Capture HDMI to Portable Hard Drive

[Heinz Bihlmeir]

Originally Posted by Harm Millaard

Ian,

As you I have often wondered how it could be possible that HDMI does NOT carry a price tag of $ 3.000, which happens to be the main difference between the Canon A1 and G1, and where the difference is the HD-SDI interface and still deliver the same functionality?

Besides the fact, that the Cannon G1 offers additional features like genlock capability, the price difference between the A1 and G1 is caused more by product politics than technical requirements. Consumer HDMI ports are cheaper to implement than SDI ports (done with dedicated ICs or FPGAs), but the price difference between both type of interfaces should not exceed $ 600. External HDMI to SDI converters are now available for $ 500.

[Emiliano Martina]

if the recording via HDMI works it would be possible to record at the same time on tape?
And I ask myself if someone has already buy an intesity card to do some test...

[Wes Vasher]

There have been more than one report of the Intensity being incompatible with the HV20 at this time, at least for the 1080i stream.

[Emiliano Martina]

Originally Posted by Wes Vasher

There have been more than one report of the Intensity being incompatible with the HV20 at this time, at least for the 1080i stream.

Would you be so kind to post some link about that?

[Steven White]

We've been discussing this over in the Cineform software showcase forum.

If you have any of the HDV camcorders with an HDMI port, you can hook those up live to a card like the BlackMagic Intensity (PCI Express) in a desktop, or a PCI Express enclosure connected to a laptop vie an ExpressCard (http://www.mobl.com/expansion/produc...ressbox1.html).

From here if you have any of the Cineform software packages, you can encode directly to Cineform at data rates the laptop hard drive can handle, in real time.

If you have AspectHD you're stuck with 1440x1080, but if you get NEO HD, ProspectHD and up, you get 1920x1080 10-bit. (Not that the HV20 is outputting 10-bit over the HDMI, but 8-bit uncompressed is nothing to pout about).

EDIT: One should note that this is a solution that is available today. Ideally, BlackMagic will produce the Intensity as an ExpressCard, then the solution will be more portable, and not require an enclosure.

-Steve

[Robert Ducon]

Originally Posted by Harm Millaard

Does HDMI give out a 4:2:2 signal and how does the up-converting work when starting with a 4:2:0 tape recorded signal?

4:2:0 is 4:2:2, just alternately "omits" half the chroma "2:2" signal every frame. So a 4:2:0 signal half the time is "4:0:2" and then "4:2:0". A regular system will read a 4:2:0 as 4:2:2 I believe and really see it as something out of the ordinary.

I intend to capture the 4:2:2 video from the Canon HV20 LIVE via Component to my Mac Pro's Decklink HD w/RAID at a very high bitrate (bypassing HDV) - so the same thing as the HDMI capture, but with Component. I'll keep this Forum updated to how it goes, and what I find out.

[Ken Hodson]

Originally Posted by Steven White

From here if you have any of the Cineform software packages, you can encode directly to Cineform at data rates the laptop hard drive can handle, in real time.

If you have AspectHD you're stuck with 1440x1080, but if you get NEO HD, ProspectHD and up, you get 1920x1080 10-bit.

It was my understanding that Aspect HD could not be used as a live capture solution. When did this change?

[Jay Stebbins]

A Black Magic Intensity card in an Express Card 34 form would be brilliant!

[Keith Knuth]

I agree a Black Magic card in laptop form would be great. But if this can be done, why not go one step further and tie the BLack Magic technology to a portable SATAII hard drive (maybe even two in a RAID config)? It would be much more portable.

[Steven White]

Originally Posted by Ken Hodson

It was my understanding that Aspect HD could not be used as a live capture solution. When did this change?

I don't know exactly, but check their website: http://cineform.com/products/default.htm
HDMI input from the BlackMagic intensity is supported in their latest round of updates, as is HD-SDI w/o timecode. You have to go to Prospect to get the timecode options.

No slouches those Cineform guys ;)

Originally Posted by Keith Knuth

I agree a Black Magic card in laptop form would be great. But if this can be done, why not go one step further and tie the BLack Magic technology to a portable SATAII hard drive (maybe even two in a RAID config)? It would be much more portable.

The problem is that you need about 4 striped hard drives working perfectly to be able sustain uncompressed data rates - so that's pretty heavy duty. If you're willing to accept Cineform as a stellar acquisition format, then you're down to single hard drive bit-rates and an intel Core 2 Duo laptop.

What you really want is a solid state hard drive and Cineform to be embedded in the camera... but we're not there yet for a consumer camcorder.

-Steve

[Gavin Ouckama]

Originally Posted by Steven White

We've been discussing this over in the Cineform software showcase forum.
...

Steve,

Can you provide a link please?

Thanks ...

[Steven White]

Sure:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=88466

-Steve

[Wes Vasher]

Has anyone seen this? Announced yesterday.

AJA io HD

io HD + MacBook Pro = portable visually lossless capture on the cheap

[Andreas Dahlstrom]

hmm... around 1300$ for the hole package? (black magic card, Magma expressbox, magma expresscard) thats to much for me!

[Keith Knuth]

Wow. The Aja product looks great.
Another manufacturer should be able to work out a firewire or HDMI connected piece of hardware that has the Cineform Codec built in (instead of the Apple ProRes 422 Codec). I would think a device like that without all the bells & whistles of the AJA product could sell for under $1000. Again, such a product would appeal to the low-budget film producer as well as some in the pro-sumer crowd.