Barry Green's P2 Scene File Hack for More Framerate options

While more difficult to configure than the default menu options, the AG-HVX200 framerate hack allows you to shoot at rates as low as 2 fps (undercranking), which can save recording capacity and increase the sensitivity of the camera. You can also use the hack on the HVX200A and it is believed it will function on the HPX170. Panasonic has released support for this hack on some of their non-english websites. To perform this hack, you'll need a computer with a text editor (like notepad, included with Windows).

1. Insert an SD Card in the camera and save a scene file using the CARD FUNCTIONS menu.
2. Open the scene file text file in the PRIVATE\MEIGROUP\PAVCN\SBG\P2SD directory, called SCENEX.txt (where X is the scene file number) using Notepad, Simpletext, or another text editor.
3. You'll see the scene file data in text format. We're interested in the second-to-last line.

   00005000: 8 ; DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005001: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005002: 8 ; DETAIL CORING : 0
00005003: 8 ; CHROMA LEVEL: 0
00005004: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005005: 8 ; COLOR TEMP: 0
00005006: 16 ; MASTER PED: 0
00005007: 8 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
00005008: 1 ; NEWS GAMMA: OFF
00005009: 0 ; GAMMA : HD NORM
0000500A: 0 ; KNEE: AUTO
0000500B: 0 ; MATRIX: NORM
0000500C: 1 ; SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
0000500D: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
0000500E: 0 ; OPERATION TYPE: VIDEO CAM
0000500F: 0 ; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT
00005010: BE026801 ; SYNCRO SCAN :

   Everything after the semicolon is a "comment" and is not read by the camera. Change the last number (in this case, "0") to something else, and the camera will use a different frame rate. The AG-HVX200 uses the numbers in the table below, the AG-HVX202 uses slightly different numbers, but the concept is the same. Framerates are approximate. Some are -.1% for drop-frame compensation, some are actually slightly faster than listed.
   

   number	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36+
   framerate (fps)	2	3	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	23	24	n/a	26	27	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	n/a	54	56	58	60	repeat 50 to 60

   So, for example, If you want to shoot at 2 FPS, the line would look like this:
   0000500F: 1 ; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT
   And if you wanted 58 fps, it would look like this:
   0000500F: 34 ; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT
4. Save the modified text file back to the SD card
5. Insert the SD card in the AG-HVX200 and load the scene files through the CARD FUNCTIONS menu.

When you select the scene file, you'll see the new frame rate there. If you change the framerate, you won't be able to change it back to a nonsupported framerate without reloading the scene file from the card. Remember that audio is not recorded when using any 720pN settings except for the default frame rates.

Looking for 25 fps on a NTSC HVX200? It has been reported that setting the frame rate value to 15 will allow recording at approximately 24.97 fps only over firewire to a program like DVRack. Recording to P2 cards will produce an error. It is reported that the HPX170 will support some of these framerates without a hack, and will support recording at approximately 25 fps (without audio) in 720pN24 mode to P2 cards.