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First created in 1892, the Toronto Star is Canada's largest daily newspaper, reaching more than 2.9 million readers each week. Like most mainstream media companies, the Star looked to build its web presence in order to stay competitive and expand its offerings in today's Internet age. In 2006, the paper launched an initiative to aggressively build up its multimedia department.
The newly formed multimedia team looked to produce high definition video, and determined that Panasonic's AG-HVX200 camera offered a great combination of HD performance and price. As Bernard Weil, longtime photojournalist at the Star, explained, "At its price point, the HVX200 is carving a big path in the HD highway. HD is the future of video, and we wanted to be prepared to roll out high definition video."
However, Weil was uncertain if the HVX200's P2 cards would meet the paper's recording needs. "We do some scripted content, but as photojournalists, unpredictability is the nature of our business," he said. "We simply don't know what we'll be running into in the field ? and it doesn't take much to fill up an 8 or 16 GB card."
Solution
After evaluating the options, Weil selected the FS-100 Direct To Edit recorder from Focus Enhancements to address this storage challenge. Designed to work with the AG-HVX200, the FS-100 lets videographers record DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO 50 and DVCPRO/DV streams directly to disk via FireWire. With its standard 100 GB hard drive (and optional 160 GB), the FS-100 offers long recording times at a cost-effective price point.
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| The Firestore FS-100 |
"In my research on the camera, I consistently came across the FS-100," said Weil. "I was impressed with the close collaboration between Focus Enhancements and Panasonic, and I was pretty confident the drive is what we needed to make the camera work for our applications."
Benefits
Today, Weil uses the HVX200 and the FS-100 for most of his projects ? which can range from long-term, multi-segment feature stories to same-day spot news pieces. Like other members in the Star's multimedia department, Weil is generally responsible for all aspects of the production workflow, including shooting, editing, and encoding each piece for the web. "The HVX200 and FS-100 work flawlessly together. They've fit smoothly into my workflow and the end result is great," he said.
"Now I capture a story on the FS-100, bring it back to the office and transfer the files to my workstation for editing. And for breaking news pieces, I'm able to plug the FS-100 into my laptop, download all the material, and can start editing as I'm heading back to the Star," Weil explained. "With the FS-100's 100 GB capacity, I typically don't have to worry about running out storage space. But I can always transfer files to my laptop in order to capture large amounts in the field." Weil also noted that his laptop is equipped with Final Cut Pro, enabling him to edit and produce stories remotely when needed.
With the HVX200 and FS-100, Weil now shoots in 720p and appreciates the high quality results. "The videos look great. Some people wonder why we need to utilize HD, considering all our videos end up on the web. But, shooting in high definition gives our audience larger, better quality videos," he explained. "And when we started in 2006, there weren't many newspapers producing videos of that size."
In addition, Weil has been impressed with the support from Focus Enhancements. "I can't say enough about their support team. Not only do they understand the FS-100, but the also know the camera. It's obvious that the two companies are working closely together," he concluded.
Summary
In its initiative to expand its multimedia department and reach audiences over the Internet, the Toronto Star relies on the combination of the FS-100 DTE Recorder and Panasonic AG-HVX200 camera to produce high quality HD video content. With its standard 100 GB hard drive, the FS-100 offers an economical and easy-to-manage solution for HD recording.
"The HVX200 and FS-100 work flawlessly together. They've fit smoothly into my workflow and the end result is great."
- Bernard Weil, photojournalist, the Toronto Star
About the Toronto Star
The Toronto Star, http://www.thestar.com founded in 1892, is read in print and online (thestar.com) by 2.9 million readers every week. The Toronto Star is Canada's largest daily newspaper, with the largest readership in the country. It is published seven days a week in the Greater Toronto Area and is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation.
FS Family
The FS family of video production products takes users from acquisition to editing with unparalleled speed, efficiency, and reliability. Compatible with most DV and HDV camcorders and editing software, FS products feature Direct To Edit (DTE) video recording technology that converts the output from your DV or HDV camcorder or VTR to a nonlinear editing (NLE) format and records it on FireWire disk drives. By combining DTE Technology® with advanced caching and redundant tape and disk recording, FS products ensure that you never miss an important shot or lose critical footage. And best of all, your footage is ready to edit instantly.
FS-100
Weighing about one pound and only 1.5 inches thick, the FS-100 is an HD recorder designed to work with the new Panasonic AG-HVX200 P2 camera, supporting DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO 50, and DVCPRO/DV recording formats. The FS-100 provides long recording times and improves workflow with Direct To Edit® technology. It can also be used with other Panasonic DVCPRO/DVCPRO 50 and DVCPRO HD devices that have a FireWire port.
About Focus Enhancements, Inc.
Innovation, efficiency, and superior quality are the foundation upon which Focus Enhancements builds its products. A world leader in advanced video production, digital asset management, and digital signage solutions, Focus delivers products that perform superbly day in and day out and backs them with unparalleled service and support.
