HDX-900 Unislot

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

Hi John,

The HDX900 does not have two channel capability from the unislot. It is only able to do one channel.

Sorry,

Jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, HPX500, HVX200, DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[John Cummings]

Thanks, Jan.

That’s unfortunate. Is that the case right now for all Panasonic cameras with Unislot?

I’m sure other Panasonic owners would like to know the deal before they drop a lot of cash on dual channel receivers.

J Cummings
DP/Chicago
http://www.cameralogic.tv

[John Cummings]

Just off the phone with Lectrosonics, and they indicated that the 2 channel functionality might be enabled via a firmware update. I have contacted Panasonic, but have not received a call back yet.

I’ll be happy to share that info when I get it.

J Cummings
DP/Chicago
http://www.cameralogic.tv

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

Hi,

All of the cameras are single channel. Lectrosonics has been talking with the factory, but there is no gaurantee that a software upgrade with bring two channel capability to the unislot. If it were easy it would have been done by now.

If I were to make a bet on which cameras it could happen with, I would say the 2000 and the 3000, but I am not a betting person, so I only bet on sure things. This is not one of them.

Best,

Jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, HPX500, HVX200, DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[Ken Summerall]

[John Cummings] “I’m sure other Panasonic owners would like to know the deal before they drop a lot of cash on dual channel receivers.”

John,

The Lectrosonic guys showed me an adapter for cameras that only had one channel in the unislot. It is a piece that installs at the top, between the very top piece with the controls and the body. It had a small connector at a 90 degree angle, out of that connector you connected a cable that had either a lemo or mini-xlr on one end and xlr on the other. It was a little goofy looking and I am almost positive that it was a prototype, but it might be worth a call to Lectrosonics.

K

[John Cummings]

Yea, I talked with the Lectro guys about that. It’s a whole new receiver, not a retrofit. And it won’t ship for awhile.

You’re right, it is goofy…kinda like this whole unislot situation. It gets even worse with sony, who of course only wants to sell sony slot receivers.

Too bad nobody is sharing any clear product information so buyers can make informed decisions. Lectro should post a compatibility matrix, but they didn’t…my audio dealer should have known better, but he didn’t…and panasonic shouldn’t have two channel pins in a connector with only one channel enabled, but that’s what they did. Now, it sounds like the fix (if there is one) may only go to the P2 models.
That would make me feel all warm and fuzzy about panasonic and my two-month old camera.

I assume this unislot is licensed by ikegami, but apparently there’s no standards involved. And the slot pin configurations vary by manufacturer. There’s no “uni” anything here.

Right now, my unislots are a great place to warm up my pop-tarts…

Sorry…I’m tired and annoyed.

J Cummings
DP/Chicago
http://www.cameralogic.tv

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

Hi John,

I can full understand your annoyance. And I would like to add to color the situation in, that there is only one receiver that has two channels and that is the one made by Lectrosonics. The other two that I am aware of are only single channel and those have been available the longest, say 6 years on the Sennheiser and 5 years on the Azden. Lectrosonics came up with the 2 channel receiver after your camera was off the R & D table. The salesperson that sold you the camera should have known or if they didn’t know they should have asked Panasonic, or at least look in the Ops manual. I know it is disappointing to think you have something all figured out and have that not be true.

Wish it were different, and who know maybe those extra connectors reall do go somewhere, time will tell.

Best regards,

Jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, HPX500, HVX200, DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[John Cummings]

I will shut my mouth now and cross my fingers.

Jan, thanks for your insight and your help.

J Cummings
DP/Chicago
http://www.cameralogic.tv

[Ken Summerall]

John,

I totally understand your frustration and you have not been ugly about this at all. I’m sure that your are really more angry about it than you are showing. FWIW, just to fuel the fire, the Lectro guy that I spoke to was the guy that developed the receiver and he thought that it would work with everything but a Sony. Seems like the ball got dropped all around. The nice thing here is that Jan has made some folks aware of this, and I’d be almost willing to bet that if there is a fix, they will make it happen.

I really hope so because my next camera is likely to be a full sized P2 and I would love to be able to have two channels in the slot so that I can use my Lectro units in the field.

K

[John Cummings]

“the Lectro guy that I spoke to was the guy that developed the receiver and he thought that it would work with everything but a Sony…”

He thought?

Ken, I find it extremely hard to believe that the people at Lectrosonics do not actually test these products using real cameras to see if they actually work before they put them into production, and then ship them to dealers, who then sell them to unwitting nitwits like myself. But it does make one wonder what cameras the SR actually does work in…

“I’m sure that your are really more angry about it than you are showing.”

You are very perceptive, Ken.
Now quit trying to get me all riled up again.

BTW, I’m not mad at Jan. But her cohorts at Panasonic support never did return my call.

That makes me mad.

J Cummings
DP/Chicago
http://www.cameralogic.tv