OT: Recording to an external HDD Question

TGS wrote on 6/7/2007, 11:58 PM

I was looking at another post and somebody mentioned recording to an external Hard drive and my eyes lit up. Is it possible to record directly to an external HDD from a live camera or is a laptop or something being used to help do this? I would love to just go straight to an external, but not if I have to use a laptop or something else too. No details were left.
It seems like a box could be made that would let you do this, fairly cheaply.
'The AVI External Hard Drive enclosure' "Just flip the switch when you want to start firewiring directly from your 'LIVE' camera to the drive" $49. (Hard Drives extra)
and when the switch isn't flipped, it's a regular external HDD.
Well, I could use one of those. Somebody invent it, please and keep the price reasonable.

Comments

Serena wrote on 6/8/2007, 2:44 AM

The Sony HVR-DR60 will record directly from your camera.

richard-courtney wrote on 6/8/2007, 4:23 AM

I was talking about my Laird DV3.

Look at the http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/329202-REG/nNovia_QC40N_Quick_Capture_40GB_Hard.htmlnNovia[/link]

johnmeyer wrote on 6/8/2007, 9:09 AM

I don't know if anyone has built a box that attaches to your camera, with the other end attaching to any off-the-shelf external drive. I briefly thought about designing and building such a box, but had other things to do.

However, there are several companies that make external hard drives with the necessary logic built in. You need this logic because there needs to be something to handle the creation of each file on the hard drive, and to start and stop that creation when the REC button is pressed on the camera. Do a search on this board or on Google for Firestore to get ideas for how one such device is used, and also what other brands are available.

You can also purchase Scenalyzer, load that up onto your laptop, and record directly to your laptop (or external drive connected to your laptop). There is also a program (I forget its name) that turns your laptop into a sophisticated field studio, with waveform monitors and other studio aids.

RalphM wrote on 6/8/2007, 9:29 AM

I think John is referring to DV Rack.

briggs wrote on 6/8/2007, 10:12 AM

...which was bought by Adobe and retitled OnLocation.

RNLVideo wrote on 6/8/2007, 11:00 AM

I actually record through a laptop to an external disk all the time without OnLocation, DVRack or Scenalyzer. I'm simply capturing through Vegas Capture.

I too would like a solution where I can go straight to a commercially available disk (rather than Firestore or the like) and skip the laptop but this works for my purpose since I'm shooting locked down on a tripod.

I was running tape and capturing simultaneously for a few months, but abandoned tape all together and have no problems. I've captured upwards of two hours at a time.

Rick

TGS wrote on 6/8/2007, 12:37 PM

Yeah, those options are way too expensive.
It should be a simple enclosure.
Let's say the firewire input can only capture video.
Simple software only needs to detect video signal and record it. Maybe a switch with LEDs to start/stop recording
All video feeds are sequentially numbered and placed into one file.
And the ability to swap Hard drives to which ever you choose.
Maybe you only need to put in one specially titled folder on any Hard drive you want to use, to get it to work.
Yeah, .......I'm dreaming out loud

UlfLaursen wrote on 6/9/2007, 1:46 AM

"I actually record through a laptop to an external disk all the time without OnLocation, DVRack or Scenalyzer. I'm simply capturing through Vegas Capture. "

Do you use USB for the disk, or do you daisy-chain camera and disk on the firewireport?

Thanks.

/Ulf

rs170a wrote on 6/9/2007, 3:34 AM

Whenever I do this, I use USB drives and they haven't failed me yet.

Mike

RNLVideo wrote on 6/9/2007, 10:49 AM

"Do you use USB for the disk, or do you daisy-chain camera and disk on the firewireport?"

I've done both without difficulty, but now use USB after reading of others experiencing difficulty daisy-chaining firewire. My external drive enclosure supports both.

Rick