Q: What type of compression does the DN-400/500 use?
A: The unit records in standard DV (.dv) compression for standard definition, and in standard MPEG-2 Transport compression (.m2t) for high-definition. It will also convert the files to DV-compressed AVI Type 1 or AVI Type 2 format (.avi). The unit also ships with PC-based software (on a CD) that will convert your video to many other formats - please see the DN-400 page/DN-500 page for a full list of formats.
Q: Is it possible to digitize my VHS/S-VHS/8mm/Hi-8 video with the DN-400/500?
A: Yes, as long as your source playback machine has an analog or Firewire output. To include audio from an analog source, your source machine needs to output RCA or XLR audio. Please keep in mind that depending on the format and age of your source tape, there may be quality and degradation issues. If your tape has playback issues, we recommend you use a time-base corrector between your source and the DN-400/500.
Q: Is the DN-400/DN-500 AVC-compliant?
A: No, the DN-400/DN-500 cannot be remotely controlled via Firewire.
Q: Can I use multiple DN-400/DN-500s with a Firewire hub?
A: No, only the last connected DN-400/DN-500 will be recognized.
Q: What can I do if I'm having RS-422 problems when using analog video?
A: You will need to update the unit's firmware. You can find the necessary files and a step-by-step guide on the DN-400 or DN-500 page.
Q: What resolution does the DN-400/DN-500 record in?
A: Standard definition video is recorded at 720x480 NTSC, 720x576 PAL. HDV video is recorded at 1440x1080i.
Q: Can I playback while recording simultaneously?
A: No, the output connectors on the DN-400/DN-500 will only display what is being recorded, you cannot playback previously recorded tracks.
Q: How can I use a RS-232 remote controller with the DN-400/DN-500?
A: We recommend the RS-422 port for remote-controlling the unit as the RS-232 connector is intended mainly for factory updates.
Q: I have a Firewire video capture board on my computer, but it is not detecting the DN-400/DN-500. What can I do?
A: It's possible your Firewire video capture board is not SBP-2 protocol compliant (IEEE-1394 hard disk protocol). It may only function with AVC-compliant devices, such as a camcorder, DV deck, etc. Since the DN-400/DN-500 functions as a hard drive and not a deck, you need to connect it to a regular Firewire port on your computer (or add a 1394 PCI Firewire card if no Firewire ports are available).
Q: We've noticed that the video goes out for a few seconds every 10 hours. Is there a fix?
A: This is only a problem when recording analog video in PAL - the recorder switches itself to a new track after 10 hours. It is a bug in the encoding chip's program and unfortunately cannot be fixed. If you know a recording session will be longer than 10 continuous hours, we suggest using digital cameras. Neither NTSC nor DV/HDV recording have this problem.
Q: Is "HDD Surface Scan" the same as "Format HDD"?
A: No. "Surface Scan" checks the integrity of the hard drive (and takes about 2 hours). "Format HDD" is the same as on a computer, it will erase the entire hard drive and create a new index for re-use.
Q: The USB interface on the removable drive is not fast enough for realtime editing. How can we resolve this on our NLE system?
A: We recommend the files be transferred to your local hard drive for best performance.
Q: Can I buy extra drive enclosures?
A: Yes, we sell enclosures with and without hard drives. Please see the DN-400 or DN-500 page for available enclosures.
Q: Do you recommend any particular hard drives to work with the enclosure?
A: We recommend 2.5" SATA hard drives made by Hitachi, Western Digital or Fujitsu (Seagate drives will not work with our enclosures). We suggest a minimum specification of 8M buffer, 5400RPM with 3 Gb/s bandwidth.
Q: What is the difference between the DN-400 and DN-500?
A: The DN-500 is mainly a rackmounted version of the DN-400 table-top unit. The only difference between the two is that the DN-500 has full-sized XLR inputs, while the DN-400 has mini-XLR inputs. Both have identical components and will accept the same hard drive enclosure.
Q: How do I monitor my HDV signal?
A: The HDV signal from the DN-400/500 cannot be monitored. However, the DN-400/500 will decode the signal upon playback.
Q: Does the included software allow you to batch the file conversion to another format?
A: Yes, you can batch the file conversion.
Q: What is the maximum recording time for DN-400/500 with 250GB HDD?
A: Maximum recording time for DN-400/500 with 250GB HDD is 19hrs.
Q: Can I replace 250GB HDD with a larger HDD?
A: Yes, you can replace it with 500GB HDD. 500GB is the largest hard drive capacity DN-400/500 supports.
Q: I want to record from an analog input source but I also want to use the DV output on the recorder to feed an MP-6000 recorder. Is this possible?
A: Yes, the recorder will transcode the input signal to DV, while actively recording to the hard drive. Please note: any signal disruptions will affect all of the devices in the video stream.
Q: Can we format the hard drive with a PC, or do we need to format in a DN-400?
A: We would recommend formatting the drive on the DN-400 only.
Q: I removed the DN-400/500 drive from the recorder and I am connecting it via USB to my computer, but it is periodically losing connectivity or it will not appear as an external drive. Is my drive faulty?
A: Please make sure you are using the included Datavideo USB transfer cable with your hard drive. We have encountered some issues with third party USB cables which might cause a loss of connectivity with the drives.
Q: While recording from a DV source, will the DN-400 pass the video and audio to the analog outputs so I can monitor the signal?
A: Yes, while recording from a DV source, DN-400 will pass the video and audio to the analog outputs. It will not work if you are recording from HDV source.
Q: While recording from a DV source, will the DN-400 pass the signal to the DV outputs so I can also record to a backup computer hard drive or miniDV tape?
A: Yes, while recording from a DV source, DN-400 will pass the signal to the DV outputs so you can also record to a backup computer hard drive or miniDV tape.
Q: Do you have a solution for converting the raw DV files to Quicktime for Mac computers?
A: If they are DV files, Mac computers will natively read it so you won't have to convert the files. You would be able to drag and drop the files directly to the Mac. DV files can be natively read by a Mac with either iMovie or Final Cut Pro. However, if you have HDV files, Final Cut does not natively support .m2t so you must use a program like,Streamclip to convert the .m2t files.
Q: Can I record a component signal and output to firewire?
A: Yes, you can; but you must set the output channel to 63.
Q: What format does the DN-300, DN-400, and DN-500 record to if my input is analog (composite, S-video, component)?
A: NTSC - DV 25 Mbps, 8-bit Y.U.V. 4:1:1
PAL- DV 25 Mbps, 8-bit Y.U.V. 4:2:0
Q: Does the DN-300, DN-400, and DN-500 record HD signals?
A: Yes, but only via the firewire port. The signal source must be as follows:
HDV 1080i / 60 25 Mbps 8-bit Y.U.V. 4:2:0
HDV 1080i / 50 25 Mbps 8-bit Y.U.V. 4:2:0
Q: Will the DN-300, DN-400, and DN-500 record HD component?
A: No.