e-Films Australia releases the e-HDR Hard Disk Recorder at DVinfo.net

Ross Herewini · August 1st, 2009, 06:07 PM

e-HDR Hard Disk Recorder

Press News - Immediate Release - 31 July 2009

E-HDR Debuts from E-films

E-films portable Hard Disk Recording system for Sony XDCAM EX series camcorders means hours of non-stop location shooting at an affordable price

Sydney, Australia, 31 July 2009 - E-films is pleased to announce the e-HDR, the latest in a line of cost-effective accessories for Sony XDCAM EX1/EX3 users. The e-HDR allows the user to record directly to an external hard disk and sets a new standard for recording time and affordability. With prices starting from $199.95, the e-HDR is amazing value compared to other storage solutions.

The user inserts the e-HDR ExpressCard into the EX-1 or EX-3 camcorder, connects the Mini-USB cable to the hard disk enclosure – which can accommodate either an HDD or SSD hard disk (not supplied) – supplies power and presses record. The hard disk is powered by either a supplied AC adaptor or a Dolgin Power’s EX-V adapter.

e-HDR components:

* ExpressCard/34 form factor with mini-USB interface (to camera) and mini-USB interface (to hard disk)
* High quality custom “L” shaped mini-USB cable with interference suppression
* Customized enclosure compatible with recommended HDD and SSD hard disks

“High storage capacity is now an affordable reality. The e-HDR unlocks the true value of hard disk recording by allowing up to an amazing 84GB (5hrs+) recording capability at full resolution, 1920x1080 35Mb/s HD” says Ross Herewini, Product Development Manager at e-films.

E-films’ custom-designed HDD enclosure incorporates an eSATA connector for lightning-fast download of data, or direct editing from the drive itself. “We wanted to use off-the-shelf products to keep the cost down, but none of the products we sourced met our performance criteria, so we decided to design our own” says Herewini.

“What excites me about the e-HDR are the problems it solves for EX series professionals. Customers want real solutions that make production easier, and I believe the e-HDR delivers exactly the right combination of price, functionality and performance” says Jeromy Young, E-films Business Development Manager.

Orders are being taken immediately for delivery starting 10 August 2009.

About e-films

E-films began life as a video production house concentrating their efforts on the corporate and event video markets, winning many awards for their innovative video work. Leveraging this intimate knowledge of what video professionals really want, E-films now design, manufacture, and market products targeted at professionals like themselves. Dedicated to providing practical solutions for production professionals at prices that allow even the smallest production units to benefit, E-films identifies issues in digital tapeless workflow and engineers products to solve these problems.

Further product information can be found at E-Films Video Productions

Ben Longden · August 1st, 2009, 09:24 PM

Fantastic... but what about us mere SD mortals who have firewire out (apart from the usual composite etc) on DVCAMs such as a DSR-570?

Ben

Tim Polster · August 1st, 2009, 09:33 PM

Ben,

This is an EX series specific device made to replace SxS cards.

Tim Polster · August 1st, 2009, 09:35 PM

Ross,

Nice looking product and design.

I would like to ask about the testing & reliability of the hard disc setup.

Have any "Media Error" messages come up in any of your testing?

Does formatting happen on the first try without any errors etc...?

Thanks

William Griffin · August 1st, 2009, 10:39 PM

And what make and model of HD's did you test? Are you going to have a list on your web site?

TIA

Ross Herewini · August 1st, 2009, 11:59 PM

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the question.

We haven't experienced any media errors in any of our testing using the tested HDD's and SSD's. That may be more to do with the quality of the drives that we tested with, which were

HDD

Hitachi
Western Digital
Seagate

SSD

Silicon Power
Transcend

But then again the data rates from the camera are not high compared to the rates the HDD and especially SSD's can sustain, so we wouldn't expect there to be many, if any of those kind of problems. But we haven't checked every drive in the market either.

And what we found from the MxR was that some memory was reliable right out of the box, and other memory was not, or didn't work.

With the e-HDR, because we decided to build our own PCB, and our won enclosure, testing it with the EX-Series cameras specifically, we think we are going to be very close from the get go.

Formatting comes up as soon as the enclosure as has the USB to the camera and power attached.

Vincent Oliver · August 2nd, 2009, 12:52 AM

Just as a point of interest, would you be able to over/undercrank using the e-HDR and a SSD drive?

Giroud Francois · August 2nd, 2009, 03:01 AM

that has been explained already.
adapters using the USB pins of the SxS connector are all subject to the same limitation , whatever storage you can put on.
Currently out of SxS there si no storage using the PCIe signal.
even the external harddisk sold by Sony is USB and has limitation on overcranking

Dave Tyrer · August 2nd, 2009, 03:32 AM

Ross

The picture on your website with it sitting on top of the camera...is that the AC adaptor it's coupled with or some other kind of power supply?

Dave

Amir Jaffar · August 2nd, 2009, 04:17 AM

hey!
what kind of compression does it offer? is it equivalent of the XDR drives or the nano flash? or is it standard 4:2:0?

Bob Grant · August 2nd, 2009, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amir Jaffar

hey!
what kind of compression does it offer? is it equivalent of the XDR drives or the nano flash? or is it standard 4:2:0?

This is not handling compression. It is simply an alternate data repository for the camera to write to.

Tim Polster · August 2nd, 2009, 08:04 AM

Thanks for your reply Ross.

I am at the point that the SDHC setup is not a reliable option for important work as Transcend & Hoodman cards have brought about media errors during shoots for me.

To use another adaptor based product I will need 100% compatability to be able to trust it.

Since writing to hard drives does not come close to the data flow ceiling, do you see them as less prone to error? As the SDHC cards are really pushed to their limits with datarate and fragmentation?

For me, this is the heart of the matter.

Your product is a great step for long event shoots.

Brian Cassar · August 2nd, 2009, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross Herewini

... The e-HDR unlocks the true value of hard disk recording by allowing up to an amazing 84GB (5hrs+) recording capability at full resolution, 1920x1080 35Mb/s HD” ...

Is this a limit of the unit? Can I insert a for example 256GB SSD drive in the unit and have much more recording time?

Bruce Rawlings · August 2nd, 2009, 10:19 AM

I think Sony have put a limit on things but I'm not technical. I've read somewhere the file size limit is 84gb or so.

John Peterson · August 2nd, 2009, 10:31 AM

Wouldn't this device have the same limitations as any USB external hard drive for direct recording? I seems no different than my Western Digital My Book in that respect except that it has an Express Card to USB converter.

Also,

Where is the backup if recording to the device fails? The camera will only record to one slot or the other. Will the EX instantly switch to the other slot with a card in it if the device fails?

John

August 1st, 2009, 06:07 PM	#1
Ross Herewini Sponsor: eFilms (MxR) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 171	e-Films Australia releases the e-HDR Hard Disk Recorder e-HDR Hard Disk Recorder Press News - Immediate Release - 31 July 2009 E-HDR Debuts from E-films E-films portable Hard Disk Recording system for Sony XDCAM EX series camcorders means hours of non-stop location shooting at an affordable price Sydney, Australia, 31 July 2009 - E-films is pleased to announce the e-HDR, the latest in a line of cost-effective accessories for Sony XDCAM EX1/EX3 users. The e-HDR allows the user to record directly to an external hard disk and sets a new standard for recording time and affordability. With prices starting from $199.95, the e-HDR is amazing value compared to other storage solutions. The user inserts the e-HDR ExpressCard into the EX-1 or EX-3 camcorder, connects the Mini-USB cable to the hard disk enclosure – which can accommodate either an HDD or SSD hard disk (not supplied) – supplies power and presses record. The hard disk is powered by either a supplied AC adaptor or a Dolgin Power’s EX-V adapter. e-HDR components: * ExpressCard/34 form factor with mini-USB interface (to camera) and mini-USB interface (to hard disk) * High quality custom “L” shaped mini-USB cable with interference suppression * Customized enclosure compatible with recommended HDD and SSD hard disks “High storage capacity is now an affordable reality. The e-HDR unlocks the true value of hard disk recording by allowing up to an amazing 84GB (5hrs+) recording capability at full resolution, 1920x1080 35Mb/s HD” says Ross Herewini, Product Development Manager at e-films. E-films’ custom-designed HDD enclosure incorporates an eSATA connector for lightning-fast download of data, or direct editing from the drive itself. “We wanted to use off-the-shelf products to keep the cost down, but none of the products we sourced met our performance criteria, so we decided to design our own” says Herewini. “What excites me about the e-HDR are the problems it solves for EX series professionals. Customers want real solutions that make production easier, and I believe the e-HDR delivers exactly the right combination of price, functionality and performance” says Jeromy Young, E-films Business Development Manager. Orders are being taken immediately for delivery starting 10 August 2009. About e-films E-films began life as a video production house concentrating their efforts on the corporate and event video markets, winning many awards for their innovative video work. Leveraging this intimate knowledge of what video professionals really want, E-films now design, manufacture, and market products targeted at professionals like themselves. Dedicated to providing practical solutions for production professionals at prices that allow even the smallest production units to benefit, E-films identifies issues in digital tapeless workflow and engineers products to solve these problems. Further product information can be found at E-Films Video Productions __________________ Ross Herewini - E-films Makers of the new MxR Extreme

August 1st, 2009, 10:39 PM	#5
William Griffin Major Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 204	And what make and model of HD's did you test? Are you going to have a list on your web site? TIA __________________ Bill Griffin SONY PXW-X320,PMW-300K2, LiveU LU-500,Sound Devices 552 Mixer,www.Dallascamguy.com Last edited by William Griffin; August 1st, 2009 at 10:40 PM. Reason: none

August 1st, 2009, 11:59 PM	#6
Ross Herewini Sponsor: eFilms (MxR) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 171	Hi Tim, Thanks for the question. We haven't experienced any media errors in any of our testing using the tested HDD's and SSD's. That may be more to do with the quality of the drives that we tested with, which were HDD Hitachi Western Digital Seagate SSD Silicon Power Transcend But then again the data rates from the camera are not high compared to the rates the HDD and especially SSD's can sustain, so we wouldn't expect there to be many, if any of those kind of problems. But we haven't checked every drive in the market either. And what we found from the MxR was that some memory was reliable right out of the box, and other memory was not, or didn't work. With the e-HDR, because we decided to build our own PCB, and our won enclosure, testing it with the EX-Series cameras specifically, we think we are going to be very close from the get go. Formatting comes up as soon as the enclosure as has the USB to the camera and power attached. __________________ Ross Herewini - E-films Makers of the new MxR Extreme

August 2nd, 2009, 12:52 AM	#7
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	Just as a point of interest, would you be able to over/undercrank using the e-HDR and a SSD drive? __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes

August 1st, 2009, 09:24 PM	#2
Ben Longden Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Echuca, Victoria, Australiamate Posts: 179	Fantastic... but what about us mere SD mortals who have firewire out (apart from the usual composite etc) on DVCAMs such as a DSR-570? Ben

August 1st, 2009, 09:33 PM	#3
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	Ben, This is an EX series specific device made to replace SxS cards.

August 1st, 2009, 09:35 PM	#4
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	Ross, Nice looking product and design. I would like to ask about the testing & reliability of the hard disc setup. Have any "Media Error" messages come up in any of your testing? Does formatting happen on the first try without any errors etc...? Thanks

August 2nd, 2009, 03:01 AM	#8
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	that has been explained already. adapters using the USB pins of the SxS connector are all subject to the same limitation , whatever storage you can put on. Currently out of SxS there si no storage using the PCIe signal. even the external harddisk sold by Sony is USB and has limitation on overcranking

August 2nd, 2009, 03:32 AM	#9
Dave Tyrer Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK Posts: 174	Ross The picture on your website with it sitting on top of the camera...is that the AC adaptor it's coupled with or some other kind of power supply? Dave

August 2nd, 2009, 04:17 AM	#10
Amir Jaffar Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai, India. Posts: 26	hey! what kind of compression does it offer? is it equivalent of the XDR drives or the nano flash? or is it standard 4:2:0?

August 2nd, 2009, 08:04 AM	#12
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	Thanks for your reply Ross. I am at the point that the SDHC setup is not a reliable option for important work as Transcend & Hoodman cards have brought about media errors during shoots for me. To use another adaptor based product I will need 100% compatability to be able to trust it. Since writing to hard drives does not come close to the data flow ceiling, do you see them as less prone to error? As the SDHC cards are really pushed to their limits with datarate and fragmentation? For me, this is the heart of the matter. Your product is a great step for long event shoots.

August 2nd, 2009, 10:19 AM	#14
Bruce Rawlings Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Posts: 410	I think Sony have put a limit on things but I'm not technical. I've read somewhere the file size limit is 84gb or so.

August 2nd, 2009, 10:31 AM	#15
John Peterson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Monroe, NY Posts: 703	Wouldn't this device have the same limitations as any USB external hard drive for direct recording? I seems no different than my Western Digital My Book in that respect except that it has an Express Card to USB converter. Also, Where is the backup if recording to the device fails? The camera will only record to one slot or the other. Will the EX instantly switch to the other slot with a card in it if the device fails? John