A (relatively) quick guide to Camcorder hacking
HOW TO USE THIS SITE
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This site has been around for a while, and there is a ton of information here. So how do you find what you need? First, the site is arranged into sections, which are further broken down by general topics. You can get a pretty good idea about what is contained in each topic by reading the description. Another way to find information is to use the search function on this site. At the top of the page, under the camerahacking.com banner is the search button. As an alternative to the search function on this site, you can also use google. Just go to:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Acamerahacks.10.forumer.com
and put your search terms in after "site:camerahacks.10.forumer.com" (be sure to put in a space before your search term/s :) )
ABOUT THE CAMCORDERS
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The Camcorders are available at CVS and Rite Aid. They are approximately 4 in. tall, 2.5 in. wide, and 1.25 in. thick, so they fit easily into a pocket or purse. With only 4 buttons (Power, Playback, Record, Delete) they are simple to use. A 1.5 in. color screen allows you to view what you are recording, and also to play back the last video you took. In stock form they can record 20 minutes of video and sound. It stores the videos in the following format.
Encapsulation/Stream-type: AVI
Video codec: XviD
Video framerate: 30 fps
Video bitrate: ~500 kb/s variable
Video size: 320x240
Audio codec: MPEG (mp1/mp2)
Audio bitrate: 32 kb/s
Audio format: mono
Note that XviD format, like DivX, is an imlementation of the MPEG-4 standard. For more info on XviD, or to download the codec, see: http://www.xvidmovies.com/info
There are 4 different models out there, and different firmware and board versions for some of the models. The model number can be found on the bottom of the cam, by the release for the battery cover. It can be clearly seen through the packaging. The firmware/board versions can only be identified after the camcorder has been opened. This is done via a "nerve-pinch".The majority of the cams use the following procedure.
With the cam off, hold down both the Record and Delete buttons, while holding both buttons down, press the Power button to turn on the cam. The screen should look like the following.
FW-VERSION: ##.##
CAMERA ID:
############
PCB VER: B#
On some rare cams, the procedure would be-
With the cam on, hold down the Power button and press Delete. Screen looks like this
VERSION 2005#######
CCF VER ####
ID FA##########
Now for a look at the different models.....
M100-
This was the first camcorder released, and has never been hacked. It is pretty rare, however, so your chances of being stuck with one are pretty slim.
M200-
This Cam comes with several different versions of firmware/board combinations. The M200 has probably had the most attention given to it, therefore there is a ton of information on this site regarding it. Here is a quick rundown concerning the different firmware versions.
FW-VER: 03.40-
Probably the most sought after camcorder, since it is the easiest to hack for "multi-use". No need to even open the cam up. Just build yourself a cable, and download some software, and you're ready to go!
FW-VER: 03.62-
A little harder to get into, it requires opening the case and shorting out the cam in a particular place at a particular time. Read through this forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1577>thread until you understand what you are doing before attempting this hack.
FW-VER: 03.70-
This one gives everyone fits. It may be hackable via the 03.62 method, or it may not, it all depends on when the firmware was last loaded on the cam. And the kicker is that there is no definitive way to tell how old the cam is. There are reports that older cams (possible to hack via shorting) have Toshiba batteries in them, while the newer cams (cannot be hacked via shorting) have Duracell batteries. This is by no means a conclusive result, so anyone attempting to short this cam must take that into consideration. There are alternatives to shorting, but they require some special knowledge and/or skills. They all come down to the same thing, getting the information off the camcorders flash that is needed to unlock it. Some successful attempts at this are considered unethical by some, and may fall on the wrong side of "grey" legally. Use the search function to find discussions relating to grabbing keys and extended unlocks. The other way is to use a forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2916>SmartMedia reader and some fine soldering to get the keys yourself.
FW-VER: 23.82-
This firmware version is showing up on recycled M200 camcorders. A M200 with this firmware can be identified pre-purchase by the "Improved Video Quality New! Longer Battery Life" sticker on the blister package. Do not use the short hack on this firmware version, it will kill the camcorder. This firmware version must be hacked using one of the alternative methods, the same as the newer 03.70 firmware.
M220-
This is the newest camcorder. It is not able to be hacked via a short. The
only way in at the momement is one of the alternatives listed for the 3.7. So far there have been a few firmware versions reported.
FW-VER: 33.04
FW-VER: 33.17
FW-VER: 33.19
M230-
Not able to be shorted. Same alternative methods apply as the 3.7's and all M220's, except for the SmartMedia reader.
FW-VER: 53.05
WHAT ELSE WILL I NEED?
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First you will need some sort of cable to connect the camera to your computer. The three most popular ways of building one are listed below. The links listed will give you a starting point to building your own. If you don't want to build one, then you could always check Ebay.
USB- This involves soldering either a usb cable or port onto your camcorder.
http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1942
http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2424
Modified palm cable- This involves modifying a Palm m100 cable or cradle to fit the connector port already on the camera. It also needs to have the wiring changed to work with USB.
http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2554
http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1161
Modified Centronics (printer) cable- This involves modifying the coonector to fit the camera, and changing the wiring to USB.
http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1154
http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1078 (this shows the cable with a still camera, but it also works with the camcorder)
You will also need some software in order to get your camcorder to work with your computer. This is found in the Applications part of the camcorder forum. The program most used is forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=560>Ops. This program runs from Windows and allows the computer to communicate with the camcorder. Features include downloading movies to your computer, uploading movies to the camcorder, view/upload/download/delete files on the camcorder (use at your own risk!), change camera settings, such as resolution and frame rate along with a bunch of other options. The following list will give you a rundown of the buttons and their functions for the 0.17 Release.
WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THESE CAMCORDERS ONCE THE'VE BEEN HACKED?
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The following is a small list of what has been done with these cams.
Silence the forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=770>sounds
Change splash forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=761>screens
Convert Camcorder for forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=787>infrared/night vision
and the list goes on....
There are almost endless possibilities when it comes to modding and using these camcorders. Some time spent browsing through this board will turn up many more, and could spark a creative thought for something you would like to attempt. For the many creative ways these cams have been used, a look through the forumer.com/viewforum.php?f=16>Videos section is always good for ideas and entertainment.
Have fun exploring all the possibilities on this site and Happy Hacking!
