Dear XL-H1/G1 users-
We just released new firmware for the nanoFlash protable recorder/player which includes 24p pull-down removal. So, you can shoot in 24F mode and record in 1080p24 directly to the Compact Flash cards used in the nanoFlash.

Now you can get all the benefits of Tapeless Workflow with native 24p recording using visually lossless 100Mbps XDCAM 422 in a small, camera moutable recorder!

Check out our forum under "Tapeless Recording.." for comments from current customers.

Best-

Mike,
Your website states that the NanoFlash will record to Matrox codecs. Does that include the 24f Canon specific coded for the Axio Le?

Thanks, Barry

Mike,
Your website states that the NanoFlash will record to Matrox codecs. Does that include the 24f Canon specific coded for the Axio Le?

Thanks, Barry

Hi Barry-
We have not spefically tested 24p. However, Matrox Axio works with all the other formats, such as 1080i and 720p, so I think there is a very good chance it will also work in 24p.

We have some 24p footage from the EX1 posted on our website, if you would liek to test. The 24p footage (actually 23.98p) from the Canon XL-H1 will be identical.

Best-

Mike,
Are you referring to the MXF files? I don't see any .avi files on your web site. Link?

Thanks, Barry

I'll be happy to post my results with the Axio Le

Yes Barry. MXF is the Sony XDCAM format that you'd need to test with your PC based NLE workflow.

I can't get the MXF file to import into my PremPro CS3. It says the format is not supported. Axio Le 3.6 utilities.

Haven't upgraded to CS4 yet.

Opps. Sorry Barry. Forgot that Axio uses Premiere as it's NLE.
From memory, Premiere currently only supports MXF files at the 35mbps. It may also support 50mbps files (not sure on that).

There is either currently an additional plug in or an upcoming plug in that will allow Premiere to support he higher data rates.

Maybe someone with more knowledge on the topic can chime in.

wow for the price of the nano I could by a new camera. It looks good but too expensive.

For the price of a Porsche you could buy 4 Kia's. But if you need to go racing on the weekend, you'd want the Porsche every time.

The Nanoflash is highly popular because it does for $3k, what people have been paying $15k for for the past few years. If a $k camera will get the job done for you, then the Nano is not required for your work. For those trying to submit their work to large HD broadcast channels, those looking to do film-outs, etc., the Nanoflash is an incredible bargain and Convergent Design is probably selling every one they make.

What I would like to find out:

I have a Canon XL-H1. The HD-SDI out doesn't include audio. So how do I record video and audio to the NanoFlash? The Canon XL-H1S has embedded audio in the HD-SDI stream which would make it a much more practical combination.

Otherwise, I think the NanoFlash is a great product.

What I would like to find out:

I have a Canon XL-H1. The HD-SDI out doesn't include audio. So how do I record video and audio to the NanoFlash? The Canon XL-H1S has embedded audio in the HD-SDI stream which would make it a much more practical combination.

Otherwise, I think the NanoFlash is a great product.

Hey Floris,

While the XL H1 doesn't export audio over the HD-SDI, the nanoflash does support analog audio in via a 3.5mm jack which you can output from the XL H1 from the RCAs on the side and then convert to the 3.5mm on the nanoflash.

How good is the audio quality recorded from the analog XL H1 audio outputs?

Dear Friends,

I have a Canon XL H1 (original).

And I have a nanoFlash (obviously as I am the Director of Sales and Marketing for Convergent Design, grin).

A simple, low cost, stereo RCA to 3.5mm (1/8") mini-plug cable works fine. You just take the Line-Out audio and feed it into the Line-In of the nanoFlash. The nanoFlash records this as 24-bit/48K audio.

On Thursday, I ran tests doing this for hours. I was listening to the audio on Friday when I had time; I think the audio sounds fine (but I am, of course not exactly impartial).

I can say that we have had zero complaints about our audio quality using either embedded or analog audio.

We also have a way to get accept the timecode from the original XL H1. This requires a timecode input cable that we offer.

Dear Erin,

Thanks for pointing out how to do this. It is very easy.

Dear Alain,

Yes, the nanoFlash is considered expensive by some, it is $2,995, street price is $2,895.

However, this takes the XL H1 to a whole new level. No tape drops, long recording times, ability to do Drag and Drop in Quicktime (Final Cut Pro) or MXF for Avid, Sony Vegas, Edius and many others.

But most importantly, the image quality is dramatically better. Most everyone says "Wow!" or the "Images are Just Stunning".

If you purchase the nanoFlash for your XL H1, you can use it with any camera that has HD/SD SDI or HDMI outputs.

Frankly, there is quite a lot of technology and electronics in the nanoFlash.

Perrone said it very nicely. Thanks, Perrone!

Please note that our nanoFlash takes the uncompressed HD-SDI or uncompressed HDMI, and then offers a very wide range of compression, menu selectable to fit the task at hand. All Firewire based recorders take an already compressed signal and then record it.

We use the uncompressed signals as this is a way to get the best quality image out of your camera. This is almost always better than what can be recorded natively in the camera. An exception would be ultra high-end cameras that can record in HDCAM SR or the very rare camera that records full uncompressed.

For SD, you have your choice of 5/6/7/8/9 IMX-30/IMX-40/IMX-50.

For HD, you have your choice of:

4:2:0 18 and 35 Mbps

4:2:2 Long-GOP 50/100/140/180 Mbps

4:2:2 Long-GOP 100/140/180/220/280 Mbps

All in QT or MXF.

Also we can produce ".MPG" for SD DVD's and Blu-ray. This allows you to record to an already rendered DVD or Blu-Ray file. Then one can take our files, and use certain DVD Burner Software to burn a DVD or Blu-Ray without re-rendering. This is a real time-saver.

If you ever need to record, uninterrupted for a long period of time, this will do it. One can record for well over a day on two 64 GB CompactFlash cards. And 128 GB cards have just been announced.

There are many more features that you gain by using a nanoFlash.

Time-Lapse Recording, 1 frame a second to 1 frame a day or even longer
Over and Under-Cranking (Due out soon)
Loop Recording (Think of earthquake monitoring, or surveillance)
Delete Last Clip (Due out soon)
8-Channel Audio (Currently in development)
24-Bit 48K Analog Audio

If you have multiple cameras, even different types, you can have one standard workflow.

Dan,

Thank you for the comprehensive reply. This information is what I needed.


One of the reasons that I purchased my XL H1 (original XL H1) was that I knew someday there would be an affordable device to capture in 4:2:2 via the SDI. I think that day has come.

It looks like the audio and time code will not be an issue. However, my last hurdle appears to be my NLE software. I edit on an I7 PC with Premiere Pro CS4. I have read that CS4 will not recognize the high bit rate video from the Nanoflash. Perhaps I have just fallen behind in my homework and there is a work around or update that I have missed. Can you shed some light on this? Please note that I currently use Cineform Prospect HD to convert the MPEG-2 files to Cineform AVI.

Finally, can you definitively confirm that shooting with the Nanoflash, off the HDMI on a Canon HV40, uses the signal before MPEG-2 encoding and that the signal connection to the Nanoflash is raw from the HV40?

Thanks a lot.

Tim Bickford

Can anyone answer this?

It looks like the audio and time code will not be an issue. However, my last hurdle appears to be my NLE software. I edit on an I7 PC with Premiere Pro CS4. I have read that CS4 will not recognize the high bit rate video from the Nanoflash. Perhaps I have just fallen behind in my homework and there is a work around or update that I have missed. Can you shed some light on this? Please note that I currently use Cineform Prospect HD to convert the MPEG-2 files to Cineform AVI.

Finally, can you definitively confirm that shooting with the Nanoflash, off the HDMI on a Canon HV40, uses the signal before MPEG-2 encoding and that the signal connection to the Nanoflash is raw from the HV40?

Thanks a lot.

Tim Bickford

Hi Tim-
Currently, you need to purchase the Main Concept Plugin for compatibility with CS3/4. We have a special $199 price for this plugin for nanoFlash customers. (The coupon is on the last page of the nanoFlash FAQs). The plugin will allow CS3/4 users to work with all the various bit-rates and CODECs on the nanoFlash, but I don't know about compatibility with Cineform. Maybe someone else on the forum can comment?

Yes, we can definitively confirm that the live HDMI output from the HV40 is prior to compression. We test daily with an HV20 and can attest that the picture quality is quite excellent - given the low price of the camera.

Best-