May 26, 2009
Direct To Drive: This portable HD video recorder offers a few surprises.
By Geoff Poister For those who are not up on all of the acronyms, DTE means “Direct To Edit,” a Focus Enhancements registered trademark. The Focus Enhancements FS-5 is a disk drive that captures video from HDV or DV cameras and can then be plugged directly into an NLE for editing. 
But, there’s more.
What really made the FS-5 grab my attention is its ability to provide wireless clip logging during the shooting process. By using a wireless LAN adapter, the FS-5 can connect to a handheld device or laptop through which descriptive information can be added to the clip as metadata. When the clips are loaded into a system such as Final Cut Pro, the logging information is all there too. For anyone using tape-based cameras, the FS-5 provides both a superior capture method as well as the revolutionary wireless logging feature.
The Focus Enhancement FS-5 comes in two sizes: 60GB and 100GB. The 100GB version holds 7.5 hours of HDV 1080i data and 10 hours if shooting HDV 720p. It also records standard DV.
The FS-5 recorder is much more than just a disk drive. It’s essentially a small computer that enables the incoming data to be recorded in a variety of different formats. When recording HDV, you can select QuickTime (720p/30, 1080i/50/60); MXF (720p/30, 1080i/50/60); or m2t (720p/24/25/30/50/60, 1080i/50/60). Recording in the QuickTime format provides instant file transfer into FCP. Using the MXF file format optimizes compatibility with Avid Xpress Pro, Avid Media Composer and Avid NewsCutter.
The first advantage with using the FS-5 is its DTE capability. You can connect the FS-5 to your NLE, laptop or desktop computer and immediately start editing. Although most users will prefer to transfer the FS-5 contents to their system hard drive, you can edit without transferring in time-critical situations, such as getting breaking news to air.
The FS-5 has also now been made more portable, weighing only 12 ounces and measuring 2.75"x1.25"x5.4". The 1.8" internal disk drive can be formatted using the Universal Disk Format (UDF), which allows for file sizes of any length, or in FAT32. It connects to a computer for editing via a USB 2.0 interface for fast data transfer. And the user interface is improved over previous models, with a color LCD screen and a scroll wheel that speeds up navigation.
But the wireless logging feature is the latest breakthrough. The FS-5 is designed so that you can plug in a small USB dongle that transmits a Wi-Fi signal. Theoretically, any 802.11 USB dongle utilizing the Ralink chipset will work. But it may be safer to stick with the three Focus Enhancement-recommended ones: Linksys WUSB54GC, Belkin F5D7050, or ASUS WL-167G.
Once connected, you can access logging templates through your Web browser. Any wireless device with a browser can bring up the Web page generated by the FS-5. It works very well with an Apple iPod or iPhone, but some users may prefer the typing speed of a laptop or other handheld device.
The FS-5 ships with several logging templates optimized for FCP, or specific uses such as weather or sports. The FCP template provides fields that are more than adequate for text. You can quickly number the shot and scene and choose whether the take is good or bad. But there are descriptive fields as well, which allow the logger to write whatever lengthy notes may be necessary.
Each time the camera rolls, a clip information template is created. The logger simply types in the desired information and it’s automatically attached to the corresponding clip as metadata. This feature eliminates the need to log clips after the shoot is done. And it is more reliable because the logging information is married to the clip at the time the clip is generated.
The FS-5 is quite simple to use as a hard disk recorder and requires minimal time spent with the manual before you’re up and running.
The first thing you need to decide is which file format to use. If you’re editing on FCP, QuickTime is the most efficient, as you can drag the clips directly into the bins or onto the timeline. If you’re using Avid, choose the MXF file format.
I tested the FS-5 with a Canon XH A1 HDV video camera. This is a very nicely designed camera, but is somewhat limited by being a Mini DV tape-based camera. It’s an example of many great cameras that record to tape. The FS-5 is designed to transform these tape-based cameras into hard drive-based ones with dramatically improved efficiency.
I connected the camera to the FS-5 with the supplied FireWire cable. (The FS-5 comes with all of the required cables.) Having already selected the QuickTime file format, my next choice was to choose the record function. On the FS-5, there are three to choose from: Normal, External and Syncro. If you select Normal, you simply press the record button on the FS-5 and capture whatever the camera is registering. The tape does not roll. The External mode allows a camera that has an external DV trigger output to control FS-5 regardless of whether a tape is inserted or not. This is the recommended control mode for most current DV or HDV cameras. Syncro triggers the FS-5 to coincide with tape recording and is intended for older DV cameras that do not have a DV control function. You can record on disk and tape simultaneously, or record only to the FS-5. I have one tip here. Whatever mode you use, always look at the FS-5 when you start recording and make sure you see the timecode changing. That’s the only way of making sure you are recording to the disk.
I had no trouble whatsoever capturing footage with the camera. I chose to use the Normal record mode and press the record button on the FS-5 when I was shooting. This method is very reliable as it is less dependent on communication with the camera.
Out of curiosity, I switched the camera to the 24-frame mode, and I found that the FS-5 would not go into record. Checking the specs, I realized that 24 frame rate capture is not supported in QuickTime; however, the FS-CV (sold through Canon) offers a similar feature set as FS-5 and does support the Canon 24F, 25F and 30F formats in QuickTime format. But it is supported in the m2t format. After switching the FS-5 to the m2t format, I was able to record 24-frame video from the camera. But the m2t is a native HDV format that is not supported by FCP or most other NLEs. The upshot is that if you are shooting HDV in the 24-frame format, you will have to use m2t files and then transcode them for use in FCP or Avid. It’s not a big problem, but it is an extra step to consider in your workflow.
Of course, I was anxious to test out the wireless logging feature. Initially I was a bit apprehensive about the set-up because it requires some serious manual reading and punching in very specific numbers. But it’s not hard if you stay calm and methodical.
I chose to use my iPhone as an interface, because I’m familiar with its setup menus and it’s always with me. The instructions successfully guided me through the process of entering essential numbers in the network settings. I then activated the Safari browser on the iPhone, and low and behold I could see an elegant FS-5 “Web page,” that allowed me to choose from several logging templates.
I’ve always dreaded setting up computer networking, because one wrong number or misplaced dot will paralyze the process. And I have to admit that I had a few bumps in the road before I got my iPhone and FS-5 to communicate. But I also have to say that this is the only difficult process I encountered while using the FS-5. But this is one process where it would be great if someone could find a way to automate or simplify it. That said, once the set up is done, you don’t have to do it again and the wireless system functions quite simply.
I then tried shooting a scene and then logging my notes on my iPhone. The FCP template is wonderful for that. It offers all of the fields you need for quick essentials, such as shot and scene number, and good or bad take. And it has fields where you can enter all of the descriptive information you want. Each time the camera is switched on, a new blank template is generated for that particular shot number. It’s a very efficient and well designed system that makes logging instantaneous and virtually fool proof.
I tested the maximum distance one can be from the camera to maintain wireless communication and found it to be about 50 feet within the confines of an ordinary house. I recommend staying close to the camera for logging, and testing the range if more distance is required.
Getting the clips and metadata into FCP was a snap. I simply plugged the FS-5 into my Mac Pro with the supplied USB cable, switched the FS-5 to HDD mode and the drive icon was displayed on the desktop. After opening up FCP, I simply dragged the clips and metadata into an open bin and I was ready to edit. The files were already in QuickTime format so there was no need for transcoding.
And happily, along with each clip in the FCP bin was all of the logging information I had entered while shooting. I had to rearrange some of the columns to get everything together, but it was all there. In one swift operation, I had stocked my bin with clips, and completed the logging process.
There’s no doubt that recording to tape has become an outmoded method and one that is needlessly inefficient. Tapeless cameras are here to stay. Yet there are many fine video cameras out there, particularly in the HDV line, which were designed to record to tape. The FS-5 can transform these cameras into sleek, state-of-the-art, disk-based cameras and eliminate real-time transfer of video for editing. And the added feature of wireless shot logging in the field is a tremendous time saver that demands the attention of the serious videographer. After all, the ease of digital shooting has created the need for rigorous data management, lest all your hard-earned footage become lost in a pool of unnamed clips. The FS-5 introduces efficient, on-the-spot logging and promotes a much more organized workflow.
Geoff Poister, Ph.D. is a member of the Film and Television faculty at Boston University and a regular contributor to TV Technology magazine. .jpg) Focus Enhancements FS-5
SCORE: .gif) PROS: Very compact and lightweight, up to 10 hours of storage capacity, wireless clip logging. CONS: Some difficulty in networking. BOTTOM LINE: Will easily transform your tape camera into sleek, state-of-the-art, disk-based unit. MSRP: $2,195 CONTACT: www.videonics.com 
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