foc.us FS-C User manual

FS-C
Portable DTE Recorder
User Guide
Part Number: MANL-1038-04

FS-C Portable DTE Recorder i
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 2007 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.

ii FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
Contacting FOCUS ENHANCEMENTS:
USA
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
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
Office Hours: Monday through Friday
9:00 AM to 5:00PM
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +49 4307 - 83 58 58
Fax: +49 4307 - 83 58 99
Address: COMO Computer & Motion GmbHA
A Focus Enhancements Company
Lise-Meitner-Str. 15
24223 Raisdorf / Germany
www.focusinfo.com

FS-C Portable DTE Recorder iii
Regulations and Safety
Serial Number
The serial number for this equipment is located on the back of the
unit. Please write this serial number on the enclosed warranty
card and keep it in a secure area.
FCC Class B
This product satisfies FCC regulations when shielded cables and
connectors are used to connect the unit to other equipment. To
prevent electromagnetic interference with electric appliances
such as radios and televisions, use shielded cables and
connectors.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply within the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, correct the interference by one or more of the following:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different
from that used by the receiver.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.
Focus Enhancements, Inc.
1370 Dell Avenue
Campbell, CA. 95008
Model Number: FS-C
Date of Manufacture:
Reference the Serial Number label attached to
the unit.

iv FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
Symbol Used In the FS-C Unit
This symbol indicates the presence of an uninsulated
Dangerous Voltage within the product’s enclosure
that may constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
Symbols Used in This Documentation
Documentation
Read, Retain, and Follow Instructions
All the safety and operating instructions should be read before
the product is operated.
•Retain Documentation
Place documentation in a secure place for future reference
on operating and safety instructions.
•Follow All Operating and Safety Instructions
•Pay Attention to All Warnings
Warnings are provided to protect the operator, the
equipment, and content.
This symbol indicates important information that the User
should read.
This symbol indicates supplementary information about
features, functions, or operations that may be of interest to
the user.

FS-C Portable DTE Recorder v
Electrical Precautions
Do Not Expose to Moisture
Do not use this product near water or in an environment where it
is exposed to dampness or there is the possibility of it getting
wet.
Do Not Remove Cover
There are No User Serviceable Parts inside this unit. Servicing
should be done by qualified service personnel.
ON / OFF Switch in Stand-By Position
The On/Off switch Does Not Separate the Unit From the Main
Power when it is in the stand-by position.
Power Sources
Use only power sources that match those indicated on the
marking label. If unsure sure of the type of power supply that is
available, consult your dealer or local power company.
Do Not Overload Power Outlets
Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords, or integral
convenience receptacles as this can result in a risk of fire or
electric shock.
Verify Power Plugs are Fully Inserted
To prevent potential electrical shock to personnel, verify that the
FS-C power cord plug is fully inserted in to a grounded receptor
and that the plug blades are not exposed.
ATTENTION
POUR PREVENIR LES CHOCS ELECTRIQUES NE PAS
UTILISER CETTE FICHE POLARISEE AVEC UN
PROLONGATEUR, UNE PRISE DE COURANT OU UNE
AUTRE SORTIE DE COURANT, SAUF SI LES LAMES
PEUVENT ETRE INSEREES A FOND SANS EN LAISSER
AUCUNE PARTIE A DECOUVERT.
Power-Cord Protection
•Routing Power-Cords
Route power supply cords so that they are not likely to be
walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them.
Avoid sharp angles in the cord, particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit the
product.

vi FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
•Non-Use Period
During extended periods when the device is not used,
unplug it from the power source and retract the power-cord.
Grounding or Polarization
•Polarized
If this product is equipped with a polarized alternating
current line plug (a plug having one blade wider than the
other), it will fit into the outlet only one way. This is a safety
feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the
outlet, try reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail to
fit, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet.
Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug.
•Grounded
If this product is equipped with a three-wire grounding type
plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin, it will only fit
into a grounding type power outlet. This is a safety feature.
If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact
your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not
defeat the safety purpose of the grounding type plug.
Outdoor Antenna Grounding
If an outside antenna or cable system is connected to the FS-C,
verify that the antenna or cable system is grounded. This
provides some protection against voltage surges and built-up
static charges.
Refer to Article 810 of the National Electric Code, ANSI/NFPA
70, for information about the proper grounding of the mast and
supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna
discharge unit, size of grounding connectors, location of antenna
discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and
requirements for the grounding electrode.

FS-C Portable DTE Recorder vii
Lightning and Power Surges
During electrical storms or when left unattended and unused for
long periods of time, unplug the FS-C from the power source and
disconnect the antenna or cable system.
Power Lines
Do not locate an outside antenna system in the vicinity of
overhead power lines, electric light or power circuits, or where it
can fall onto such lines or circuits.
When installing an outside antenna system, extreme care should
be taken to keep from touching such power lines or circuits as
contact with them might be fatal.
Optical Precaution
The use of optical instruments with this device will increase
hazards to the eyes hazard.
Maintenance and Moving
Cleaning
Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. The
product should be cleaned only with a polishing cloth or a soft
dry cloth. Never clean with furniture wax, benzine, insecticides
or other volatile liquids since they may corrode the cabinet.
Servicing
Unplug the device from the power outlet and refer servicing to
qualified service personnel under the following conditions:
• When the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.
• If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the
product.
• If the product has been exposed to rain or water.
• If the product does not operate normally when following the
operating instructions. Adjust only those controls that are
covered by the operating instructions. The incorrect
adjustment of other controls can result in damage and often
requires extensive work by a qualified technician to restore
the product to its normal operation.
• If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way.
• When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance.

viii FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
Accessories and Replacement Parts
Use only attachments and accessories recommended by Focus
Enhancements.
Use only replacement parts specified by the Focus Enhancements
or of comparable quality and characteristics as the original parts.
Unauthorized substitution of parts can result in fire, electrical
shock, other hazards, and loss of warranty.
Safety Check
Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the
service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the
product is in proper operating condition.
Operating Environment
Location
Any mounting of this device should follow its instructions, and
should use only mounting accessories recommended by Focus
Enhancements.
• Install this device on a sturdy, level surface, away from
moisture and dust.
•Heat
Locate this device away from heat sources such as radiators,
heat registers, stoves or other electrical devices (including
amplifiers) that generate heat.
Ventilation
Do not block the ventilation openings in the FS-C body.
Overheating can occur and damage the device. Do not place this
device in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or rack,
unless proper ventilation is provided.

FS-C Portable DTE Recorder ix
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
DTE Eliminates Pre-edit Processing 1
Unpacking 2
Features 3
FS-C Features 3
FS-C 2.0 upgrade features 5
Quickstart 7
Physical Description and Basic Controls 8
Front Panel Controls 8
LCD Display 8
Function buttons (A, B, C) 8
Power On Button 9
Navigation Buttons 9
Transport Control Buttons 9
Record 10
Back Search 10
Play 10
Forward Search 10
Back Index 11
Pause, STOP and Power OFF 11
Forward Index 11
Top Panel 12
Computer FireWire Connector 13
Remote Control, Serial Connector 13
Camera FireWire Connector 13
Rear Panel 14
Side Panel 14
Bottom Panel 15
Internal Speaker 15
The FS-C Menu System 16

Table of Contents
x FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
Powering the FS-C 20
Connecting the FS-C to AC Power 20
Installing / Removing the Battery Pack 21
Installing a Battery 21
Removing a Battery 21
Charging the Battery 22
Connecting a FS-C to a DV/HD Camcorder 23
Record and Playback with the FS-C 24
Power On the FS-C 24
Select HDD Recorder Mode 25
Select a DV/HD File Format 26
Set Time and Date 27
Record With the FS-C 29
Manual Recording 31
Creating a New File without Dropping Frames 31
Syncro Slave 32
Tapeless 33
Recording Timecode in the File 33
Playback on the FS-C 34
FS-C Using with a Computer 35
Initial Setup 36
Mounting the FS-C in Windows 37
FS-C and FAT 32 40
Using Avid OMF Clips 41
Dismounting the FS-C (Windows) 44
Mounting the FS-C (Macintosh) 45
Dismounting the FS-C (Macintosh) 46
Mounting Hardware 47
Mounting FS-C to a Camcorder 47
Clipping to a Belt 48
FS-C Functions 49
General Screen Information 50
Welcome Screen 50
Home Screen 51
DISP (display) Information Fields 52
FS-C System Information Screens 54
Record Screens 55
Normal Record 56
Retro Cache Record Mode 56

Table of Contents
FS-C Portable DTE Recorder xi
Retro Disk Record Mode 57
Loop Record 58
Saving Loop Record Clips 58
Snap Record 58
Time Lapse Record 59
HDD Mode Screen 60
Setting Up Master and Slave FS-C 62
Format Screen 63
DV Formats 63
HD Format Screen 64
Setup Screens 65
Date 66
Time 67
Version 67
LCD Light On, Off, Auto 68
Alarm On, Off 68
Stop Frame, Gray, No video 68
EXT CTL OFF, Pause, Frame, File 69
TIME CODE EXT, REC RUN, FREE RUN, REGEN 70
TC SET 71
UB SET 72
TC DROP, NON-DROP 73
HDV TC TYPE 74
LCD CONTRAST 75
Functions Screen 76
Functions List 77
LOCK/UNLK 79
Assigning Clips to Reels 80
Blank 80
Utilities Screen 81
Organize Reel 82
Organize OMF 82
Organize MXF 82
Organize PINN 83
Delete Clip 84
Format Disk 85
Repair Disk 86
Repair Clip 87
File Name 88
Upgrade 89
Upgrade Errors 90
System Reset 91

Table of Contents
xii FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
Diagnostic 91
Status 92
Reels Screen 93
Placing a Clip in a Reel 93
Using a Wired Remote Control 94
Play Screen 95
Play From Screen 96
Control Screen 97
LCD Display Symbols and Text 99
Technical Specifications 101
Physical Description 101
Input/Outputs 101
Power 101
Audio/Video/Timecode Specification 101
DTE File Formats 102
Disk Information 102
Log Files 102
Error Messages 103
Warranty 103
Temperature 103
Compatible Camcorders and Accessories 104

FS-C Portable DTE Recorder 1
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a Focus Enhancements’ FS-C portable
direct-to-edit (DTE) disk recorder. The FS-C is the first portable DV/
HD disk recorder 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, Sony, Ulead, and many others,
Focus Enhancements' DTE Technology is the only solution that
can save 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-C DTE disk recorder eliminates the need to capture,
transfer or convert video clips before editing. The FS-C is a
stand-alone device that records DV25, HD 720p, and HD 1080i
video to its disk drive as a NLE native file. In HD Recorder
mode it has the capability of capturing to disk HD 720p and
1080i video from HDV camcorders equipped with a 1394
interface. For most DV and many HDV compatible NLE
systems, 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.
These capabilities make the FS-C the perfect companion for the
Canon HDV camcorders.

Introduction
2 FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
Unpacking
Verify that the FS-C has the following items:
1. FS-C unit
2. Belt clip
3. User guide
4. Two Firewire cables
5. Power cord
6. Power supply with cable and connector to the FS-C
7. Removable Li-Ion battery pack
Missing or Damaged Components
If there are missing or damaged items, contact Focus Enhancements
Support for assistance.
USA Email: [e-mail]
USA Telephone: [phone]
EMEA Email: [email protected]
EMEA Telephone: +49 4307 - 83 58 58
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Introduction
FS-C Portable DTE Recorder 3
Features
FS-C Features
The FS-C offers 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-C to a
computer and instantly be ready to edit in the timeline.
Files are recorded to disk as
FS-C provides support for cutting edge HDV
camcorders with 720p and 1080i MPEG-2 capabilities
and FireWire, 1394, connection.
• Fast and Efficient Editing
When shooting is finished, mount the FS-C 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-C as
your media source. With some DV and HDV
compatible NLE systems, it is necessary to capture the
video footage using the NLE system’s capture
capability.
• Confidence in Recording
Now, simultaneously record to disk and tape while you
shoot, providing an immediately available, drop out
free, edit source with an archive and backup on tape.
HD Recorder
M2T DV Recorder: AVI Type 1
AVI Type 2
Avid OMF
Canopus AVI
Matrox AVI
Pinnacle
QuickTime
RawDV
DV Recorder
(NTSC units):
AVI Type 2 24p
QuickTime 24p

Introduction
4 FS-C Portable DTE Recorder
• Compact, Lightweight, Rugged Design
The FS-C weighs approximately one pound including
the battery and is only 1.5" thick. You can mount the FS-
C directly to your camcorder using the optional camera
mount kit, or clip the FS-C directly to your belt. The FS-
C is designed to withstand the rigors of field shooting.
The programmable, 10-second electronic shock cache
ensures that your video is always recorded even in the
roughest of conditions.
• Flexible Capacities and Power
The FS-C is available with different capacity hard
drives. See the Focus Enhancements website for more
information, www.focusinfo.com.
Extend record times by linking two FS-C units together.
Power the FS-C using slim, removable battery packs or
power it using the supplied AC adapter.
• Easy to Use, Control and Update
The FS-C 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-C 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
FS-C's ten second retro record mode means you are
always recording. When action happens, you know up
to ten seconds prior to the event occurring is saved in
your clip.
• Retro Disk and Loop Record modes.
•SceneMarking:
This allows categorizing video clips into pre-named
folders on the disk during a shoot.
• User definable time lapse.
• Loop playback modes.
• Free Run, Rec Run, and Regen timecode modes.