the raw footage yet but there are working on it. To void this problem you have to stop recording every 15-20 nimute and star again/ on DVCPRO/HD/ BUT THE SAID you shouldn't have any problem on Dv.

I have not heard of a single success story with the CitiDisk, so I would beware at this point. They offered to send me one to test and evaluate for one of my articles, but I have yet to see the unit.

Ned Soltz

The product is really junk, their DV version soured me on tapeless acquisition.



ash =o)

I have the citidisk-HD if you just purchace it recently you don't need to upgrade it that's what the company told me. but at the same time they said the will realise a new firmware in two to three weeks to resolved the problem.

We had purchased this unit, the 120gb CitiDisk HD, which was claimed by the makers to be compatible with the HVX200. However, the drive would not write. The camera would not recognize.

I called Chris at CitiDisk and we went over the functioning and tried all types of things. He even sent me some firmware.

But upon sending the unit to him (and its subsequent return), we still couldn't get it to handshake. Calling him back with my boss on speaker phone, he finally said that at this time the CitiDisk HD does not write the MXF format that the camera requires, even tho the CitiDisk site said it does. Sometime in the future, they plan on releasing a firmware update, Chris says. But we can't wait, so we're returning the unit.

I still await the review unit of the CitiDisk HD.

From everything that has been stated, it records in mov or avi but a future upgrade will handle MXF files.

Richard from ProCon, the distributor, writes on other forums that they have many satisfied users so I am not quite ready to write the product off until I actually have some hands-on time with it.

Meanwhile, I am a staunch user and advocate of the Firestore.

Ned Soltz

I was just sent an update for the 120gb CitiDisk HD. It's FW1256HD_HVX200__oxfw911_11022006_rom_rom2R3Release2.ZIP

The release note: "November 3, 2006 -- Release 3

Files:
1. FW1256HD(HVX200)-oxfw911-11022006+rom+rom2R3Release2.ZIP: Total zip.
2. FW1256HD(HVX200)-oxfw911-11022006+rom+rom2R3Release2.bin: Binary file.
3. FirmwareUploaderv181.zip:
CitiDISK HD Firmware Uploader v1.81, MUST un-install the previous version and install this one.
4. Updating CitiDISK DV-HDV-HD Firmware v181HDonly.pdf: How to use the firmware uploader v1.81?
5. CitiDISK HD FW1256HD(HVX200) Release Note.txt: Release note


-- New Features:
1. New Firmware Uploader v1.81 allows user to select Matrox Axio, Canopus Edius4 in AVI, Quicktime for Final Cut
or RawDV.

--- AVI file format selection including standard AVI2, Matrox Axio and Canopus Edius4

The Matrox Axio user must have Axio hardware and software plug-in installed for Adobe Premiere 2.0( 1.5 won't work ).
The standard AVI2 uses standard dv codec for DV25 but Axio codec for DV50 & DV100.
The Canopus Edius user must have Edius4 and USB Dongle from Canopus if it is selected.
Captured video clips are able to play by Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 provided above necessary codec plug-in
installed.
Project setting for Axio and Edius4 user must select 1080i/60i/30p or 720p/30p for DVCProHD and select 480/30p
DVCPro 50, DVCPro to avoid rendering each clip even the recording format is set at 24p or 24pA due to the Firewire
has only one standard and that is either DV100 for DVCProHD, DV50 for DVCPro 50 and DV25 for DVCPro.


--- MOV file format selection for Final Cut Pro & Canopus Edius4 & Avid DV XPress Pro

Project setting for FCP user must select 1080i/60i/30p or 720p/30p for DVCProHD and select 480/30p
DVCPro 50, DVCPro even the recording format is set at 24p or 24pA due to the Firewire has only one standard and that's
either DV100 for DVCProHD, DV50 for DVCPro 50 and DV25 for DVCPro.

--- Why 720p/30p and 1080/60i/30p??
If user is shooting in film camera mode by 720p/12 frames/second rate, the HVX200 camera actually inserts
extra frames making up to 60 frames per second to meet DV100 specification. Since the CitiDISK HD always
reports 2-frame-per-chunk in 720p and 1 frame-per-chunk in 1080 mode, and 720p screen resolution is
half of 1080, so, both 1080 & 720 both end up 30 frames/second in NTSC and 25 frames/second.

--- Are CineForm-AVI & Raylight-AVI codec supported?
No. Both are intermediate codec not in standard DV-AVI form.

2. Add in support for HVX200/PAL and HVX20E.
3. Re-enable "DV Control" by camera function provided a not-full-P2 card inserted.


-- Problem fixed:
1. While in recording, REC light went on but not being able to turn it off. fixed.


-- Known issues:
1. "P2-MXF" -- P2 card like folder structure and MXF file format supported are not included in this release
2. "QPLAY" & "PLAYALL" -- both functions are disabled for DVCProHD, but DVCPro50 and DVCPro are OK.
The "QPLAY" & "PLAYALL" choose for DV not DVCPro to playback, so, user must select DV mode even the video was
shot as DVCPro.
3. Lab. test shows the 100G & 120G can record as long as you like in RawDV/DVCProHD recording, however, the 120G model
seems not able to keep up the incoming data rate and automatically turns off the recording preventing the "skip-frame"
in MOV & AVI modes. But the 100G works much better. Engineers are working on this issue now, will release it once
it is available."

But since it doesn't have the MXF compatibility necessary, how could it work for the HVX200?

You could record as DVCPRO HD QT - according to the spec sheet, but you would not get anny guarantee on the 120 Gb model...


So this is a "we fixed it - only not for the 120 GB" update.


Install and test and report back, if you care. Im curious about this product.

Gunleik

I know how it is to make a purchase and not have it perform as advertised and then the following frustration with trying to make it work. So others bewarned. Browse this site and others and the level of disatisfaction with Citidisk products is overwhelming. I'd suggest if there is anyway to return the product and get your money back then do it.

I am one more sad Citidisk costumer. I bought not one but 2 Citidisks HD 120Gb and can´t put them to work.

Better saying, I can record .mov, .avi etc... but only in 2 Gb files (FAT 32...). It would be "ok" if there was a seamless transition as they claim.

The first file is always ok, but the next ones have a dropout frame problem right after the beginning. So there is no "seamless" transition at all. In the end I can only count with 2 min 16" long takes: not good enought for a documentary...

I tried both Final Cut and Canopus with no luck, so I´m giving up. I´ll try to return mine, I´m tired of waiting for new firmware updates.

This is a looonnng post, but I try to detail my recent experience with the CitiDisk as well as what I learned from Rich, who, it seems, is becoming the most well-known rep from ProCon.

I've developed a good relationship with a vendor local to me. In fact, I even met Rich from ProCon, just this past week. It turns out that I live less than a 20-mile drive from ProCon. (FYI, ProCon claims to be the largest distributor of the CitiDisk, and they also handle other DTE storage devices, e.g. nNovia). He told me they are aware of the CitiDisk's operational problems, most of which seem to occur with the 120 Gb version, and nearly all of which can be attributed to - and are corrected in the latest release of - the firmware. In fact, the vendor offered to loan me one to test for a few days. (For the HVX, Rich actually recommended the 100 Gb model over the 120 model, particularly because the 100 Gb HD model was built specifically for the HVX-200. At a Gig -a-minute, that provides 100 mins of HD recording).

Camera in hand, I went and the vendor worked with me to try to get the 100 Gb model CitiDisk to work. I was leaving for Las Vegas and Zion Nat'l Park the next day and hoped to put the CitiDisk through it's paces during my trip. Unfortunately, neither of us could get the first one to work, so it didn't accompany me on my trip out west. (I learned later from Rich that the particular drive I had been loaned had only the old firmware from a July release - 2 releases older than the latest).

After returning home, the vendor invited me in specifically to meet Rich, feeling confident that he could get it to work with my camera. I went to the vendor's place of business to give it a shot, and met Rich, who was there installing the new November 3rd release of the firmware to all the CitiDisks the vendor had. When Rich looked at my loaner, he quickly recognized that it had the old firmware. He put that one down, took a 100 Gb model off the shelf, attached it to my HVX, started it up, made a couple of menu adjustments in the HVX, and voila...it was working like a charm, recording HD while we walked around the vendor's offices.

Rich said that the latest firmware was dated Nov. 3 and that resolves lots of the problems they've had until now, though it still isn't perfect, so another update should be available in about 2 months. He said that seems to roughly be Shining's release cycle. (Prior releases occurred in July and August). I plan to spend time over the next couple of days using it and will report back. Despite that, Rich was emphatic that the latest firmware release should be used for anyone who's been having problems with the 100 Gb model.

Though it isn't perfect, even with the latest firmware, i.e.
- Rich said it will only record HD if there is a P2 card inserted in the camera AND that card is not full; (I'm still testing and haven't confirmed this yet);
- Rich said it works with both MAC and Windows, but is formatted in FAT32 and cannot/should not be formatted to NTFS, so all files are written in 2 Gb "chunks", BUT, if ALL the files are selected in order and dragged into an NLE at one time, no problems should be encountered;
- it has only partial camera-button control, i.e. pressing "record" on the HVX without a P2 card or mini-DV tape inserted will not start the CictiDisk recording - the record button on the CitiDisk must be used to start/stop recording;
- the user manual could be clearer and a bit more in-depth;
- it does not yet work with either of the 2 HVX native modes;
- it does NOT create MXF files, only .MOV and AVI-2;
- and the CitiDisk/Shining utilities on the accompaniying CD should NOT be used, instead they should be downloaded from the Shining Disk site. (These are necessary to install new firmware as it becomes available).

If I recall correctly, Rich also warned that files s/b deleted ONLY using Shining's utilities or the quick-erase feature built into the drive (PREFERABLY THROUGH THE BUILT-IN QUICK-ERASE FEATURE)...DO NOT ERASE FILES OR REFORMAT THE DRIVE USING YOUR KEYBOARD AND OS WHILE THE DRIVE IS BEING USED AS AN EXTERNAL COMPUTER DRIVE, e.g. as an external FireWire drive. For some reason, that reduces the usable space from 100 Gb to 60 Gb. (Rich gave a quick explanation of how/why that happens, but he went so fast, I wasn't able to retain it).

I use PPro 2 and Cineform Aspect HD in a Windows environment. While I have the loaner CitiDisk, I'm presently focusing on it's use with the camera and have not yet attempted bringing files into my NLE.

At a price (I think) of $ 1,199 for the 120 Gb model and maybe $ 1,099 for the 100 Gb, AND Rich's confidence that many of the remaining problems are - or will be - resolved through the latest and future firmware releases, AND from what I saw while working/talking with Rich, for the moment at least, I'm much more inclined to actually buy my loaner, including the accessory pack with extra battery, a couple of cables, and a sleeve/holder for shoe-mounting the drive. I learned that the particular vendor I mention is one of ProCon's largest CitiDisk vendors, though not a sponsor of this site, so I'm not sure propriety allows me to mention their name here. They had quite a few on their shelves. If you want their name, e-mail me at : adhocvideo@comcast.net

I also found the nNovia intriguing, as it has a removable/replaceable hard drive, though it can't record HD, (I think it will record only DV and DVCPro), AND it's not as "portable", being just slightly larger and heavier than the CitiDisk, and, if I recall, it lacks a shoe-mount. The ability to swap drives was what I found most interesting. After I finish playing with the CitiDisk and decide whether or not to actually buy it, I'll have to give more thought to the nNovia. For non-HD work, I think there's a place for it in my workflow.