How about a cheap "RESCUE SSD" for firmware restores?

[Chris Hagan]

I recall reading about other users keeping 1 or 2 SSD's set aside for firmware restores should the need arise. I like the idea but not the price tag. So it got me thinking, could RED develop a smaller SSD that is only capable of performing firmware installs? Something similar to the flash drives that come with SmallHD monitors or old Macbook Airs but in an RED SSD form factor. It presumably doesn't have to be rated as high as the current SSD media and the firmware could lock it out from recording.

[Justin Marx]

I recall reading about other users keeping 1 or 2 SSD's set aside for firmware restores should the need arise. I like the idea but not the price tag. So it got me thinking, could RED develop a smaller SSD that is only capable of performing firmware installs? Something similar to the flash drives that come with SmallHD monitors or old Macbook Airs but in an RED SSD form factor. It presumably doesn't have to be rated as high as the current SSD media and the firmware could lock it out from recording.

Good idea!!

[Jon Carr]

+1 please

[K. cromwell]

Interesting idea... I like.

[Gunleik Groven]

me2

[Trent Lillehaugen]

There is rarely ever a need to reinstall your firmware. The reason this usually seems to work is that a force upgrade does 2 things - restore the factory default settings and perform a firmware upgrade. 99.9% of the time, all you need to do is restore the factory default settings -- which you can do from the SETTINGS->MAINTENANCE dialog.

[roryhinds]

I think this would be really useful to many many people.
Its always good to have a solid firmware you know works that you can flip back to should you find yourself in a situation where the beta build or newer build has bugs.

Please Red make these.

[Meryem Ersoz]

RED ONE only required a relatively inexpensive 8gb card to carry around a firmware reinstall....with the EPIC/SCARLET, it's a $950 investment to accomplish the same thing. and it's overkill.

with a four-pack of 128 cards, I basically find myself devoting one of these to the firmware reinstall, so that I don't have to shell out another $950 just to buy a 64gb card to do it - again, a poor use of resources and and even worse form of overkill. it may be one of those things which "rarely" is required, but when your shoot is one of those rare moments, you will thank the heavens that you took care of business.

it's a good idea.

[jimhare]

I have been on two shoots when I have had to force reinstall the firmware. Both times there were no other options as I was completely and unquestionably locked out.

In one case I had my laptop and Red Station with me, so it was easy to download the firmware, move it to an SSD and reinstall. The other time I didn't, and that was the end of my shooting day, which was luckily just doing tests for a friend. Was able to fix it instantly back at the studio.

On all important shoots I now make sure to pack the laptop and Red Station unless I have enough SSDs to dedicate one to firmware.

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

I have been on two shoots when I have had to force reinstall the firmware. Both times there were no other options as I was completely and unquestionably locked out.

So have I, well two days on the same shoot. Had to set a 128GB SSD aside the second day just for firmware upgrade emergencies, and did end up having to use it. Seems silly to have to carry around an extra $1-2k SSD just to be sure you have a camera that works through the day. That was an EPIC running a release build and it was a rental so it wasnt as big of a deal since we had plenty of media for our purposes, but I can't afford to have that problem with my Scarlet since I can only afford 2 64GB SSDs for it.

+1 for the inexpensive firmware upgrade option, maybe some cheap media we can store firmwares and looks and settings on?