Firestore and DVX100 ??? at DVinfo.net

Steve Nunez · February 2nd, 2003, 09:44 PM

Anyone get a Firestore and DVX100 to work perfectly? I can't seem to control the Firestore 100% from the DVX via firewire- no matter what combinations of DV control i setup- i can't get the Firestore to begin or stop recording when the "Rec" button is pressed- anyone get the pair to work- have the setup to share?

Also- what zoom is the DVX rated at 5X 6X ?

Any news on aftermarket lens accessories that would allow longer telephoto capabilties?

Steve Nunez · February 3rd, 2003, 04:39 PM

Hello fellow DVX owners,

I've just been contacted by Focus Enhancements / Videonics and the $999 Firestore direct to disk recorder (FS-1) will not work 100% with the DVX because of Panasonic's non-standard DV control protocol. You cannot control the start or stopping of recording from the camera (although you can do it manually on the FS unit itself (sorta defeats the tapeless solution in my opinion).....so beware of units similar to the FS, like the "DV Bank" etc that promise "direct to disk" or "tapeless dv recording"- although I'd recommend calling the manufacturer to make certain it would work with the DVX. (if you find a DTD solution that works- let me know- and this board)

I'm out over $1300 because of this small problem as I had to buy the Firestore and bus-powered Firelite HD...so beware of Panasonic's non-standard DV control protocol.

Christopher Go · February 3rd, 2003, 06:04 PM

Thanks for the heads up. Perhaps you could sell it and get some or most of your money back on Ebay?

Edit: Ah, nevermind - I see you've posted it in the classifieds.

Randy Reyes · November 6th, 2003, 11:11 AM

Even if I couldn't use the DVX's record/stop buttons, would I still be able record using the firestore's buttons? Are there any other reasons to discourage DVX100 owners from buying the firestore? Thanks for the info!!

Don Berube · November 6th, 2003, 11:41 AM

Randy,

You can always record DV from any cam with a DV (firewire) port in LOCAL mode on the FS-3.

With the DVX100, recording 30P or 60i is possible - I strongly suspect that 24P will be written in as a software upgrade for the FireStore in the future.

- don

Randy Reyes · November 6th, 2003, 12:46 PM

Thanks for the reply Don,

But does all of the above apply to the FS1K as well? I don't think I can muster a budget so big for the FS3. Heh he,... it's tough enough trying to buy filters, batteries, and building a new cpu, etc etc etc!!

I would really like to find a tapeless solution and it sounds like Firestore is a winner, but if it can't record 24p then the whole value drops big time. So my questions are:

1) I know you mentioned it in your previous response, but does anyone else know of any future 24p support from Focus?

2) Are there any other tapeless solution contenders out there with 24p support?

3) Are there any DVX-owners out there satisfied with this product? Is it worth investing into?

Thanks :]

Len Feldman · November 7th, 2003, 12:17 PM

Steve:

You might want to look at the nNovia QuickCapture. I just purchased a DVX100 and am also interested in using a direct-disk capturing system, so I contacted nNovia this morning to find out if their product is fully compatible with the Panasonic camcorder. They said that they've tested it with the DVX100, and it IS fully compatible.

Hope this helps...

Best wishes,
Len Feldman
Riverbend Entertainment

Matt McEwen · November 25th, 2003, 06:10 PM

Hello,

There was a similar question recently from Canon XL1s owners. I have modified the same response...

The current way to use FireStore FS-3 with a Panasonic DVX100 is to have a tape in the camcorder and then set FireStore into Slave mode. On DVX100, ensure that DV Control Mode is set to OFF. (We have not run these tests with FS-1 yet, but will have the DVX100 back here again after Thanksgiving).

FireStore does not use the DV Control protocol that exists in DVX100 to control record/record stop from the camcorder. We use a slightly different method which enables FireStore to be controlled from any DV camcorder, not just those that feature a DV Control Mode. The end result is basically the same...pressing the Record trigger on your camcorder starts FireStore recording and a second press stops FireStore recording (as it pauses the tape transport as well). A new press of the Record trigger will start FireStore recording again - this time on a new file to disk. You end up with a tape you can archive and an identical disk copy with separate files created from every start/stop which you can begin editing with immediately.

Hope that answers some queries.

Best regards,

Matt McEwen
Focus Enhancements

February 2nd, 2003, 09:44 PM	#1
Steve Nunez Trustee Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida Posts: 1,418	Firestore and DVX100 ??? Anyone get a Firestore and DVX100 to work perfectly? I can't seem to control the Firestore 100% from the DVX via firewire- no matter what combinations of DV control i setup- i can't get the Firestore to begin or stop recording when the "Rec" button is pressed- anyone get the pair to work- have the setup to share? Also- what zoom is the DVX rated at 5X 6X ? Any news on aftermarket lens accessories that would allow longer telephoto capabilties? __________________ Steve Nunez-New York City www.stevenunez.com

February 3rd, 2003, 04:39 PM	#2
Steve Nunez Trustee Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida Posts: 1,418	Wont work- Hello fellow DVX owners, I've just been contacted by Focus Enhancements / Videonics and the $999 Firestore direct to disk recorder (FS-1) will not work 100% with the DVX because of Panasonic's non-standard DV control protocol. You cannot control the start or stopping of recording from the camera (although you can do it manually on the FS unit itself (sorta defeats the tapeless solution in my opinion).....so beware of units similar to the FS, like the "DV Bank" etc that promise "direct to disk" or "tapeless dv recording"- although I'd recommend calling the manufacturer to make certain it would work with the DVX. (if you find a DTD solution that works- let me know- and this board) I'm out over $1300 because of this small problem as I had to buy the Firestore and bus-powered Firelite HD...so beware of Panasonic's non-standard DV control protocol. __________________ Steve Nunez-New York City www.stevenunez.com

November 6th, 2003, 11:41 AM	#5
Don Berube Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Boston, MA (travel frequently) Posts: 837	Randy, You can always record DV from any cam with a DV (firewire) port in LOCAL mode on the FS-3. With the DVX100, recording 30P or 60i is possible - I strongly suspect that 24P will be written in as a software upgrade for the FireStore in the future. - don __________________ DONALD BERUBE - noisybrain. Productions, LLC Director Of Photography/ Producer/ Consultant http://noisybrain.com/donbio.html CREATE and NETWORK with http://www.bosfcpug.org and also http://fcpugnetwork.org

February 3rd, 2003, 06:04 PM	#3
Christopher Go Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 429	Thanks for the heads up. Perhaps you could sell it and get some or most of your money back on Ebay? Edit: Ah, nevermind - I see you've posted it in the classifieds.

November 6th, 2003, 11:11 AM	#4
Randy Reyes Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 54	Even if I couldn't use the DVX's record/stop buttons, would I still be able record using the firestore's buttons? Are there any other reasons to discourage DVX100 owners from buying the firestore? Thanks for the info!!

November 6th, 2003, 12:46 PM	#6
Randy Reyes Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 54	Thanks for the reply Don, But does all of the above apply to the FS1K as well? I don't think I can muster a budget so big for the FS3. Heh he,... it's tough enough trying to buy filters, batteries, and building a new cpu, etc etc etc!! I would really like to find a tapeless solution and it sounds like Firestore is a winner, but if it can't record 24p then the whole value drops big time. So my questions are: 1) I know you mentioned it in your previous response, but does anyone else know of any future 24p support from Focus? 2) Are there any other tapeless solution contenders out there with 24p support? 3) Are there any DVX-owners out there satisfied with this product? Is it worth investing into? Thanks :]

November 7th, 2003, 12:17 PM	#7
Len Feldman New Boot Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Redwood City, CA USA Posts: 11	Steve: You might want to look at the nNovia QuickCapture. I just purchased a DVX100 and am also interested in using a direct-disk capturing system, so I contacted nNovia this morning to find out if their product is fully compatible with the Panasonic camcorder. They said that they've tested it with the DVX100, and it IS fully compatible. Hope this helps... Best wishes, Len Feldman Riverbend Entertainment

November 25th, 2003, 06:10 PM	#8
Matt McEwen Focus Enhancements Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Campbell, CA. Posts: 508	Hello, There was a similar question recently from Canon XL1s owners. I have modified the same response... The current way to use FireStore FS-3 with a Panasonic DVX100 is to have a tape in the camcorder and then set FireStore into Slave mode. On DVX100, ensure that DV Control Mode is set to OFF. (We have not run these tests with FS-1 yet, but will have the DVX100 back here again after Thanksgiving). FireStore does not use the DV Control protocol that exists in DVX100 to control record/record stop from the camcorder. We use a slightly different method which enables FireStore to be controlled from any DV camcorder, not just those that feature a DV Control Mode. The end result is basically the same...pressing the Record trigger on your camcorder starts FireStore recording and a second press stops FireStore recording (as it pauses the tape transport as well). A new press of the Record trigger will start FireStore recording again - this time on a new file to disk. You end up with a tape you can archive and an identical disk copy with separate files created from every start/stop which you can begin editing with immediately. Hope that answers some queries. Best regards, Matt McEwen Focus Enhancements