I know there are HDMI capture cards for desktops/workstations like the Blackmagic and AJA products, but I can't seem to find anything in an ExpressCard format. Does anyone know of a way to capture the HDMI stream from the camcorder directly to a laptop?

Matrox MXO2 will do it - plus whole lot more

Videoguys Blog - Videoguys' FAQ: Matrox MXO2 (http://www.videoguys.com/Guide/E/Videoguys+FAQ+Matrox+MXO2/0xed2e1ac833665213dad05e751614837f.aspx)

Gary

What about a pc not a Mac???

Thanks, Gary. I should have mentioned I'm on a PC workflow. Matrox makes a good product; in fact I have an RT.X2 in my workstation. I'm interested in a portable full-HD capture solution, and since I already have a Dell m6300 laptop with 500GB internal HDD, an ExpressCard-to-HDMI adapter would be ideal for me. I just thought it was a little strange that no one makes such a device, considering that there are ExpressCard adapters for just about every other type of connection.

So that's it, then? There are no ExpressCard-HDMI capture solutions for Windows-based laptops? That seems like it would be a very useful device for quick edits in the field, etc. especially with so many HD cams with HDMI out...

That's it ..... for now ....... NAB in a couple of weeks ;-)

Gary

Hey Jack it seems we own the same workstation;you have 500 gb Hard disk on your Precision?

It seems that a very clever and inventive guy made a DIY solution to my question! Now if only Blackmagic would make an ExpressCard version of the Intensity to avoid the backpack full of batteries & wires...
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/tapeless-video-recording-solutions/180685-hdmi-composite-hd-hd-sdi-diy-portable-capture-station-tutorial.html

Marcus, I added the 500GB drive myself.
Newegg.com - Seagate Momentus 7200.4 ST9500420AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive - Laptop Hard Drives (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148374)

Matrox MXO2 Mini with PC Drivers will be shipping this May!
Mac Drivers will be available for download 2-weeks later.

Don’t settle for an HDMI and analog I/O card with messy cables when you can get all the features and more in a professional breakout box with Matrox MXO2 Mini. This sleek little device for Mac and PC also gives you the added advantage of portability. You can take it with you wherever you go. Use it with a laptop or a desktop system and your favorite applications including Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, and many more. Capture and playback high definition video via HDMI and analog component; or NTSC and PAL via analog component, S-Video, and composite. Convert your standard definition videos to high definition, or vice versa, while capturing or playing out, using Matrox MXO2 Mini’s high-quality dedicated hardware. Turn your HDMI screen into a professional-grade video monitor with Matrox’s unique color calibration tool. Easily edit AVCHD footage by capturing into an edit-friendly compressed or uncompressed format. Count on uncompromising Matrox quality and reliability in MXO2 Mini, backed by a three-year warranty.

Affordable high definition HDMI and analog I/O for Mac and PC Videoguys.com - Matrox MXO2 Mini Laptop Kit with ExpressCard Adapter (http://www.videoguys.com/Item/Matrox+MXO2+Mini+Laptop+Kit+with+ExpressCard+Adapter/C494E494D423F485D4.aspx)

Matrox MXO2 Mini BackMatrox MXO2 Mini is also available with Matrox MAX technology for faster than realtime high definition H.264 file creation.

Now accepting pre-0rders

Gary

Yes, the MXO2 Mini definitely got my attention. I'll most likely get one. I do have a few unanswered questions even after reading the data sheets over at Matrox.com.

1) I've been editing SD and HDV with an RT.X2, and I love the realtime effects previews and accelerated encoding. However, the RT.X2 only does HDV 1440x1080, so if I get full 1920x1080 from the MXO2 Mini, my RT.X2 is no longer functional in my workflow. Does the Mini offer realtime playback, especially with color correction, and does it accelerate encoding of anything other than H.264?

2) If the answer to #1 is no, then does the Mini work with Prospect HD?

mxo2 mini does support full HD. It does not work with rt.x2 and it does not offer any real-time performance. the mini max adds the H.264 accelerated encoding.

We have the folks at cineform and Matrox checking it out and working on making their products work together.

Gary

Thanks for all the info, Gary. Since I haven't bought the HD cams yet (I need a few months to save the $$), I guess I'll just wait & see if the MXO2 Mini and Prospect HD will work & play well with each other. If they do, I guess I'll just sell the RT.X2 since it sounds like it won't be of any use to me at that point, right?

Gary, Over at the Matrox site it was posted that the mini will not work off of battery power.... can this be right... don't sound right to me...

I have a Canon HF200. If I record to my SDHC card and PLAYBACK through the HDMI cable to a product such as Blackmagic, am I going to gain resolution/befits the same as outputting via component is better than composite?

It is my understanding that by using the HDMI output cable that you get higher bandwidth and better resolution and this can be used during playback for post-production.

If I had a scope, I could measure the output of component vs HDMI output but I dont have teh Blackmagic suite to do it with.

Can anyone help?

Sorry Keith, you are not going to get what you seek.

The whole point of play out through HDMI is to capture the uncompressed video signal from the imaging chip BEFORE it has been run through the cameras codec, be that HDV, AVCHD, or anything else. This is why all these folks are doing the capture at the time of the shoot, not after.

Doing what you propose, you are in effect taking the compressed signal, decompressing it and playing it out through HDMI, and hoping this will somehow be the same as the original uncompressed video signal. No go, and no point in doing it.

You're better off importing the footage per the camera manufacturer's (Canon) directions. It will be faster and minus another level of compression.

In addition to Bill's very valid remarks, you have to keep in mind that to gain from HDMI's output, you need at least 200 MB/s sustained transfer rate which is not possible on a laptop.

HDMI is a poor man's substitute for HD-SDI

That is not true at all. There are many formats that you can capture to that are not as large as uncompressed. On the Apple side there is Prores and on the PC side I believe the Matrox products will capture I frame only mpeg2 based video up to 300 mbits/s (bits not bytes) into a AVI wrapper. Sure it isn't uncompressed but some of these formats can beat the pants off of even HDCAM and offer an excellent trade off between ultra high quality and manageable datarates. I always see people instantly assume a HD-SDI, SDI or HDMI capture device has to capture uncompressed and that is just not true at all.

You can use AJA Io Express:
Io Express - AJA Video - Serial Digital Video Interface and Conversion (http://www.aja.com/products/io/io-express.php)