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CinePorter
So what’s the chatter on the CinePorter
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10 Replies
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Lots of talk on it elsewhere. At first glance it offers a few interesting bonuses over the firestore: the ability to take two drives, for up to 240gb of storage vs. 100 for the FS-100. And it uses the same battery as the camera, so you can easily swap batteries, something I don’t think is even possible with the FS-100.
Then again, I’ve seen a partly-working FS-100 already, whereas I don’t think the CinePorter has been shown in working form yet, has it? So the FS-100 has one big advantage in that it’s a known name with a known product on its fifth generation (FS-1, FS-2, FS-3, FS-4, FS-100). But the CinePorter could do some things the FS doesn’t. So… lots of positive buzz, tempered with “let’s actually see it first”.
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well ok not bad review…
I wonder though if its as endorsed by Panasonic though. 3rd party suppliers like these guys and firestore have to go through Panny to get the specs and so on in order to make these things. Right? So theoretically if Panny gives them the specs then they should all be as compatibal and endorsed…Right? Its not like anyone can make these P2 compliant devices and not have them be equall or greater than the reliability of an actuall Panasonic product?
March I think is the ship date on their site. But when is Firestore actually moving their product? And seein how I didn’t preorder my HVX what are the odds that’ll get it anytime soon…
can you give me a link to the rest of the info on this product?
Chris Baldwin
Shoulder High Productions
Media of the World; For the World!
https://www.shoulderhigh.com
newsletters@shoulderhigh.com -
Just the form factor alone makes this a more attractive alternative to me than the Firewstore, that thing is really awkward on top of the camera……I like the way this sits underneath…..
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Will you still be able to use a ipos in this configuration?
Does the firestore auto stop start?
Can the files from the firestore be read on the LCD like as is the case with the P2?
David
Merry Christmas
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wow great questions… I only assumed that they would but if there is uncertainty on the matters, I’d really like Jan to let us know.
I’d really like to know the fastest it and the Firestore can transfer to a firewire deck. I am right though that onced transfered to a firewire drive that the drive would act exactly the same as a P2 card once connected to a NLE? And it could be edited right away?
I also agree that the design of the CinePorter is much better than the firestore.
It would be great if the cineporter had a small rechargable battery slot though as well for one reason. If since the cineporter draws from the same battery as the camera, and if the camera could pull power from the cineporter … somehow … you could change batteries on the camera without a stop in recording. I know many cameras can switch from ac to battery and back while operating without any problems. with up to 240 gigs to fill unless you have AC around you’re gonna run out of juice before you run out of media storage.
As for the price point…it’s a done issue? They’re not going to change at this point right? So we kind of have to invent all these workflow work arounds to make this wonderfully expediant IT workflow as accessible to the variety of clients out there as there are. Seems like Panasonic could offer a rebate with a purchase of a firestore or better yet cineporter when you buy the camera…
Hey it’s the season for wishing!
Chris Baldwin
Shoulder High Productions
Media of the World; For the World!
https://www.shoulderhigh.com
newsletters@shoulderhigh.com -
i don’t really care of panasonic approves them or not – how many times have you installed software that didn’t have microsofts seal of approval ?? reverse engineering has been around for years and it WORKS …
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[Chris Baldwin] “I’d really like to know the fastest it and the Firestore can transfer to a firewire deck. I am right though that onced transfered to a firewire drive that the drive would act exactly the same as a P2 card once connected to a NLE? And it could be edited right away?”
Chris, it is my understanding that the data transfer is fixed at about 1gig per minute from the cards / camera. I do know that the Firestore unit is copying the MXF data stream direct so only Avid can read the resident data without translation. FCP certainly cannot handle the content without stripping off the metadata first. I am going to assume that the Cineporter is to do the same thing based on what little data is available.
Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA -
Gary,
[gary adcock] “Avid can read the resident data without translation.”
Unless things have changed in the last month or so, what you are implying is not exactly true, and I got this straight from Jan. Avid cannot edit native MXF P2 files. Avid must strip the MXF from the DVCPro files of whatever stripe, move the metadata to its database, and edit on the fly from the DVCPro component of the files. This is certainly preferable to FCP’s unwraping the MXF, ingest and rewraping of the DVCPro files in QT because Avid can edit directly from the P2 cards.
Of any readily available NLE software, only Canopus Edius Pro3 Broadcast can edit directly with the native MXF P2 files, which means it can edit from the card like Avid, but, unlike Avid, the MXF metadata stays with the files and follows into the edited files rather than being set aside in the NLE database, so that any clip in the edited file contains the source metadata. Full MXF functionality is the way it should be, and the way it will probably eventually be with all NLE software, but for now the Canopus product is the only one that’ll do it.
Ron Shook
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[Chris Baldwin] ” wonder though if its as endorsed by Panasonic though.
Probably not. Panasonic is developing the FS-100 in partnership with Focus. I believe Spec-Comm is approaching the CinePorter as a fully independent development.
3rd party suppliers like these guys and firestore have to go through Panny to get the specs and so on in order to make these things. Right?
Not necessarily. It’s probably easier to do it that way, and that’s the way Focus has gone — Panasonic lists them as one of their “P2 Partners”, which appears to be a licensing program. Spec-Comm is not listed there. So I would guess that Spec-Comm is reverse-engineering the P2 capabilities and independently developing it without a specific licensing relationship with Panasonic. However, it is of note that Spec-Comm is an authorized reseller and an authorized repair facility for Panasonic, so they certainly know their way around Panasonic gear.Its not like anyone can make these P2 compliant devices and not have them be equall or greater than the reliability of an actuall Panasonic product?
Reverse engineering would probably allow anyone to make anything of any reliability quotient. But if they want to wear the official Panasonic-endorsed label, then yes they’d have to comply to whatever standards Panasonic sets.But when is Firestore actually moving their product?
I talked to them at DV Expo, and they seem incredibly confident that they will meet their delivery date. And they were demoing a partially-working prototype already back then, and that was three weeks ago…can you give me a link to the rest of the info on this product?”
https://www.spec-comm.com/cineporter.php
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Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available on ebay and at Amazon (https://www.fiftv.com/db) -
[David Battistella] “Can the files from the firestore be read on the LCD like as is the case with the P2?”
My understanding on that one is that yes, the FireStore will appear to the HVX as if it’s one great big P2 card, with the same thumbnail/preview capability as the card has.
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Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available on ebay and at Amazon (https://www.fiftv.com/db)
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