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Sony XDCAM EX Pro Handhelds
Sony PXW-Z280, Z190, X180 etc. (going back to EX3 & EX1) recording to SxS flash memory.

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Old April 15th, 2008, 11:33 PM   #16
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PC Solution:
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/onlocation/
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Old April 16th, 2008, 01:33 AM   #17
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OnLocation (which used to be DVRack) talks through the firewire port, but the EX1 outputs through that only in SP mode. Or is there another way?
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Old April 16th, 2008, 04:56 AM   #18
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A quick (and free!) Firewire software solution (SP mode only) is to use VLC Media Player (on Mac/PC or even Linux!), just download and install it...

www.videolan.org/vlc

Plug in the firewire cable (FW400/800 isn't important as the signal will always be 25mbps HDV), then go to "open capture device" in VLC. There are even some 'extended gui' controls to tweak hue/sat/gamma/etc... and even audio eq. Only downside is the delay will always be there (I think some of this is introduced at the camera anyway, as it transcodes the signal).

A second monitoring method via Component using a VGA converter box like this;
http://www.js-technology.com/product...eb7556a1c43e9d
Then just use the LCD monitor/size of your choice, ideally find one with 1:1 pixel mapping for your preferred output (720/1080).

Clearly the best of all options is to use a HD-SDI monitor/video village, but I dont think that is the type of solution ($!) in-keeping with the spirit of this thread - am I right? ;0)

Cheers,
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Old April 22nd, 2008, 10:55 PM   #19
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capture is not available on the Mac version, which sucks a bit, cause that would have been exceedingly happy.
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Old April 23rd, 2008, 04:00 AM   #20
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I don't think it's ever going to be an ideal monitoring system. Get a Dell 2405 and use the component cables, or better yet a 23"cinema display with the Black Magic HDLink box. Chances are you don't need the pro version, and the standard is about $419. Then you get full raster monitoring with audio via SDI and you can generate and apply LUT's, and the HDLink box adds a blue only mode for more precise monitor cailbration.

-Sean
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Old April 23rd, 2008, 07:01 AM   #21
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A very good monitoring option could be this:
http://izzotek.com/achat/index.php?catid=74
Just 15 inches but true 1080 resolution with component inputs. Its just a kit so you would have to build a case to hold the display, the board and a 12 volt battery. Would take some work but is much cheaper and has a much higher resolution than a marshall! Haven't tested it though so this is all just theoretical.

The not-yet-released matrox mxo2 (which George mentioned) will allow a macbook pro to capture uncompressed (or ProRes-compressed) 10bit 4:2:2 through the sdi. Its small and will work with field batteries. Now THAT sounds great! Don't know though how well it will work as a monitor.

Cheers,
Atilio.
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Old April 23rd, 2008, 08:00 AM   #22
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Hmm... Thanks for that link Atilio.

The MXO2 does (supposed to) do real time output for monitoring to HDMI and can be "calibrated".

I was thinking of maybe hooking a DELL ULTRASHARP 2408WFP display up to an MXO2. Maybe modifying it to take battery power or use an inverter.

Another option is to use the MXO2 and a MBP with Veescope Live. That's only $100 and you can do live chromakey as well as having a vectorscope/waveform monitor. It should work with the MXO2 as it take any Quicktime video source. There's another software package that does something similar, but my mind isn't giving it up (and I'm out of Sodium Pentothal). It may come to me again...

Oh well, still have a few months to figure that out.

George/

EDIT: Victory: Scopebox, a bit more expensive then Veescope Live, but looks nicer too...

Last edited by George Kroonder; April 23rd, 2008 at 09:14 AM.
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Old April 23rd, 2008, 09:57 AM   #23
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Nice... Im glad to see this is being discussed as Im also very interested. I just dont see why such an exceptional display like the MBP is unable to be used?? Thats really weird dont you guys think?... Theres gotta be a way
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Old April 23rd, 2008, 11:02 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gints Klimanis View Post
Try DVRack HD.
DVRack now Adobe On Location has a nasty delay...
but it saved my ass when my EVF and LCD were fried
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Old May 5th, 2008, 10:02 PM   #25
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Haven't tried it yet, but I'm about to...just found this on Version tracker:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/30462
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Old May 6th, 2008, 04:53 AM   #26
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Sounds like you'd need this software, their matching hardware, and a VGA-component breakout. If it's sending video over USB it's also likely to be of lower quality and have a significant delay. I've used wireless SDI transmitters before wihich have a 500ms delay, and it is maddening. I'd still recommend an SDI-DVI converter box (I personally like the Black Magic HDLink) and a good quality DVI monitor.

-Sean
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Old May 6th, 2008, 08:17 AM   #27
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Edit --

I just emailed Divergent Media, the makers of ScopeBox, and this is the very useful and encouraging response I got from Mike Woodworth, CEO and Lead Developer:

... "We demoed ScopeBox 2 with the EX1 at NAB. We were using it both 25mbit over HDV and HQ mode over HD-SDI --- if you have the cash, the HD +ioHD is by far the way to go, HDV is a nasty codec and ScopeBox has a much higher preview latency with HDV compared to HD-SDI...."

Did anyone on this board get a chance to see their booth at NAB?

Last edited by Luis Figueroa; May 6th, 2008 at 10:00 AM.
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