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Skateboarding => PHOTOS/VIDEO => Filming/Editing => Topic started by: pj chad on November 13, 2020, 06:12:35 PM
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I figured it would be useful to create a thread that can be used as a resource for those of you who may consider buying an external recorder in the future once mini dv tapes become exorbitantly expensive to the point where it isn't justifiable anymore.
For those of you who may not know, you can use an external recorder (tried and tested options below) as a way to bypass the tape recording deck in order to record footage. You use a firewire cable, which connects from the external recorder to the DV port on the camera. The VX doesn't have a "synchro" recording trigger type option, so you will have to press record on the external recorder itself, NOT on the VX.
This method will:
- Alleviate any and all glitches in your footage
- Allow for playback without having to worry about damaging the heads on your camera
- Prevent you from having to worry about a capture camera. You can use (some) of these devices as capture deck directly into FCP, or you can simply use a USB card reader to move the clips onto your computer
- Help keep your VX batteries alive longer, as the camera doesn't have to work as hard recording on and off to a tape
- Take a well known failure of point in the VX (the tape deck) out of the equation which will help keep your VX out of Kerrys' shop
Here are the tried and tested options that I'm aware of. I will likely update this list as time goes on.
1. Sony HVR-MRC1
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEcbHsfpdSn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This is the external recorder that I use, so it's the one that I will be able to provide the most information on. It's actually two pieces that connect - the HVR-MRC1 (the front plate with the button and interface, and the cradle that contains the firewire port (HVRA-CR1) but is typically sold as a pair. It uses compactflash cards (8GB-64GB), has a plugin directly for FCP 7 for easy capturing, takes the same batteries as the VX (I use the skinny profile NP-F570 batteries and it lasts probably 4 weeks or so), works flawlessly, and can cost any where in the range of $220 - $400. It can output to DV or AVI as the file format, I use DV. I have been using this for about 4 months now, and it has never failed me yet. I created a custom bracket out of a cheap piece of aluminum, and also use velcro to keep it securely in place. With the battery, it weighs about 13oz. A 32GB compactflash card will give you 146 minutes of recording time, which you can obviously re-format in less than 10 seconds.
2. Datavideo DN-60A
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cgBJtl92k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Maybe Al Hodgson can shed some more light on this one if anyone has any questions. From what I've read, it also takes compactflash cards, runs on 4x AA batteries that supposedly provides more than 3 hours of continuous use. I'm not sure if you can capture directly off it. Apparently you have to choose an option on the DN-60 called "make media files" before it will be readable by a computer. It seems like it has an intuitive user interface. Price varies $100 - 400. These look to be fairly rare.
3. Focus Enhancements Firestore FS-4 DTE Recorder
https://www.instagram.com/p/CHTRj3dFaC7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I really don't know much about this one. You can capture directly off of this, because it comes with an internal 40GB or 80GB hard drive which is about 3 or 6 hours of recording time. Weighs less than one pound. Uses external battery packs. A single battery pack will last about 90 minutes according to the manual. Price varies from $90 - $350. This one is definitely the cheapest, but I'm not quite sure I'd recommend it considering it runs off of an internal HD and I'm not sure how easy it is to replace once that internal HD fails.
Hope this helps!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMtunr4S_RU
Sneep used something similar for this video, he had the thing mounted to the bottom of the VX but I remember hearing it was dumb heavy and kind of a bitch to use.
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I can definitely say it's heavier and does make the VX lose it's whole 'compact and easy to use' appeal. Especially when I used to quickly chuck in a battery, the lens cap on and a tape in to record something super quick.
However it is a god send for filming now. Just get home and I don't need to capture tapes or store them, either.
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I can definitely say it's heavier and does make the VX lose it's whole 'compact and easy to use' appeal. Especially when I used to quickly chuck in a battery, the lens cap on and a tape in to record something super quick.
However it is a god send for filming now. Just get home and I don't need to capture tapes or store them, either.
I agree that to an extent it does lose some compact functionality being heavier and bulkier. When you say chuck in battery/lens cap off/tape in to record something really quick, do you find that the external recorder really sets you back? I keep mine all together and ready to go in my camera bag, so if anything, simply turning on the external recorder and waiting 7 seconds for it boot is quicker than having to peel the wrapper off of a new tape, eject the tape mechanism, and load in a tape. It's not like you really to configure or change anything on the external recorder. Formatting the SD card if it's full takes 5 seconds flat.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMtunr4S_RU
Sneep used something similar for this video, he had the thing mounted to the bottom of the VX but I remember hearing it was dumb heavy and kind of a bitch to use.
Haha, sick this is posted here. Already sold the DN-60 I used that year, and back to tapes. It was fun to try it out though, but I'd rather use tapes.
Tried it out, inspired by this post of Vincent Jugnet:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjpp6mwlpvX/
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Sick thread. Did not know this was a thing.
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I would love to get a VX1MK1 set up with this thing. Too bad MK1's are stupid rare now
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How solid is the connection? Those 4 pin FW connectors are flimsy. Would be worried about this especially when filming lines.
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I can definitely say it's heavier and does make the VX lose it's whole 'compact and easy to use' appeal. Especially when I used to quickly chuck in a battery, the lens cap on and a tape in to record something super quick.
However it is a god send for filming now. Just get home and I don't need to capture tapes or store them, either.
I agree that to an extent it does lose some compact functionality being heavier and bulkier. When you say chuck in battery/lens cap off/tape in to record something really quick, do you find that the external recorder really sets you back? I keep mine all together and ready to go in my camera bag, so if anything, simply turning on the external recorder and waiting 7 seconds for it boot is quicker than having to peel the wrapper off of a new tape, eject the tape mechanism, and load in a tape. It's not like you really to configure or change anything on the external recorder. Formatting the SD card if it's full takes 5 seconds flat.
Do be fair, you make a good point on that!
I don't keep it altogether, mainly due to the mount I have really. It adds an extra layer and fits in the bag all weird.
Maybe I'll just leave it in the bag as it is in between spots and see how I find it.
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How solid is the connection? Those 4 pin FW connectors are flimsy. Would be worried about this especially when filming lines.
My original worry was this, however I haven't had any real issues with connectivity when I've been out filming. Even after having some close calls and yanking away the camera, it's been fine.
Although my main concern is the cable slowly dying with the bend I've got in mine to fit underneath being strapped in. But the Firewire cable construction looks to be pretty strong.
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cool, thanks for starting this thread! my tape deck is broken and i was having trouble finding something like this a while back, but did read someone posted about the DN60.
i just got this for a quick solution for the time being after my friend recommended it to me, immersion rc powerplay. i guess its for drones, but he was using it on a vx2100:
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1349/4827/products/1101-thickbox.jpg?v=1568863244)
i'm still figuring it out, but so far i've noticed that it records in 16:9 and the audio wasn't recorded. i talked to my buddy who said his audio comes out fine so it's my cable imma have to check on that. but it was cheap, like $100 and i used an sd card for it.
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I can definitely say it's heavier and does make the VX lose it's whole 'compact and easy to use' appeal. Especially when I used to quickly chuck in a battery, the lens cap on and a tape in to record something super quick.
However it is a god send for filming now. Just get home and I don't need to capture tapes or store them, either.
I agree that to an extent it does lose some compact functionality being heavier and bulkier. When you say chuck in battery/lens cap off/tape in to record something really quick, do you find that the external recorder really sets you back? I keep mine all together and ready to go in my camera bag, so if anything, simply turning on the external recorder and waiting 7 seconds for it boot is quicker than having to peel the wrapper off of a new tape, eject the tape mechanism, and load in a tape. It's not like you really to configure or change anything on the external recorder. Formatting the SD card if it's full takes 5 seconds flat.
Do be fair, you make a good point on that!
I don't keep it altogether, mainly due to the mount I have really. It adds an extra layer and fits in the bag all weird.
Maybe I'll just leave it in the bag as it is in between spots and see how I find it.
If it helps, here's how my setup fits in my camera bag with everything already attached. I keep the lens/mic side facing the bottom, so that the firewire cord sticking out has space at the top and doesn't ever move or get crushed. This way, I never have to even unplug the firewire from the DV port on the VX since I would imagine plugging it in/out each and every time you use it would wear it down pretty quick. I have the Canon 200EG bag which seems to be pretty typical.
(https://i.ibb.co/Pr3xZFv/20201117-164630.png) (https://ibb.co/CwNB5m3)
(https://i.ibb.co/v4kMK9S/20201117-164701.png) (https://ibb.co/yFqxb2r)
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I can definitely say it's heavier and does make the VX lose it's whole 'compact and easy to use' appeal. Especially when I used to quickly chuck in a battery, the lens cap on and a tape in to record something super quick.
However it is a god send for filming now. Just get home and I don't need to capture tapes or store them, either.
I agree that to an extent it does lose some compact functionality being heavier and bulkier. When you say chuck in battery/lens cap off/tape in to record something really quick, do you find that the external recorder really sets you back? I keep mine all together and ready to go in my camera bag, so if anything, simply turning on the external recorder and waiting 7 seconds for it boot is quicker than having to peel the wrapper off of a new tape, eject the tape mechanism, and load in a tape. It's not like you really to configure or change anything on the external recorder. Formatting the SD card if it's full takes 5 seconds flat.
Do be fair, you make a good point on that!
I don't keep it altogether, mainly due to the mount I have really. It adds an extra layer and fits in the bag all weird.
Maybe I'll just leave it in the bag as it is in between spots and see how I find it.
If it helps, here's how my setup fits in my camera bag with everything already attached. I keep the lens/mic side facing the bottom, so that the firewire cord sticking out has space at the top and doesn't ever move or get crushed. This way, I never have to even unplug the firewire from the DV port on the VX since I would imagine plugging it in/out each and every time you use it would wear it down pretty quick. I have the Canon 200EG bag which seems to be pretty typical.
Ah tidy. I'll move some stuff around to make mine fit.
Nice one!
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I wonder if a right angle cable or adapter would help with the stress on the firewire port?
https://www.moddiy.com/products/Firewire-400-IEEE-1394-6-Pin-90-Degree-Side-Angled-Data-Video-Cable-1M.html
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I wonder if a right angle cable or adapter would help with the stress on the firewire port?
https://www.moddiy.com/products/Firewire-400-IEEE-1394-6-Pin-90-Degree-Side-Angled-Data-Video-Cable-1M.html
You'll need a 4pin to 6pin but I found one;
https://www.partsdata.eu/firewire-ieee1394/firewire-400-cables-adapters/firewire-cable-46-right-angle/cf-4l6-003/firewire-cable-4-to-6-4-pin-right-angle-35cm
https://www.angledcables.com/fcable64.html
Good shout though, it'll definitely save on wear!
EDIT: Additional link for y'all cats in the US.
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this is absolutely beast
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This is great.
Maybe I will try if I find one of those for less than 400$.
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https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU (https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU)
I just uploaded my hour long guide to external recorders. The video features fellow Slap users Al Hodgson and Pedro Mayn and covers the Datavideo DN60, the Sony HVR-MRC1 and a large part of the Firestore range! Took me like a month to make this damn thing so I hope it's helpful as the tape drought of 2020/2021 hits hard. Merry Christmas Slap, enjoy!
(excuse the awful thumbnail and title)
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https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU (https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU)
I just uploaded my hour long guide to external recorders. The video features fellow Slap users Al Hodgson and Pedro Mayn and covers the Datavideo DN60, the Sony HVR-MRC1 and a large part of the Firestore range! Took me like a month to make this damn thing so I hope it's helpful as the tape drought of 2020/2021 hits hard. Merry Christmas Slap, enjoy!
(excuse the awful thumbnail and title)
thanks buddy, will watch tonight
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https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU (https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU)
I just uploaded my hour long guide to external recorders. The video features fellow Slap users Al Hodgson and Pedro Mayn and covers the Datavideo DN60, the Sony HVR-MRC1 and a large part of the Firestore range! Took me like a month to make this damn thing so I hope it's helpful as the tape drought of 2020/2021 hits hard. Merry Christmas Slap, enjoy!
(excuse the awful thumbnail and title)
thanks for your hard work son
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This company also makes a portable DV recorder: https://www.shining.com/city-disk
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https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU (https://youtu.be/Ey5UAqgjnFU)
I just uploaded my hour long guide to external recorders. The video features fellow Slap users Al Hodgson and Pedro Mayn and covers the Datavideo DN60, the Sony HVR-MRC1 and a large part of the Firestore range! Took me like a month to make this damn thing so I hope it's helpful as the tape drought of 2020/2021 hits hard. Merry Christmas Slap, enjoy!
(excuse the awful thumbnail and title)
thanks for your hard work son
Thanks dad
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Bumping this thread. After going through a handful of vx1000s and countless repairs like many of us have, I’ve decided going tapeless is the answer to my problems. Although I’m sure most of you are aware these things are hard to come by. I’m mostly keen on Datavideo’s DN-60 but would be happy with another model. Just putting it out there if anyone has one they’d like to sell me or could point me in the direction of some cutty website that has one available. I’ve been filming vx forever and would love to keep my projects going. Thanks ya’ll
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Bumping this thread. After going through a handful of vx1000s and countless repairs like many of us have, I’ve decided going tapeless is the answer to my problems. Although I’m sure most of you are aware these things are hard to come by. I’m mostly keen on Datavideo’s DN-60 but would be happy with another model. Just putting it out there if anyone has one they’d like to sell me or could point me in the direction of some cutty website that has one available. I’ve been filming vx forever and would love to keep my projects going. Thanks ya’ll
Scour eBay, as a lot of these will be sold on there and you could get one fairly cheap. I did that for my HVR-MRC1 and found one for a decent price. Like you're saying some random camera or electronic shops may have some old stock but honestly eBay might be your best bet.
I did see one of those resellers post a brand new HVR-MRC1 for sale the other day and they tend to sell a lot of different types of tapeless recorders. The one I was on about is vx_fisheye_sales for reference. The guy I send my VXs off when they need a repair usually has some for sale if you're in Europe, which is vx_doc on Insta.
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Bumping this thread. After going through a handful of vx1000s and countless repairs like many of us have, I’ve decided going tapeless is the answer to my problems. Although I’m sure most of you are aware these things are hard to come by. I’m mostly keen on Datavideo’s DN-60 but would be happy with another model. Just putting it out there if anyone has one they’d like to sell me or could point me in the direction of some cutty website that has one available. I’ve been filming vx forever and would love to keep my projects going. Thanks ya’ll
Scour eBay, as a lot of these will be sold on there and you could get one fairly cheap. I did that for my HVR-MRC1 and found one for a decent price. Like you're saying some random camera or electronic shops may have some old stock but honestly eBay might be your best bet.
I did see one of those resellers post a brand new HVR-MRC1 for sale the other day and they tend to sell a lot of different types of tapeless recorders. The one I was on about is vx_fisheye_sales for reference. The guy I send my VXs off when they need a repair usually has some for sale if you're in Europe, which is vx_doc on Insta.
Sweet, thanks for your insight. The MRC1 might be a better bet for me as they seem to be less rare. Gonna do some more research on those. Thanks
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Bumping this thread. After going through a handful of vx1000s and countless repairs like many of us have, I’ve decided going tapeless is the answer to my problems. Although I’m sure most of you are aware these things are hard to come by. I’m mostly keen on Datavideo’s DN-60 but would be happy with another model. Just putting it out there if anyone has one they’d like to sell me or could point me in the direction of some cutty website that has one available. I’ve been filming vx forever and would love to keep my projects going. Thanks ya’ll
Scour eBay, as a lot of these will be sold on there and you could get one fairly cheap. I did that for my HVR-MRC1 and found one for a decent price. Like you're saying some random camera or electronic shops may have some old stock but honestly eBay might be your best bet.
I did see one of those resellers post a brand new HVR-MRC1 for sale the other day and they tend to sell a lot of different types of tapeless recorders. The one I was on about is vx_fisheye_sales for reference. The guy I send my VXs off when they need a repair usually has some for sale if you're in Europe, which is vx_doc on Insta.
Yeah they're more common from what I can see. Plus they use VX batteries, so you save some expenses there.
Got any questions drop me a message, G.
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Does anyone know where I can pick up a charger for a firestore fs-4 in the UK?
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I got an hvr mrc1 but much of the time I use it, the record buttons are unresponsive. The unit is on but won’t start recording timecode. I’ve read the manual, and watched Mike Crook’s video. I set everything up the exact same way every time and whether or not it works seems to be completely random. Does anyone know if there’s something I’m missing? It’s not a FireWire connection issue. And if I ever do get the unit working, it works great and continues to do so until I’m finished with it and power everything off. It’s incredibly frustrating. I had to give up on filming the other night even though a friend and I were at the spot and ready to go. I set it all up over and over but it just wouldn’t record. I’m hoping it’s some random setting I’m overlooking..?? Any advice is much appreciated.
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I got an hvr mrc1 but much of the time I use it, the record buttons are unresponsive. The unit is on but won’t start recording timecode. I’ve read the manual, and watched Mike Crook’s video. I set everything up the exact same way every time and whether or not it works seems to be completely random. Does anyone know if there’s something I’m missing? It’s not a FireWire connection issue. And if I ever do get the unit working, it works great and continues to do so until I’m finished with it and power everything off. It’s incredibly frustrating. I had to give up on filming the other night even though a friend and I were at the spot and ready to go. I set it all up over and over but it just wouldn’t record. I’m hoping it’s some random setting I’m overlooking..?? Any advice is much appreciated.
Every once in a while with my HVR-MRC1, it will suddenly decide not to start recording. I have to turn the HVR off/back on again and it always solves it and it never happens for the rest of the session. There were also a few times when it wouldn't start recording as soon as i brought it out of the bag because the firewire connection became loose.
I would try to isolate it to either the HVR or your VX. Have you tried a different firewire cable? Are you using one of the recommended CF cards? Have you tried a different camera? I always have to turn on my VX first, then I turn on my HVR. If it's the other way around, the HVR usually doesn't record. I haven't heard of an intermittently working firewire port on a vx1000, it usually works or it doesn't. Maybe you can ask Kerry at VE if that's a possibility. If so, I'd imagine that your main board would be on the verge of failing.
One last thing you can try is seeing what the firmware version is on your HVR. Follow these steps to see what version you are on:
1. Press the POWER switch to turn the unit ON.
2. Wait until the 'Welcome' message has disappeared, and then simultaneously press the STOP button and both REC buttons.
3. You should then see Version.0X displayed.
Version 1 is oldest, version 3 is the newest. I would recommend upgrading to version 3 if you're not on it. Let me know if you need the firmware.
https://pro.sony/s3/cms-static-content/software/PRE-03KB.PDF (https://pro.sony/s3/cms-static-content/software/PRE-03KB.PDF)
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I saw that this morning and thought this might be interesting for some people here.
This man has a cheap alternative to the recorders presented in this thread.
It works through AV output, so the quality will not be as good as footages captured by the FireWire.
Audio is mono too, but this device is 3 to 4 times cheaper than a HVR-MRC1.
http://youtu.be/K5A4vG5UER4
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I saw that this morning and thought this might be interesting for some people here.
This man has a cheap alternative to the recorders presented in this thread.
It works through AV output, so the quality will not be as good as footages captured by the FireWire.
Audio is mono too, but this device is 3 to 4 times cheaper than a HVR-MRC1.
http://youtu.be/K5A4vG5UER4
The yellow composite cable is analog which has a max throughput of 200Mb/s VS firewire 400 which is 400Mb/s. Audio is analog as well, but my understanding is that it is stereo rather than mono since it uses the red/white cables to split the audio into separate channels. I'd love to see a side by side comparison, each of which exported without any compression in order to see how drastic of an actual difference the video/audio is.
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Well, that's a mission for @suckmadeck ;D
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I've seen that video! Honestly it's an alright idea, if you're just doing it for fun then sure it'll work no problem. I'm literally in pre-production of the part where I talk about these recorders, the Atomos and some super rare DTE devices. It's gonna take a bit of time, but hopefully it's as helpful as my part 1.
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However I have done some tests, using the analog option AND the firewire option. No skating unfortunately but it should show the difference between the 2 options.
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That cheaper option certainly seems great if you're just having fun and don't care about quality loss and not getting that crispy vx1000 audio. But at that point why not have a random/cheaper handycam or something? I'm not trying to shoot it down too hard or anything but I can't imagine going through the trouble of having the vx1000/mk1 setup and not forking over the extra couple hundred to get what the the look and sound you're supposed to get out of that camera. But to each their own. I'm interested to see suckmadeck's video.
Also, I thankfully solved the issues I was having with my hvr mrc1. I had deduced that it couldn't be a FireWire connection issue because when I switched my camera to VTR mode, it always said "DV IN". But alas, I got another cable anyways just to try it and my memory recorder has worked great ever since. I'm so stoked to have this setup going.
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Just got an MRC1 set up:
(https://i.imgur.com/PIOjWVKl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VUflB3nl.jpg)
I was worried about how heavy/annoying/in the way it would be, but it seems to be pretty nice in this set up.
All I had to get was this mount (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07DNTHCX7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and this firewire cable (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003K1LEME/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and I used an old 1/4" screw to cold shoe adapter (similar to this (https://www.amazon.ca/SmallRig-Monitor-Additional-Panasonic-Fujifilm/dp/B015OF2GZM/)) that I had from an old light.
Hyped to try it out and see how it feels to actually film with it.
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Just got an MRC1 set up:
(https://i.imgur.com/PIOjWVKl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VUflB3nl.jpg)
I was worried about how heavy/annoying/in the way it would be, but it seems to be pretty nice in this set up.
All I had to get was this mount (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07DNTHCX7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and this firewire cable (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003K1LEME/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and I used an old 1/4" screw to cold shoe adapter (similar to this (https://www.amazon.ca/SmallRig-Monitor-Additional-Panasonic-Fujifilm/dp/B015OF2GZM/)) that I had from an old light.
Hyped to try it out and see how it feels to actually film with it.
That looks pretty cool like that, in fact I might change how my setup is mounted (it doesn't seem to have so much bend at the rear of the cable like mine does).
How do you place it in the bag like that, though? I only struggle a wee bit for room with how mine is at the moment.
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How do you place it in the bag like that, though? I only struggle a wee bit for room with how mine is at the moment.
I haven't really thought about that yet. The whole thing fits pretty snug-ly in the bag I've got, but I don't think it's a good idea to keep it there put together. I'm already kind of scared of something coming loose while filming, and shaking around in a bag would probably loosen up the mounts through time.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CLsHZwVFggv/
mikecrook:
"Im extremely happy to say today marks the start of building a fully integrated digital recording into a VX1000, big thanks to a long time friend Bow who has dropped off a grail of vx1’s to mess about with!
Still need some parts, if you are interested in helping out the project please DM. I want to say this is not a money project, this is a pure passion project to help everyone. Im doing the best I can to be transparent on the project and to find a way so you all can do this yourself from home. Lets keep the VX1000 alive!
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Yeah my homie was talking about this. Crazy stuff.
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I knew someone would do that. This is so sick.
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Anyone who uses the MRC1 had any experience of this?
This is something I have never experienced with the MRC1 until today. It's possibly a CF card related issue more than the device its self. It is probably my error really as I didn't format the card before I came out.
I was filming for a bit and after about 20-25 clips gathered filming so far I needed to change the VX's battery seeing as it was about to go, so I did the usual; powered the MRC down and then the VX in that order. I put it all back on and powered it all up (again in an order;HVR and then VX, as per norm).
However somehow the card showed as if you formatted it; with no clips and the time remaining on the card was reset to the full duration of the card. Luckily nothing lost, but very odd. I begrudgingly put a tape in as a back up for a remainder of the sesh.
I did plug the CF card in via a memory card reader and rendered the clips, but nothing was done differently (no deletion of clips via the computer nor do I ever format through the PC, only the device).
Sorry if it's a slog of a post, but any help is appreciated. Hopefully it's a one off!
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Ok this gets odder..
I plug it into my PC, the footy is all there! However it's split the footage up in some strange way. It's somehow still got footage from a session that shouldn't be there from last week, that I did format.
The clips didn't overwrite, but instead played on from where each clip left off from on that day on Sunday (the day I had formatted the footage from). So;
it starts with a clip from today, then in the same clip it starts off from something filmed the other day - if that makes sense? It also starts to go into Thursday's footage (where I hadn't formatted it).
I think there could be a firmware issue or something wrong with this exact CF card. I mean, the footy is there but I don't know what type of shit could happen in the future with it, so will run a different card.
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Came across this recent video from Transworld that I figured should be added to this thread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWDUfnEiDps
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I have a question directed towards anyone using the MRC1, or just anyone has more knowledge than myself on interlaced/progressive footage. I use the mrc1 with my vx1000. On my old macbook, everything I filmed looked really crisp. The footage was always automatically deinterlaced. (I know the device only records footage that way). So now, on my new macbook, I've noticed that every clip comes out looking interlaced and weird. Attempting to deinterlace or do anything in Premiere has yielded zero results. I can't seem to get the footage to look different. Any advice or ideas are greatly appreciated as I'm getting pretty desperate. My old computer was 32 bit and my new one is 64 bit. Does this have anything to do with it? How is everyone else with a newer operating system making vx videos that don't look shitty? Help please
Here are some example stills of how it's looking:
(https://i.ibb.co/PgpR9Hc/Screenshot-2021-07-14-at-10-51-29-PM.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/TvPfcn1/Screenshot-2021-07-14-at-11-04-10-PM.png)
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There are a few things it could be. Try right clicking the clips (on any timeline) - Field Options - Always Deinterlace.
Also try dragging a clip in your Project window directly onto the New Item icon (folded piece of paper in the bottom right of the Project window) to make a new sequence with the same settings as the raw file. Then try exporting that out however you normally would (just with Progressive as the Field Order in the export video settings).
And for the last question, if you export VX footage as a up-resed H.264 file (1440 x 1080 for normal HD) with up to 10 or 12mbps bitrate, it should look good on Youtube. And you can also change the frame rate to 60 if you want that smoother look like the Skate Video Vault (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWX0BcVX7HZcWYcUmdaY2w) videos, as a example.
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Thanks for the quick response Doyle! Unfortunately, I've already tried these things and haven't had any success. I'm starting to go crazy because it's almost like the video files are just locked this way now and can't be changed.
Even when I tried them in a 60fps timeline, it would just repeat the same shitty looking frame rather than change the playback at all. I’ve been making videos for a long time so I understand video fields, deinterlacing, and all that and how to change them but nothing seems to change the footage I have. It really makes no sense. No luck in Premiere or After Effects.
It's a bummer because I'm not editing or uploading this footage myself for once, it's for a company's video and the deadline is at the end of the month and about half the clips I've filmed have been since I got my new computer.
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Are you using AVI or Raw DV on the MRC1? I've always used Raw DV and never had this problem. If you want to send me a random clip I can try to take a look, just PM me.
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Thanks for the quick response Doyle! Unfortunately, I've already tried these things and haven't had any success. I'm starting to go crazy because it's almost like the video files are just locked this way now and can't be changed.
Even when I tried them in a 60fps timeline, it would just repeat the same shitty looking frame rather than change the playback at all. I’ve been making videos for a long time so I understand video fields, deinterlacing, and all that and how to change them but nothing seems to change the footage I have. It really makes no sense. No luck in Premiere or After Effects.
It's a bummer because I'm not editing or uploading this footage myself for once, it's for a company's video and the deadline is at the end of the month and about half the clips I've filmed have been since I got my new computer.
i've never heard/seen of this before. how are you capturing your clips from the HVR? are you just using a card reader and clicking and dragging? if you are, you should give this a shot:
(https://i.ibb.co/C07Bx54/Screen-Shot-2021-07-23-at-10-45-33-PM.png)
it's a thunderbolt to firewire800 -> firewire800 to firewire400 -> firewire 400 8pin to 8pin. when i plug this into my HVR, it mounts it like a normal card reader. you can also use this to capture directly into FCP/iMovie and i imagine Premiere as well. i'd be interested to see if that makes any difference.
have you tried testing with a different VX? have you tried uploading a clip on your macbook from an old minidv tape? what was your old macbook, and what is your new macbook?
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So I've somewhat figured it out. But I'm not out of the water yet. From my understanding, Adobe programs no longer support .DV files. I've been shooting everything as raw dv since I got the device in December. Adobe won't import the clips so I've been letting Quicktime convert them to .mov files. For some reason, on my old computer, Quicktime would convert them to progressive. But on my new computer it keeps the new .mov files as interlaced and it's almost like they're locked down that way. I read somewhere that iMovie accepts .DV files so I tried importing the raw DV files into iMovie and Voila! The clips imported and are all de-interlaced and look good. So strange that iMovie can do what I need and Premiere can't. I know I've tried de-interlacing the converted .mov files in Premiere correctly and it just won't do anything.
Anyways, I would hate for my only solution to be to import the files into iMovie and re-export them just to get them looking normal. Kind of afraid of some quality loss but not many updated apps seem to accept .DV files anymore. I was still running an older operating system with FCP7 on my old computer and all the old footage looks great.
pj chad, I'm just dragging the clips over. I could give your method a shot.
doyle, I'll pm you
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So I've somewhat figured it out. But I'm not out of the water yet. From my understanding, Adobe programs no longer support .DV files. I've been shooting everything as raw dv since I got the device in December. Adobe won't import the clips so I've been letting Quicktime convert them to .mov files. For some reason, on my old computer, Quicktime would convert them to progressive. But on my new computer it keeps the new .mov files as interlaced and it's almost like they're locked down that way. I read somewhere that iMovie accepts .DV files so I tried importing the raw DV files into iMovie and Voila! The clips imported and are all de-interlaced and look good. So strange that iMovie can do what I need and Premiere can't. I know I've tried de-interlacing the converted .mov files in Premiere correctly and it just won't do anything.
Anyways, I would hate for my only solution to be to import the files into iMovie and re-export them just to get them looking normal. Kind of afraid of some quality loss but not many updated apps seem to accept .DV files anymore. I was still running an older operating system with FCP7 on my old computer and all the old footage looks great.
pj chad, I'm just dragging the clips over. I could give your method a shot.
doyle, I'll pm you
Ere, DV is interlaced, if you're editing them as progressive clips I'd be worried that it's only gonna be 30p/25p instead of 60i or 50i
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Expand Quote
So I've somewhat figured it out. But I'm not out of the water yet. From my understanding, Adobe programs no longer support .DV files. I've been shooting everything as raw dv since I got the device in December. Adobe won't import the clips so I've been letting Quicktime convert them to .mov files. For some reason, on my old computer, Quicktime would convert them to progressive. But on my new computer it keeps the new .mov files as interlaced and it's almost like they're locked down that way. I read somewhere that iMovie accepts .DV files so I tried importing the raw DV files into iMovie and Voila! The clips imported and are all de-interlaced and look good. So strange that iMovie can do what I need and Premiere can't. I know I've tried de-interlacing the converted .mov files in Premiere correctly and it just won't do anything.
Anyways, I would hate for my only solution to be to import the files into iMovie and re-export them just to get them looking normal. Kind of afraid of some quality loss but not many updated apps seem to accept .DV files anymore. I was still running an older operating system with FCP7 on my old computer and all the old footage looks great.
pj chad, I'm just dragging the clips over. I could give your method a shot.
doyle, I'll pm you
Ere, DV is interlaced, if you're editing them as progressive clips I'd be worried that it's only gonna be 30p/25p instead of 60i or 50i
Eh, I mean other than the odd person here and there experimenting with vx footage on a 60fps timeline, almost everyone is working with a normal 29.97 timeline for vx footage so that wouldn’t bother me.
I’m still just trying to figure out why footage recorded with the MRC1 was crisp and de-interlaced on my old computer, but when shot the exact same way it comes out with combing and interlaced frames on my new computer. And most modern applications don’t seem to be able to de-interlace the footage besides iMovie.
If you watch any properly done vx video and pause it, the frames should never look like the ones I posted above. The mrc1 has been awesome as my tape deck is fucked at this point, and I shot in raw DV because that’s what everyone has said to do. But this issue is really messing with me.
It seems as though if Adobe would accept the raw DV files, all my problems would be solved. Why would they stop doing that? Two decades were shot in that format easily.
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best workflow is to edit with your interlaced files, and only the final export should be progressive.
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best workflow is to edit with your interlaced files, and only the final export should be progressive.
Thanks Batard, I agree. Adobe just isn't accepting my raw interlaced files. I have to convert them with Quicktime first and then they're locked as is and can't be de-interlaced upon export. I've talked to some people with the latest version of Premiere who have had the same problem. But others have said Premiere will still accept their .DV files. Before I got a new computer and re-downloaded Premiere, everything was working fine for me. I'm still trying to figure out a solution.
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in your project panel, right click on your footage, go to "modify", "interpret footage" then in field order, conform to lower field first
that should do the trick.
(i think your newly compressed file with quicktime doesn't have the field info embedded, and premiere by default thinks it has no field)
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I am thinking about "building" my own external recorder. I have an extra firewire card on hand and i think about buying an raspberry pi 4 compute module and io board which has an pcie socket. Unfortunately nobody has tested an IEEE 1394 card on the pi. At least the card works without any problems on linux. The initial costs to test it would be:
Compute Module 4GB with WIFI ~50 Eur (maybe 2GB would be enough)
IO Board ~38 Eur
(PCI-E Firewire Card ~15-20 Eur)
If that works one could think about designing a case for 3D printing but one would need to get the card in a good position by using a pci-e riser ribbon cable (9 Eur) and figure out how to mount it properly. Maybe one could simply remove the slot bracket for the pc case and hot glue it somewhere or use the mounting holes for the slot bracket to mount it to a self designed case. The whole case and mounting situation is what I am the most unsure about.
In case one figures out all of the above a sufficient power bank(12V, 2.1A is needed for the board when using the pci slot) would add 60 - 80 Eur, at least that was the first one I discovered. I think my pcie firewire card is pcie x1 so it should be limited to 12V and 0.5 A. PCI-E x4 is limited 2.1A and 12V so that might not work.
IMO the steps would be:
1.) Try to get the card working on the pi
2.) Setup a hot spot on the pi or connect it to a hot spot from mobile phone
3.) a) Setup web server which emits dvgrab commands
b) Setup video preview in web server
c) Optional: Simple hardware buttons via GPIO to start/stop recording and a simple led
4.) Design case.
If 1 works, then 2 and 3 would be really straight forward. 4. would be a pain in the ass. At least for me as I am completely unfamiliar with 3D printing and designing for it. And I don't know the cost for such a print (and highly likely failures). There are some models for printing cases for the pi + io module on which one could base a design.
In the end my guess is that the price would be approximately the same like a lot of these recorders (250-300), at least in material cost for developement, but one would have some advantages:
1.) Possible to directly record to usb stick
2.) Preview on mobile via web server
3.) No mechanical hdd like in some of those recorders
4.) Maintainable. One should be able to swap all of the components.
Disadvantages:
Basically the biggest problem would be to get it compact and robust. Figuring out the whole mounting of the card, the power bank and the pi and then mount it to the camera. And I have absolutely no idea about modelling for 3D printing. Even the cooling of the pi might be a problem. The power bank is also comparable heavy and large (20.9 x 19.6 x 5.2 cm; 450 Grams). For reference the fire wire card is 1cm x 6.5 cm x 9.5 (hxwxl) without the slot bracket.
It is very likely that I think way too much ahead, after all nobody has even tried to get this kind of card working on a pi let alone with success. One might need to compile the kernel to have the necessary modules for firewire. Unfortunately I won't have time for any of this before mid October as well and I am still not sure if this is even a good idea. I just saw the pi 4 compute module has a pcie port and this immediately came to my mind. This post somehow completely lost structure..
Edit: If it does not work on the pi an alternative one could use an Odroid H2+ (that is x86) or something similar with a m2 slot. But the power supply would be a lot more difficult. One would need an extra source of power for the m2 to pcie adapter. And I don't know anything about that stuff. But apparently people even got GPUs working on it (with computer power adapters).
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I am thinking about "building" my own external recorder. I have an extra firewire card on hand and i think about buying an raspberry pi 4 compute module and io board which has an pcie socket. Unfortunately nobody has tested an IEEE 1394 card on the pi. At least the card works without any problems on linux. The initial costs to test it would be:
Compute Module 4GB with WIFI ~50 Eur (maybe 2GB would be enough)
IO Board ~38 Eur
(PCI-E Firewire Card ~15-20 Eur)
If that works one could think about designing a case for 3D printing but one would need to get the card in a good position by using a pci-e riser ribbon cable (9 Eur) and figure out how to mount it properly. Maybe one could simply remove the slot bracket for the pc case and hot glue it somewhere or use the mounting holes for the slot bracket to mount it to a self designed case. The whole case and mounting situation is what I am the most unsure about.
In case one figures out all of the above a sufficient power bank(12V, 2.1A is needed for the board when using the pci slot) would add 60 - 80 Eur, at least that was the first one I discovered. I think my pcie firewire card is pcie x1 so it should be limited to 12V and 0.5 A. PCI-E x4 is limited 2.1A and 12V so that might not work.
IMO the steps would be:
1.) Try to get the card working on the pi
2.) Setup a hot spot on the pi or connect it to a hot spot from mobile phone
3.) a) Setup web server which emits dvgrab commands
b) Setup video preview in web server
c) Optional: Simple hardware buttons via GPIO to start/stop recording and a simple led
4.) Design case.
If 1 works, then 2 and 3 would be really straight forward. 4. would be a pain in the ass. At least for me as I am completely unfamiliar with 3D printing and designing for it. And I don't know the cost for such a print (and highly likely failures). There are some models for printing cases for the pi + io module on which one could base a design.
In the end my guess is that the price would be approximately the same like a lot of these recorders (250-300), at least in material cost for developement, but one would have some advantages:
1.) Possible to directly record to usb stick
2.) Preview on mobile via web server
3.) No mechanical hdd like in some of those recorders
4.) Maintainable. One should be able to swap all of the components.
Disadvantages:
Basically the biggest problem would be to get it compact and robust. Figuring out the whole mounting of the card, the power bank and the pi and then mount it to the camera. And I have absolutely no idea about modelling for 3D printing. Even the cooling of the pi might be a problem. The power bank is also comparable heavy and large (20.9 x 19.6 x 5.2 cm; 450 Grams). For reference the fire wire card is 1cm x 6.5 cm x 9.5 (hxwxl) without the slot bracket.
It is very likely that I think way too much ahead, after all nobody has even tried to get this kind of card working on a pi let alone with success. One might need to compile the kernel to have the necessary modules for firewire. Unfortunately I won't have time for any of this before mid October as well and I am still not sure if this is even a good idea. I just saw the pi 4 compute module has a pcie port and this immediately came to my mind. This post somehow completely lost structure..
Edit: If it does not work on the pi an alternative one could use an Odroid H2+ (that is x86) or something similar with a m2 slot. But the power supply would be a lot more difficult. One would need an extra source of power for the m2 to pcie adapter. And I don't know anything about that stuff. But apparently people even got GPUs working on it (with computer power adapters).
If you go through with this I'd buy one straight away. This would be way better than any of those AV options or even some of the firewire options. If it works that is.
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I am thinking about "building" my own external recorder. I have an extra firewire card on hand and i think about buying an raspberry pi 4 compute module and io board which has an pcie socket. Unfortunately nobody has tested an IEEE 1394 card on the pi. At least the card works without any problems on linux. The initial costs to test it would be:
Compute Module 4GB with WIFI ~50 Eur (maybe 2GB would be enough)
IO Board ~38 Eur
(PCI-E Firewire Card ~15-20 Eur)
If that works one could think about designing a case for 3D printing but one would need to get the card in a good position by using a pci-e riser ribbon cable (9 Eur) and figure out how to mount it properly. Maybe one could simply remove the slot bracket for the pc case and hot glue it somewhere or use the mounting holes for the slot bracket to mount it to a self designed case. The whole case and mounting situation is what I am the most unsure about.
In case one figures out all of the above a sufficient power bank(12V, 2.1A is needed for the board when using the pci slot) would add 60 - 80 Eur, at least that was the first one I discovered. I think my pcie firewire card is pcie x1 so it should be limited to 12V and 0.5 A. PCI-E x4 is limited 2.1A and 12V so that might not work.
IMO the steps would be:
1.) Try to get the card working on the pi
2.) Setup a hot spot on the pi or connect it to a hot spot from mobile phone
3.) a) Setup web server which emits dvgrab commands
b) Setup video preview in web server
c) Optional: Simple hardware buttons via GPIO to start/stop recording and a simple led
4.) Design case.
If 1 works, then 2 and 3 would be really straight forward. 4. would be a pain in the ass. At least for me as I am completely unfamiliar with 3D printing and designing for it. And I don't know the cost for such a print (and highly likely failures). There are some models for printing cases for the pi + io module on which one could base a design.
In the end my guess is that the price would be approximately the same like a lot of these recorders (250-300), at least in material cost for developement, but one would have some advantages:
1.) Possible to directly record to usb stick
2.) Preview on mobile via web server
3.) No mechanical hdd like in some of those recorders
4.) Maintainable. One should be able to swap all of the components.
Disadvantages:
Basically the biggest problem would be to get it compact and robust. Figuring out the whole mounting of the card, the power bank and the pi and then mount it to the camera. And I have absolutely no idea about modelling for 3D printing. Even the cooling of the pi might be a problem. The power bank is also comparable heavy and large (20.9 x 19.6 x 5.2 cm; 450 Grams). For reference the fire wire card is 1cm x 6.5 cm x 9.5 (hxwxl) without the slot bracket.
It is very likely that I think way too much ahead, after all nobody has even tried to get this kind of card working on a pi let alone with success. One might need to compile the kernel to have the necessary modules for firewire. Unfortunately I won't have time for any of this before mid October as well and I am still not sure if this is even a good idea. I just saw the pi 4 compute module has a pcie port and this immediately came to my mind. This post somehow completely lost structure..
Edit: If it does not work on the pi an alternative one could use an Odroid H2+ (that is x86) or something similar with a m2 slot. But the power supply would be a lot more difficult. One would need an extra source of power for the m2 to pcie adapter. And I don't know anything about that stuff. But apparently people even got GPUs working on it (with computer power adapters).
I think we can all agree that this would be an ideal solution and would likely replace any and all current recorders that are being used. I don't mean to discourage you, but the coding needed to implement all of these into one functional unit is going to be absolutey laborious and painstakingly difficult. If you were able to find source code for one of the existing external recorders, it would be easier to reverse engineer that in an effort to help assist you, but I doubt that any Sony/Datavideo/Focus/Immersion are just going to have code sitting in a public github repository for you to just find with a simple Google search.
The power bank alone (~450g) is heavier than the entire HVR-MRC1 with a battery. Filming in the summer here on the East Coast, you're subject temperatures around 90-100F which would likely cause the Pi to overheat. Imagine taking this solution out to film, and you find that it suddenly isn't working as expected. Are you going to carry around a monitor/HDMI cable/keyboard/mouse with you at all times to troubleshoot?
Again, I don't mean to discourage you, because this would be so awesome to see. But I just wanted to bring to light some of the potential caveats I initially see. Like suckmadeck said, I would immediately buy one if this was available.
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I agree with some points. Like the overheating and the hardware side (getting it compact robust finding a good powerbank/battery) in general as I pointed out before.
In general the goal would be getting a somewhat working version which people could build on there own, not a polished consumer solution.
A somewhat cheap and dirty alternative for people to build it themselves, too get raw dv files without tapes. The main pitfall is, IF the firewire pcie cards work on the pi. If it works, THEN the software side for a diy type of setup is not too hard. I am not talking about a perfectly polished solution with the perfect UX. As I said if the card is detected and the necessary kernel modules are there and loaded, then dvgrab(https://sourceforge.net/p/kino/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/dvgrab/) should be working, which can be installed via packet manager in almost every distro. Therefore the complex part, like implementing the driver and codecs is already there. I captured all my tapes via dvscan, because the windows 10 driver for firewire simply does not work. Maybe one could even get the functionality as a library, they seem to use it for "kino"(which it is actually a part of) from glancing over it.
A simple python web servers is no magic and is setup pretty quickly. Running dvgrab via subprocess isn't as well (with fixed parameters and fixed pathes and timestamped filenames to start with). Again it is dirty but should be working. Video streams of previous records should be possible on the limited hardware as well, considering the low resolution of the cameras targeted. Safety is not a concern either. It has it's own local network and is not reachable from the outside.
All of this is purely hypothetical without knowing if these cards work properly on that type of arm computers, that is what I meant with "thinking too much ahead". If it does not the journey is over.
After all this would be just something "neat" to do and more or less just something to tinker.
Edit:
The "goal" in some unknown future would be some kind of resource like:
Buy this board, one of these powerbanks and one of these pci-e firewire cards. Here is the model for the case, print it or let somebody print it for you. Install this software. And feel free to modify it to your needs. So some sort of diy guide.
Edit 2:
Again take it with a grain of salt: Everything is easily in theory for devs until they actually have to do it.
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I am thinking about "building" my own external recorder. I have an extra firewire card on hand and i think about buying an raspberry pi 4 compute module and io board which has an pcie socket. Unfortunately nobody has tested an IEEE 1394 card on the pi. At least the card works without any problems on linux. The initial costs to test it would be:
Compute Module 4GB with WIFI ~50 Eur (maybe 2GB would be enough)
IO Board ~38 Eur
(PCI-E Firewire Card ~15-20 Eur)
If that works one could think about designing a case for 3D printing but one would need to get the card in a good position by using a pci-e riser ribbon cable (9 Eur) and figure out how to mount it properly. Maybe one could simply remove the slot bracket for the pc case and hot glue it somewhere or use the mounting holes for the slot bracket to mount it to a self designed case. The whole case and mounting situation is what I am the most unsure about.
In case one figures out all of the above a sufficient power bank(12V, 2.1A is needed for the board when using the pci slot) would add 60 - 80 Eur, at least that was the first one I discovered. I think my pcie firewire card is pcie x1 so it should be limited to 12V and 0.5 A. PCI-E x4 is limited 2.1A and 12V so that might not work.
IMO the steps would be:
1.) Try to get the card working on the pi
2.) Setup a hot spot on the pi or connect it to a hot spot from mobile phone
3.) a) Setup web server which emits dvgrab commands
b) Setup video preview in web server
c) Optional: Simple hardware buttons via GPIO to start/stop recording and a simple led
4.) Design case.
If 1 works, then 2 and 3 would be really straight forward. 4. would be a pain in the ass. At least for me as I am completely unfamiliar with 3D printing and designing for it. And I don't know the cost for such a print (and highly likely failures). There are some models for printing cases for the pi + io module on which one could base a design.
In the end my guess is that the price would be approximately the same like a lot of these recorders (250-300), at least in material cost for developement, but one would have some advantages:
1.) Possible to directly record to usb stick
2.) Preview on mobile via web server
3.) No mechanical hdd like in some of those recorders
4.) Maintainable. One should be able to swap all of the components.
Disadvantages:
Basically the biggest problem would be to get it compact and robust. Figuring out the whole mounting of the card, the power bank and the pi and then mount it to the camera. And I have absolutely no idea about modelling for 3D printing. Even the cooling of the pi might be a problem. The power bank is also comparable heavy and large (20.9 x 19.6 x 5.2 cm; 450 Grams). For reference the fire wire card is 1cm x 6.5 cm x 9.5 (hxwxl) without the slot bracket.
It is very likely that I think way too much ahead, after all nobody has even tried to get this kind of card working on a pi let alone with success. One might need to compile the kernel to have the necessary modules for firewire. Unfortunately I won't have time for any of this before mid October as well and I am still not sure if this is even a good idea. I just saw the pi 4 compute module has a pcie port and this immediately came to my mind. This post somehow completely lost structure..
Edit: If it does not work on the pi an alternative one could use an Odroid H2+ (that is x86) or something similar with a m2 slot. But the power supply would be a lot more difficult. One would need an extra source of power for the m2 to pcie adapter. And I don't know anything about that stuff. But apparently people even got GPUs working on it (with computer power adapters).
I have actually had this exact project idea and purchased the cm4 module and io board along with 2 different pcie firewire cards utilizing different chipsets and had no luck getting drivers to work with arm linux firewire. I am by no means a linux expert, I'm 100% linux newbie, but I did recompile the kernel a few times including all possible firewire related items I could identify through my research and the best I got was the card was recognized and listed with the linux lspci command but dvgrab could not utilize the card at all. I then moved on to the other option you mentioned and searched around for affordable x86 based single board computer options like the Odroid. I can't remember exactly why I wrote that option off, maybe because of price or something the manufacturer responded to me via email about it's m.2 capabilites, who knows, you mentioned people got video cards working so I imagine any card should work. I ended up settling on the Zimaboard which is $99 and uses passive cooling which would be great for this project, as well as a full size pcie slot which you could attach an extension to then plug the firewire card in and build it all into some nice neat 3d printable box of some sort. Then all you need is to add a battery and setup linux to boot and start up dvgrab I guess. A small cheap screen of some sort would be awesome as well assuming you could keep the costs down. Zimaboard was a kickstarter project that I wasn't early enough to get in on but they did just start allowing preorders from their website and mentioned shipping shouldn't be too far off.
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Adding to the info:
I recently picked up an FS-5 and it was a certified fancy looking paperweight. Mine would not allow me to record clips longer than 30 seconds before the unit would freeze up and require me to pull the battery out. It would also freeze when attempting to transfer logged clips to the computer. I’ve heard of people swapping the internal HDD for an SSD but I haven’t gone down that route yet. In the meantime I picked up a Sony HVR-MRC1 which records onto compact flash and works like a charm.-also keeps your clips organized on the card. My reason for going tapeless was because my vx1000 had a tape stuck inside and the camera would not detect it for an eject.. I ended up removing the tape deck altogether from my vx1000 to get rid of the cameras 5 minute auto shut-off and now my rig is a lot lighter as well! Hope this helps someone in the future
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Adding to the info:
I recently picked up an FS-5 and it was a certified fancy looking paperweight. Mine would not allow me to record clips longer than 30 seconds before the unit would freeze up and require me to pull the battery out. It would also freeze when attempting to transfer logged clips to the computer. I’ve heard of people swapping the internal HDD for an SSD but I haven’t gone down that route yet. In the meantime I picked up a Sony HVR-MRC1 which records onto compact flash and works like a charm.-also keeps your clips organized on the card. My reason for going tapeless was because my vx1000 had a tape stuck inside and the camera would not detect it for an eject.. I ended up removing the tape deck altogether from my vx1000 to get rid of the cameras 5 minute auto shut-off and now my rig is a lot lighter as well! Hope this helps someone in the future
Post a flick! I’m curious to see what it looks like with no tape deck.
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Expand Quote
Adding to the info:
I recently picked up an FS-5 and it was a certified fancy looking paperweight. Mine would not allow me to record clips longer than 30 seconds before the unit would freeze up and require me to pull the battery out. It would also freeze when attempting to transfer logged clips to the computer. I’ve heard of people swapping the internal HDD for an SSD but I haven’t gone down that route yet. In the meantime I picked up a Sony HVR-MRC1 which records onto compact flash and works like a charm.-also keeps your clips organized on the card. My reason for going tapeless was because my vx1000 had a tape stuck inside and the camera would not detect it for an eject.. I ended up removing the tape deck altogether from my vx1000 to get rid of the cameras 5 minute auto shut-off and now my rig is a lot lighter as well! Hope this helps someone in the future
Post a flick! I’m curious to see what it looks like with no tape deck.
Got a homie to film me do a lil test line the other day!
https://streamable.com/y432q1
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Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Adding to the info:
I recently picked up an FS-5 and it was a certified fancy looking paperweight. Mine would not allow me to record clips longer than 30 seconds before the unit would freeze up and require me to pull the battery out. It would also freeze when attempting to transfer logged clips to the computer. I’ve heard of people swapping the internal HDD for an SSD but I haven’t gone down that route yet. In the meantime I picked up a Sony HVR-MRC1 which records onto compact flash and works like a charm.-also keeps your clips organized on the card. My reason for going tapeless was because my vx1000 had a tape stuck inside and the camera would not detect it for an eject.. I ended up removing the tape deck altogether from my vx1000 to get rid of the cameras 5 minute auto shut-off and now my rig is a lot lighter as well! Hope this helps someone in the future
Post a flick! I’m curious to see what it looks like with no tape deck.
Got a homie to film me do a lil test line the other day!
https://streamable.com/y432q1
I meant a picture of the setup. Dope line though.
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Adding to the info:
I recently picked up an FS-5 and it was a certified fancy looking paperweight. Mine would not allow me to record clips longer than 30 seconds before the unit would freeze up and require me to pull the battery out. It would also freeze when attempting to transfer logged clips to the computer. I’ve heard of people swapping the internal HDD for an SSD but I haven’t gone down that route yet. In the meantime I picked up a Sony HVR-MRC1 which records onto compact flash and works like a charm.-also keeps your clips organized on the card. My reason for going tapeless was because my vx1000 had a tape stuck inside and the camera would not detect it for an eject.. I ended up removing the tape deck altogether from my vx1000 to get rid of the cameras 5 minute auto shut-off and now my rig is a lot lighter as well! Hope this helps someone in the future
I really want to see this now.
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Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Adding to the info:
I recently picked up an FS-5 and it was a certified fancy looking paperweight. Mine would not allow me to record clips longer than 30 seconds before the unit would freeze up and require me to pull the battery out. It would also freeze when attempting to transfer logged clips to the computer. I’ve heard of people swapping the internal HDD for an SSD but I haven’t gone down that route yet. In the meantime I picked up a Sony HVR-MRC1 which records onto compact flash and works like a charm.-also keeps your clips organized on the card. My reason for going tapeless was because my vx1000 had a tape stuck inside and the camera would not detect it for an eject.. I ended up removing the tape deck altogether from my vx1000 to get rid of the cameras 5 minute auto shut-off and now my rig is a lot lighter as well! Hope this helps someone in the future
Post a flick! I’m curious to see what it looks like with no tape deck.
Got a homie to film me do a lil test line the other day!
https://streamable.com/y432q1
I meant a picture of the setup. Dope line though.
Ohhh my bad lmao I’ll send a pic when I get home. It’s basically just black when you look in the tape deck now but I’ll shoot a pic for sure
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Hey - been a while since i posted, but had to come back for some advice.
I have a vx1000/vx2000 and Datavideo DN60 setup. I have problems capturing. It shows up in the capturing proces, but the footy is always digi-eror and it wont capture either. I simply cannot film and import and i have no idea where it goes wrong
I tried
- switching all the cables.
- using different cameras (different vx1000s and vx2000s)
- switching CF cards, found the exact ones recommended.
- different computers and programs for capturing
Im starting to think it could be my device, but i really really hope its not. Attatched photo of footage as it looks
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(https://i.postimg.cc/mPMXdypL/9-BCF911-A-D336-42-BE-96-B3-F10183298-CC1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPMXdypL)
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Hey - been a while since i posted, but had to come back for some advice.
I have a vx1000/vx2000 and Datavideo DN60 setup. I have problems capturing. It shows up in the capturing proces, but the footy is always digi-eror and it wont capture either. I simply cannot film and import and i have no idea where it goes wrong
I tried
- switching all the cables.
- using different cameras (different vx1000s and vx2000s)
- switching CF cards, found the exact ones recommended.
- different computers and programs for capturing
Im starting to think it could be my device, but i really really hope its not. Attatched photo of footage as it looks
Hmm, seems like a recorder issue to me especially if it's happening from 2 different cameras. It could need a firmware update, a clean inside, or repairing.
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Expand Quote
Adding to the info:
I recently picked up an FS-5 and it was a certified fancy looking paperweight. Mine would not allow me to record clips longer than 30 seconds before the unit would freeze up and require me to pull the battery out. It would also freeze when attempting to transfer logged clips to the computer. I’ve heard of people swapping the internal HDD for an SSD but I haven’t gone down that route yet. In the meantime I picked up a Sony HVR-MRC1 which records onto compact flash and works like a charm.-also keeps your clips organized on the card. My reason for going tapeless was because my vx1000 had a tape stuck inside and the camera would not detect it for an eject.. I ended up removing the tape deck altogether from my vx1000 to get rid of the cameras 5 minute auto shut-off and now my rig is a lot lighter as well! Hope this helps someone in the future
I really want to see this now.
Forgot to post a pic aha RIP tape deck
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Hey all. A bit late to the party on this thread but it's great to see the Tapeless world growing so quick.
Just thought I'd add The SONY HVR-DR60 to the mix that some may know about, but it hasn't been mentioned on here and seems to come up occasionally on eBay etc (here's one in the UK going right now) - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125073551675?hash=item1d1ef6f13b:g:bpsAAOSw9Elhrhcd (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125073551675?hash=item1d1ef6f13b:g:bpsAAOSw9Elhrhcd)
Not to be confused with the Datavideo DN60, the DR60 was released at the same time as the MRC1, and is another FireWire recorder that records to an apparently shock resistant internal harddrive as opposed to CF card.
You can buy a dual screw tripod plate to mount to VX and it looks pretty seamless. https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-CFiXlBpa/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-CFiXlBpa/)
I've seen a decent handful of these pop up on eBay over the past year, and a friend of mine Nick Viewegg uses it regularly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEtdWZLaZbg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEtdWZLaZbg)
I'm kinda suck at staying on top of SLAP, but if anyone has any questions about the DN60 please feel free to hit me up on Insta - https://www.instagram.com/al_hodgson
cheers!
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Thanks Al! I’ve always wondered about this one, especially if there would be any issues/drops with recording if there are shakes/sudden movements since it uses an HDD. Glad to hear that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I was also worried about the fact that once the HDD dies, that’s the end of the device. I looked through the service manual, and this is apparently the exact HDD that they use: MK6008GAH-60GB. There’s a good amount on eBay so that shouldn’t be a problem to replace it. Just wish the device itself was easier to find.
Fun fact - the HDD in this unit is the same one used in the original iPod Video
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Thanks Al! I’ve always wondered about this one, especially if there would be any issues/drops with recording if there are shakes/sudden movements since it uses an HDD. Glad to hear that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I was also worried about the fact that once the HDD dies, that’s the end of the device. I looked through the service manual, and this is apparently the exact HDD that they use: MK6008GAH-60GB. There’s a good amount on eBay so that shouldn’t be a problem to replace it. Just wish the device itself was easier to find.
Fun fact - the HDD in this unit is the same one used in the original iPod Video
No worries. Yeah Nick told me it's pretty good and as far as I'm aware he's had no issues.
Interesting about the HDD, especially that it was the same as the iPod. The Unit looks pretty compactly designed but I'm sure there's a way in to replace the HDD if needs be.
Also, for anyone who wants the most recent firmware update for the DN60 (2014 - Firmware DN605021609155512) you can download it here. It also contains compatible card info relevant to 2014: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9h09ompks617xql/AACvu7I9lzWWegve9qq7JaFXa?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9h09ompks617xql/AACvu7I9lzWWegve9qq7JaFXa?dl=0)
Apparently its possible to use some CF to SD adapters to use up to 64GB SD cards with the DN60. Someone sent me what they use and said it worked for them (image attached).
Hope that's all helpful for some people.
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Ay up ya'll. Just realized my FS100 came with the Firmware 3.0 update disk. Decided to archive it on archive.org so anyone can download it and do the update themselves (should possibly help any weird bugs you might have.) Also comes with some datasheets, compatibility charts and instructions in multiple languages and shit.
https://archive.org/details/focus-enhancements-fs100-3-0firmware (https://archive.org/details/focus-enhancements-fs100-3-0firmware)
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So question about the Sony hvr-mrc1, I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this…
I bought two new fire wires because I was having a issue with the one that came with the device where it wouldn’t record at all, so I updated the firmware to the 3.0 and bought a new fire wire and boom it worked. But as soon as I turned the device off last night and tried to use it again today it didn’t work again. My camera says dv in and everything. So I opened the second cable out of the two I ordered and it worked again. So my question is could there be a issue with the device? Are FireWire cables easy to fry? Is it my vx frying them? This is a annoying and expensive problem to have to try and fix everytime I want to use the device… thanks in advance
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Put the VX in vtr mode, and you should see the DV IN show. Gently wiggle around the tip of the FireWire cable - does the DV IN disappear and come back? Alternatively, do you have another camera or can you use a friends to test to see if your HVR/FireWire works consistently?
I had an issue where my hvr wouldn’t record at all with my VX. It would freeze up when I turned it on. It turned out to be a damaged DV port. Kerry was able to fix it for me.
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For any homies looking to buy a HVR-MRC1 at the moment, a bunch of them have come up on eBay it seems.
However I will add if anyone somehow has a spare cradle (HVR1 I think is the part name) I would like to buy one off ya, as I have the front part of an MRC1 and not the cradle on a spare I have.
Safe.
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Put the VX in vtr mode, and you should see the DV IN show. Gently wiggle around the tip of the FireWire cable - does the DV IN disappear and come back? Alternatively, do you have another camera or can you use a friends to test to see if your HVR/FireWire works consistently?
I had an issue where my hvr wouldn’t record at all with my VX. It would freeze up when I turned it on. It turned out to be a damaged DV port. Kerry was able to fix it for me.
So I did this and it still says dv in I tried it on my gl1/gl2 and my trv950 and same results, I’m really hoping it isn’t the device itself, as of now I have one fire wire cable that has worked everytime I’ve used it so far, but it seems when I plugged it in on my other cameras the cable stopped working, when you sent your vx into Kerry how much was it for him to fix the FireWire port? And also what vx do you have 1k, 2k, 21k? I have a 2000 thank you for responding so quickly I appreciate it!!!
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So question about the Sony hvr-mrc1, I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this…
I bought two new fire wires because I was having a issue with the one that came with the device where it wouldn’t record at all, so I updated the firmware to the 3.0 and bought a new fire wire and boom it worked. But as soon as I turned the device off last night and tried to use it again today it didn’t work again. My camera says dv in and everything. So I opened the second cable out of the two I ordered and it worked again. So my question is could there be a issue with the device? Are FireWire cables easy to fry? Is it my vx frying them? This is a annoying and expensive problem to have to try and fix everytime I want to use the device… thanks in advance
Do you power it up with the device AND VX on at the same time OR do you have them plugged in, turn the MRC1 on, then the VX? I wonder if you can actually short the cable or at worst, the device by turning them on or plugging them together if they're both on? I know that's the issue with plugging a camera into a FireWire port on a PC or Mac and having them both on can cause that issue, not sure with these devices though.
I'm wondering if someone else could chime in on this.
But yeah other than that, it could be your FireWire port on the VX. I spoke to someone a while back with a similar issue to you, IIRC they replaced the cable and it was fine. I imagine FireWire port damage wouldn't be intermittent and usually is a fault of; it either works or doesn't. Then again I might be wrong there, too.
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I turn on the mrc then my vx, I wonder if I turn the device on first then plug the FireWire into the device and the camera then turn the camera on. I tried yesterday with one of the firewire cables and it worked. I’m hoping it’s a good cable and it continues to work!!
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I turn on the mrc then my vx, I wonder if I turn the device on first then plug the FireWire into the device and the camera then turn the camera on. I tried yesterday with one of the firewire cables and it worked. I’m hoping it’s a good cable and it continues to work!!
Always plug the device into the camera before turning anything on. Power on the MRC1 first, wait til it's done starting up, then power on the VX. When you're done filming, power off the device first before the camera. Been using the MRC1 for over a year and I love it. This whole part was shot with the vx1000/MRC1 combo (minus the 16mm of course)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvumkcZSb7I
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Thanks for everyone who helped I figured it out, I ended up with two bunk FireWire cables, but I’m curious to see how everyone has them mounted on their vx’s with a light because I tried last night and it was a nightmare lmfaooo
(https://i.ibb.co/z57dNND/D3-E8-C1-E5-43-CD-4854-9-FD2-69-C639-FB3749.jpg) (https://ibb.co/z57dNND)
upload image online (https://imgbb.com/)
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Thanks for everyone who helped I figured it out, I ended up with two bunk FireWire cables, but I’m curious to see how everyone has them mounted on their vx’s with a light because I tried last night and it was a nightmare lmfaooo
(https://i.ibb.co/z57dNND/D3-E8-C1-E5-43-CD-4854-9-FD2-69-C639-FB3749.jpg) (https://ibb.co/z57dNND)
upload image online (https://imgbb.com/)
Personally I would never mount it on top of the camera nor in the way you have done, but that's just me. It does keep the weight centered I guess?
I bought a longer mount for my TRV, so that it can go slightly ahead of where the screen flips out. This is it if you want to buy one - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08RJN9XZR/?coliid=I1N86H9II10339&colid=2D55WYJVRE7Z3&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
The way that mount works means you can just simply slide it to a more convenient spot.
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I will order one of those^ that looks like the best option I’ve seen yet thank you!
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maybe attach the light to some kind of necklace? lol
Just bought a sony hvr mrc1, getting back into the game after giving up for like 5 years.
Anyone got recs for replacement vx1000 batteries? don't wanna spend a lot but don't want shit to explode on me
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Hey everyone…
So I recently picked up an mrc1, set it all up and it wouldn’t record. I figured it was probably the cable and bought another one. Seemed to work fine on both my VX2100e but the first day I went out filming the unit wouldn’t recognise that it was connected to the camera.
Got home and tried my other VX2100 and working fine until I tested it again and same thing.
Tried both cameras plugged into premiere pro and nothing. It’s like the unit has fried both FireWire ports.
Have been lurking this thread for a while do have been powering on the unit, then the camera.
Has anyone else had a similar issue? Have ordered another cable but I’m worried I’m going to have to replace both FireWire ports and I’ll still be in danger of frying them every time I use it.
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Hey everyone…
So I recently picked up an mrc1, set it all up and it wouldn’t record. I figured it was probably the cable and bought another one. Seemed to work fine on both my VX2100e but the first day I went out filming the unit wouldn’t recognise that it was connected to the camera.
Got home and tried my other VX2100 and working fine until I tested it again and same thing.
Tried both cameras plugged into premiere pro and nothing. It’s like the unit has fried both FireWire ports.
Have been lurking this thread for a while do have been powering on the unit, then the camera.
Has anyone else had a similar issue? Have ordered another cable but I’m worried I’m going to have to replace both FireWire ports and I’ll still be in danger of frying them every time I use it.
I've never heard of a device shorting the ports, but there could be a possibility. I wouldn't know how it could do so, but maybe it could be a surge through the cables?
There is probably someone who could explain how, so hopefully there is. As long as you've been putting the device on and then the camera, then there shouldn't be any probs.
It could be luck of the draw both camera's FireWire ports are fucked, however.
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I've never heard of a device shorting the ports, but there could be a possibility. I wouldn't know how it could do so, but maybe it could be a surge through the cables?
There is probably someone who could explain how, so hopefully there is. As long as you've been putting the device on and then the camera, then there shouldn't be any probs.
It could be luck of the draw both camera's FireWire ports are fucked, however.
Thanks for the reply, I actually figured it out late last night. The second cable that I bought has bent the pins inside the ports on both cameras. They both worked fine plugged into my Mac previously.
I think I've managed to bend them back on one of them but waiting on a new cable to test it (ordered the 35cm right angle one that you linked earlier in the thread).
If it doesn't work, the replacement is pretty cheap and it's just removing some screws and connecting a ribbon cable to replace.
Annoying as hell though, I really want to get out and film with this thing!
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https://shop.orqafpv.com/collections/ghost-irc
Apparently Orqa (?) has taken over ImmserionRC and it's available for pre-order again.
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https://shop.orqafpv.com/collections/ghost-irc
Apparently Orqa (?) has taken over ImmserionRC and it's available for pre-order again.
thanks for the share! but Im a bit concerned with the quality loss of the Immersion RC Powerplay since it doesn´t record via firewire - any slap pals using this thing?
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Expand Quote
https://shop.orqafpv.com/collections/ghost-irc
Apparently Orqa (?) has taken over ImmserionRC and it's available for pre-order again.
Yes, I'll try and make my thoughts as clear and concise as possible without rambling too much.
It's AV instead of Firewire, so there's definitely quality loss. From what I looked into, the Powerplay handles deinterlacing the footage and also does some artificial sharpening. When it comes to quality loss, the two main things I noticed were obviously detail loss; certain colours tend to get a strange red almost checkerboard/grain quality to them, and also when shooting fisheye it seems pretty jumpy/jittery which I believe comes down to the powerplay's deinterlacing.
It's a lot easier to put into tiers and you can tally it all up against your own criteria.
Positives:
- no more dealing with tapes - glitches, capturing, cold weather etc.
- can watch stuff back instantly.
- more storage.
- no need to deinterlace/convert stuff, just pull .mov files straight off it.
- cheaper than firewire based devices.
Negatives:
- quality loss.
- another thing to charge.
- the button to record is the same one to scroll through menus so it's fiddly to get used to.
- may need to experiment with AV cables/spacers to find one that works. obviously this product was not meant to be used for tapeless, so you either need a specific cable for audio to work properly, or use a spacer which a guy who i can't recall off the top of my head 3d prints and sells.
Realistically, what it comes down to is the convenience of it all, and I will say it's a lot more convenient using the powerplay over tapes. However, my experiences will be considered anecdotal at best and I'm sure a lot of people absolutely despise the powerplay/prefer firewire/etc. a more apt comparison would've been playing back the original tapes and rerecording them with the Powerplay, but here's 5 clips from tape/firewire and 5 from the Powerplay. Canon GL1, Opteka 0.3x, rendered at 720p 50fps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOmpRFRmZY
For me personally just filming my friends and making videos for us to enjoy, I like the powerplay and will continue using it. If I was say filming for "proper" projects, using vx/mk1 etc, I would go for a firewire based solution. Hope this helps somewhat.
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Any other DR60 users?
I formatted my HVR-DR60 on my mac (FAT32) and since that I´m not able to record anymore
as soon as I turn my device on a error message "F:12:01" appears. (According to the manual it says "Format the HDD, HDD format error")
then, when I press stop, the device asks me if I wanna format it. After formatting it looks just as normal but it doesn´t record. Also tried formatting it again through the menu. if shut it off and on he whole cycle starts again: Error F:12:01 - formatting - no recording possible
it´s driving me crazy since it worked like a charm before. the folder structure is still the same when pluggin it into the mac.
Edit: fixed the problem. It was the trv´s fault. tried it with another trv and it worked perfectly
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Has anyone tried these type of recorders? Curious to see if they are any good and what the quality is?
https://www.amazon.com/ClearClick-Converter-2-0-Second-Generation/dp/B07V9JNRZY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=video+to+digital+converter&qid=1654564433&sprefix=video+to+%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-3
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Anyone experienced a CF card failing to record after working for a bit? Mine reached 49 clips and wouldn't record anymore. It was the card not the device, as another card worked.
Might try reformatting it to see if that works
EDIT: Checked back the footy on the second one and somehow that had recorded past a certain point, but the clips didn't show up on the PC. The MRC1 did throw an error at some point, but worked fine after powering it down and back up. Luckily I have a spare to work with.
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Gonna add onto the above and say it was definitely the error A:19:19 IIRC - it was definitely that sequence which is a CompactFlash recognition error. Thankfully not much was lost that day, but a pain none the less.
For next time it's definitely a swap out of the card after that error, take what is usable recorded before the error appeared and look at putting in a new card, then re-format the old one after footy is captured.
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Cheers to everyone sharing their experiences with these devices. So far they seem to be a bigger hassle than mini-dv tapes, regardless of eliminating dropouts. Transitional video tech can be frustrating.
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Cheers to everyone sharing their experiences with these devices. So far they seem to be a bigger hassle than mini-dv tapes, regardless of eliminating dropouts. Transitional video tech can be frustrating.
I wouldn't necessarily say that, my gripe post was probably the worst thing I had with the device par the batch of Sandisk cards that might've been too 'new' for the MRC1 (which I swapped for Transcend cards). I fixed the issue with a format on the device and it seems to be back to normal now.
Probably had a lot of times coming home to seeing glitches on tapes and/or the VX deciding to shit out on me when I'm out than I've had issues with the MRC1, but that's probably my luck with VX1s haha.
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Expand Quote
Cheers to everyone sharing their experiences with these devices. So far they seem to be a bigger hassle than mini-dv tapes, regardless of eliminating dropouts. Transitional video tech can be frustrating.
I wouldn't necessarily say that, my gripe post was probably the worst thing I had with the device par the batch of Sandisk cards that might've been too 'new' for the MRC1 (which I swapped for Transcend cards). I fixed the issue with a format on the device and it seems to be back to normal now.
Probably had a lot of times coming home to seeing glitches on tapes and/or the VX deciding to shit out on me when I'm out than I've had issues with the MRC1, but that's probably my luck with VX1s haha.
Been super lucky with glitches altogether, maybe four distinctive ones in the past ten years. Nothing clip ruining, either.
The not-so-ergonomic placement possibilities of the recorder, fear of scraping the firewire cord (I've managed to scratch the butt of the camera alone several times) and same capture process as with tapes are the biggest cons for me. Doesn't change the fact that tapes are going to run out sooner than later, tho.
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Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Cheers to everyone sharing their experiences with these devices. So far they seem to be a bigger hassle than mini-dv tapes, regardless of eliminating dropouts. Transitional video tech can be frustrating.
I wouldn't necessarily say that, my gripe post was probably the worst thing I had with the device par the batch of Sandisk cards that might've been too 'new' for the MRC1 (which I swapped for Transcend cards). I fixed the issue with a format on the device and it seems to be back to normal now.
Probably had a lot of times coming home to seeing glitches on tapes and/or the VX deciding to shit out on me when I'm out than I've had issues with the MRC1, but that's probably my luck with VX1s haha.
Been super lucky with glitches altogether, maybe four distinctive ones in the past ten years. Nothing clip ruining, either.
The not-so-ergonomic placement possibilities of the recorder, fear of scraping the firewire cord (I've managed to scratch the butt of the camera alone several times) and same capture process as with tapes are the biggest cons for me. Doesn't change the fact that tapes are going to run out sooner than later, tho.
I find this part almost similar, but the idea of just opening Handbrake, opening VLC player so I can quickly scan over clips to check for the mark or half hand, drop the clips over and running it to render is almost half that of logging tapes. Usually a day's worth of footy is captured and rendered in 30 mins.
Yeah I must be unlucky, been a good few times I've also had the issue of the camera asking me to eject the tape mid line or just on a busy session. Annoying. Don't miss using tapes one bit, plus the cost of them now is mental.
To be honest with the placement of the FireWire cord, I just slide it through the hand grip and it's barely at the bottom as opposed to going along the side. I did used to mount it underneath, but I changed it after I slammed onto it. I wish there was a way to mount the device flat on top, but then you lose the shoe mount for using a light. That's my main gripe.
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Can someone just invent a DV Tape that actually records to an SD card pls?
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Can someone just invent a DV Tape that actually records to an SD card pls?
Not the same thing, but I'm pretty sure Mike Crook was developing that integrated D60 recorder into the tape deck. I'm not sure how far he's got, but it was looking really cool.
I'm sure there must be some way to work out a way to have something read onto tape, that directs back to an input i.e CF or SD card. Probably some mad tech behind it, but there's got to be a way? I mean, something like those tape to 3.5mm input cassettes you could get BITD for cars, so you can play off a CD player or MP3 player?
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Sorry if this same problem has been brought up before in this thread, but I am in a dire situation with my Sony HVR MRCK1.It worked well with my Sony VX1 for about 6 months, and then started to shit out mid session, losing connection with the camera, cutting out mid clip, etc. I even lost a few tricks due to it's inconsistency.
In the past year I've troubleshot basically every compononent; I bought a faster CF card, did the Firmware Update, tried a new Firewire cable, and I have even tried it out with a friends very mint VX2100 to eliminate the idea that my VX1000 had a bad DV input socket; same results with every possible combination. I've wasted money and time, and at this point I just want to sell it.
Problem is, I don't feel right listing it for any more than $100 when it seems like the problem is with the device itself, although I haven´t seen any similair stories online about this. Any words of advice, methods, or problems I haven't considered? Thanks pals and filmer nerds
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Is there any other community besides skateboarding that invests so much effort into continuing to use an SD video camera? Genuinely curious about this.
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Is there any other community besides skateboarding that invests so much effort into continuing to use an SD video camera? Genuinely curious about this.
I think about this frequently and despite not knowing the answer, it’s gotta be extremely few and far between. We skaters are a fickle bunch. I couldn’t keep up with all of the maintenance anymore, but Jah bless all of you still filming the good fight with the GOAT.
That being said, MK1/wooden mic on an HD 4:3 set up and you’re golden.
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Sorry if this same problem has been brought up before in this thread, but I am in a dire situation with my Sony HVR MRCK1.It worked well with my Sony VX1 for about 6 months, and then started to shit out mid session, losing connection with the camera, cutting out mid clip, etc. I even lost a few tricks due to it's inconsistency.
In the past year I've troubleshot basically every compononent; I bought a faster CF card, did the Firmware Update, tried a new Firewire cable, and I have even tried it out with a friends very mint VX2100 to eliminate the idea that my VX1000 had a bad DV input socket; same results with every possible combination. I've wasted money and time, and at this point I just want to sell it.
Problem is, I don't feel right listing it for any more than $100 when it seems like the problem is with the device itself, although I haven´t seen any similair stories online about this. Any words of advice, methods, or problems I haven't considered? Thanks pals and filmer nerds
Your post here is one of the main reasons why I've been in a conundrum recently. I've been considering buying an MRC1 but my hesitancy with firewire has been really putting me off. The thing is, with the powerplay and how it connects to the RCA cables, it may lose a bit of quality but I can always guarantee that it's going to work just fine. With firewire however I feel like its more fragile and will eventually screw up on me.
Good luck trying to figure out the issue with yours, I would love to hear any more updates you have with it
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Anyone have any recommendations on how to fix a “format error” for the MRC1 even though it just was formatted
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Anyone have any recommendations on how to fix a “format error” for the MRC1 even though it just was formatted
First of all, what cards are you using? I was having this issue a while back (I might have a post on about it a few pages back). It happened when using the Sandisk Extreme Pro cards, which just kept giving that error to me inbetween spots. I either had to turn it off and on again a few times or simply swap cards, but man it was infuriating. They had the right speed and weren't too fast or anything like that (right UDMA rating), but they just kept giving the format error.
I now use Transcend cards which ironically, had more problems when you look at older forum posts elsewhere about the MRC1 back when it came out. Only one other person I know had the same issues and others have been fine with it, so I'm not sure if there is a difference in the newer versions of the cards or something.
Try a few different cards, record stuff and try to see if it's just the card/s.
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Anyone have any recommendations on how to fix a “format error” for the MRC1 even though it just was formatted
First of all, what cards are you using? I was having this issue a while back (I might have a post on about it a few pages back). It happened when using the Sandisk Extreme Pro cards, which just kept giving that error to me inbetween spots. I either had to turn it off and on again a few times or simply swap cards, but man it was infuriating. They had the right speed and weren't too fast or anything like that (right UDMA rating), but they just kept giving the format error.
I now use Transcend cards which ironically, had more problems when you look at older forum posts elsewhere about the MRC1 back when it came out. Only one other person I know had the same issues and others have been fine with it, so I'm not sure if there is a difference in the newer versions of the cards or something.
Try a few different cards, record stuff and try to see if it's just the card/s.
Ha, it’s gotta be something with the sandisks because that’s exactly what I’ve got right now. What is the correct UDMA rating? I feel completely in the dark on this haha
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Strange, I've only ever used a (several year old) 32gb SanDisk Extreme III (30 MB/s) with MRC1 and never had any issues whatsoever.
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Anyone have any recommendations on how to fix a “format error” for the MRC1 even though it just was formatted
First of all, what cards are you using? I was having this issue a while back (I might have a post on about it a few pages back). It happened when using the Sandisk Extreme Pro cards, which just kept giving that error to me inbetween spots. I either had to turn it off and on again a few times or simply swap cards, but man it was infuriating. They had the right speed and weren't too fast or anything like that (right UDMA rating), but they just kept giving the format error.
I now use Transcend cards which ironically, had more problems when you look at older forum posts elsewhere about the MRC1 back when it came out. Only one other person I know had the same issues and others have been fine with it, so I'm not sure if there is a difference in the newer versions of the cards or something.
Try a few different cards, record stuff and try to see if it's just the card/s.
Ha, it’s gotta be something with the sandisks because that’s exactly what I’ve got right now. What is the correct UDMA rating? I feel completely in the dark on this haha
The correct rating is UDMA 7, that will work on Firmware V3 and I believe below it as well. Try the Transcends and see how you get on. I had a Transcend 133x card originally with my first MRC1 and I just went and looked for them as that one worked seamlessly, plus they're still readily available as the Sandisks. If you find any other brands for cheap it might be worth a punt, too.
Strange, I've only ever used a (several year old) 32gb SanDisk Extreme III (30 MB/s) with MRC1 and never had any issues whatsoever.
The Sandisks should work and do work for a lot of people that I've spoken to over Instagram, but then they didn't work so well for me after a while on a few sessions (even had weird formatting issues on one session where one clip from a previous session remained after a format and the new clip tacked onto the end, very strange). It could potentially be that they're newer and something has slightly changed? I don't know what, though. They're the same spec as the Transcends, but they just never consistently work and kept giving 'FORMAT ERROR' messages between spots. Strange
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So I've been reading this thread trying to narrow down what's wrong with my vx1/mrc1 set up. It worked fine when I got it however when I press the record buttons now nothing happens. I replaced the cable and the camera say's dv in when in vtr mode. I also updated the mrc1 to version 3.0 hoping that would resolve the issue, but that didn't work either. I haven't tried switching cf cards since the one I was using worked fine before and I don't have another one to test out at the moment. I'm stumped on what can be causing this issue besides the mrc1 being faulty.
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So I've been reading this thread trying to narrow down what's wrong with my vx1/mrc1 set up. It worked fine when I got it however when I press the record buttons now nothing happens. I replaced the cable and the camera say's dv in when in vtr mode. I also updated the mrc1 to version 3.0 hoping that would resolve the issue, but that didn't work either. I haven't tried switching cf cards since the one I was using worked fine before and I don't have another one to test out at the moment. I'm stumped on what can be causing this issue besides the mrc1 being faulty.
The camera must be picking up a connection to have the 'DV IN' display, can you find a cheap card or borrow another one to try it? Have you tried formatting the card in the MRC1 first of all?
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Has anyone tried these type of recorders? Curious to see if they are any good and what the quality is?
https://www.amazon.com/ClearClick-Converter-2-0-Second-Generation/dp/B07V9JNRZY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=video+to+digital+converter&qid=1654564433&sprefix=video+to+%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-3
I own one of these. Quality is actually really good and it's super lightweight. I have mine on a shoe mount phone holder with the power running to the camera battery (with a 3rd party lightning port) and a 1ft AV to RCA cable.
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Has anyone tried these type of recorders? Curious to see if they are any good and what the quality is?
https://www.amazon.com/ClearClick-Converter-2-0-Second-Generation/dp/B07V9JNRZY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=video+to+digital+converter&qid=1654564433&sprefix=video+to+%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-3
My friend has one that must basically be either has this or an identical one with different branding. I know it doesn't display all that bright when using it, but it does the job. Saying that he uses it with his VHS-S cam.
Curious to see your setup with the power running from the battery.
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I guess I should've admitted I'm not actually using a VX in the VX thread, but it's a GL2, so it doesn't have the battery door like a vx BUT the vx can transmit power via the mic jack (so run micro USB to 1/8"). Here's my setup.
(https://i.ibb.co/R2vd8XM/IMG-5264.jpg) (https://ibb.co/F6xCpQf)
(https://i.ibb.co/BK2P5Gd/IMG-5263.jpg) (https://ibb.co/7NtzdQ8)
(https://i.ibb.co/Jtk3KX4/IMG-5266.jpg) (https://ibb.co/7CykX75)
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I guess I should've admitted I'm not actually using a VX in the VX thread, but it's a GL2, so it doesn't have the battery door like a vx BUT the vx can transmit power via the mic jack (so run micro USB to 1/8"). Here's my setup.
Interesting setup, seen those batteries in the Sony NP form for VX's but never seen anyone use them before. It'd be cool to use this type setup on a VX2/21 since you don't have the battery door to worry about on those cams.
I didn't really know that about the mic jack, but it does make sense given how it originally functions.
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I guess I should've admitted I'm not actually using a VX in the VX thread, but it's a GL2, so it doesn't have the battery door like a vx BUT the vx can transmit power via the mic jack (so run micro USB to 1/8"). Here's my setup.
Interesting setup, seen those batteries in the Sony NP form for VX's but never seen anyone use them before. It'd be cool to use this type setup on a VX2/21 since you don't have the battery door to worry about on those cams.
I didn't really know that about the mic jack, but it does make sense given how it originally functions.
I guess it's there for phantom power for condenser mic attachments or for a light. I've never investigated whether the shoe mount on the vx is hot or not, but if so, it may be able to power a digital recorder directly with that.
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Yo i've been mounting my powerplay on sticky tape on the shoe mount on my vx I cannot believe i never thought to just buy a shoe mount phone holder and do it that way. so sick thank you for the tip @borntoexpire
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Yo i've been mounting my powerplay on sticky tape on the shoe mount on my vx I cannot believe i never thought to just buy a shoe mount phone holder and do it that way. so sick thank you for the tip @borntoexpire
i did something kind of similar, just unscrewed the shoe mount off an old light then used a screwdriver to p much bore a hole into the grey plastic mount/case that comes with the powerplay, then screwed the shoe mount into it. works solid.
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FS-100 help?
I have a MRC1, works perect. Wanted to have another solution as backup and found a cheap FS-100.. Its chunky and not very handy compared to the MRC1, but it does the job.
The problem i have tho, is.. i can record on FS-100 from both vx1000 and vx2000. I import through imovie (should i generally import some other way?), in the capture menu i can see clips here filmed on both cameras BUT i can only capture the ones filmed on VX2000.. Tried multiple cameras. Any idea why this is? Im thinking it might be imovie but i have no other capture solution at hand i know of?
Clips from both cameras play back with audio and everything. Just the capture part.
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Ran into some trouble recently with my MRC1… sometimes when I go to record, it just crashes. This hasn’t happened until recently. We kept filming and everything ended up okay, but, I’d rather not keep waiting for it to turn back on. Seems kinda sketchy.
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Ran into some trouble recently with my MRC1… sometimes when I go to record, it just crashes. This hasn’t happened until recently. We kept filming and everything ended up okay, but, I’d rather not keep waiting for it to turn back on. Seems kinda sketchy.
This has happened to me before and I think it's a possibility of two things; dodgy batteries or the connection is dropping out somehow whether it's the cable or the FireWire port/s themselves.
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Ran into some trouble recently with my MRC1… sometimes when I go to record, it just crashes. This hasn’t happened until recently. We kept filming and everything ended up okay, but, I’d rather not keep waiting for it to turn back on. Seems kinda sketchy.
That’s pretty much what I was thinking, but I figured it would happen way more often instead of just when hitting record. I have another cord, I’ll see how it goes
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If anyone is filming with a vx2100, this might help:
http://www.instagram.com/p/CT9AUwXMECs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I filmed like that for roughly 1.5 years, but unfortunatly even the external recorder was unreliable as explained in this post:
http://www.instagram.com/p/Ca6YmG1MIdt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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Yeah my mate has similar trouble with mounting it on the VX2, but the mount he has means it can go on the tape deck side and seems to work well. It's just a ballache to click record at times.
I get some Nintendo Power Glove vibes from the way you have it.
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Cheers to everyone sharing their experiences with these devices. So far they seem to be a bigger hassle than mini-dv tapes, regardless of eliminating dropouts. Transitional video tech can be frustrating.
Hey mate, I have the same issue with my sanDisk card, just wandering if ur was the 133x or a different type?
I wouldn't necessarily say that, my gripe post was probably the worst thing I had with the device par the batch of Sandisk cards that might've been too 'new' for the MRC1 (which I swapped for Transcend cards). I fixed the issue with a format on the device and it seems to be back to normal now.
Probably had a lot of times coming home to seeing glitches on tapes and/or the VX deciding to shit out on me when I'm out than I've had issues with the MRC1, but that's probably my luck with VX1s haha.
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i just got the datavideo DN-60 (switching over from the capture cam)
just also switched up computer and using premiere pro 2022.
is it me, or is the option to capture on premiere no longer available?
i believe you can't import thru memory card directly on this.
any tips on how to import/capture the clips?
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besides the ergonomic features of HVR-MRC1, are there any other disadvantages of this one compared to the datavideo?
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I have a FS-4 HD, I replaced the HDD with a CF card reader and it works just fine, the only thing is that every time I connect the Firewire cable to the camera and press rec on the recorder it crashes and restarts.
It used to do this also with the HDD so I tried changing memory type.
Has this ever happened to anybody? is there a way to fix it?
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i just got the datavideo DN-60 (switching over from the capture cam)
just also switched up computer and using premiere pro 2022.
is it me, or is the option to capture on premiere no longer available?
i believe you can't import thru memory card directly on this.
any tips on how to import/capture the clips?
Unfortunately I heard you can't capture on Premiere anymore. I'd recommend capturing through Quicktime, (youtube search and you'll find quickly) iMovie, or use an older macbook with Final Cut Pro 7. Good luck
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i just got the datavideo DN-60 (switching over from the capture cam)
just also switched up computer and using premiere pro 2022.
is it me, or is the option to capture on premiere no longer available?
i believe you can't import thru memory card directly on this.
any tips on how to import/capture the clips?
Unfortunately I heard you can't capture on Premiere anymore. I'd recommend capturing through Quicktime, (youtube search and you'll find quickly) iMovie, or use an older macbook with Final Cut Pro 7. Good luck
Quicktime deinterlaces and compresses the footage. It uses Prores 422 but if you're looking to capture everything uncompressed I would avoid using it.
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So for the uninitiated like myself ... is there a 'quick guide' for getting my VX1 set up tapeless? Some specific things I can buy, plug and play and have a ~~relatively~~ good chance of success out the box? Better yet, something some legend out there makes and sells on their Etsy that just works?
I'm ok with AV capture and the quality loss because a SD card workflow seems way more convenient than capturing tapes. And I am broke and spending shit loads on an ancient Firewire capture device seems counter intuitive (for my applications anyways). But the quality of that Matt Gowrig Krooked part blew me away for something shot on a 28 year old camera. I would be seriously interested to know the exact camera, DVR and render settings used. I wouldn't blame them for keeping it close to their chest though lol.
Should I just buy a Immersion RC Powerplay DVR and some AV cables that the internet tells me works and wing it? How are people mounting the Powerplay to a VX1? Attaching it to the hotshoe seems a bit dorky and kind of a pain in the ass. I don't need to look in the screen while filming so attaching it to the camera body or tape deck seems like a decent option.
Thanks to everyone out there doing the hard R&D to work this stuff out.
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So for the uninitiated like myself ... is there a 'quick guide' for getting my VX1 set up tapeless? Some specific things I can buy, plug and play and have a ~~relatively~~ good chance of success out the box? Better yet, something some legend out there makes and sells on their Etsy that just works?
I'm ok with AV capture and the quality loss because a SD card workflow seems way more convenient than capturing tapes. And I am broke and spending shit loads on an ancient Firewire capture device seems counter intuitive (for my applications anyways). But the quality of that Matt Gowrig Krooked part blew me away for something shot on a 28 year old camera. I would be seriously interested to know the exact camera, DVR and render settings used. I wouldn't blame them for keeping it close to their chest though lol.
Should I just buy a Immersion RC Powerplay DVR and some AV cables that the internet tells me works and wing it? How are people mounting the Powerplay to a VX1? Attaching it to the hotshoe seems a bit dorky and kind of a pain in the ass. I don't need to look in the screen while filming so attaching it to the camera body or tape deck seems like a decent option.
Thanks to everyone out there doing the hard R&D to work this stuff out.
Put a strong ass rubber band on that shit, my homie does it and seems to work. If you don't want the worry of rubber band related woes, then you could get a mount for the side or something that goes off the cold shoe mount?
Otherwise just look at the vids on the MRC1, DN-60 or other variants and go from there. I use the MRC1 for when I need to film on VX and it works just fine, although the prices seem to vary a lot. Compared to forking out on tapes though, it's preferable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey5UAqgjnFU
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LqM8zafsdY&t=1s
Probs a lot more vids on it these days and all, but have a look through this subsection on Slap for more as well.
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ive got an issue with the playback with my mrc and my vx. maybe you guys can help me out:
my vx1000 (PAL) doesnt say "DV IN" when i put it in player mode. since the mrc is working and playing back fine with other VXs, im pretty sure DV IN is not enabled on mine.
do you have any advice i could get it to work? i think there are devices to enable DV IN but i guess there pretty hard to come by or even purchase. would it be possible to just swap some boards around with a a VX where the playback is working?
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ive got an issue with the playback with my mrc and my vx. maybe you guys can help me out:
my vx1000 (PAL) doesnt say "DV IN" when i put it in player mode. since the mrc is working and playing back fine with other VXs, im pretty sure DV IN is not enabled on mine.
do you have any advice i could get it to work? i think there are devices to enable DV IN but i guess there pretty hard to come by or even purchase. would it be possible to just swap some boards around with a a VX where the playback is working?
That's strange, don't think I've heard of that.
There are devices, which are these old remotes that were used by technicians to repair cameras. You can find them on eBay from time to time and there is a service manual with the codes, but I've heard you've got to be careful cause you can really fuck up your VX if you do it wrong. I can't remember the name, but I do remember seeing them show up on eBay for £50+
I was using a TRV as a second angle/playback cam with my MRC1 - could just get a cheap, small cap cam and just do that. It'll be worth it going through whatever BS ya gotta do to get it working with the VX.
I tried to find the control, but I forgot its bloody name.
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been using the datavideo dn 60 for over a year and its the best device . using aa batteries makes it so lightweight and portable and it doesnt waste your vx batteries / the only con is that you have to capture from a firewire port still since the audio gets ruined if you transfer with a cf reader
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Is there a way to change the recording format on a VX1000 from 32kHz to 48kHz?
This operating guide says it has both:
https://vx1000.narod.ru/downloads/Sony_VX1000_OpGuide.pdf
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Yes it can be easily done from the device
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Yes it can be easily done from the device
Could you please explain how?
Thanks
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sorry i missunderstood your question . i thought you asked if the device could record both pal and ntsc . . in order to do it you have to turn on the device go to set up then click system set up / then click set signal type , then click on 60hz, 50hz dv or 50, 60hz hdv
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I am thinking about "building" my own external recorder. I have an extra firewire card on hand and i think about buying an raspberry pi 4 compute module and io board which has an pcie socket. Unfortunately nobody has tested an IEEE 1394 card on the pi. At least the card works without any problems on linux. The initial costs to test it would be:
Compute Module 4GB with WIFI ~50 Eur (maybe 2GB would be enough)
IO Board ~38 Eur
(PCI-E Firewire Card ~15-20 Eur)
If that works one could think about designing a case for 3D printing but one would need to get the card in a good position by using a pci-e riser ribbon cable (9 Eur) and figure out how to mount it properly. Maybe one could simply remove the slot bracket for the pc case and hot glue it somewhere or use the mounting holes for the slot bracket to mount it to a self designed case. The whole case and mounting situation is what I am the most unsure about.
In case one figures out all of the above a sufficient power bank(12V, 2.1A is needed for the board when using the pci slot) would add 60 - 80 Eur, at least that was the first one I discovered. I think my pcie firewire card is pcie x1 so it should be limited to 12V and 0.5 A. PCI-E x4 is limited 2.1A and 12V so that might not work.
IMO the steps would be:
1.) Try to get the card working on the pi
2.) Setup a hot spot on the pi or connect it to a hot spot from mobile phone
3.) a) Setup web server which emits dvgrab commands
b) Setup video preview in web server
c) Optional: Simple hardware buttons via GPIO to start/stop recording and a simple led
4.) Design case.
If 1 works, then 2 and 3 would be really straight forward. 4. would be a pain in the ass. At least for me as I am completely unfamiliar with 3D printing and designing for it. And I don't know the cost for such a print (and highly likely failures). There are some models for printing cases for the pi + io module on which one could base a design.
In the end my guess is that the price would be approximately the same like a lot of these recorders (250-300), at least in material cost for developement, but one would have some advantages:
1.) Possible to directly record to usb stick
2.) Preview on mobile via web server
3.) No mechanical hdd like in some of those recorders
4.) Maintainable. One should be able to swap all of the components.
Disadvantages:
Basically the biggest problem would be to get it compact and robust. Figuring out the whole mounting of the card, the power bank and the pi and then mount it to the camera. And I have absolutely no idea about modelling for 3D printing. Even the cooling of the pi might be a problem. The power bank is also comparable heavy and large (20.9 x 19.6 x 5.2 cm; 450 Grams). For reference the fire wire card is 1cm x 6.5 cm x 9.5 (hxwxl) without the slot bracket.
It is very likely that I think way too much ahead, after all nobody has even tried to get this kind of card working on a pi let alone with success. One might need to compile the kernel to have the necessary modules for firewire. Unfortunately I won't have time for any of this before mid October as well and I am still not sure if this is even a good idea. I just saw the pi 4 compute module has a pcie port and this immediately came to my mind. This post somehow completely lost structure..
Edit: If it does not work on the pi an alternative one could use an Odroid H2+ (that is x86) or something similar with a m2 slot. But the power supply would be a lot more difficult. One would need an extra source of power for the m2 to pcie adapter. And I don't know anything about that stuff. But apparently people even got GPUs working on it (with computer power adapters).
I have actually had this exact project idea and purchased the cm4 module and io board along with 2 different pcie firewire cards utilizing different chipsets and had no luck getting drivers to work with arm linux firewire. I am by no means a linux expert, I'm 100% linux newbie, but I did recompile the kernel a few times including all possible firewire related items I could identify through my research and the best I got was the card was recognized and listed with the linux lspci command but dvgrab could not utilize the card at all. I then moved on to the other option you mentioned and searched around for affordable x86 based single board computer options like the Odroid. I can't remember exactly why I wrote that option off, maybe because of price or something the manufacturer responded to me via email about it's m.2 capabilites, who knows, you mentioned people got video cards working so I imagine any card should work. I ended up settling on the Zimaboard which is $99 and uses passive cooling which would be great for this project, as well as a full size pcie slot which you could attach an extension to then plug the firewire card in and build it all into some nice neat 3d printable box of some sort. Then all you need is to add a battery and setup linux to boot and start up dvgrab I guess. A small cheap screen of some sort would be awesome as well assuming you could keep the costs down. Zimaboard was a kickstarter project that I wasn't early enough to get in on but they did just start allowing preorders from their website and mentioned shipping shouldn't be too far off.
I am injured right now and found my raspberry pi 4 cm + io board and pci firewire card and just googled it again.
Turns out someone got the generic firewire_ohci driver running on that setup (https://github.com/geerlingguy/raspberry-pi-pcie-devices/issues/443). Apparently i was missing the 'dtoverlay=pcie-32bit-dma' in the boot/config.txt at the time i tried 2-3 years ago. I still have to figure out also the actual necessary steps I did, e.g. I don't know if certain udev rules where actually necessary. And i had a few different problems.
Capturing from tape seems to work fine with my TRV-900 with dvgrab, but I can only "trick" it capturing live video by setting the TRV into playback mode starting dvgrab and switching into standby, then it seems to record mostly fine. Otherwise it only records 3-4 frames no matter what. I guess some control signals are not transmitted correctly or I am missing some settings on the TRV. But I am afraid of frying the port on the camera. Right now I can't tell where the actual problem is it could be either the Camera/Card/Cable/Driver or a combination of all. I just ordered a similar native PCI-E card mentioned in the Github issues on AliExpress + Cables and see where it goes. If it should work well I might look into finding a PCI-E riser + a smaller battery then my powerbank and figure out how to design a case but that would be in some far distant future.
While the current setup is nowhere close to being robust enough for using it in action it might be still cool for capturing old stuff without having to deal with getting a firewire driver running on modern windows, where I had several driver issues a few years ago already. If anybody is interested I might write more detailed instruction.
Would be cool if anybody has a pi5 + firewirecard and could test it there but i guess the breakout boards for the pcie slot are not (widely) publicly available (yet).
Edit: To be clear. This is by far no means cost effective or a replacement for the external recorders in the foreseeable future.
I guess you ruled out the odroid because of powersupply issues of its m2 slot. You would need to have an adapter with an additional powersupply. Never heard of the zimaboard, will look into it.
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Anyone ever used a Blackmagic video assist with hdmi to composite adapter?
(https://www.videoguys.com.au/prodimages/41957/hyperd-avida03-5_4_500.webp?datemodified=243EB)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51tX9Vy0+YL._AC_SX300_SY300_.jpg)
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What's the ID on one of those batteries?
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Anyone here using the ImmersionRC Powerplay? The quality of my footy is clearly worse and I recently saw this clip on IG where you can see they're using this device in the first fisheye clip and the quality is really good. I also have a friend who uses it on a VX2100 and he doesn't get any quality loss (and we're both using the same cable). Can't figure out why do I get such a drop in quality. 2nd IG link one of my clips for reference
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4wf_-Bpohv/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz4KUq2qTEV/
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So this is where the SkatePerception cats ended up. Nerd on bros I don't understand any of this.
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Ran into some trouble recently with my MRC1… sometimes when I go to record, it just crashes. This hasn’t happened until recently. We kept filming and everything ended up okay, but, I’d rather not keep waiting for it to turn back on. Seems kinda sketchy.
That’s pretty much what I was thinking, but I figured it would happen way more often instead of just when hitting record. I have another cord, I’ll see how it goes
For anyone wondering - it was the connection between the two halves of the HVR-MRC1. Think a pitbull hair or some dust got between the two.
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Anyone here using the ImmersionRC Powerplay? The quality of my footy is clearly worse and I recently saw this clip on IG where you can see they're using this device in the first fisheye clip and the quality is really good. I also have a friend who uses it on a VX2100 and he doesn't get any quality loss (and we're both using the same cable). Can't figure out why do I get such a drop in quality. 2nd IG link one of my clips for reference
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4wf_-Bpohv/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz4KUq2qTEV/
with how smooth some of that looks im inclined to say its been AI upscaled
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Anyone here using the ImmersionRC Powerplay? The quality of my footy is clearly worse and I recently saw this clip on IG where you can see they're using this device in the first fisheye clip and the quality is really good. I also have a friend who uses it on a VX2100 and he doesn't get any quality loss (and we're both using the same cable). Can't figure out why do I get such a drop in quality. 2nd IG link one of my clips for reference
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4wf_-Bpohv/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz4KUq2qTEV/
couple of us were thinking he was possibly using the recorder as a monitor. the footage quality is far beyond what that piece of shit is capable of and those guys know better than to be using it in a serious capacity
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Yeah good point. My viewfinder ribbon cable is fucked and I could do the same given I grabbed a Datavideo DN60 ;D