Instead of Uncompressed what about Lossless?

[Perrone Ford]

Yes, I am aware of the Sont chipset, as I am aware of other chipests for h.264 and motionJpeg2k. And I realize that changing the unit would be impossible at this point. It's just wishful thinking.

[Deke Kincaid]

Originally Posted by Mark Job

...Hey Deke: You do not remove the CF cards from the XDR. Convergent Design turns on the FireWire port and you connect the XDR to your PC via that interface and you transfer the uncompressed 10 bit files in this manner.

Bummer, I had a feeling that was the solution. Just stinks you have to take the unit out of service between offloading a mag. For us vfx guys though it's not the end of the world.

[Mark Job]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

No, we sure can't have everything.

The only one's I'd still really like to see are:

1. A Wavelet codec.

....Not possible.

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

2. 10-bit log recording

.....Absolutely possible and probably inevitable. Once the Flash XDR goes uncompressed, then the HD-SDI input, which is inherently 10 bit bypasses the internal Sony Hardware MPEG 2 circuitry, therefore you would then have the additional option to go 10 bit in recording. The only caveate would be you are forced to capture uncompressed only. According to Convergent Design, the XDR has circuitry which down samples the 10 bit HD-SDI input signal to 8 bits, then feeds this re-sampled 8 bit signal into the XDR's/Nano's hardware Sony MPEG 2 encoding engine. Recording uncompressed simply by-passes this process and keeps the input HD-SDI signal prestine @ 10 bits.

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

3. The ability to mirror the slots on the Nanoflash

...Totally possible. If you can Raid 0 those CF card slots then why not also Mirror them ?

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Frankly, I see this unit as becoming an industry standard, if not as a primary recorder, then as an instant field backup for high-end productions. The guys on the steadicams, can't tie into a Codex or S.Two. This gives them a way to get high quality footage in a tiny package. Put the unit in a backpack or on a belt clip, and go to town.

....Exactly. So do I. Even if the XDR cannot be programmed to capture video in compressed mode in Long GOP or I-Frame Intra at data rates higher than 295 Mbps, then by simply bypassing compression altogether and enabling the RS-422 interface, one now has an instant HDCAM SR capable (and resolution independent) field recorder capable of preserving HDCAM SR VTR data rate settings of 4:2:2 440 and 4:2:2 880 Mbps by simple virtue of being capable of uncompressed 10 bit recording as an option. Obviously the XDR will never be able to capture 4:4:4 uncompressed,

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Best product of 2009 in my opinion.

...Yup. Definitely right. Best product of 2008 as well.

[Perrone Ford]

"Obviously the XDR will never be able to capture 4:4:4 uncompressed"

If someone is looking for 4:4:4 uncompressed, they are playing in the Big Leagues. And frankly those productions have budgets ending with capital "M's" and not "K's". There are already numerous options playing in that arena.

[Mark Job]

Hi Perrone:
Yeah. 4:4:4 is all the way ultra high end digital cinema origination.

[Aaron Newsome]

I'm still trying to figure out why a steadicam operator can't use an S.two?

[Perrone Ford]

Aaron,

Because all the S.Two units I was aware of were rackmount, or deskside type units. I was unaware of the new OB-1 unit (is it shipping) as that seems useful and small enough to be mobile.

-P

[Deke Kincaid]

I remember the ones that Fincher used on BButton & Zodiac we're pretty big on top of the Viper. The newer one I saw at NAB last year had shrunk considerably. I don't see why you couldn't use it anymore these days.

[Perrone Ford]

Exactly,

The smallest unit they have now seems to be the OB-1 at 6 pounds. I certainly wouldn't ask a Steadicam op to carry around a 15-25# camera and then ask to strap on a 20 pound recorder as well.

[Aaron Newsome]

Fincher didn't use the S.two OB-1 on Viper with Steadicam in Zodiac or Benjamin Button? Hmmph. I thought he did. Nevermind then.

[Mike Schell]

We are adding 180 Mbps Long-GOP in the next firmware release. We don't see a real need for uncompressed for 99% of the applications, including output to film.

We'll concede the other 1% to S.two, HDCAM SR or full-uncompressed capture boxes.

Cheers-

[Mark Job]

Hi Mike:
" We are adding 180 Mbps Long-GOP in the next firmware release. We don't see a real need for uncompressed for 99% of the applications, including output to film.

We'll concede the other 1% to S.two, HDCAM SR or full-uncompressed capture boxes.

Cheers- "


......Uhh Just a minute, please. What exactly do mean by writing this ? Are you saying you are not going to offer an uncompressed option for us XDR users ? Please clarify.

Respectfully,

[Mike Schell]

Hi Mark-
Uncompressed is not on the roadmap for nanoFlash, still on the schedule for XDR, but I cannot give a delivery date.

However, I understand we both have issues with delivery dates...

Best-

[Mark Job]

Hi Mike:
OK, Thanks for the clarification. I will continue to wait patiently for that day. You just tell me where to send the check when the day arrives ;-)