Modding the Kodak Reels 8mm Film Digitizer (Firmware Hack)

[sclawrenc]

Hey all, first I'd like to thank Mac84 for his excellent work on this, as well as everyone else that has had input. I am using a Kodak Reels V2.0 U.S. model I picked up on Ebay to do well over 48 3 inch and one 5 inch 8mm reels.

Couple things I noticed when going through the very detailed instructions. It looks like the original instructions were from a V 1.0 so I'd just like to add an amendment to the original instructions for V2.0.



For my V2.0 U.S. Model the address was different as shown below. For my V2.0 U.S. the address is 00ddb09C.

Screenshot from my setup via NtkMPE 1.2:

Note: Unfortunately the last column "Aspe..." is cutoff and so I was not sure what exactly that was looking for or if like FPS it is just ignored anyway (see below on FPS findings).

View attachment 15472

Resolution: So, in looking at what was available to me here, I looked at Mac84's 1920 x 1440p resolution which as posted results in a 17.4 Mb/s max bitrate video. Then also checked to see what the posted OEM resolution 1728x1296 + High Bitrate put out which resulted in a much better 22.4 Mb/s Max bitrate file.

After reading this:



This made alot of sense to me, as well once I looked at the Neat Video plugin which (now that I've tried it) seems to be pretty much the denoise standard for pro's and home alike, I realized that another benefit is the "Home" license for Neat Video for DaVinci Resolve is U.S. $99 for home use and maxed at 1080p, where it's $179 for the commercial license with no resolution restrictions. DaVinci Resolve free version does not include the Denoise tool, you have to bump up to the paid (DaVinci Resolve Studio) version for $299 for that. So, for $99 U.S. you have one heck of an editor for the money to be sure.

Bitrate for 1440 x 1080: Since JohnF did not specify what bitrate he tested I decided to give 1440 X 1080 a try as previously mentioned to see how far I could push the bitrate. As shown in my screenshot above I was able to push it to 19222 (the header in that table from NTKMPE show it as bitrate/2). This setting does in fact work and give you an output video of 26.2 Mb/s as per MediaInfo! Note *anything* higher than that and it just refuses to record the video, but at 19222 it is very stable and I am seeing far fewer compression artifacts from the stock setup.

So basically here is my summary of what's offered here for resolutions and bitrates:

I'd like to also suggest that one other metric can be taken into account besides resolution and video bitrate (though it is partially a result of both) in determining a "quality" metric and that is Bits/(Pixel*Frame). Basically if you are going to be doing any digital post processing, everything is pretty much done at that level whether it be color correction, denoising, and even down stream scaling and compression.

So, I have included it in the table below as I analyzed via MediaInfo the three current options offered "out of the can" so to speak at the top of this post, then throwing the 1440 x 1080p + Higher bitrate I tested in there giving me 4 good options.

Firmware	Resolution	Video Bitrate	Bits/(Pixel*Frame)
Original Unmodified v2.0 Firmware	1728 x 1296	8726 kb/s	0.195
1440p resolution + Higher bitrate (v2)	1920 x 1440	17.2 Mb/s	0.311
Higher Bitrate - Original Resolution (v2)	1728 x 1296	22.4 Mb/s	0.494
* 1080p resolution + Higher bitrate (v2)	1440 x 1080	26.2 Mb/s	0.843

* Firmware created in the screenshot above for Kodak Reels Version 2.0 (USA Only)

Note on Framerate: I also tried changing the frame rate (with everything else mfg setup to avoid any conflicts) and both 18fps (super 8) and 16 fps (8mm) caused the unit to freeze as soon as you hit record. So, I then figured maybe it has to be in multiples of 10 as other values in the table are 30 fps. Setting the fps to 10 or 30 fps does allow the unit to record, however the resulting output is at 20 fps so for whatever reason fps of 10 or 30 seems to just be ignored by the unit.

Random Observations:
As mentioned before, you can record on both fat32 as well as exfat formatted cards, also doesn't seem to mind micro sdxc cards with an adapter (which they usually come with) and I have used a 128 GB microsd card formatted exFat with macOS Disk Utility. Flashing does require a fat32 formatted card as Mac84 mentioned.

Thanks for doing all of the heavy lifting on this Mac84! Results are much better than stock regardless of which of the flavors offered here you choose IMO.

As I am new to this board, I am not linking to the 1080p high bitrate firmware I created. If a mod wants it to offer up at the top as an option, that's fine with me. Remember, it is ONLY tested on my Kodak Reels V 2.0 U.S. version machine.

Again, thanks so much for improving what I actually thought was a pretty decent product!

Thank you @dynaflash for sharing your updated settings. I decided to download the most recent firmware from Kodak website using my serial number, and then I made the edits you mentioned. Hopefully this minimizes the risk of issues.

Please see the screenshot below. In my case, the firmware from the Kodak site shows the address 00ddc2bc as the one to edit. I wonder why my aspe column shows as 1280 when yours and others show 1920? Maybe this doesn't matter.

I will flash my device at some point, but not sure because I might be returning or exchanging it based on my previous post with the blocky pixelation and artifacts. Maybe that's just normal and this firmware mod will help.

 

[Mac84]

Thank you @dynaflash for sharing your updated settings. I decided to download the most recent firmware from Kodak website using my serial number, and then I made the edits you mentioned. Hopefully this minimizes the risk of issues.

Please see the screenshot below. In my case, the firmware from the Kodak site shows the address 00ddc2bc as the one to edit. I wonder why my aspe column shows as 1280 when yours and others show 1920? Maybe this doesn't matter.

I will flash my device at some point, but not sure because I might be returning or exchanging it based on my previous post with the blocky pixelation and artifacts. Maybe that's just normal and this firmware mod will help.

The pre-built firmware files (with updated resolution) are displayed once you enter your serial number into the new tool. I've built and tested these and they've worked great on my three models.

With the official Kodak firmware downloaded, that's your safety belt. If after flashing your firmware to the modified type, and you're not happy, you should be able to re-flash the firmware back to the Kodak version without issue.

And especially if you were thinking of returning the device... there's even less risk involved.

 

[phoyd]

Just a quick note to say that I found a free and quick way to convert captures from 20fps to 16fps on a Mac if you're comfortable working in Terminal.

Install Homebrew and ffmpeg using Terminal (ffmpeg is a command line video editing tool - chances are you've heard of it if you've been researching capturing old films).

Once those are installed and you still have a Terminal window open, navigate to the directory that houses an 8mm capture, and run the following command:



(make sure to update your input and output file names in the command above)

It goes pretty fast, but if you have a longer capture it may take a little time. And use the number 18 instead of 16 if yours is a Super8 capture.

The above code has ffmpeg open your file that was captured at 20fps and read it as 16fps, and then save it without making any duplicate or dropped frames to the 16fps - as far as I can tell it simply slows it down the fps a bit, proper speed. You're passing through all other codec settings and changing the bitrate to 12000k if it wasn't already. The resulting file is ready to import into editing software. I wanted a corrected frame rate before doing any editing.

If someone is familiar with ffmpeg and feels I screwed up or am giving bad info, please let me know and I'll edit. This is a mish-mash of instructions found on a few different forums. I'm paying for a monthly Adobe subscription so I wanted to use Premiere Pro since I'm familiar with - but it won't natively (or easily) save to 16fps, unfortunately.

The command (ffmpeg -r 16 -i inputvideofilenamehere.MP4 -vsync passthrough -b:v 12000k outputvideofilenamehere.MP4 ) reencodes the video, which might not be desirable.

Instead you can use the -itsscale option of ffmpeg to change only the timestamps of the frames. -itscale expects a factor to apply to the timestamps and for a conversion from 20fps to 16fps the factor is 20/16=1.25. The command would be:

ffmpeg -itsscale 1.25 -i input.mp4  -c copy ouput.mp4

 

[sclawrenc]

The pre-built firmware files (with updated resolution) are displayed once you enter your serial number into the new tool. I've built and tested these and they've worked great on my three models.

With the official Kodak firmware downloaded, that's your safety belt. If after flashing your firmware to the modified type, and you're not happy, you should be able to re-flash the firmware back to the Kodak version without issue.

And especially if you were thinking of returning the device... there's even less risk involved.

Thanks again @Mac84

I just downloaded the firmware from the Kodak site using my serial number and then edited the resolution and bitrate based on some feedback from @dynaflash and loaded it to my Kodak Reels, however, I now have a display that is not working correctly. I see horizontal yellow and red bands across the screen at the home screen instead of the standard Kodak screen. I have tried loading the default firmware (with no modifications) from the Kodak website using my serial number, and the firmware @Mac84 provided based on my serial number, but I still get the messed up yellow/red display. I'm not sure what to do now with it not working. It seems to respond to my commands, but the display isn't working. I have the 2.0 firmware and I'm in the US.

 

[Mac84]

Thanks again @Mac84

I just downloaded the firmware from the Kodak site using my serial number and then edited the resolution and bitrate based on some feedback from @dynaflash and loaded it to my Kodak Reels, however, I now have a display that is not working correctly. I see horizontal yellow and red bands across the screen at the home screen instead of the standard Kodak screen. I have tried loading the default firmware (with no modifications) from the Kodak website using my serial number, and the firmware @Mac84 provided based on my serial number, but I still get the messed up yellow/red display. I'm not sure what to do now with it not working. It seems to respond to my commands, but the display isn't working. I have the 2.0 firmware and I'm in the US.

This probably is likely caused by Kodak (or rather, the Chinese company they licensed their name to) using different LCD screen parts and panels in these systems. As some users experienced this before, but I was hopeful that their recent firmware update worked as a solution for this.

Originally Kodak posted their firmware update which only covered one of their units, this was quickly taken down and they posted a tool that checks the serial number and points you to either firmware file A or B. However, it seems like maybe they need a third option. Sadly, this is part of the risk of using the modified firmware files.

Here's what I would do:
Email Kodak support. I would not mention anything about trying this modified firmware. I doubt that is the cause of the issue and it would just confuse matters.

I'd write that you downloaded the Kodak firmware from their website and now the LCD screen is displaying funny colors. I'd provide them with your serial number too. In the past they've updated the firmware files to accommodate users who were having issues with their updates, so it's possible they'd be able to help. However their reply times are sometimes slow. Feel free to post or direct message me your serial number, I can't do anything with it now, but maybe in the future it would be helpful in identifying the root cause.

 

[sclawrenc]

This probably is likely caused by Kodak (or rather, the Chinese company they licensed their name to) using different LCD screen parts and panels in these systems. As some users experienced this before, but I was hopeful that their recent firmware update worked as a solution for this.

Originally Kodak posted their firmware update which only covered one of their units, this was quickly taken down and they posted a tool that checks the serial number and points you to either firmware file A or B. However, it seems like maybe they need a third option. Sadly, this is part of the risk of using the modified firmware files.

Here's what I would do:
Email Kodak support. I would not mention anything about trying this modified firmware. I doubt that is the cause of the issue and it would just confuse matters.

I'd write that you downloaded the Kodak firmware from their website and now the LCD screen is displaying funny colors. I'd provide them with your serial number too. In the past they've updated the firmware files to accommodate users who were having issues with their updates, so it's possible they'd be able to help. However their reply times are sometimes slow. Feel free to post or direct message me your serial number, I can't do anything with it now, but maybe in the future it would be helpful in identifying the root cause.

Thanks @Mac84 and that's exactly what I did today. I'm hopeful they will be able to provide me the correct firmware for the version I have. Kodak Support was very helpful when I had another question/issue a few weeks ago, and I am optimistic they will come through on this issue too. I will keep you all updated once I have a resolution. Thanks again!

 

[DPS]

Wow! Thanks so much everyone, especially @Mac84 for finding a way to make the Kodak Reels better! I just joined this forum to say thanks and ask a question. I tried the Wolverine 720p scanner first and I thought it was "good enough", but it started jamming after 5 reels. I returned the Wolverine and now have the Kodak Reels, but I'm not happy with the Kodak Reels at all using the default settings. Please see the attached pic showing the Kodak Reels on the left and the Wolverine 720p on the right. I think the Kodak looks way worse with a lot of artifacts and noise (I'm not a film expert so not sure what to call it). Is this a sharpness, focus, or artifact issue that I'm seeing? Will applying the updated firmware make the Kodak image on the left look a lot better? I think getting the sharpness down to -1.5 would also help a bit. I'm considering going with a pro if I can't get this looking any better. Thanks again! View attachment 18443

I don't know that "going with a pro" will really do much for you over this.
My mom has paid thousands over the years to "pros" to scan in her movies. This thing is about 10,000% better than anything they've ever come back with. Theirs are washed out and blurry and just overall crappy. This is bright and vivid and just night & day. I don't know if there are widely varied professional movie scanner people and equipment, but this was two different places over two decades and one was just a couple years ago. Those places should probably be sued for fraud considering how a $400 consumer level unit can exceed whatever they claim as professional.

 

[gordonmcdowell]

You might want to flip that early-look FZ33d4vDPbY video from UNLISTED to PUBLIC?.

MUCH appreciate not just the increased bitrate firmware, but also the details of how you did it and your thought process.

Questions...

You show memory address of default resolution of 1728x1296, 20 FPS, and 6400 bitrate... in what looks like a list of resolutions and bitrates. Am I reading that right from your website? Why is there a list of those things, if Reels will only use a single setting? There's no way to choose different settings from Reels UI is there?

Good suggestion zooming all the way out and cropping in some other tool. Will try that.

The CMOS introduces noise, and that seems to be a cause of much compression artifacts... compressing the noise. Is there any way of slowing down the scanning process, so instead of 1/2 a second /frame, maybe 2 seconds are spent on every single frame? Can the physical speed of the process be adjusted? If the CMOS took longer on each frame maybe there would be less sensor noise?

I appreciate how you checked (and documented) how the bitrate can not be pushed any higher. Do you have any idea why that is? SD Cards can be written much faster, yes? Why would the firmware possibly fail at such moderate bitrates, if you have any idea.

And maybe (I can't think of a good mechanism) there is a way of using lower resolution to improve bitrate compression artifacts? I'd probably be happy with a lower resolution if it meant less artifacts. So that could be a lower resolution than 1728x1296... just change those values and that works? What happens if the aspect ratio is not maintained?

Or, keeping the native resolution (if every resizing operation is lossy) maybe zoom out all the way and then deliberately obscure the image except for the frame? I'm not sure what might reduce CMOS noise, maybe something bright white? If there's no noise then that part of the scan should compress more efficiently, allowing more data to be dedicated to the important picture information. We're all probably compressing a bit of extra picture data from frame-1 and frame+1 around current frame. I can't think of any way to physically obscure those surrounding frames though... tiny little 8mm frames.

But if you have any time to opine on this, I'm mostly curious if you have any sense that the speed of the whole device is adjustable in firmware. I can imagine that simply not being the case.

 

[Mac84]

You might want to flip that early-look FZ33d4vDPbY video from UNLISTED to PUBLIC?.

I'm working on a more public-friendly video with better explanation, better comparisons, and updated information. A lot has changed since I made that video. In addition, I need to caution people with newer units, apparently there are still some hardware revisions that don't like firmware updates from Kodak (or the modified ones, based on that update). Sadly, there's still some risk of bricking your device.

The limitations of this product are a result of this company creating a product without user-servicable settings. They didn't expect people to change settings on it to do things beyond it's original design. It was made to do the task using X resolution setting, using a Y bitrate, operating at a Z speed, without any consideration otherwise. Quite frankly, it's amazing we were able to get any better results at all!

For the resolution list thought, from what I've seen, the Reels only uses a single setting. Remember, this tool I used was designed for dashcam firmware hacking, so while the firmware of similar devices may have multiple resolutions, the Reels has no setting to adjust this, so it's probably just leftover data or code. What's important to know is the Reels only cares about 1 setting. So there's little use tinkering with the other values (unless proven otherwise).

Yes, the camera sensor is WAY more capable than the software allows, the full sensor details are even teased on the back label of the unit. This is likely due to limited CPU or RAM on the device, when trying to push the resolution higher, it's probably running out of RAM (The CPU is 430MHz and it has 1GB of RAM to work with).

Interestingly enough, through tinkering about you can enable a USB webcam mode, allowing your computer to use the camera sensor as a webcam. But without the specific timing of capturing stills as the motor advances, this doesn't seem to provide a better way to capture film via this method.

I strongly believe the compression artifacts are produced because of the Sharpness setting and because of the low bitrate (6,400 or ~8 Mbit). Turning the Sharpness setting in the menu to -1.5 and increasing the bitrate (and resolution) result in heavily reducing most compression artifacts.

Unless you are an expert at de-compiling firmware and reverse engineering the core pieces of software that run this device, it's unlikely we'll get any additional functionality or abilities from this product. The device seems to take images as the motor advances, compress them into a video file, and save that file. It appears to be very sensitive to the settings in the firmware, moving things too far from the original value just cause the device to hang/freeze. Anything beyond what I've been able to figure out are way above my paygrade and knowledge, but I encoruage others to try it out - thus my detailed posts.

 

[Bodg]

Thanks @Mac84 and that's exactly what I did today. I'm hopeful they will be able to provide me the correct firmware for the version I have. Kodak Support was very helpful when I had another question/issue a few weeks ago, and I am optimistic they will come through on this issue too. I will keep you all updated once I have a resolution. Thanks again!

I unfortunately just did the same thing as you to my new Kodak Reels, it has 2.0 and I tried installing the firmware update that was provided by my serial number but now my screen is just yellow & red streaks.

I have emailed Kodak to try to get the original firmware but was curious if you have heard from them about yours.

thanks for any help.

 

[Mac84]

I unfortunately just did the same thing as you to my new Kodak Reels, it has 2.0 and I tried installing the firmware update that was provided by my serial number but now my screen is just yellow & red streaks.

I have emailed Kodak to try to get the original firmware but was curious if you have heard from them about yours.

thanks for any help.

Sadly, there is no known fix at this time. I'm sorry you are experiencing this issue. This is why there is a paragraph of red text on the first page of this thread on the risks of this procedure. I've added more to this text now to try and inform others.

However, it's pretty crummy for (the overseas company that Kodak has allowed to license their name) to flood the market with different hardware versions which are incompatible with their own software updates... and to add insult to injury, label everything as "2.0" to aid to this confusion.

What is your serial number of your unit? And where did you purchase it from?? Maybe we can at least determine what batch is not compatible.

Reporting the modded firmware to Kodak may result in.... undesirable things happening. However, the Kodak firmware on their own website is incompatible with the latest units. So if your message were to say "I updated the firmware via your website, and now it's doing this" they may look into it. However, a similar user ran into this issue and Kodak is simply replacing their unit and warning them NOT to update their firmware.

If these units were cheaper, I'd try buy one and preserve a vanilla firmware file for reverting people in your situation. But at $400 USD, it's a tall order. However, I'm trying to work with someone local who may have a newer unit. So there may be hope yet. Stay tuned!

 

[Bodg]

Unfortunately I tried the update from Kodaks website before I found this website. Since the Kodak site said based on my serial number there was an update I tried it but apparently bricked the unit, an expensive mistake!

 

[Mac84]

Unfortunately I tried the update from Kodaks website before I found this website. Since the Kodak site said based on my serial number there was an update I tried it but apparently bricked the unit, an expensive mistake!

Ah, gotcha. Sorry for assuming things! They should certainly provide a more compatible firmware, or at least not say you're model works with the update.

I have a friend locally who may have a newer unit. If I can dump their vanilla firmware, I can maybe revert yours. I'll know sometime next week. Fingers crossed!

Can you please share your serial # and where you purchased it from (to help for tracking models), you can also message me directly.

 

[Bodg]

I messaged you.

 

[gordonmcdowell]

It appears to be very sensitive to the settings in the firmware, moving things too far from the original value just cause the device to hang/freeze. Anything beyond what I've been able to figure out are way above my paygrade and knowledge, but I encoruage others to try it out - thus my detailed posts.

I'm pondering messing around with values in the firmware... I can ruin my projector, correct? I mean if I upload bad firmware, then I can put Kodak Reels in such a state that I can't replace it with working firmware, but it will be no longer capable of uploading firmware from SD Card?

Also, we can't really zoom out all the way, can we? I mean I can zoom out as much as possible, but still pan around with the arrows. So the software is probably keeping us from really zooming all the way out?

Also, do you have any access to commented source code, or can you direct me to where you found the memory location to tweak to impact resolution and bandwidth? In case there are other ideas to try in other memory locations... is anything else documented?

 

[Mac84]

I'm pondering messing around with values in the firmware... I can ruin my projector, correct? I mean if I upload bad firmware, then I can put Kodak Reels in such a state that I can't replace it with working firmware, but it will be no longer capable of uploading firmware from SD Card?

Also, we can't really zoom out all the way, can we? I mean I can zoom out as much as possible, but still pan around with the arrows. So the software is probably keeping us from really zooming all the way out?

Also, do you have any access to commented source code, or can you direct me to where you found the memory location to tweak to impact resolution and bandwidth? In case there are other ideas to try in other memory locations... is anything else documented?

About the risk:
There is certainly a risk involved. The company producing these units use different internal parts (for the screen, etc) that require different firmware versions. Sadly, the official updated on the Kodak website is problematic, in that it isn't updated to take into account all the different hardware revisions.

I believe there are three hardware revisions available, or more. The latest units appear to have a serial number starting with 'H2324148BK0....', but this is only based on two incidents where people are reporting issues with their units having bad screens after the update (from either Kodak or this website).

The trick is, the only identifying factor (besides the serial number) is a software number in the "About" screen, which says "2.0", which doesn't help much either.

Once a new firmware version is written to the device, the previous version is erased. Therefore, if the update is incompatible, there is NO WAY to return back to the working firmware, unless Kodak (or someone here) posts a firmware that can revert things back.

It's really a sucky situation, because the people I've spoke to said even Kodak (or the subsidiary selling/supporting this product) don't have access to the firmware files.

So, yes, as I note in the 1st post of this thread, there is risk involved and you must determine if it's worth it. If Kodak's website had better firmware options, we wouldn't be in this mess, but sadly that's just the way it is.

About the zoom:
I don't have enough information to know if there is more zooming that can be done. The lens is placed very close to the frame transport, I'm unsure if more can be done via modification. This is beyond my scope of understanding. However, usually if I zoom out I can get 90-95% of the picture I want, which is usually "good enough".

About the code:
I don't have any commented source code. Please read the 1st post and the subsequent pieces of this thread where the modification is detailed. I simply used existing tools to find and replace the bitrate value in the stock firmware file. Due to the limited memory of the hardware (The CPU is 430MHz and it has 1GB of RAM to work with) I'm unsure if this thing can be pushed any further, but you're welcome to experiment. Everything I've discovered is documented here in this thread.

 

[Mac84]

Hello Everyone,

I will soon be undertaking a project to scan my parents collection of old family films (mix of 8mm and Super8, no audio). Filming dates probably range from the 1940s until the 1970s, from my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. I'm looking forward to the process, but I have several questions, primarily around any cleaning of the film and general tips for scanning the footage.

Here's what I've got:

* Kodak Reels scanner (2.0), flashed with the custom firmware for increased bitrate (Thank you @Mac84 and team!)
* Pec Pads and cleaning solution (Film Guard and Pec 12)
* A manual film winder to assist with cleaning film if needed
* Splice Tape
* Film-handling gloves
* Davinci Resolve & Neat Plugin (for editing, CC, re-speeding, stabilizing, etc)
* A spreadsheet ready for logging film reel contents (to stay organized)

Here are my questions:

* Any advice on how to check the focus of the camera lens on the Kodak scanner?
* Any general advice on how to clean the film?
* Should I just plan on cleaning all the film reels, or check them first to determine if cleaning is warranted? What should I be looking for?
* With film that is 80ish years old, and stored in a house that probably got decently hot during summer, what precautions should I take with handling/cleaning/scanning this?
* Is there an ideal temperature to have the film at when handling/scanning/cleaning/etc
* Tips for splicing in case of breaks?
* Tips for keeping dust/dirt from building up in the gate?

Thanks you!

Sorry for the late reply, here are some tips:

Focus:
If you remove the front "hood"/ overhang covering the camera (which is easily done once the system is split open), you'll see a dab of glue on the camera lens and the plastic adjustment knob. If you think your lens is out of focus (one of the two of my units was) you can manually adjust it here.

Cleaning/Handling:
I'm not an expert, but there are tons of people out there on Facebook groups and film-forums who are, who can probably point you in the right direction.

Dirt:
I have a can of compressed air that I use every number of transfers, and a little cotton bud. It seems to do the job well.

Splicing:
There are special kits / tape, in a pinch I've used thin kapton tape, although it's not ideal because of the tint.

Good luck in your digitizing efforts!

 

[gordonmcdowell]

About the risk:
There is certainly a risk involved. The company producing these units use different internal parts (for the screen, etc) that require different firmware versions. Sadly, the official updated on the Kodak website is problematic, in that it isn't updated to take into account all the different hardware revisions.

I believe there are three hardware revisions available, or more. The latest units appear to have a serial number starting with 'H2324148BK0....', but this is only based on two incidents where people are reporting issues with their units having bad screens after the update (from either Kodak or this website).

The trick is, the only identifying factor (besides the serial number) is a software number in the "About" screen, which says "2.0", which doesn't help much either.

Once a new firmware version is written to the device, the previous version is erased. Therefore, if the update is incompatible, there is NO WAY to return back to the working firmware, unless Kodak (or someone here) posts a firmware that can revert things back.

It's really a sucky situation, because the people I've spoke to said even Kodak (or the subsidiary selling/supporting this product) don't have access to the firmware files.

So, yes, as I note in the 1st post of this thread, there is risk involved and you must determine if it's worth it. If Kodak's website had better firmware options, we wouldn't be in this mess, but sadly that's just the way it is.

About the zoom:
I don't have enough information to know if there is more zooming that can be done. The lens is placed very close to the frame transport, I'm unsure if more can be done via modification. This is beyond my scope of understanding. However, usually if I zoom out I can get 90-95% of the picture I want, which is usually "good enough".

About the code:
I don't have any commented source code. Please read the 1st post and the subsequent pieces of this thread where the modification is detailed. I simply used existing tools to find and replace the bitrate value in the stock firmware file. Due to the limited memory of the hardware (The CPU is 430MHz and it has 1GB of RAM to work with) I'm unsure if this thing can be pushed any further, but you're welcome to experiment. Everything I've discovered is documented here in this thread.

Ok, so when you were tweaking numbers you were operating selectively... and maybe it feels luck that the worse that happened was that it stopped writing to the MP4 files. If I was looking for a value of 500 thinking "well the machines advances 2x per seconds so let's hope 500ms value is a timing mechanism" then that sounds way too risky to just mess around with every 500 value I can find. Basically begging to brick the device.

Because I did successfully flash to your firmware I guess I lucked out with model numbers. I expect I can operate carefully and (if I can figure what I downloaded) not brick it just by picking the wrong model.

I'm going to finish my scanning using current firmware... I'm using scotch tape to try obscure earlier-frame-visuals and see if I can eek out another 10% in visual quality... if I can replace 10% of the frame with pure white I'd hope that can compress using very little data.

Then I'll start messing with resolution data, basically recreate your tweaking with very selective values. You found you could capture 1920x1440 but had to sacrifice bitrate... resolution and compression work maybe occupying the same tiny bit of RAM. I'll try take it the other way, and see if I can encode 1280x720 at a higher bit rate. (Or even same bit rate.) That should be another mechanism (besides blurring with -2 sharpness) to reduce compression artifacts.

Will probably take weeks to get to that point, that I'm done scanning first. Let ya know what happens. If you take a stab at it first (dunno if you care to go in this direction) please let me know if you start so I don't replicate the effort and remote-chance brick my device. By that point I'll be "done" scanning with current firmware so not as worried about bricking it, but all things being equal don't want to risk bricking it for some unforeseen screw-up on my part. -Gord

 

[sclawrenc]

I unfortunately just did the same thing as you to my new Kodak Reels, it has 2.0 and I tried installing the firmware update that was provided by my serial number but now my screen is just yellow & red streaks.

I have emailed Kodak to try to get the original firmware but was curious if you have heard from them about yours.

thanks for any help.

Sorry to hear about the troubles. Yes, Kodak was helpful via email and sent me another unit which just arrived today. They were out of stock for a while which delayed my order, but I'm extremely happy with Kodak customer service. I asked them for the correct firmware for my unit with the defective LCD screen, but they said they don't have it. They also said they created a ticket with their internal R&D department to look in this issue since their website is listing incorrect firmware. Kodak also asked me to not update the firmware from their own website on my replacement since "it should already have the updated firmware to allow longer capture times".

 

[Bodg]

Sorry to hear about the troubles. Yes, Kodak was helpful via email and sent me another unit which just arrived today. They were out of stock for a while which delayed my order, but I'm extremely happy with Kodak customer service. I asked them for the correct firmware for my unit with the defective LCD screen, but they said they don't have it. They also said they created a ticket with their internal R&D department to look in this issue since their website is listing incorrect firmware. Kodak also asked me to not update the firmware from their own website on my replacement since "it should already have the updated firmware to allow longer capture times".

That’s great that you got the replacement unit. I spoke with them last Friday & they said they would ship me a replacement, I hope that is true.

when I told them I had found their firmware update page with a google search they told me that the update page should not be accessible that it had caused others to make their reels quit working. They verified that the page was still accessible & immediately said they would send a new unit.

I just checked & the webpage is still accessible.