foc.us FS-4/ User manual

FS-4, FS-4 HD,
FS-4 Pro, FS-4 Pro HD
Portable DTE Recorders
User Guide
Release 2.0
Part Number: MANL-0954-02

LEGAL NOTICES
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL AND
TRADE SECRET INFORMATION OF FOCUS
ENHANCEMENTS AND ITS RECEIPT OR POSSESSION
DOES NOT CONVEY ANY RIGHTS TO REPRODUCE OR
DISCLOSE ITS CONTENTS, OR TO MANUFACTURE,
USE, OR SELL ANYTHING THAT IT MAY DESCRIBE.
USE IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT THE SPECIFIC
WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION OF FOCUS
ENHANCEMENTS IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS COMPLETE AND
ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF PRINTING; HOWEVER, THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT
TO CHANGE.
Copyright 2005 Focus Enhancements
All Rights Reserved
The material contained in this document is also protected
by copyright laws of the United States of America and other
countries. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any
form by any means, altered in any fashion, or stored in a
data base or retrieval system, without express written
permission of FOCUS ENHANCEMENTS.
FOCUS ENHANCEMENTS cannot be responsible for
unauthorized use of equipment and will not make
allowance or credit for unauthorized use or access.
Contacting FOCUS ENHANCEMENTS:
Office Hours: Monday through Friday
8:00 AM to 5:00PM (Central Time)
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Address: Focus Enhancements, Inc.
1370 Dell Avenue
Campbell, CA. 95008
www.focusinfo.com

Regulations and Safety
Focus Enhancements, Inc.
1370 Dell Avenue
Campbell, CA. 95008
Model Numbers:
FS-4, FS-4 Pro, FS-4 HD, FS-4 Pro HD
Date of Manufacture:
Reference the Serial Number label attached to
the unit.

i
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
DTE Eliminates Pre-edit Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
FS-4 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
FS-4 Pro Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
HD Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Quickstart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Physical Description and Basic Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Front Panel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LCD Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Function buttons (A, B, C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Power On Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Navigation Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Transport Control Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Back Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Forward Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Back Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Pause, Stop and Power OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Forward Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Top Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Computer FireWire Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Remote Control, Serial Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Camera FireWire Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Side Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Bottom Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Internal Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The FS-4 Menu System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Table of Contents
ii
Powering the FS-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting the FS-4 to AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Installing / Removing the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installing a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Removing a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Connecting a FS-4 to a DV/HD Camcorder . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Record and Playback with the FS-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Power On the FS-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Select HDD Recorder Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Select a DV/HD File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Set Time and Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Record With the FS-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Manual Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Creating a New File without Dropping Frames 26
Syncro Slave Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Recording Timecode in the File . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Playback on the FS-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using the FS-4 with a Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Initial Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Mounting the FS-4 in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
FS-4 and FAT 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using Avid OMF Clips FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Dismounting the FS-4 (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Mounting the FS-4 (Macintosh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Dismounting the FS-4 (Macintosh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Mounting Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Mounting FS-4 to a Camcorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Clipping to a Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
FireStore Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
General Screen Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Welcome Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Home Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
DISP (display) Information Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
FS-4 System Information Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Record Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Normal Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Retro Cache Record Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Retro Disk Record Mode FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Table of Contents
iii
Loop Record FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Saving Loop Record Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Snap Record FS-4 PRO, DV modes only . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Timelapse Record FS-4 Pro, DV modes only . . . . . . . . 50
HDD Mode Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Setting Up Master and Slave FS-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Format Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
DV Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
HD Format Screen FS-4 HD and FS4 Pro HD only . . . . 55
Setup Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
LCD Light ON, OFF, AUTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Alarm ON, OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Stop Frame, Gray, No Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
EXT CTL OFF, Pause, Frame, File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
TIME CODE EXT, REC RUN, FREE RUN, REGEN . 60
TC SET FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
UB SET FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
TC DROP, NON-DROP NTSC only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
LCD CONTRAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Functions Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Functions List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Assigning Clips to Reels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Utilities Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Organize Reel FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Organize OMF FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Organize Pinnacle FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Delete Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Format Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Repair Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Repair Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Filename . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Upgrade Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
System Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Diagnostic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Table of Contents
iv
Reels Screen FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Placing a Clip in a Reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Using a Wired Remote Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Play Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Play From Screen FS-4 Pro only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Control Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
LCD Display Symbols and Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Physical Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Input/Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Audio/Video/Timecode Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
DTE File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Disk Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Compatible Camcorders and Accessories . . . . . . . . . 89

1
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing this Focus Enhancements portable direct-
to-edit (DTE) disk recorder. The FireStore FS-4 and FS-4 HD and the
professional version FS-4 Pro and FS-4 Pro HD are the first portable
DV disk recorders with DTE technology designed for hand held
camcorders in a small, rugged and shock proof chassis.
If you edit with applications from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Canopus,
Matrox, Pinnacle, Sonic Foundry, Ulead, and many others, FireStore's
DTE Technology is the only solution that can save you hundreds of
hours a year by recording clips to disk in your non-linear editor’s
(NLE) native file format.
DTE Eliminates Pre-edit Processing
The FS-4 DTE disk recorder eliminates the need to capture, transfer
or convert video clips before editing. The FS-4 is a stand-alone device
that records DV25 video to its disk drive as a NLE native file. The
HD versions add the capability of capturing to disk HD 720p and
1080i video from HDV camcorders equipped with a 1394 interface.
When the disk drive is connected to a computer the clips are
immediately available for editing.
Shoot, connect, and edit: it is now that easy.
Information About Specific FS-4 Models
Throughout this manual, FS-4 indicates information that pertains to all
models of the FS-4 family. FS-4 Pro indicates data specific to the FS- 4 Pro.
The acronyms DV and HD refer to the recorder’s video recording format,
digital or high definition, respectively. By default, both the FS-4 and FS-4
employ DV recording and HD is available as an option.

Introduction
2
Unpacking
Verify that the FS-4 has the following items:
1. FS-4 unit
2. Power supply with cable and connector to the FS-4
3. Power cable (international only)
4. Belt clip
5. Firewire cable, four foot long, 6-pin to 4-pin
6. User guide
7. Removable Li-Ion battery pack
Features
FS-4 Features
All FS-4 models offer the following features:
• Tapeless acquisition
Especially equipped camcorders permit the use of Direct To
Edit (DTE) Technology to record directly from a camcorder
while shooting and without the need of a tape.
• True DTE Technology
When shooting is finished, connect the FS-4 to a computer
and instantly be ready to edit in the timeline.
Files are recorded to disk as RawDV, AVI Type 1, AVI Type
2, Matrox AVI, Canopus AVI, or QuickTime. In addition, 24p
AVI Type 2 and QuickTime are available in NTSC mode.
• Fast and Efficient Editing
When shooting is finished, mount the FS-4 to a Mac or PC
editing system like a typical FireWire hard disk drive.
Transfer clips to your NLE's media drive at up to 400 Mbps
or edit instantly in real-time using the FS-4 as your media
source.
Missing or Damaged Components
If there are missing or damaged items, contact Focus Enhancements
Support for assistance.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: [phone]

Introduction
3
• Confidence in Recording
Simultaneously record to disk and tape while you shoot,
providing an immediately available, drop out free, edit source
and an archive and backup on tape.
• Compact, Lightweight, Rugged Design
The FireStore FS-4 weighs less than one pound including the
battery and is only 1.5" thick. You can mount the FS-4
directly to your camcorder using the optional camera mount
kit, or clip the FS-4 directly to your belt. The FS-4 is
designed to withstand the rigors of field shooting. The six
second electronic shock cache ensures your video is always
recorded even in the roughest of conditions.
• Flexible Capacities and Power
The FS-4 comes with a 40GB (about 3 hours) hard drive.
Extend record times by linking two FS-4 units together.
Power the FS-4 using slim, removable battery packs or power
it using the supplied AC adapter.
• Easy to Use, Control and Update
The FS-4 interfaces with your camcorder using a single
FireWire cable that passes audio, video, timecode and control
information. When a tape is present, each press of start and
stop on your camcorder's record button creates an individual
clip on disk. The FS-4 features a comprehensive backlit
display, menu system and buttons allowing easy control and
management. In addition, these units are upgradeable in the
field.
• Never Miss A Shot
FireStore FS-4's six second retro record mode means you are
always recording. When action happens, you know up to six
seconds prior to the event occurring is saved in your clip.
FS-4 Pro Features
The FS-4 Pro offers these additional professional features:
• Retro Disk and Loop Record modes
• Scene Marking
This allows categorizing video clips into pre-named folders
on the disk during a shoot.
• User definable 10-second retro cache record feature
• User definable time lapse and loop playback modes

Introduction
4
• Pinnacle AVI and Avid DV-OMF support
• Available with either 40GB or 80GB hard drives with
equivalent record times of about 3 and 6 hours respectively.
• Free Run and Regen timecode modes
HD Features
FS-4 and FS-4 Pro recorders equipped with HD provide:
• Support for cutting edge HDV camcorders with 720p and
1080i MPEG-2 capabilities equipped with a FireWire 1394
connection

5
Quickstart
This section provides the following information necessary for using
the FS-4 as quickly as possible.
Physical Description and Basic Controls................................ 6
The FS-4 Menu System ...................................................... 13
Connecting the FS-4 to AC Power ...................................... 16
Installing / Removing the Battery Pack ................................ 17
Connecting a FS-4 to a DV/HD Camcorder ........................ 19
Record and Playback with the FS-4 .................................... 20
Power On the FS-4 .............................................................. 20
Select HDD Recorder Mode ................................................ 21
Select a DV/HD File Format ................................................ 22
Set Time and Date .............................................................. 23
Record With the FS-4 .......................................................... 25
Manual Recording ............................................................... 26
Syncro Slave Recording ...................................................... 27
Playback on the FS-4 .......................................................... 28

Quickstart
6
Physical Description and Basic Controls
Front Panel Controls
LCD Display
This is a backlit, 14 character by 7 line dot matrix display.
Function buttons (A, B, C)
Below the FS-4 LCD display are three user-defined function
buttons: A (left), B (center), and C (right). Use them as short-cut
keys for the most frequently selected functions at the bottom of
the LCD screen. The function of these soft buttons changes,
depending on the options displayed above that specific button.
Refer to the “Functions Screen” on page 64 for more information.
LCD
Display
Function
buttons
Power OFF
and
Stop button
Speaker
Navigation
buttons
Transport
Control
buttons
Record
Button
Power ON

Quickstart
7
Power On Button
The Power ON button provides two functions.
• Power ON FS-4
• Reset FS-4
• FS-4 first must be powered on.
• Hold down the Power On button for two seconds.
•PowerOFF
Hold down the OFF button for three (3) seconds. During
power off, the FS-4 beeps, indicating that it is turning off.
Navigation Buttons
Use these buttons to navigate through the FS-4 menus. The
navigation buttons are Left, Right, Up, Down, and Select.
Transport Control Buttons
Use these buttons to control FS-4 playback and record functions.
You usually operate these transport buttons while on the HOME
Screen.
Record 
Press this button once when the FS-4 is in Stop mode to put the FS-4
into REC-PAUSE. Press it again to start recording. Pressing the Record
button while recording, causes the current clip to close and a new clip is
created without dropping any frames. This button is the only button that
has a red legend on the front panel.
Record
Back
Index
Forward
Index
Back
Search
Forward
Search
STOP
Power Off

Quickstart
8
Back Search WW
Press this button to play video at speeds different than real-time. Refer
to the note in the Forward Search paragraph.
Play X
Press this button to start playback of the selected clip.
Forward Search XX
Press this button to play video at speeds different than real-time.
Back Index |WW
This button returns the FS-4 to the beginning of the current clip when in
playback mode. Press this button twice in sequence to return the FS-4 to
the previous clip during playback. In STOP mode, press this button to
return the FS-4 to the beginning of the previous clip.
Pause, Stop and Power OFF
While in the Home screen, and in any transport mode, press this button
to Pause the FS-4. Press it again to stop the FS-4. Refer to the section,
“Setup Screens” on page 56 for more information.
To power off the FS-4, hold down the Stop button for three seconds.
During power off, the FS-4 makes an audible beep indicating it is
turning off.
Forward Index XX|
Use this button to skip forward to the next clip in STOP and PLAY
modes.
Some HD Camcorders Require a Moment to Synchronize
Some HD camcorders require a moment to synchronize the video from an
external source. Typically during this period, they display a solid blue or
black video until synchronized.
Fast Forward and Reverse
Pressing the Forward Search button multiple times results in increases in
the search speed, i.e. fast forward. This mode works both in forward and
reverse functions. For instance, if you are in 10X FF speed and you press
the Back Search button once, the FS-4 is now in 2X FF mode. This applies
as well to backward search speeds. The default speed resolution is as
follows (NTSC and PAL have slightly different multiples for < 1X)
• Reverse: -30X, -10X, -2X, -1X (reverse play), -1/2X(-15fps), Still.
• Forward: Still, +1/2X (+15fps), +1X (play), +2X, +10X, +30X
Fast Forward and Reverse Compatibility
During Fast Forward and Reverse modes, some camcorders do not display
video when played-back from an external device, such as the FS-4 HD.

Quickstart
9
Top Panel
The top panel contains the following connectors and LEDs:
Table 1: Charge LED States
LED Indicates
Off No Charger Connected
Green Charging Cycle Completed
Amber / Green Floating Charge Mode (Charging almost completed.)
Amber Fast Charge Mode (Maximum charging rate.)
Red Charging Error
Red / Amber No Battery Installed / Battery Error
Amber, blinking Insufficient Voltage to Charger
Table 2: Status LED States
LED Indicates
Off Power OFF
Green Power ON (Power On but there is no activity.)
Orange, solid Playback
Orange, fluttering Hard drive being accessed during playback.
Red, solid Recording Mode
Red, blinking Recording Pause
Status LED
Charge LED
Computer
(FireWire Connector)
Remote Control
(Serial Connector)
Camera
(FireWire Connector)

Quickstart
10
Computer FireWire Connector
• In/Out: 6-pin IEEE-1394a port x 1
• Asynchronous Data I/O
Remote Control, Serial Connector
• GPI / RS232C; 3.5mm TRS mini jack. (3.5mm to DB-9 cable
accessory available).
• Change to act as a simple contact closure or RS-232C port.
• Connect an optional wired remote commander.
Camera FireWire Connector
• DV/HD Video I/O
• 6-pin IEEE-1394a connector
• Isochronous 25Mb/s DV video I/O
FS-HD supports 1080i/720p video I/O when used with HDV
camcorders equipped with a 1394 connection.
• Embedded 2-ch (48kHz, 16-bit) or 4-ch (12-bit, 32kHz) audio

Quickstart
11
Rear Panel
The rear panel contains the following important items:
Side Panel
The side panel contains cooling vents as illustrated below.
Belt Clip Post
Fan Intake
Vent
Do Not Block
Battery
Compartment
Latch
Battery
Compartment
Cooling Vents
Do Not Block

Quickstart
12
Bottom Panel
The FS-4 bottom panel features a single 2-pin DC power connector.
Connect the supplied AC power adapter here.
Internal Speaker
An internal speaker provides alarms and audible feedback.
To disable the audible feedback, go to the Settings menu.
However, the power, temperature, and disk capacity alarms are
always active.
Cooling Vent
Do Not Block
Cooling Vent
Do Not Block
DC
Power
Connector
Internal
Speaker