My boss wants to take an EX1 and plug it into his video mixer. Problem is that the SDI and Firewire output on the EX1 is in HD, and his mixer only does SD. He's going to get an Ajax SDI to SD converter, then go into a component to the SD mixer. Any reason this might not work?

My idea was to take an A/V to Firewire converter box (for DVD capturing on a computer) and go from A/V out on the EX1 through the box, and then firewire out into the SD mixer (the mixer has a firewire input).

Why would you not take the SD analog composite signal from the EX1 straight to the mixer?

Are you saying that the mixer is SD SDI and SD firewire only?

The mixer has component, how would you convert a composite to component?

Ah.. Well then you may be good to go if you can find the original accessories for the EX1.

The EX1 came out of the box with a component cable. Check and see if you still have it somewhere.

What model mixer are you dealing with? Some with component inputs will also do composite on the green channel.

I've got the component cable. I'm checking in with my boss to see what mixer he has.

Ah.. Well then you may be good to go if you can find the original accessories for the EX1.

The EX1 came out of the box with a component cable. Check and see if you still have it somewhere.

What model mixer are you dealing with? Some with component inputs will also do composite on the green channel.

Why would you do composite when you could do component? Huge difference in quality..

Because the mixer has a composite connection (from what I recall).

It is a Data Video se-800

Ok, so he wants to get the SDI Ajax box because he thinks the quality will be higher, so I guess I didn't need help from you guys, but now I know what to do if he decides to go the cheaper option. Thanks for all the help!

From the website:

Video In: x4 DV (IEEE-1394/FireWire/i-Link), x4 S-Video (Y/C), x4 Composite (BNC), x4 Component (BNC), x1 SDI Overlay (BNC)

You can run component or composite analog into the mixer.

Of the choices the mixer can handle the highest quality will be SD SDI.

I just looked up the manual for the EX1 (I have an EX1r) and it indicates on page 102 that you can set the SDI output to downcovert to SD. The EX1 can't record SD but it looks like it can output SD SDI. If so then your problem is solved right there.

What page of the manual does it talk about that?

As indicated above, page 102.

Oh duh. It looks like that might actually work...

I'll post an update when they try it out.

Also, page 150 of the manual shows you can set it to record in SD format and output DVCAM to the firewire port

I think the reason why I assumed SDI only did HD was because that is what a Sony rep told my boss. They should educate their reps better. *sigh*

Also, page 150 of the manual shows you can set it to record in SD format and output DVCAM to the firewire port

That is a feature of the EX1r. The original EX1 could not record SD.

So he tried hooking it up to his mixer through the SDI output outputting an SD signal:

YPbPr/SDI Out - set to SD

Video Out: Off

Setup (blacked out)

Down Converter: Squeeze

Not seeing anything. The video is 1280x720 30p HQ.

Is there a menu I'm doing it wrong?

EDIT: He's connecting this to a monitor with a BNC component cable through the SDI output.