Howard BrodskyMarch 4, 2011I have used the HPX170 for two years (the price has been considerably rdeuced on the camera and E-series P2 cards are now available at much lower prices than the A-series I use, but the E-series do have a 5 year limit on functionality, whereas the A-series do not). I have attached a varizoom to the camera for full operation from a single hand control. I networked the camera to an FS-100 250 GB FireStore and a laptop running Adobe On-Location CS3 and recording onto a G-Technology G-Drive with an eSata cable. From the Varizoom, one record button starts the recording on all three devices: P2 cards, FireStore, HDD. The On-Location allows me to monitor every aspect of the recording in real time. I record to the P2 s in 480i. Video and Audio are stored on these Flash memory RAID cards as MXF files. I always take the P2 recording over any other recording, bringing it onto my own desktop HDD RAID system using ShotPut Pro. The files are very high quality. I log and transfer the files into FCP for off-record surplusage trimming and any other specification required by the client (i.e. fades, black slugs, bars and tone) before publishing. I can send the clips to Compressor from there for encoding and DVD publishing, or for creating MPEG-1 files. Another interesting thing that can be done with this workflow is creating a searchable chapter index on the DVD that exactly corresponds to Exhibits, Objections, Collooquy and all the on/off record points. So, instead of a printed paper log the deposition log is actually embedded on the disk and can be instantly summoned at the touch of a remote button. This is a useful tool. The logs can also be recorded this way with much greater detail than an ordinary printed log. The only catch is that it can be a little time-consuming in the post process, but it makes for a much better quality deliverable. You can't do that on a DVD recorder! Another thing that you can't do on a DVD recorder is deliver a disk with video as sharp and clear as you can produce with this workflow. I've confirmed that it is superior to that produced by a $2,000 medical grade DVD recorder my clients have noticed the difference too. With the right amount of P2 memory onboard the HPX170 you can record at 480i for more than 9 hours continuously. That's never going to happen, unless you're involved in some weird rendition deposition in a Syrian prison cell. This tapeless workflow has been reliable and has worked flawlessly for me. Once everything is set up it seems like the recording is effortless to a casual observer, yet you can monitor everything at a glance and make any necessary adjustments quite simply during the course of the day. It also lets you concentrate on your logging without ever having to worry about running out of recording media. I spent a lot of time putting this system together and ran a lot of tests and hunted down a lot of deals. I've managed to amortize the investment, but it's still a tough market today. I just feel reassured that I don't have to waste money on media. We're also essentially Green Legal Videographers with this workflow for all the waste we eliminate.I never swap out the P2 cards during the recording process although it is possible to do so. I have heard horror stories even from experienced producers who have pulled the wrong one and corrupted the memory. There is no need to do it if you're using the high capacity cards. If I was overseas for days of shooting that is when I would consider it. Unless you have a separate laptop and time on your hands, you shouldn't have to worry about it. It takes time to offload these cards, especially if you're not investing in Panasonic's costly P2 boxes for this purpose. I just plug a USB cable from the camera to the desktop to perform the file transfer and format the cards when the transfer completes. All the original material is then archived on a RAID where it can be safely stored for years.