Keep up the development at DVinfo.net

Alan Anthony Lacey · January 18th, 2009, 01:15 AM

As a FlashXDR owner in the uk I have to write to say it's such a shame the SD and firewire aspects of the unit aren't implimented yet.

I have a medical application over here whereby I'd be ordering a dozen+ of these units immediately if they were!

Keep up the good work. we wait in anticipation!

Alan

Dan Keaton · January 18th, 2009, 04:34 AM

Dear Alan,

Thank you for your support and patience.

We are working as fast as we can.

SD will be supported, as we promised.

I am curious about your Firewire application.

How will you be using Firewire with the Flash XDR?

Alan Anthony Lacey · January 18th, 2009, 11:54 AM

We're looking to provide a suitable solution in specialist teaching clinics and operating rooms such that users can acquire their own material ad-hoc and take it away with them immediately for subsequent personal or institutional use.

These users, and there are many of them, are in the whole not media savvy, although some are very much so. (One is actually working uncompressed 1080p25 routinely! and a few XDcam)

We're putting in, or have installed already, SD pov cameras and these have firewire output and well as analogue for monitoring etc.

The plan is that users will edit their own material in whatever app they're happiest with. Many will only want iMovie or Windows MovieMaker cuts. Also they have to provide their own media, so CF cards would be ideal.

The Flash XDR would be ideal in these circumstances, recording to CF cards (and small ones would be more that suitable for these DV25 files)

Alan

Paul Bryer · January 20th, 2009, 10:15 AM

Hi Alan,

May I ask what camera heads you are using? If I can research their specifications I can advise you more accurately.

The 1394 port on the Flash XDR will only be used for streaming out on playback, not for recording an incoming stream. The XDR will only record an HD-SDI or (when SD support is added) an SD-SDI input.

If the camera heads don't have an SD-SDI output, you may well be able to use a converter to achieve this.

One point to understand is that under the DV-over-1394 scheme the video undergoes heavy compression, so using an XDR to record a converted DV signal will not gain you any of the benefits you would see if recording a native (and therefore uncompressed) SD-SDI signal.

Alan Anthony Lacey · January 21st, 2009, 10:57 AM

Thanks Paul,

Yes I thought I might be being over optimistic hoping for 1394 recording from the FW port on the Flash XDR. I guess it's too high end for this.

The cameras are and will be Sony DXC33p. And we're trying to keep everything as 'prosumer' friendly as possible. Many of our users are up to speed with DV25 and those that aren't will want basic iMovie or Windows MovieMaker capability.

Capturing via a local PC and writing directly to CF cards would probably work, but we need total ease of use (ie just a big red button!) and no subsequent housekeeping!

Regards Alan

Paul Bryer · January 23rd, 2009, 05:48 AM

There are lots of portable DV recorders on the market (Firestore etc) but they all tend to use hard drives rather than removable flash media, which would lead to the housekeeping you want to avoid.

You could use always an analog to digital mini-converter to get an SD-SDI signal which could then be recorded by an XDR once SD support is added.

Alan Anthony Lacey · January 23rd, 2009, 09:21 AM

Hence my posting! trouble is we need a solution now.

Thanks Paul

January 18th, 2009, 01:15 AM	#1
Alan Anthony Lacey New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: London UK Posts: 19	Keep up the development As a FlashXDR owner in the uk I have to write to say it's such a shame the SD and firewire aspects of the unit aren't implimented yet. I have a medical application over here whereby I'd be ordering a dozen+ of these units immediately if they were! Keep up the good work. we wait in anticipation! Alan

January 18th, 2009, 04:34 AM	#2
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Dear Alan, Thank you for your support and patience. We are working as fast as we can. SD will be supported, as we promised. I am curious about your Firewire application. How will you be using Firewire with the Flash XDR? __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

January 18th, 2009, 11:54 AM	#3
Alan Anthony Lacey New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: London UK Posts: 19	We're looking to provide a suitable solution in specialist teaching clinics and operating rooms such that users can acquire their own material ad-hoc and take it away with them immediately for subsequent personal or institutional use. These users, and there are many of them, are in the whole not media savvy, although some are very much so. (One is actually working uncompressed 1080p25 routinely! and a few XDcam) We're putting in, or have installed already, SD pov cameras and these have firewire output and well as analogue for monitoring etc. The plan is that users will edit their own material in whatever app they're happiest with. Many will only want iMovie or Windows MovieMaker cuts. Also they have to provide their own media, so CF cards would be ideal. The Flash XDR would be ideal in these circumstances, recording to CF cards (and small ones would be more that suitable for these DV25 files) Alan

January 20th, 2009, 10:15 AM	#4
Paul Bryer New Boot Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12	Hi Alan, May I ask what camera heads you are using? If I can research their specifications I can advise you more accurately. The 1394 port on the Flash XDR will only be used for streaming out on playback, not for recording an incoming stream. The XDR will only record an HD-SDI or (when SD support is added) an SD-SDI input. If the camera heads don't have an SD-SDI output, you may well be able to use a converter to achieve this. One point to understand is that under the DV-over-1394 scheme the video undergoes heavy compression, so using an XDR to record a converted DV signal will not gain you any of the benefits you would see if recording a native (and therefore uncompressed) SD-SDI signal.

January 21st, 2009, 10:57 AM	#5
Alan Anthony Lacey New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: London UK Posts: 19	Thanks Paul, Yes I thought I might be being over optimistic hoping for 1394 recording from the FW port on the Flash XDR. I guess it's too high end for this. The cameras are and will be Sony DXC33p. And we're trying to keep everything as 'prosumer' friendly as possible. Many of our users are up to speed with DV25 and those that aren't will want basic iMovie or Windows MovieMaker capability. Capturing via a local PC and writing directly to CF cards would probably work, but we need total ease of use (ie just a big red button!) and no subsequent housekeeping! Regards Alan

January 23rd, 2009, 05:48 AM	#6
Paul Bryer New Boot Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12	There are lots of portable DV recorders on the market (Firestore etc) but they all tend to use hard drives rather than removable flash media, which would lead to the housekeeping you want to avoid. You could use always an analog to digital mini-converter to get an SD-SDI signal which could then be recorded by an XDR once SD support is added.

January 23rd, 2009, 09:21 AM	#7
Alan Anthony Lacey New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: London UK Posts: 19	Hence my posting! trouble is we need a solution now. Thanks Paul