Focus Enhancements Firestore Fs 4 Pro Users Manual HD And 4Pro Portable DTE Recorder, User Guide, MANL 0954 04

FS-4 Pro to the manual 7b8a72c3-29ac-44a5-9012-22144cec4efb

2015-02-09

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FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD
Portable DTE Recorders

User Guide

MANL-0954-04

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 2006 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.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Contacting FOCUS ENHANCEMENTS:
USA
Office Hours:

Monday through Friday
8:00 AM to 5:00PM (Central Time)

Email:

support@focusinfo.com

Telephone:

+1 763-398-1658

Fax:

+1 763-571-7688

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:

techsupport@como.com

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-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

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

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 A
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 A 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.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

iii

Symbol Used In the FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD 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
Important Information the User Should Read
This symbol indicates information about conditions or
actions that could result in damage to the device or
data.

Information of Interest to the User
This symbol indicates supplemenatry information about features, functions, or operations that may be of interest to the user.

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.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

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-4 HD/Pro HD 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.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

• 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-4 HD/Pro HD,
verify that the antenna or
cable system is
grounded. This provides
some protection against
voltage surges and builtup 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.

Lightning and Power Surges
During electrical storms or when left unattended and unused for
long periods of time, unplug the FS-4 HD or FS-4Pro HD from
the power source and disconnect the antenna or cable system.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

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.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

vii

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-4 HD/Pro HD
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.

viii

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Table of Contents

Introduction
DTE Eliminates Pre-edit Processing
Unpacking
Features
FS-4 HD Features
FS-4Pro HD Features

Quickstart
Physical Description and Basic Controls
Front Panel Controls
LCD Display
Function buttons (A, B, C)
Power On Button
Navigation Buttons
Transport Control Buttons
Record
Back Search
Play
Forward Search
Back Index
Pause, Stop and Power OFF
Forward Index
Top Panel
Computer FireWire Connector
Remote Control, Serial Connector
Camera FireWire Connector
Rear Panel
Side Panel
Bottom Panel
Internal Speaker
The FS-4 HD Menu System
Powering the FS-4 HD
Connecting the FS-4 HD to AC Power
Installing / Removing the Battery Pack
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

1
1
2
3
3
4

7
8
8
8
8
9
9
9
10
10
10
10
10
11
11
11
12
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
19
19
20
ix

Table of Contents

Installing a Battery
20
Removing a Battery
20
Charging the Battery
21
Connecting a FS-4 HD to a DV/HD Camcorder
22
Record and Playback with the FS-4 HD
23
Power On the FS-4 HD
23
Select HDD Recorder Mode
24
Select a DV/HD File Format
25
Set Time and Date
26
Record With the FS-4 HD
28
Manual Recording
29
Creating a New File without Dropping Frames 29
Syncro Slave Recording
30
Recording Timecode in the File 30
Playback on the FS-4 HD
31

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer
Initial Setup
Mounting the FS-4 HD in Windows
FS-4 HD and FAT 32
Using Avid OMF Clips
Dismounting the FS-4 HD (Windows)
Mounting the FS-4 HD (Macintosh)
Dismounting the FS-4 HD (Macintosh)
Mounting Hardware
Mounting FS-4 HD to a Camcorder
Clipping to a Belt

FS Functions

34
34
37
38
41
42
43
44
44
45

General Screen Information
Welcome Screen
Home Screen
DISP (display) Information Fields
FS-4 HD System Information Screens
Record Screens
Normal Record
Retro Cache Record Mode
Retro Disk Record Mode
Loop Record
Saving Loop Record Clips
Snap Record
x

48
48
49
50
51
52
53
53
54
54
55
55

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Table of Contents

Time Lapse Record
HDD Mode Screen
Setting Up Master and Slave FS-4 HD
Format Screen
DV Formats
HD Format Screen
Setup Screens
Date
Time
Version
LCD Light ON, OFF, AUTO
Alarm ON, OFF
Stop Frame, Gray, No Video
EXT CTL OFF, Pause, Frame, File
TIME CODE EXT, REC RUN, FREE RUN, REGEN
TC SET
UB SET
TC DROP, NON-DROP
HDV TC TYPE
LCD CONTRAST
Functions Screen
Functions List
LOCK/UNLK:
Assigning Clips to Reels
Blank
Utilities Screen
Organize Reel
Organize OMF
Organize MXF
Organize Pinn
Delete Clip
Format Disk
Repair Disk
Repair Clip
File Name
Upgrade
Upgrade Error
System Reset
Diagnostic
Status
Reels Screen
Placing a Clip in a Reel
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

56
57
59
60
60
61
62
63
64
64
65
65
65
66
67
68
69
70
70
71
72
73
75
76
76
77
78
78
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
87
88
88
89
90
90
xi

Table of Contents

Using a Wired Remote Control
Play Screen
Play From Screen
Control Screen

91
92
93
94

LCD Display Symbols and Text

Technical Specifications

Physical Description
Input/Outputs
Power
Audio/Video/Timecode Specification
DTE File Formats
Disk Information
Log Files
Error Messages
Warranty
Temperature
Compatible Camcorders and Accessories

xii

99
99
99
100
100
100
101
101
102
102
102

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Introduction
Thank you for purchasing this Focus Enhancements portable directto-edit (DTE) disk recorder. The FS-4 HD and the professional version
FS-4Pro HD are the first portable DV/HD disk recorders with DTE
technology designed for hand held camcorders in a small, rugged
and shock proof chassis.

Information About Specific FS-4 HD Models
Throughout this manual, FS-4 HD indicates information that pertains to all
models of the FS-4 HD family.
The acronyms DV and HD refer to the recorder’s video recording format,
digital or high definition, respectively. By default, both the FS-4 HD and
FS-4Pro HD employ DV and HD recording.

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 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 HD DTE disk recorder eliminates the need to capture,
transfer or convert video clips before editing. The FS-4 HD is a
stand-alone device that records DV25, HD 720p, and HD 1080i
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.
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.
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Introduction

Unpacking
3

1
7

Verify that the FS-4 HD has the following items:
1.
2.
3.
4.

FS-4 HD unit
Belt Clip
User Guide
Two Firewire cables, a one foot and a four foot long, 6pin to 4-pin
5. Power cable (international only)
6. Power supply with cable and connector to the FS-4 HD
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: support@focusinfo.com
USA Telephone: +1 763-398-1658
EMEA Email: techsupport@como.com
EMEA Telephone: +49 4307 - 83 58 58

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Introduction

Features
FS-4 HD Features
All FS-4 HD 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 HD to a
computer and instantly be ready to edit in the timeline.
Files are recorded to disk as RawDV, AVI Type1, AVI
Type2, Matrox AVI, Canopus AVI, or QuickTime. In
addition, 24p AVI Type2 and QuickTime are available
in NTSC mode.
Support for cutting edge HDV camcorders with 720p
and 1080i MPEG-2 capabilities equipped with a
FireWire 1394 connection
•

Fast and Efficient Editing

When shooting is finished, mount the FS-4 HD 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
HD as your media source.
•

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.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Introduction

•

Compact, Lightweight, Rugged Design

The FS-4 HD weighs about a pound including the
battery and is only 1.5" thick. You can mount the FS-4
HD directly to your camcorder using the optional
camera mount kit, or clip the FS-4 HD directly to your
belt. The FS-4 HD 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 HD comes with a 40GB (about 3 hours) hard
drive. Extend record times by linking two FS-4 HD
units together. Power the FS-4 HD using slim,
removable battery packs or power it using the supplied
AC adapter.
•

Easy to Use, Control and Update

The FS-4 HD 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 HD
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

The FS-4 HD'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-4Pro HD Features
The FS-4Pro HD 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
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Introduction

•

Pinnacle, Avid DV-OMF, and MXF OPatom DV
support

•

Available with a 60GB, 80GB or 100GB hard drive and
with equivalent record times of about 4.5, 6, or 7.5
hours respectively.

•

Free Run and Regen timecode modes

•

QUICKTIME HD DTE format

•

HD TC display and re-stripe capabilities

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart
This section provides the following information necessary for using
the FS-4 HD as quickly as possible.
Physical Description and Basic Controls ............................... 8
The FS-4 HD Menu System ................................................ 15
Connecting the FS-4 HD to AC Power ................................ 19
Installing / Removing the Battery Pack ............................... 20
Connecting a FS-4 HD to a DV/HD Camcorder .................. 22
Record and Playback with the FS-4 HD ............................. 23
Power On the FS-4 HD ....................................................... 23
Select HDD Recorder Mode ............................................... 24
Select a DV/HD File Format ................................................ 25
Set Time and Date .............................................................. 26
Record With the FS-4 HD ................................................... 28
Manual Recording ............................................................... 29
Syncro Slave Recording ..................................................... 30
Playback on the FS-4 HD ................................................... 31

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Physical Description and Basic Controls
Front Panel Controls

LCD
Display

Function
buttons
A B C
Navigation
buttons

Power ON
Record
Button

Transport
Control
buttons

Power OFF
and
Stop button

Speaker

LCD Display
This is a backlit, 14 character by 7 line dot matrix display.
In event of a mild electrical discharge to the unit the LCD could go blank. To
correct, hold the SELECT button down for 5 seconds.

Function buttons (A, B, C)
Below the FS-4 HD 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 72 for more information.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Power On Button
The Power ON button provides two functions.
•

Power ON FS-4 HD

•

Reset FS-4 HD
• FS-4 HD first must be powered on.
• Hold down the Power On button for more than a second.

•

Power OFF

Hold down the OFF button for three (3) seconds.
During power off, the FS-4 HD beeps, indicating that it
is turning off.

Navigation Buttons
Use these buttons to navigate through the FS-4 HD menus.
The navigation buttons are Left, Right, Up, Down, and Select.

Transport Control Buttons
Play

Record

Forward
Search

Back
Search

Back
Index

STOP
Power Off

Forward
Index

Use these buttons to control FS-4 HD playback and record
functions. You usually operate these transport buttons
while on the HOME Screen.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Record
Press this button once when the FS-4 HD is in Stop mode to put
the FS-4 HD 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.
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.

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.

Forward Search XX
Press this button to play video at speeds different than real-time.

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 HD 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.

Back Index |WW
This button returns the FS-4 HD to the beginning of the current
clip when in playback mode. Press this button twice in sequence
to return the FS-4 HD to the previous clip during playback. In
STOP mode, press this button to return the FS-4 HD to the
beginning of the previous clip.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Pause, Stop
and Power OFF
While in the Home screen, and in any transport mode, press this
button to Pause the FS-4 HD. Press it again to stop the FS-4 HD.
Refer to the section, Setup Screens on page 62 for more
information.
To power off the FS-4 HD, hold down the Stop button
for
three seconds. During power off, the FS-4 HD 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.

Top Panel
The top panel contains the following connectors and LEDs:
Remote Control
(Serial Connector)

Camera
(FireWire Connector)

Computer
(FireWire Connector)
Status LED
Charge LED

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, flashing

Insufficient Voltage to Charger

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

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

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).
Can configure to act as a simple contact closure or RS232C 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-4 HD supports 1080i/720p video I/O when used with
HDV camcorders equipped with a 1394 connection.
DV Audio: embedded 2-channel (48kHz, 16-bit) or 2channel (12-bit, 32kHz) audio, 720p/1080i HDV MPEG1
Audio Layer II.

4-Channel Audio
4-channel (12-bit, 32kHz) audio is available only with RawDV
format.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Rear Panel
The rear panel contains the following important items:

Fan Intake
Vent
Do Not Block

Belt Clip Post
Battery
Compartment
Latch
Battery
Compartment

Side Panel
The side panel contains cooling vents as illustrated below.

Cooling Vents
Do Not Block

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Bottom Panel
The FS-4 HD bottom panel features a single 2-pin DC power
connector. Connect the supplied AC power adapter here.
DC
Power Connector

Cooling Vent
Do Not Block

Internal
Speaker

Cooling Vent
Do Not Block

Internal Speaker

An internal speaker provides alarms and audible feedback.
To disable the audible feedback, go to the Settings menu
and select the ALARM OFF setting. However, the power,
temperature, and disk capacity alarms are always active.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

The FS-4 HD Menu System
The FS-4 HD menu system provides access to all the functions
available in the unit. Each of the screens below (except the
Welcome and Home screens which come up automatically
when the unit starts) are accessed by pressing the Left or Right
navigation buttons. The functions of each of the selections on
these screens is explained in more detail in FS Functions on page
47.
Returning to the Top of Menu or Home screen
To get to the top of any menu, press the Left button. To get back to the
Home screen:
• Highlight the screen title at the top of the screen.
• Press the Select button.

•

Welcome

Only appears for several seconds upon power up.
•

Home

Gateway screen for all functions, it displays disk and
operational status.
•

Control

Contains the following selections:
•
•
•
•
•

Local
Syncro Slave
AV/C
Tapeless

Play From FS-4Pro HD only

Provides lists to select play material from:
•
•
•

Track List
Reel List

Play

Contains the following Play selections:
•
•
•
•

Play Clip
Loop Clip
Loop All
Play All

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

•

Reels FS-4Pro HD only

Allows selected clips to be marked for placement in
particular Reels Folders.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

R0 0
R1 1
R2 2
R3 3
R4 4
R5 5
R6 6
R7 7
R8 8
R9 9
NONE

Utilities

Contains the following disk and clip functions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Delete Clip
Format
Repair Disk
Repair Clip DV mode only
File Name
Upgrade
System Reset
Diagnostic
Status

FS-4Pro HD

•
•
•
•
•

provides the following additional functions:

Organize Reel
Organize OMF
Organize MXF
Organize PINN

Functions

Contains user definable function button selections.
Changing a setting with a Function button is identical
to changing the setting in its corresponding menu.
Refer to Functions Screen on page 72 for more
information.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

•

Setup

Contains the controls for setting and reviewing the
FS-4 HD configuration:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Set Date (MM/DD/YY)
Set Time (HH:MM:SS)
View Firmware Version
LCDLight ON
LCDLight OFF
LCDLight AUTO
Alarm ON
Alarm OFF
Stop Frame DV mode only
Stop Gray DV mode only
Stop No Video
EXT CTL OFF
EXT CTL PAUSE
EXT CTL FRAME DV mode only
EXT CTL FILE
TC EXT (external)
TC REC RUN DV mode or FS-4Pro HD only
TC DROP NTSC only
TC NON-DROP NTSC only
LCD Contrast

FS-4Pro HD provides:

•
•
•
•
•
•

TC FREE RUN DV mode or FS-4Pro HD only
TC REGEN (regenerate) DV mode or FS-4Pro HD only
TC SET
UB SET
HDV TC TYPE

HDD Mode

Contains the following hard drive selections:
•
•
•
•

DV Recorder
HD Recorder
DD Drive
Use Ext. FS-4

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

•

DV or HD Formats

Following HDD mode is a menu of formats available
for the type recorder selected in HDD.
If DV Recorder was selected the following formats are
shown:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Raw DV
AVI Type1
AVI Type2
Canopus AVI
Matrox AVI
Quicktime
Quicktime 24P NTSC only
24P AVI Type2

FS-4Pro HD

•
•
•

provides:

Pinnacle
Avid OMF
MXF OPAtom

When the HD Recorder option is selected, the formats
displayed are:
•

M2T

FS-4Pro HD

•
•

provides:

QUICKTIME

Record

Contains the following recording functions:
•
•

Normal
Retro Cache

FS-4Pro HD

•
•
•
•

also contains:

Retro Disk
Loop Record
SNAP
Time Lapse

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Powering the FS-4 HD
•

The FS-4 HD operation without a battery installed.

To operate the FS-4 HD without a battery installed,
connect the unit to an AC power source.
•

Before operating the FS-4 HD with battery power.

It is first necessary to fully charge the battery. An
uncharged battery, typically takes 2-3 hours to charge.

Connecting the FS-4 HD to AC Power
Attach the AC power cord to the FS-4 HD (with or without
battery installed). The FS-4 HD is immediately ready for
operation.
To do this, connect the AC power as follows:

DC Power Port

DC Cable

Battery Pack

1. Plug the cord from the power supply into the bottom of the FS-4
HD.
2. Connect the line cord to the rectangular power supply
(International models only).
3. Plug the line cord or AC adapter into an electric outlet.
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Installing / Removing the Battery Pack
Installing a Battery
Battery
Latch Hook
Latch Slot

Gently press down
Slide battery pack forward

Latch

Battery Pack Guides

Place the unit, so that the battery compartment is up.

Position the battery pack, as shown above, so that the latch
hook is almost in the latch slot, and touching the floor of the
battery compartment.

Slide the battery forward while gently pressing down.
Feel the battery slide along guides and seat itself.

When seated, the battery latch clicks into place.

Removing a Battery
1.

Slide the battery latch to the left and hold.

Apply backward pressure to the battery pack at the
triangle/arrow and gently slide the pack back about 1cm.
or 3/8 inch.
This is the reverse motion of inserting the battery.

Remove the battery pack.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Charging the Battery
The battery begins charging anytime it is connected to AC
power using the AC adapter supplied with the FS-4 HD.
The charge LED lights when the FS-4 HD is charging. For
information on the charge LED, refer to the subsection Top
Panel on page 11.
Before the battery can be used it must charge until the
battery status LED indicates the unit is fully charged
(green).
•
•
•
•

The Charge LED on the top of the FS-4 HD lights to show
the battery is charging.
An uncharged battery takes 2-3 hours to charge with the
unit powered off.
The battery provided with the FS-4 HD can supply
power to the unit for about 90 minutes while in
continuous Record or Playback mode.
An optional high capacity battery capable of providing
power for almost three hours of continuous recording is
available from Focus Enhancements.

Using FireWire to Charge FS-4 HD
It is possible to charge the FS-4 HD battery through the 1394 port on a
computer provided that the computer outputs at least 15V through the port.
To determine if this is possible, consult the computer’s specifications.
Battery Use
Misuse can cause property damage and/or bodily injury such as burns
if a conductive material such as jewelry, buttons, or beaded chains
touch exposed terminals. The conductive material may complete an
electrical circuit (short circuit) and become quite hot. Exercise care in
handling a charged battery, particularly when placing it inside a pocket,
purse, or other container with metal objects.
Warning: Do Not Use Unapproved Battery Chargers
Use of battery chargers not approved by Focus Enhancements could
cause the battery to catch fire or explode.
Use Only Original Focus Enhancements FS-BC Battery Chargers
There are four versions of the optional FS-BC battery charger for use in
various parts of the world.
ASYF-0940-01 USA
ASYF-0941-01 Europe
ASYF-0943-01 United Kingdom
ASYF-0944-01 Australia
These optional battery chargers are available from either your local
dealer or online at the Focus Enhancements web store,
www.focusinfo.com/sales/store.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Connecting a FS-4 HD to a DV/HD Camcorder
Before performing this procedure, make sure you have
installed and charged the battery, see Installing / Removing the
Battery Pack on page 20.
1. Connect the supplied Firewire cable to the DV I/O connector on
the top of the FS-4 HD. (Only one end will match the plug in the
FS-4 HD.)

2. Locate the FireWire/DV/iLink (or similar) connector on your
video camera. It is located in different places depending upon the
brand of camera. If you are unclear of its location, consult your
video camera manual.

FS-4 HD Supplied with 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire Cable
Some camcorders require a 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire, 1394, cable
and the cable provided with the FS-4 HD will need to be replaced.

3. Connect the other end of the FireWire, 1394, cable to your video
camera.
4. Turn on the video camera.
5. Turn on the FS-4 HD.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Record and Playback with the FS-4 HD
Before using the FS-4 HD, set up the unit as outlined in the
following sections:
Power On the FS-4 HD ....................................................... 23
Select HDD Recorder Mode ............................................... 24
Select a DV/HD File Format ................................................ 25
Set Time and Date .............................................................. 26
Record With the FS-4 HD ................................................... 28
Manual Recording ............................................................... 29
Syncro Slave Recording ..................................................... 30
Playback on the FS-4 HD ................................................... 31

The values set in these procedures are fixed and persist
through power cycles. To change them, repeat the steps
outlined above.

Power On the FS-4 HD
1. Press the Power ON button for more than one second and release
it.
Power ON

Navigation
Buttons

Transport
Buttons

OFF (STOP)
To power OFF,
hold down for 3-5 seconds.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

2. The Welcome screen appears and displays while the
FS-4 HD initializes. Each FS-4 HD model has a unique welcome
screen.

FS-4 HD
PORTABLE
DTE RECORDER

FS Model

3. When the Home screen appears, proceed, see Home Screen on
page 49 for more details.

FS-4Pro HD
Only

STOP 1COUNTER
00:00:14:02
DISK 1
168 min
REEL
SYNC DISP LOCK

Select HDD Recorder Mode
1. Press the Right navigation button two times until the HDD Mode
display appears.

HDD MODE
-DV RECORDER
HD RECORDER
DD DRIVE
USE EXT FS-4

2. Use the Down navigation button to highlight the recorder mode,
either DV or HD.
3. Press the Select button on the navigation buttons.
4. Press the Left button to return to the menu title.
5. Press the Right button once and advance to the FORMAT screen.
24

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Select a DV/HD File Format
The formats displayed depend on the recorder mode selected
in the previous step, for example DV RECORDER results in the
following:
DV FORMATS
RAW DV
-AVI TYPE1
AVI TYPE2
CANOPUS AVI

1. Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to select the DV file
format that supports the preferred NLE system. A dash mark to
the left of a list item indicates that it is the current selection. The
default value is AVI Type2.

DV24p and PAL 25p Modes
24p modes are only for use with camcorder's that are capable of
DV-24p Advanced mode.
PAL 25p camcorders require no special 25p DV format
Check www.focusinfo.com for Supported Applications
For a complete and up-to-date list of supported applications and
their associated formats, visit the website:
http://www.focusinfo.com

2. Press the center Select button on the navigation buttons.
3. Press the Left button to return to the menu title.
4. Press the Right button once and advance to the SETUP screen.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Set Time and Date
Date and Time Must Be Set
The date and time must be set because they are used in the FS-4 HD file
naming function.

1. Press the Right navigation button several times until the Setup
display appears on the screen as shown below:

SETUP
09 / 15 / 05
11 : 21 : 13
V 1 . 0. 0
-LCDLIGHT OFF

2. Use the Down navigation button to highlight the date and press
the Right navigation button to access the Set Date screen.

SET DATE
09 / 15 / 05
MM / DD / YY
BACK

3. Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to change the
highlighted value. Use the Right and Left navigation buttons to
highlight the Month, Day, and Year.
4. When complete, press the right-most Function button indicated
as BACK on the screen. The new date will be indicated on the
Setup Screen.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

5. Use the Down navigation button to select the time and press the
Right navigation button. The following screen appears:

SET TIME
11 : 21 : 13
HH : MM : SS
BACK
6. Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to change the
highlighted value. Use the Right and Left navigation buttons to
highlight the Hour, Minute, and Second. (Time is indicated in
24hr. mode.)
7. Press the right-most Function button indicated as BACK on the
screen. The new date appears on the Setup Screen.
The Time and Date are now set.
8. Press the Left navigation button followed by the Select button to
return to the beginning screen.
For more information on the Setup function, refer to the section,

Setup Screens on page 62.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Record With the FS-4 HD
There are two modes of recording with the FS-4 HD.
•

Manual Recording

Control with the FS-4 HD transport buttons.
•

Syncro Slave Recording or Tapeless Recording

Control recording with the video camera controls.
Before beginning recording, verify that:
1. Time and date are set.
2. Recording format is set.
3. The FS-4 HD is connected to the video camera
according to the explanation in Connecting a FS-4 HD to a
DV/HD Camcorder on page 22.
4. Camera and FS-4 HD are powered on.
5. Tape is loaded in the camera.
Tapeless Operation
Tape does not need to be loaded if the camera supports tapeless
operation, refer to, Control Screen on page 94.
Troubleshooting: Counter Not Incrementing
If the Counter does not increment while recording the camera, it is an
indication that there is no active connection between the FS-4 HD and
the camera.
• Verify that the FS-4 HD 1394 DV I/O and the camera connections
are secure. It may be necessary to unplug and then reconnect
them.
When a good connection is made, the Counter will increment and
recording will start.
Verify Record Mode Matches Source Video Content and Format
If in DV Recorder mode, HD content will not record properly. A NTSC
or PAL DV source records only on a matching NTSC or PAL unit.

Do Not Disconnect Power or FireWire Cable
Never disconnect the power or the FireWire cable during a
recording. This will cause file corruption.
Loss of Power During Recording
If power is lost during recording it is possible to repair the
damaged file or files, refer Repair Disk on page 82 to and
Repair Clip DV mode only on page 83.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Manual Recording
1.

Set the video camera to Camera or Cam mode.

Verify that an image appears in the viewfinder.

On the FS-4 HD, press Record once.
This sets the FS-4 HD to Record-Pause mode.

Record

Stop

(OFF)

On the FS-4 HD, press Record button a second time. The
FS-4 HD begins to record. The timecode value is displayed
on the screen.

Press Stop

Press Record and the FS-4 HD begins to record again on
the same clip.

Press Stop

Press Record

(OFF) once to return the FS-4 HD to

Record-Pause mode.

(OFF) twice to stop the recording.
twice to begin recording a new clip.

Creating a New File without Dropping Frames
When in record mode, it is possible to break the recording into a
separate, new file without dropping frames.
Press Record
clip.

and the FS-4 HD automatically creates a new

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Syncro Slave Recording
Syncro slave recording allows the FS-4 HD to mimic
camcorder operations by monitoring the state of the
camcorder’s tape recorder controls.
1.

Verify that the FS-4 HD is in STOP mode.

From the FS-4 HD Home screen, press the Right navigation
button several times until the Control screen appears:

CONTROL
LOCAL
AV / C
-SYNCRO SLAVE
TAPELESS

Use the Down navigation button to select Syncro Slave. The
dash on the left side of an item indicates it is the current
selection. The default value is Local.

Press the Select navigation button.

The beginning screen returns and a Pause indicator
appears in the upper left-hand corner. Next to this symbol,
is a Y indicating that FS-4 HD is following the state of the
camcorder’s tape controls, i.e. record when the camcorder
records and pause when it pauses.

Now the FS-4 HD will respond to the camcorder’s tape
controls. The recording signal goes both to the tape in the
camera and to the FS-4 HD.

Recording Timecode in the File
Select EXT TC in the Setup menu. This option records the video
camera timecode in the file. For other available timecode options
refer to TIME CODE EXT, REC RUN, FREE RUN, REGEN on page
67,.

Function buttons
The tasks discussed above are available for programming into the function
buttons. For information on setting up function buttons, refer to the section,
Functions Screen on page 72

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Quickstart

Playback on the FS-4 HD
Verify that both the video camera and the FS-4 HD are
powered on and that they are connected together with the
FireWire cable from the FS-4 HD DV/IO port to the
camcorder 1394 port.
Feature Availability on PAL Cameras
This feature is not available on some PAL cameras.

Set the video camera to VCR or playback mode.

Navigate to the video clip to preview, using the FS-4 HD
Left and Right transport control buttons.
Play

Back
Search

Forward
Search

Left
Transport

Right
Transport

(Back Index)

(Forward Index)

Press the FS-4 HD Play button.

Search through the clips using the FS-4 HD Forward Search,
Forward Index, Backward Index, or Backward Search
buttons. Refer to Navigation Buttons on page 9 for more
information on the function of these buttons.

Camcorder Compatibility with External Players
Some HD camcorders are not compatible with the external player
functions Forward/Reverse Search and Pause.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer
Once video clips are recorded to the FS-4 HD it is possible to use
those clips in most computer based DV/HD NLE systems. This
section contains the following:
Initial Setup ......................................................................... 34
Mounting the FS-4 HD in Windows ..................................... 34
FS-4 HD and FAT 32 ........................................................... 37
Using Avid OMF Clips FS-4Pro HD only.............................. 38
Dismounting the FS-4 HD (Windows) .................................. 41
Mounting the FS-4 HD (Macintosh) .................................... 42
Dismounting the FS-4 HD (Macintosh) ............................... 43

In the past, to get footage into an NLE system, it was necessary
to capture / digitize the footage using a video capture card.
The FS-4 HD’s DTE functionality eliminates the capture stage.
All that is necessary is the moving of the video files from the
FS-4 HD to a computer. To do this:
•

Connect the FS-4 HD directly to a computer with an
active OHCI compliant IEEE-1394 FireWire port and
the necessary FireWire disk drive drivers.
For More Information
Go to the Focus Enhancements' website (www.focusinfo.com) for
more compatibility information.

•

Use the FS-4 HDD Bypass mode, refer to Initial Setup on
page 34 for more information.

The FS-4 HD is compatible with any computer system that can
read FAT 32 volumes, such as Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
and Mac OS9/OS10.
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Initial Setup
1. Connect the FS-4 HD through its COMPUTER I/O 1394 port to the
computer system using a standard 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable.
2. Enter HDD mode and enable DD Drive.
This step is required before mounting the FS-4 HD to a computer.
•
•
•

On the FS-4 HD go to the HDD screen.
Select DD Drive and Right arrow to Connect screen.
Press Enable function button.

Refer to the section, HDD Mode Screen on page 57
3. Connect power to the drive if necessary.
4. Consult the computer’s documentation for more information.

Mounting the FS-4 HD in Windows
Use this procedure for Windows XP, 2000, 98SE and ME.
1. On a Windows-based computer system, double click the My
Computer icon on the top left hand corner of the desktop. A
directory window appears.

2. Locate the FS-4 HD drive and open it.
Often, it appears as a standard FireWire disk drive and may be
labeled E:, F:, G:, and so on.
3. Open the FS-4 HD disk icon.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

4. Open the folder with the most recent date code.

This folder may contain several different files. The video clips.
can appear as:

• RawDV (.dv)
• AVI Type1 - (YYYYMMDDHHMMSSa01)
• AVI Type2 or 24p AVI Type2 (YYYYMMDDHHMMSSb01)
• Canopus AVI - (YYYYMMDD-HHMMSSb01)
• Matrox AVI - (YYYYMMDD-HHMMSSm01
This file has a separate .wav audio file per track.
• QuickTime or 24p Quicktime (.mov)
FS-4Pro HD
• Pinnacle AVI - (YYYYMMDD-HHMMSSp01
There are two separate .wav audio files per track.
• Avid OMF (.omf )
OMF has two separate .aif audio files per track.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

• MXF OPAtom - (YYYYMMDD-HHMMSSp01.mxf)
(YYYYMMDD-HHMMSSL01.mxf), (YYYYMMDDHHMMSSR01.mxf) where:
p is video,
L is the left audio channel,
R is the right audio channel,

FS-4Pro HD Video Clips in Reel Folder
FS-4Pro HD permits the storing of video clips in either the
standard file folder or a Reel folder. If video clips have been
assigned to a Reel folder, it is necessary to run Organize
Reels before attaching the FS-4Pro HD to a computer.

FS-4 HD Resolution and Frames
• M2T or QUICKTIME (MOV) filename format:
YYYYMMDD-HHMMSSX01.m2t or .mov where the X is a
letter indicating the resolution of the captured video file.
The table below lists letters and associated resolutions. Not
all HDV camcorders support these resolutions.
X

Resolution

720p, 23.976 fps

1080i, 23.976 fps

720p, 24 fps

1080i, 24 fps

720p, 25 fps

1080i, 25 fps

720p, 29.97 fps

1080i, 29.97 fps

720p, 30 fps

1080i, 30 fps

720p, 50 fps

1080i, 50 fps

720p, 59.94 fps

1080i, 59.94 fps

720p, 60 fps

1080i, 60 fps

756p, 50 fps *

480p, 60 fps *

* The 576p, 50 fps and 480p, 60 fps resolutions are not
supported in the HD RECORDER QUICKTIME format. The unit
will not record these resolutions camera when in HD
RECORDER QUICKTIME format.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

FS-4 HD and FAT 32
The FAT32 file system limits file size to a maximum of 2GB or
approximately, 9 minutes of recording time.
Recording Time Depends on Recorder Mode and Resolution
The number of minutes per 2G file depends upon the recorder mode and
resolution:
• DV - 9 minutes,
• 720p (MOV) - 10 minutes,
• 720p (M2T) - 13 minutes,
• 1080i (M2T) - 9 minutes,
• 1080i (MOV) - 8 minutes (1080/60i) or 7.5 minutes (1080/50i),

When clips exceed 9 minutes in length, the FS-4 HD
automatically creates a new, file without dropping any frames.
The two files have the same root filename but have different
two digit suffixes that indicate the order of their creation, -01, 02, and so on. This process can produce as many sequential
2GB files as the drive can hold.
With most NLE systems it is possible to use clips within the
timeline. Select the clips on the source volume, i.e. the
connected FS-4 HD, and import them directly into the NLE bin.
This makes clips immediately available in the NLE timeline.
The high transfer speed of the FS-4 HD drive permits direct
streaming of the clips to the NLE, thus eliminating the need to
copy or transfer the clips before their use.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Using Avid OMF Clips FS-4Pro HD only
These steps are required when using Avid OMF formatted
clips.
The Avid OMF file format was developed for use with Avid
editing products on Windows 2000, Windows XP or Mac 0SX.
These products include Avid Xpress Pro, NewsCutter, and
Media Composer Adrenaline (with the DV option).
The Avid OMF file format creates three files simultaneously;
one OMF video file and two separate AIF audio files. On the
computer's desktop, the files appear similar to those shown
below.

On the FS-4 HD, the video file (OMF) and the audio files
(AIF) appear as one track.
When an Avid OMF file is deleted, the FS-4 HD deletes the
audio and video portions at the same time.
To use a FS-4 HD recorded Avid OMF file on an Avid NLE
system, use the following procedure.
ORGANIZE OMF Function
If using the ORGANIZE OMF function on the FS-4 HD before connecting it
to a computer, steps 2 and 3 are not necessary

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Locate and open the FS-4 HD drive folder.

Create a new folder and name it OMFI MediaFiles.

To do this in Windows, select File>New>Folder .

To do this with Macintosh, select File>New Folder. Next,
type OMFI MediaFiles.

Drag all the OMF and AIF files into the new folder:

Do Not Drag in the files titled Desktop DB or Desktop DF.

Launch Avid.

Open an existing project or create a new one.

Select Tools>MediaTool. A screen similar to the following
appears:

Locate and select the FS-4 HD under Media Drive(s).

If Drive Does Not Appear
If the drive does not appear, check to make sure that the OMFI
MediaFiles folder was created correctly with proper case and
spacing.In addition, verify that the drive is properly connected and
recognized by the computer. Under Project(s), select All
Projects (This highlights all items in the Project(s) window).

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

10. Verify that Master Clips is checked and press OK. The
Media Tools Window, similar to the following, appears:

11. Create a new bin (select File -> New Bin) or open an existing
bin in Avid.
12. Select all items in the Media Tools window (select Edit>
Select All).
13. Drag the contents of the Media Tools Window into the bin.
It is now possible to use these clips in the Avid timeline.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Dismounting the FS-4 HD (Windows)
When finished working with the FS-4 HD and the computer, it
is necessary to dismount FS-4 HD from the system
Dismount FS-4 HD Before Powering Off
It is important to dismount the FS-4 HD from the Windows system
BEFORE powering down the unit.

To do dismount the FS-4 HD:
1. Click the Safely Remove Hardware icon at the bottom right side of
the Windows task bar as shown below.

Unplug or Eject Hardware Icon
(Safely Remove Hardware)

2. Next, the computer system prompts to Remove the connected
FS-4 HD. This begins the dismount process.
3. Select the message and click on it.
The computer dismounts the FS-4 HD and then displays a
message that it is now safe to remove the unit.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Mounting the FS-4 HD (Macintosh)
1. Start the Mac computer and connect the FS-4 HD’s COMPUTER I/
O port to the computer using a standard 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire
cable.
When mounted, the FS-4 HD should appear on the computer's
desktop as shown below:

The FS-4 HD appears as a FAT32 volume with a PC label.
2. Locate the FS-4 HD on the desktop and open it up.
3. Open the folder with the most recent date code (for example,
20050127-110345-01). It should look similar to the following:

Before Connecting FS-4Pro HD to a Computer
If clips have been assigned to a Reel folder: perform an Organize
Reels before connecting the unit to a computer.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Dismounting the FS-4 HD (Macintosh)
When finished working with the FS-4 HD and the Macintosh it
is necessary to dismount the unit from the system.
Dismount FS-4 HD Before Powering Off
It is important to dismount the FS-4 HD from the Mac system BEFORE
powering down the FS-4 HD.

To dismount the FS-4 HD from a Mac:
1. Select the FS-4 HD on the computer's desktop. It is marked with
a PC symbol.
2. Drag the drive into the trash or use the eject button. This
dismounts the particular disk drive.
3. It is now safe to remove the FS-4 HD.

Eject Shortcut for Two-button Mouse
If the Macintosh is equipped with a two-button mouse, the following keyboard
shortcut is available:
• Right click the FS-100 icon on the desk top.
• Select the Eject function from the pop-up menu.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Mounting Hardware
Mounting FS-4 HD to a Camcorder
Mount the FS-4 HD to your camcorder using the optional
Camcorder Mount Kit (P/N ASYF-0849-01). For more
information about this kit or to order it, contact Focus
Enhancements:
USA
Email:

support@focusinfo.com

Telephone:

+1 408 866 8300

Address:

Focus Enhancements, Inc.
1370 Dell Avenue
Campbell, CA. 95008
www.focusinfo.com

EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)

Email:

techsupport@como.com

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-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Using the FS-4 HD with a Computer

Clipping to a Belt
Belt Mount Clip
Front View

Side View
FS-4 HD
Belt Clip Post

A belt mount clip is included with the FS-4 HD. This mount is
similar to those used with cellular telephones. Attach the belt
mount to the belt clip post on the rear of the FS-4 HD and push
it down to lock it in position.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions
This section contains information on the following LCD screens:
General Screen Information ................................................ 48
Record Screens .................................................................. 52
HDD Mode Screen .............................................................. 57
Format Screen .................................................................... 60
HD Format Screen .............................................................. 61
Setup Screens .................................................................... 62
Functions Screen ................................................................ 72
Utilities Screen .................................................................... 77
Control Screen .................................................................... 94

FS-4 HD screens are organized in a flat hierarchy. Every screen
has a unique name, and it is possible to cycle continuously
through the screens using the Left and Right navigation buttons.
Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to cycle through
screen items (selections).
Use the Select navigation button to make a choice.
Navigation Tip: Jump to Top of Display Using the Left Button
When navigating through the LCD displays and scrolling down into the
menu, press the Left navigation button on the front panel and immediately
return to the top of the display, which allows navigating to other displays.
Jump to Home display Using Select Button
To return immediately to the Home Screen, navigate to the menu title at the
top of the screen and press the Select button.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

General Screen Information
The FS-4 HD LCD screens are organized by function with each
screen displaying a list of items. An item can be:
•

A value that can be set, such as the date.

•

A switch similar to a check box, that can be enabled
along with other options in the display.

•

A switch similar to a radio button, that belongs to a
family of options, in which only one can be active at
any time.

•

A link to another display, which is indicated by a

Menu Title

SETUP

Appears at the top of the
display and identifies its
topic or function.

01 / 16 / 06
09 : 30 : 19
V 1 . 0. 0
-LCDLIGHT ON

Navigation
Use the Left or Right
navigation buttons to move
to the previous or next
display.

Use the Up and Down
navigation buttons to move
between the items in the
display.

Welcome Screen
The Welcome screen appears briefly after boot-up, and
automatically switches to the Home screen when the FS-4 HD
is ready for operation.

FS-4 HD
PORTABLE
DTE RECORDER

Varies
depending on
the model of
FS-4 HD

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Home Screen
The Home screen is read only and has no navigable items. To
leave the Home screen use either the Left or Right Navigation
button.
2

11
12
10
FS-4Pro HD
only

STOP 1COUNTER
00:00:14:02
DISK 1
168 min
REEL
SYNC DISP LOCK

3
4
5
6

1. Current Function: Symbol and Description
Refer to LCD Display Symbols and Text on page 97.
2. Volume Disk Number
The volume number is always 1 unless multiple FS-4 HD’s
are connected.
3. Clip Number
Number of the current video clip, i.e. 001 for clip 1. The FS-4
HD supports a maximum of 999 clips.
4. Battery Life Gauge
This gauge is accurate only when the unit is powered
exclusively from the battery.
5. Timecode Value
Either Drop Frame - 00;00;00;00 or, Non Drop Frame 00:00:00:00.
6. Time remaining on the disk.
7. FA Functions with SYNC as the default, refer to Functions
Screen on page 72 for more information.
8. FB Functions with DISP as the default, refer to Functions
Screen on page 72 for more information.
9. FC Functions with LOCK as the default, refer to Functions
Screen on page 72 for more information.
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

10. Reel Display FS-4Pro HD only
In Record or Playback modes, this item displays the particular
REEL that a clip is located in or, has been marked to. If in
PLAY FROM > REEL LIST mode, the REEL appears in
brackets for example, . This area is blank if NO
REEL has been selected.
11. DISP information field that displays data type.
12. DISP information field that displays current data.

DISP (display) Information Fields
Use the DISP function button to display current operation
information fields 11 and 12. The data shown depends on
the mode of operation, i.e. DV or HD Recorder.
Pressing the DISP button advances the display to the next
category of information. Below is a table of the data types
and data available with DISP.
Field
Number

Data Type /
Data Description

COUNTER

Shows frame count of current video clip during record or
playback.

REMAINING

Record: counts down number of available frames
remaining, as time, on a specific disk.
Playback: displays time remaining of the current clip.

DV (NTSC or PAL) or HD (see note following table)

Record: displays the external timecode value being
generated by a camcorder or other device during a
recording session. Timecode mode must be set to EXT
TC for this function to operate, refer to TIME CODE
EXT, REC RUN, FREE RUN, REGEN on page 67.
Playback: displays the embedded DV timecode value in
a particular track.

UB NTSC

Displays the set user bit value in a particular clip. A user
bit value must be added for this to display, refer to UB
SET (FS-4Pro HD only) on page 69.

ABSOLUTE
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Displays an absolute timecode value for the particular
session: the sum of all COUNTER timecodes on
connected volumes.
Absolute is primarily used when setting the FS-4 HD to
AV/C mode and controlling it with an external FireWire
device, such as a computer.

DV (NTSC or PAL) and HD
The information displayed in fields 11 and 12 depends, in part, on which
Recorder Mode is set.
DV RECORDER
Line 11 displays the Standard Digital (SD) video format. It can not be
changed.
HD RECORDER
Line 11 displays the HD resolution of the current track which depends on
the camcorder in use with the FS-4 HD unit. Possible values are:
• 1080/50i TC
• 1080/60i TC
• 720/60 TC
• 720/50 TC
• 720/30p TC
• 720/25p TC
• 720/24p TC
• 576/50p TC
• 480/60p TC
Refer to the camcorder manual for supported resolutions.

FS-4 HD System Information Screens
The FS-4 HD automatically creates information screens to
indicate conditions such as high temperature, power
remaining, or drive capacity remaining.
WARNING
5%
POWER
REMAINING
OK

Press OK to clear the screen and return to the last screen.
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Record Screens
RECORD
NORMAL
-RETRO DISK
RETRO CACHE
LOOP RECORD

The Record screen permits setting the FS-4 HD to various
recording modes, depending on the model:
•
•
•
•
•
•

NORMAL
RETRO DISK FS-4Pro HD only
RETRO CACHE
LOOP RECORD FS-4Pro HD only
SNAP FS-4Pro HD DV modes only
TIME LAPSE FS-4Pro HD DV modes only

Once a record mode is selected, the recorder remains in that
mode until a different mode is chosen. Exiting the Record
screen and returning to Home, enables the selected recording
mode.
To verify that the digital recorder is set to the correct recording
mode, refer to the upper left-hand of the Home screen where
the recorder mode is displayed.
Record Mode Indicator
(Retro Cache)

Symbol

Indicates

Notes

Retro Disk

FS-4Pro HD only

Retro Cache

Loop Record

SNAP

Snap Record

FS-4Pro HD only

Time Lapse

FS-4Pro HD only

T
52

STOP 1 -

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

For more about LCD display symbols and text, see LCD Display
Symbols and Text on page 97.

Normal Record
This is the standard recording mode.
• All control is from the FS-4 HD front panel.
Initially, the Home screen displays STOP.
• Pressing Record puts the FS-4 HD into II REC PAUSE
mode.
• Pressing Record a second time puts the FS-4 HD into
REC mode.

Retro Cache Record Mode
RETRO CACHE
:00
:SS

This line is not active:
reference only.

BACK

The Retro Cache mode insures that important material at the
very start of a recording session is captured. Retro Cache stores
in the on board memory a continuous loop of video captured
by video camera during pauses. Pressing Record begins
active recording at the last frame stored in the cache. The
resulting video clip has the cached video at the beginning.
Retro Cache is available in Local, Syncro Slave, and Tapeless
Trigger control modes.
FS-4 HD non-Pro

Settings enable or disable the Retro Cache. When enabled a
fixed 6 seconds of video is cached.
FS-4Pro HD

Set the length of video that the Retro Cache should store: 0 to
10 seconds.
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Retro Disk Record Mode FS-4Pro HD only
RETRO DISK
00:00
HH:MM

This line is not active:
reference only.

BACK

The Retro Disk mode records video in a continuous loop to a
user-defined portion of disk space. Pressing Record
seamlessly begins active recording. The Retro Disk session is
appended to the beginning of the new clip. The result is a set of
clips beginning with the cached video and continuing with the
newly recorded video.
•

When calculating the amount of hard disk space
needed for a Retro Disk record session, always include
additional space beyond the recording requirements.
The added space depends on the length of the loop.
•
•

Loops less than 60 minutes, need an additional 1 minute
of unused disk space.
Loops 60 minutes and greater, require an additional 2GB
of unused disk space.

•

When looping less than one hour, Retro Disk records
the loop in a series of 1 minute clips.

•

Retro Disk is available in Normal, Syncro Slave and
Tapeless control modes.

•

When Retro Disk is set, the symbols
appear in the FS-4Pro HD display.

(Record and L)

Loop Record FS-4Pro HD only
Loop Record is similar to Retro Disk.
Loop Record continuously records a series of video clips to
available disk space. When all available disk space is used,
Loop Record begins sequentially replacing the earliest clip
with the most recent.
54

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

•

The size of the video clip depends on the length of the
loop.
•
•
•

Loops of 60 minutes or less are recorded in one-minute
clips.
Loops greater than 60 minutes, are recorded in 2GB clips.
When the capacity of the disk is reached, one additional
clip is created. The size of the last clip depends on the
length of the loop i.e., one-minute or 2GB. The disk must
have at least 30 minutes of disk space available for this
functionality.

Saving Loop Record Clips
Press STOP during a record session.
The FS-4 HD stops recording and saves the current LOOP
RECORD session clips to a folder on the disk.

Snap Record FS-4Pro HD, DV modes only
Use SNAP to record individual frames. In Snap mode, pressing
Record
captures a single frame. Each record SNAP session
captures the individual frames into a single file. To start a new
SNAP record session place the unit in STOP between SNAP
records.
•

SNAP Record is available only in DV modes of
operation.

•

Use SNAP in Local, Syncro Slave, and Tapeless control
modes.

•

Removing power from the FS-4Pro HD in the midst of a
Snap recording session causes the FS-4Pro HD to
return to Normal recording mode when it powers back
up.
Another Method to Capture Single Frames
An alternative to Snap is EXT CTL FRAME. For more information see
EXT CTL OFF, Pause, Frame, File on page 66.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Time Lapse Record FS-4Pro HD, DV modes only
TIME LAPSE
00:00:00:00
HH:MM:SS:FF

This line is not active:
for reference only.

BACK

Time Lapse provides the ability to record a single frame at
specific time intervals, for example one frame per minute,
00:01:00:00. Time Lapse applications can include capturing the
traffic on city streets, the growth of a plant from seed to
maturity, and construction projects.
Features of Time Lapse function include:

•

All the captured frames are recorded in a single clip.

•

The time between recording periods can be set in
frames, seconds, minutes, and hours.

•

The maximum time between recorded frames is 24
hours.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

HDD Mode Screen
HDD MODE
-DV RECORDER
HD RECORDER
DD DRIVE
USE EXT FS-4

Depending on the product, this screen displays the following
items:
•

DV RECORDER

This sets the FS-4 HD as a DV recorder.
Connect the camera to the FS-4 HD DV I/O port using a
FireWire cable.
•

HD RECORDER

This sets the FS-4 HD as an HD recorder.
Connect the camera to the FS-4 HD DV I/O port using a
FireWire cable.
Recording in this mode only works with HDV
camcorders that have a 1394 FireWire connector and
that support an HD resolution, such as 1080i or 720p.
Switching Between Recorder Modes (DV and HD)
Switching between recorder modes resets the Record Mode to Normal, see
Normal Record on page 53.

•

DD DRIVE >

Use this option when connecting the FS-4 HD to a
computer. The FS-4 HD functions as a volume visible to
the computer. In addition, this setting permits the
connecting of multiple FS-4 HD together to increase
recording space.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

•

USE EXT FS-4

Use this option when longer recording times are
needed. USE EXT FS-4 permits the connecting of two
FS-4 HDs together to provide more disk storage for
longer recording. One unit acts as the master with the
other as a slave: the master records to itself until full
and then continues recording on the slave unit.
Identifying Master/Slave Volumes During Record/Playback
When two FS-4 HDs are in combined via USE EXT FS-4 and in
either Record or Playback mode, the volume on the Home screen will
display 1-xxx when the master unit is recording or playing back and 2xx if it is the slave.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Setting Up Master and Slave FS-4 HD
1

Master FS-4 HD

STOP 1 - 001
COUNTER
00 : 00 : 00 : 00
DISK 1
000min
SYNC DISP LOCK

Slave FS-4 HD

CONNECT
COMPUTER THEN
ENABLE BYPASS
SUCCESS
EXIT

1. Connect the camcorder to the master FS-4 HD, DV I/O connector
using the supplied FireWire cable.
2. Master
Power on unit.
Go to the HDD Mode menu screen and enable USE EXT FS-4.
3. Connect the FS-4 HDs through their Computer I/O connectors
using a 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable.
4. Slave
Power on the unit
Go to the HDD Mode screen and enable DD DRIVE.
5. Master
Begin recording or playback using the master FS-4 HD.
Use DD Drive Mode when Connecting to a PC
It is important to take the master FS-4 HD out of USE EXT FS-4
mode before attempting to connect to a computer.
To do this, select DD DRIVE from the HDD Mode screen.
This returns the unit to hard disk mode.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Format Screen
DV Formats
DV FORMATS
-RAW DV
AVI TYPE1
AVI TYPE2
CANOPUS AVI

DV formats include:
•

RAW DV

•

AVI TYPE1

•

AVI TYPE2

•

CANOPUS AVI

•

MATROX AVI

•

QUICKTIME

•

AVID OMF FS-4Pro HD only

•

QUICKTIME 24P NTSC only

•

AVI TYPE2 24P NTSC only

•

PINNACLE FS-4Pro HD only

•

MXF OPAtom FS-4Pro HD only

Using Organize
AVID OMF, MXF OPAtom and PINNACLE formats require using the Utilities
functions, Organize OMF, Organize MXF, or Organize PINN respectively.
Refer to the section, Utilities Screen on page 77.
Formats for 25P Applications
Use standard file formats for all 25P applications except AVID OMF. OMF is
not compatible with 25P DV streams.

The latest DTE supported applications and file formats are
listed on the Focus Enhancements website:
www.focusinfo.com.
60

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

HD Format Screen
HD FORMATS
-M2T
QUICKTIME

The FS-4Pro HD provides the additional HD DTE format
QUICKTIME.
The latest DTE supported applications and file formats are
listed on the Focus Enhancements website:
www.focusinfo.com.
Check regularly for updates.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Setup Screens
SETUP
10 / 10 / 05
21 : 10: 50
V 2. 0. 0
-LCDLIGHT ON

The items on the Setup Screen are grouped by function. Within
the function the items act like radio buttons, i.e. when one is
active the others are not.
In some cases, such as the Date, a settings screen appears. To
return from a settings screen, use the BACK function button.
The items displayed on the Setup screen include:

•

DATE Displayed

•

TIME Displayed

•

VERSION Displayed

•

LCDLIGHT ON Group Default

•

LCDLIGHT OFF

•

LCDLIGHT AUTO

•

ALARM ON Group Default

•

ALARM OFF

•

STOP FRAME; (1st frame of current clip)

•

STOP GRAY

•

STOP NO VIDEO Group Default

•

EXT CTL OFF Group Default

•

EXT CTL PAUSE
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

•

EXT CTL FRAME

•

EXT CTL FILE

•

TC EXT Group Default

•

TC REC RUN DV mode or FS-4Pro HD only

•

TC FREE RUN FS-4Pro HD only

•

TC REGEN FS-4Pro HD only

•

TC SET

FS-4Pro HD only

•

UB SET

FS-4Pro HD only

•

TC DROP NTSC only

•

TC NON-DROP Default, NTSC only

•

HDV TC TYPE HD mode (FS-4Pro HD only)

•

LCD CONTRAST

Date and Time Must Be Set
The date and time must be set. They are used in the FS-4 HD file naming
function.
Refer to Set Time and Date on page 26.

Date
SET DATE
09 / 18 / 05
MM / DD / YY
BACK

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Time
SET TIME
10 : 50 : 40
HH : MM : SS
BACK

Version
VERSION
2.0.0.04070406
NTSC
FS-4Pro HD
BACK

This screen displays:

•

FS-4 HD Firmware version

•

SD video of the unit.

•

FS-4 HD model

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

LCD Light ON, OFF, AUTO
These items enable or disable the FS-4 HD's LCD backlight.
•

LCDLIGHT ON Group Default

Keeps the backlight on permanently.
•

LCDLIGHT OFF

Keeps the backlight off permanently.
•

LCDLIGHT AUTO

Turns off the backlight after one minute.
On the FS-4 HD, pressing any button pad button turns
the backlight back on. Any information screen turns the
backlight on.

Alarm ON, OFF
Default is On.
•

When the alarm is enabled, pressing any button on the
FS-4 HD produces audio feedback.

•

The FS-4 HD alarm triggers when conditions such as
low battery charge, low disk space, or over heating
occur.

•

When Alarm is set to Off, the audio feedback for the
buttons is disabled, however the alarm will still sound
for low power, high heat, or low disk space conditions.

Stop Frame, Gray, No Video
These settings determine which video is output from the FS-4
HD when using the Search Index keys to view recorded clips.
•

STOP FRAME DV only

•

STOP GRAY DV only

•

STOP NO VIDEO Group Default
Video output is Off.

Displays the first frame of the clip.
Displays a black frame.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

EXT CTL OFF, Pause, Frame, File
These options permit the use of an external device to control
the FS-4 HD through the optional RS-232 cable.
RS-232 Cable Available from Focus Online Store
The RS-232 cable required to connect the FS-4 HD to an external control
device is Focus part number CBLA-0113-01. It and other accessories
mentioned in this manual are available at https://www.focusinfo.com/sales/
store.

•

EXT CTL OFF

Use this option when connecting an external device
with an RS232C cable.
•

This requires the use of a a 3.5mm-to-DB9 adapter cable,
plugged into FS-4 HD Control port.

In Local mode, select this item to control the FS-4 HD
with the optional wired remote control unit, refer to
page 94.
The following options permit control functions to occur from a
simple contact closure.
•

EXT CTL PAUSE

Controls Pause and Resume during a record or playback
session.
•

EXT CTL FRAME DV Mode Only

Captures a single frame of video and records it to a file.
Each time this function is triggered, it sequentially adds
another frame to the same file until stopped.
•

EXT CTL FILE

Creates a new file during a record session without
losing any frames.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

TIME CODE EXT, REC RUN, FREE RUN, REGEN
The FS-4Pro HD provides additional TC REC RUN, TC FREE RUN,
and TC REGEN functionality in HD RECORDER mode. This
functionality is only active when HD FORMAT is set to
QUICKTIME. In M2T mode, all TC modes act as TC EXT.
The following are timecode (TC) functions.
•

TC EXT Group Default

Records the incoming source timecode. If the timecode
is not running, and the FS-4 HD records the same
timecode number in each recorded frame. Choose TC
EXT mode to clear any stored number.
•

TC REC RUN DV mode or FS-4Pro HD only

This function creates a time code number for the first
frame of the next recording. To do this it can either:
•

FS-4 HD

•

FS-4Pro HD

Take the last timecode recorded and add 1,

Use the value stored in TC SET.
The FS-4 HD stores the last recorded timecode in its nonvolatile memory, so it can persist across recording sessions.
•

TC FREE RUN FS-4Pro HD only

This function causes the FS-4Pro HD to begin counting
from the value stored by TC SET.
•

A number entered through TC SET is not stored and
available to the FS-4Pro HD until exiting TC SET. Only
then does the FS-4Pro HD begin counting using that
number.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

•

TC REGEN FS-4Pro HD only

When the FS-4Pro HD powers up in TC REGEN mode, it:
•
•
•

Reads the timecode of the last track recorded.
Adds 1 to the number.
Stores the new timecode as the number that will be
assigned to the first frame of the next recording session.

If the drive is empty, i.e. no existing recordings, the
FS-4Pro HD uses the TC SET value.
TC SET and UB SET Can Be Set at the Same Time
Both parameters, TC SET and UB SET, may be set and are not mutually
exclusive as in some groups, i.e. LCDLIGHT.

TC SET FS-4Pro HD only
TC SET
00 : 00 : 00 : 00
HH : MM : SS : FF
BACK

The Timecode Set parameter stores a user defined timecode in
the FS-4Pro HD’s non-volatile memory. This value is available
for use by the FS-4Pro HD immediately after exiting TC SET.
•

TC FREE RUN FS-4Pro HD only

The FS-4Pro HD uses this value on the next recording
after it is set in TC SET.
•

TC REGEN FS-4Pro HD only

This is the starting value when using an empty hard
disk drive for recording.
•

TC REC RUN

This is the value used to begin every recording session
after a power cycle.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

UB SET FS-4Pro HD only
UB SET
FF : FF : FF : FF

BACK

The User Bit Set function provides the ability to change the
user bits in the timecode recorded in the video files.
•

Timecode values are not set when in TC EXT mode.

Professional applications employ user bits to add metadata to
recordings to assist in post production. For example, multiple
cameras are used during a shoot. Each FS-4Pro HD has a
unique UB setting that identifies it and the camera it serves.
Later, the user bits are used to determine from which camera
station the footage was recorded.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

TC DROP, NON-DROP NTSC only
These parameters are only available for NTSC and only one
may be enabled at a time. Drop and non-drop enable and
disable the drop-frame function that modifies how the
timecode is calculated during recording.
•

TC DROP Group Default

Enables the drop-frame function and frames 00 and 01
are dropped from each minute of video recorded, with
the exception of the first minute of the hour.
•

TC NON-DROP

Disables drop-frame.
No frames are dropped during recording and the
timecode reflects the actual time during recording.

HDV TC TYPE FS-4Pro HD only
HDV TC TYPE
-TTC
GOP TC
REC TC
PTS
BACK

This menu sets the source of the timecode displayed in the TC
DISP mode, while in HD RECORDER mode. This is also the
timecode reported in AV/C control mode.

(Title Timecode)

•

TTC

•

GOP TC

(Group of Pictures Timecode)

•

REC TC

(Recorded Timecode)

•

PTS

(Presentation Timestamp)

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Each NLE utilizes a different HDV TC TYPE for its workflow.
Use the following table to determine which HDV TC TYPE is
utilized by a particular NLE:
720p

1080i

Avid

GOP TC

TTC

FCP

TTC

Edius

TTC

See your NLE users guide for more information.

LCD CONTRAST
SET CONTRAST
VALUE: 00

BACK

Use this function to adjust the contrast of the LCD display for
easier viewing.
1. Use the Right navigation button to go to the SET CONTRAST
submenu.
2. Use the Up and Down navigation buttons to increase and decrease
the contrast number.
3. Press BACK when done.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Functions Screen
The Functions buttons FA, FB, and FC provide convenient
Home screen shortcuts by acting as toggle switches for specific
system settings. The Home screen below is an example of the
information displayed.

STOP 1COUNTER
00 : 00 : 20 : 15
DISK 1
168 min
R1

Reel receiving
clips.

DISP

Function Keys

FB
FC
Function Groups

Function settings are user-assignable and available in the
Functions screen. Changing a setting with a Function button
has the same effect as manually changing the setting.
FUNCTIONS
-FA SYNC
FA AV / C
FA TAPELESS
FA REELS

•

There are three groups of functions FA, FB, and FC
displayed via the Functions screen.

•

The function groups are independent of each other.

•

In each group only one selection is active at a time.
FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Functions List
A list of the Function button menu is below. In each group, the
default selection is listed first.
MENU

Appears on LCD as…

FA SYNC

SYNC Toggles between SYNCRO and LOCAL record control.

FA AV/C

AV/C (Toggles between AV/C and LOCAL control)

FA Tapeless

TAPE (Toggles between Tapeless TRIGGER and LOCAL control)
Default

FA REELS

REEL Increments current reel number, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R0-0

R0 Marks Current Clip to Reel 0, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R1-1

R1 Marks Current Clip to Reel 1, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R2-2

R2 Marks Current Clip to Reel 2, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R3-3

R3 Marks Current Clip to Reel 3, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R4-4

R4 Marks Current Clip to Reel 4, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R5-5

R5 Marks Current Clip to Reel 5, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R6-6

R6 Marks Current Clip to Reel 6, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R7-7

R7 Marks Current Clip to Reel 7, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R8-8

R8 Marks Current Clip to Reel 8, FS-4Pro HD only

FA R9-9

R9 Marks Current Clip to Reel 9, FS-4Pro HD only

FA LCD ON/OFF

LCD1/LCD0 LCD On/Off Toggle

FA LCD AUTO

LCDA/LCD0 LCD Auto On/Off Toggle

FA BLANK

No Function.

FB DISP

DISP (Toggles the different TC display modes) (Default)

FB ALARM

ALRM/MUTE Turns the FS-C alarm on or off.

FB FILE

FILE (Toggles between normal and display of the file name)

FB REELS

REEL Increments current reel number, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R0-0

R0 Marks Current Clip to Reel 0, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R1-1

R1 Marks Current Clip to Reel 1, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R2-2

R2 Marks Current Clip to Reel 2, FS-4Pro HD only

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Appears on LCD as…

FB R3-3

R3 Marks Current Clip to Reel 3, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R4-4

R4 Marks Current Clip to Reel 4, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R5-5

R5 Marks Current Clip to Reel 5, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R6-6

R6 Marks Current Clip to Reel 6, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R7-7

R7 Marks Current Clip to Reel 7, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R8-8

R8 Marks Current Clip to Reel 8, FS-4Pro HD only

FB R9-9

R9 Marks Current Clip to Reel 9, FS-4Pro HD only

FB BLANK

No Function.

FC LOCK

LOCK/UNLK Locks the buttonpad (Default) - toggles between
LOCK and UNLK

FC DV/DD

DD Toggles FS-C between DV/HD and HDD Modes

FC REELS

REEL Increments current reel number, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R0-0

R0 Marks Current Clip to Reel 0, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R1-1

R1 Marks Current Clip to Reel 1, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R2-2

R2 Marks Current Clip to Reel 2, FS-4Pro HD only

FCR3-3

R3 Marks Current Clip to Reel 3, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R4-4

R4 Marks Current Clip to Reel 4, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R5-5

R5 Marks Current Clip to Reel 5, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R6-6

R6 Marks Current Clip to Reel 6, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R7-7

R7 Marks Current Clip to Reel 7, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R8-8

R8 Marks Current Clip to Reel 8, FS-4Pro HD only

FC R9-9

R9 Marks Current Clip to Reel 9, FS-4Pro HD only

FC BLANK

No Function.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

LOCK/UNLK:
UNLOCK KEYS
PRESS SELECT
TO CONFIRM
EXIT

This function is a toggle switch that locks and unlocks the keys on
the FS-4 HD’s front panel.
The prevent accidental unlocking of the front panel, there is an
unlock confirmation screen:
1.

Press the UNLK key.

Press SELECT to unlock the front panel keys.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Assigning Clips to Reels
STOP 1COUNTER
00 : 00 : 20 : 15
DISK 1
168 min
Currently
Selected Reel

R1
REEL

Function FA
set to FA REELS
Function FB
set to FB R2-2

Function FC
set to FC R1-1

The function buttons are a quick way to mark video clips
during recording. The Functions menu offers two types of
markers to use, as an example FA REELS and FB R2-2.
•

FA REELS

Selecting the FA REELs programs the FS-4Pro HD to
mark the clips to the currently selected reel. The current
reel is indicated in the line above the FA function reel
selection.
•

FB R2-2

Setting a function button to this type of marker,
instructs the FS-4Pro HD to mark the current clip as
belonging to the REEL R2.

Blank
Functions identified as Blank are inactive.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Utilities Screen
UTILITIES
ORGANIZE REEL
ORGANIZE OMF
ORGANIZE MXF
ORGANIZE PINN

The Utilities available are:
•

ORGANIZE REEL FS-4Pro HD only

•

ORGANIZE OMF FS-4Pro HD only

•

ORGANIZE MXF FS-4Pro HD only

•

ORGANIZE PINN FS-4Pro HD only

•

DELETE CLIP

•

FORMAT

•

REPAIR DISK

•

REPAIR CLIP

•

FILE NAME

•

UPGRADE

•

SYSTEM RESET

•

DIAGNOSTIC

•

STATUS

DV mode only

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Organize Functions are Mutually Exclusive
Once one organize utility is performed on a set of files, another organize
function can not be applied. For example, if the Organize OMF is used on a
set of files, then Organize Reel can not be applied to them.

Organize Reel FS-4Pro HD only
This selection places all files identified as a REEL clip during
recording or playback into the appropriate reel folder. You can
import this folder directly into most DV NLE bins.

Organize OMF FS-4Pro HD only
When files are recorded in the AVID OMF file format, this
selection allows you to take all the OMF and AIF audio files at
the end of a recording session and place them into a folder on
the disk drive named OMFI MediaFiles. When the disk is
connected to a computer, this folder is recognized by Avid
Xpress DV's Media Tool enabling direct import of files into the
Avid timeline. Refer to the section, Using Avid OMF Clips FS-4Pro
HD only on page 38 for more information.

Organize MXF FS-4Pro HD only
When using MXF OPAtom with some NLEs, such as AVID
Xpress Pro, it is necessary to do an Organize MXF. This is
available in the Utilities menu.
The Organize MXF:

•

Moves all MXF video files into the
/contents/video directory.

•

Moves all MXF audio files into the
/contents/audio directory.

•

Updates and moves the xml files from the log directory
into the /contents/clip directory.

•

Generates thumbnails of the clips in the
/contents/icon directory.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Organize Pinn FS-4Pro HD only
This selection organizes clips for use with Pinnacle Liquid
series NLE systems. Products such as the Pinnacle AVI file
format were created for use with products such as Pinnacle
Liquid Edition. The Pinnacle AVI file format creates three files
simultaneously during a recording; an AVI video file and two
separate WAV audio files labeled as left and right. An
additional ALE file for each recording session is also created
which contains timecode data. This file must be kept with the
media.
Once clips have been imported into Liquid Edition, an Index
file is created on the disk drive for each clip. Do not delete this
file since it is required to continue work in the particular
project.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Delete Clip
DELETE CLIP
CLIP 001

YES

BACK

Use this item to delete a selected clip.
1. From the Utilities screen, go to the DELETE CLIP screen.
2. Enter the number of the clip to be deleted using the Up and Down
navigation buttons.
3. Press the YES function key.
The selected clip is deleted.
4. Press BACK to return to the Utilities screen.

When a clip is deleted, the FS-4 HD re-organizes and displays
the remaining clips in sequence. For instance, if there are three
clips on the disk: 1-001, 1-002, 1-003. If clip 1-002 is deleted, the
remaining clips are reorganized and clip 1-003 becomes clip 1002. However the base file names are not affected.
Use Delete Function Sparingly
The delete function should be used sparingly. It is suggested that the
DELETE CLIP utility be used only when absolutely necessary. It can cause
disk fragmentation that can lead to file playback and record issues. If more
space is required you must transfer your content from the FS-4 HD and
perform the FORMAT utility. Refer to Format Disk on page 81.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Format Disk
FORMAT DISK
PRESS YES TO
ERASE ALL DATA
YES

BACK

Prevent lost frames due to file fragmentation by formatting the
FS-4 HD before each recording session.
Save Files Before Formatting
The formatting process erases all data on the disk and is not reversible.
Backup all files and clips on the FS-4 HD before formatting.

This selection formats the disk as follows:
1. From the Utilities screen, go to Format Disk.
2. Select YES to begin formatting.
A status screen displays progress of the formatting and at
completion displays the message:
•
•

Complete indicating Repair Disk was successful.
Aborted indicating that there were errors and the repair

did not complete.

3. Press BACK to return to the Utilities screen.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Repair Disk
REPAIR DISK
PRESS YES TO
REPAIR DISK
YES

BACK

Use this function if a recording session does not complete
properly and there is a question that the file may be damaged.
For example, recording terminates due to a loss of power to the
FS-4 HD. Repair Disk scans the entire disk drive checking for
and repairing file errors and incomplete files. When the file is
repaired it is can be used in the NLE system.
Corrupted Files May Need More Repairs
After running Repair Disk some files may still need further work to restore
them. In such a case, run the utility Repair Clip, refer to the following page.

To repair a disk:
1. From the Utilities screen, go to Repair Disk.
2. Select YES and the FS-4 HD begins repairing the disk.
A status screen displays the progress of disk repair and at
completion displays the message:
•
•

Complete indicating Repair Disk was successful.
Aborted indicating that there were errors and the repair

did not complete.

3. Press BACK to return to the Utilities screen.

After Using REPAIR DISK Move Content and Re-Format
After using the REPAIR DISK utility, the content must be moved from the
FS-4 HD's drive and the FS utility FORMAT run before resuming recording.
Refer to Format Disk on page 81.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Repair Clip DV mode only
REPAIR CLIP
CLIP 001
YES

BACK

Use this function to repair a specific file that may be damaged
or incomplete. For example, recording terminates due to a loss
of power to the FS-4 HD and a specific file may be damaged.
Repair Clip scans the specified file checking for and repairing
file errors and incomplete files. When the file is repaired it is
can be used in the NLE system.
1. From the Utilities screen, go to Repair Clip.
2. Enter the number of the clip to be repaired, using the Up and
Down navigation buttons.
3. Press YES and the FS-4 HD begins repairing the file.
A status screen displays the progress of disk repair and at
completion displays the message:
• Complete indicating Repair Disk was successful.
• Aborted indicating that there were errors and the repair did
not complete.

4. Press BACK to return to the Utilities screen.

After Using REPAIR CLIP Move Content and Re-Format
After using the REPARI CLIP utility, the content must be moved from the FS4 HD's drive and the FS utility FORMAT run before resuming recording.
Refer to Format Disk on page 81.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

File Name
FILE NAME
CLIP 001
20041101 165423
BACK

This function Displays a file name but does not permit changing
it.
1. From the Utilities screen, go to FILE NAME.
2. Enter the file’s clip number using the Up and Down navigation
buttons.
The base file name is dynamically displayed as a function of the
clip number.
When a clip has multiple files, the first Base file name is displayed
3. Press BACK to return to the Utilities screen.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Upgrade
Check Focus Enhancements website for upgrades and latest
software updates, go to www.focusinfo.com.
To upgrade system software:
1. Set the FS-4 HD to DD DRIVE from the HDD MODE screen and
connect it to a computer.
2. On your computer, rename the XXX.bin file as FS4.bin.
3. Copy or drag the FS4.bin file to the FS-4 HD while it is in DD
DRIVE mode.
4. Exit the FS-4 HD from DD DRIVE mode and navigate to the
Utilities screen.
5. From the Utilities screen, go to Upgrade.
6. Press Right. The following screen appears.

UPGRADE
PRESS SELECT
TO UPGRADE
SOFTWARE
BACK

7. Press Select.
8. A confirmation screen appears: press YES to continue.
A status screen displays the progress of the upgrade.

UPGRADE
UPGRADING ...

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

9. Up on successful completion of the upgrade, the FS-4 HD
displays the message:

UPGRADE
COMPLETE
PLEASE RESTART

10.Hold down the STOP / POWER OFF button until the FS-4 HD
shuts down.
11. Power up the FS-4 HD.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Upgrade Error
If the upgrade fails, the FS-4 HD displays one of the following
messages:

UPGRADE ERROR
WRONG PRODUCT
ID
EXIT
•

Wrong Product ID

Verify that the upgrade is for the model of FS-4 HD
it is being installed on. An upgrade is not crossplatform and must be installed on the model for
which it is intended.
To find the specific model of a FS-4 HD go to the
SETUP screen and then version (2.0.0), refer to Setup
Screens on page 62.
UPGRADE ERROR
FILE
NOT FOUND
EXIT

•

File Not Found

Verify that the upgrade file name is fs4.bin and that
it is in the FS-4 HD hard drive’s root directory.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

System Reset
SYSTEM RESET
CONTINUE TO
RESET
SYSTEM?
YES

BACK

The System Reset feature restores the factory default settings
for the FS-4 HD unit. This feature is useful for diagnosing
problems with the unit.
System Reset
A System Reset can not be reversed.

Diagnostic
DO NOT CHANGE THE SETTINGS OF THIS FUNCTION

This function is included to assist Focus Enhancement
Technical Support diagnose problems that may occur with the
FS-4 HD.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Status
STATUS
SUPPLY1:
1.83V
SUPPLY2:
3.27V
SUPPLY3:
4.89V
BATTERY: 12.56V
TEMP
: 39c
BACK

The FS-4 HD Status screen provides details of the systems
power state as well as internal temperature. This screen may
assist Focus Enhancements Technical Support in determining
power and thermal problems with your unit.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Reels Screen FS-4Pro HD only
REELS
R0
R1
R2
R3

0
1
2
3

When a disk is formatted, the FS-4Pro HD creates 10 folders,
numbered 0-9, on the disk. During recording or playback of a
clip, it is possible to place it into folders or play it from up to 10
different reels.
These folders can have any name up to 10 characters in length.
To name the folders it is first necessary to enter DD DRIVE mode
and mount the FS-4Pro HD to a computer.

Placing a Clip in a Reel
From the Reels screen, choose the Reels as follows:
1. From the Utilities screen, go to Reels screen.
Values include:
• FA R0-0 Default Value
• FA R0-0 through R9-9 “Reel Name”

2. Select a reel from the list.
When selecting a REEL from this screen, the current track is
marked with that REEL number. This can be done in any mode:
record, stop, or playback.

Each of the function keys can be set to specific reel, making it
possible to quickly switch between multiple reels: a total of
three reels being the maximum. Refer to Functions Screen on
page 72 for more information.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Using a Wired Remote Control

When using the optional wired remote control, use the button
pad numbered 0-9 to mark the clips. Any additional button
presses during a recording or playback, changes the selected
REEL. Once a session is finished, select Organize REEL in Utilities
screen. The marked clips are placed in the REEL folders in
sequential order.

When a REEL is selected, the Home screen menu displays the
REEL’s name on the left side of the second to the last line of the
screen, refer to LOCAL on page 94.
Optional Wired Remote Control (p/n ACSS-0019-01)
To order the Wired Remote Control, go to Focus Enhancements website,
www.focusinfo.com/sales/store/.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Play Screen
PLAY
PLAY CLIP
LOOP CLIP
LOOP ALL
PLAY ALL

•

Play Clip

In this mode, the FS-4 HD plays the selected clip from
start to finish when you press the PLAY button. At the
end of the particular clip, the FS-4 HD pauses.
•

Loop Clip

In this mode, the FS-4 HD plays the selected clip from
start to finish. Immediately after completing the clip,
the FS-4 HD begins playing the clip again without a
pause. It stays in this state until stopped.
•

Loop All

In this mode, the FS-4 HD plays the entire contents of
the disk (all clips), in order, from start to finish. At the
end of the last clip, the FS-4 HD begins to play from the
beginning of the first clip again without a pause. It stays
in this state until stopped.
•

Play All

In this mode, the FS-4 HD plays the entire contents of
the disk (all clips) in order, from start to finish. At the
end of the last clip, the FS-4 HD pauses.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Play From Screen FS-4 HD only
PLAY FROM
TRACK LIST
REEL LIST

This screen permits the selection of from where clips playback.
There are two choices:
•

Track List

Clips playback in the order in which they were
recorded. Playback order is based on the order of the
file names.
•

Reel List

Clips in a selected folder are played back. This function
provides the ability to choose between any folders on
the disk. Folders can appear with their user assigned
folder name (if used).

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

Control Screen
CONTROL
LOCAL
AV/C
-SYNCRO SLAVE
TAPELESS

The Control screen provides the capability of enabling the FS-4
HD to operate in four different control modes during record
and playback.
•

LOCAL

Local control mode ignores record triggers from the
camcorder and is controlled exclusively from the FS-4
HD front panel or the optional wired remote control
unit.

Transport
Keys
Keeper
(cycles through
Reels)

0-9 REEL
numbers

•
94

STOP 1-001
COUNTER
00:00:00:00:
DISK 1 000 min
R1
SYNC DISP LOCK

Transport keys have the same functions as on the FS-4

HD.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

•

Use the Keeper
key to cycle through the available
Reels. For example, if the current Reel selection is 3.
pressing Keeper changes the selection to Reel 4.

To purchase the wired remote control, p/n ACSS-0019for the FS-4 HD, visit Focus Enhancements web site
at www.focusinfo.com/sales/store/.

01,

•

AV/C

Do Not Use AV/C control in Record Mode

Use AV/C in playback mode and other situations
where the FS-4 HD is controlled by an external FireWire
device such as a NLE system that is not supported by
Direct To Edit Technology. In these cases, the FS-4 HD
can be used in a manner similar to a camcorder to
capture footage to the NLE.
In AV/C control mode the TC value reported to the controller
or NLE is the value displayed on the Main menu. Pressing
the DISP changes the source of the TC. The DISP TC mode
selects the TC embedded in the DV/MPEG-2 stream. When
in HD RECORDER mode, and the QUICKTIME HD
FORMAT is selected, the type of timecode reported is
defined by the HDV TC TYPE setting, refer to HDV TC TYPE
on page 70.

Using Absolute (ABS) Display Mode
It is recommended that when operating in AV/C mode, the reported
timecode source be changed to Absolute (ABS). This is done through
the LCD DISP mode information fields, see DISP (display)
Information Fields on page 50.

•

Syncro Slave

In Syncro Slave mode, a camcorder and the FS-4 HD
follows the camcorder’s record state. It requires a tape
to be in the camcorder. To use this mode, refer to the
section, Syncro Slave Recording on page 30.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

FS Functions

•

Tapeless Trigger

The Tapeless Trigger mode allows the FS-4 HD to be
controlled from a camcorder if it features an external
control setting separate from the tape transport. Typical
camcorders like this include the Sony DSR 370, DSR390, DSR-400, DSR-450, DSR-570, Canon XL1s and XL2
and the Panasonic DVX-100/-100A.
In addition, the FS-4 HD also supports HDV camcorders
with external control.
Camcorder Requirements for Tapeless Trigger
Tapeless Trigger will not work unless it is supported by the camcorder
and the camcorder is placed in this external control mode. Please
check your camcorder manual for more details.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

LCD Display Symbols and Text
The table below shows the different symbols and states
displayed on the top line of the LCD when used with different
FS-4 HD control, record, play and stop modes:
PLAY/REC MODE

FS-4 HD LCD

Stop

STOP

Pause

PLAY

Play

PLAY

Rec (Pause)

REC

Normal Rec (Rec)

REC

Retro Disk (Stop)

STOP

Retro Disk (Standby)

REC

Retro Cache (Stop)

STOP

Retro Cache (Standby)

REC

Loop Record (Stop)

STOP

Loop Record (Standby)

REC

Loop Record (Rec)

|| O REC

Snap (Stop)

STOP

Snap (Standby)

|| SNAP

Snap (Rec)

|| SNAP

Time Lapse (Stop)

STOP

Time Lapse (Pause)

|| T REC

Time Lapse (Rec) T

REC

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

LCD Display Symbols and Text

CONTROLTYPE

FS-4 HD LCD

AV/C* (Stop)

A STOP

AV/C* (Rec Pause)
AV/C* (Rec)
AV/C* (Play Pause)
AV/C* (Play)
Syncro Slave (Pause)
Syncro Slave (Rec)
Tapeless (Pause)
Tapeless (Rec)

|| A REC

A REC
|| A PLAY

A ALL
|| Y REC

Y REC
|| E REC

E REC

* AV/C is only for use when the FS-4 HD is connected to a
computer system.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Technical Specifications
Specifications are subject to change.

Physical Description
•

Dimensions: 1.59" x 5.6" x 3.74" (40mm x 142mm x
95mm) (with normal 90 minute Battery)

•

Weight: 1 lb. (.45 kg)

Input/Outputs
•

DV Video I/O - 25Mb/s (1x 6-pin IEEE-1394)
On HD units this port can accept 720P and 1080i MPEG
video from specially equipped camcorders.

•

FireWire Computer I/F - up to 400Mb/s (1 x 6-pin
IEEE-1394)

•

GPI & RS-232C Control (1 x 3.5mm mini jack)

Power
•

15V DC, 7.5W

•

Mini-jack power connector

•

Custom Removable Li-ion Rechargeable Battery Pack
(90 minutes estimated run-time)

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

Technical Specifications

Audio/Video/Timecode Specification
•

•
•

25Mb/s, 8-bit 4:1:1 (NTSC-DV) or 4:2:0 (PAL-DV) video
(model dependent). The HD models support 720p 24/
25/30 and 1080i 50/60 from HDV camcorders with a
1394 interface.
DV Embedded Timecode (Drop or Non-Drop)
Embedded 2-ch (16-bit, 48kHz) or 4-ch (12-bit, 32kHz)
Audio

DTE File Formats
•
•

RawDV, AVI Type1, AVI Type2, Matrox AVI, Canopus
AVI, QuickTime, AVI Type2 24p NTSC only, QuickTime
24p NTSC only
M2T HD

•

FS-4Pro HD only

Pinnacle (DV)
AVID OMF (DV)
MXF OPAtom (DV)
QUICKTIME (HD)

Disk Information
•
•
•

100

Internal Disk Type: 5400RPM, 8 MB cache
FS-4 HD: 40GB
FS-4Pro HD: 60GB, 80GB or 100GB
Disk Format: FAT32
FS-4 HD compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP
and Mac OS9/10.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE

Technical Specifications

Log Files
With each recording of a particular clip on a disk, the FS-4 HD
creates a text log file to identify information about the recorded
clip and the recording session. Information includes:
•
•
•
•

Clip name
Clip in/out source TC values
Clip duration
Clip type (record file type).

The log file also identifies when the shock cache becomes low
and when disk or other errors occur during a recording.

Error Messages
Error messages may appear on the FS-4 HD LCD display from
time to time. The purpose of these messages is to alert you to
action that may effect your FS-4 HD operation. Below is a list of
error messages and actions you can take:
Error Message

Description

Action

LOW BATTERY!

Battery power is low.

Connect AC Power or replace the
battery pack. When the unit is run
without the battery installed, this
warning can be displayed, that is
normal.

HIGH
TEMPERATURE!

The unit is getting too hot
for normal operation.

Make sure the vent and fan intake
holes are clear.

NO SPACE LEFT!

The Disk Drive is Full.

Transfer files off the drive and format it
before attempting to do more
recording.

DISK ERROR
XXX

Lost Disk Communication.

Contact Focus Enhancements
Technical Support.

NO DISK
DETECTED

Lost Disk Communication.

Contact Focus Enhancements
Technical Support.

WRONG
PRODUCT ID

Incorrect Software Loaded.

Download correct software and
perform upgrade again.

FILE NOT FOUND

Wrong filename or missing
file.

Check filename or that upgrade file
exists.

TRK LIMIT MAX!

999 clips exist on system.

Copy content from FS-4 HD hard drive
and re-format.

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders

101

Technical Specifications

Warranty
•

1 year, FS-4 HD

•

2 years, FS-4Pro HD

•

90 Days Accessories including the battery.

Temperature
•

Operating: 0-40º C (32 - 104º F)

•

Operating humidity: 30% to 90% RH

•

Storage temperatures: -20 to 60° C (-4° to 140°F)

•

Storage humidity: 85% RH or less

Compatible Camcorders and Accessories
For a list of tested camcorders, refer to www.focusinfo.com.

102

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE

FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorders
MANL-0954-04

Source Exif Data:

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File Type Extension             : pdf
MIME Type                       : application/pdf
PDF Version                     : 1.4
Linearized                      : Yes
Page Count                      : 120
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XMP Toolkit                     : XMP toolkit 2.9.1-13, framework 1.6
About                           : uuid:fe558100-feed-41d6-86a3-d7f6315ca4b9
Producer                        : Acrobat Distiller 7.0.5 (Windows)
Create Date                     : 2006:09:27 09:20:17Z
Creator Tool                    : FrameMaker 7.0
Modify Date                     : 2006:10:24 13:46:23-07:00
Metadata Date                   : 2006:10:24 13:46:23-07:00
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Instance ID                     : uuid:981cc3f6-db13-463b-b27c-47cb29c54aa8
Format                          : application/pdf
Creator                         : Focus Enhancements, 1370 Dell Avenue, Campbell Ca., 95008, U.S.A., www.focusinfo.com
Title                           : FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD Portable DTE Recorder, user Guide, MANL-0954-04
Description                     : The configuration and operation of the FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD portable digital-to-edit recorder.
Author                          : Focus Enhancements
Subject                         : The configuration and operation of the FS-4 HD and FS-4Pro HD portable digital-to-edit recorder.

EXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools

Focus Enhancements Firestore Fs 4 Pro Users Manual HD And 4Pro Portable DTE Recorder, User Guide, MANL 0954 04

FS-4 Pro to the manual 7b8a72c3-29ac-44a5-9012-22144cec4efb

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