David Esp Video Technical Blog

I am interested in a new PHU-60 hard disk for my Sony XDCAM-EX video camera.  So what’s around, and what’s the cost?  While I’m at it, what other options are there, e.g. for recording off HD-SDI ?  From my web-research today, the answers seem to be:

• PHU-60 is no longer supplied or supported by Sony, or hence their authorised service centres.
• PHU-120 is however available, at just under £1K.
• At that price I’m willing to consider alternatives… Depending on price and capacity of course.
  • Mend it?
  • Record to a standard hard disk?
  • Go instead for SxS etc., e.g. the cheaper alternatives.
  • Think bigger – go for a HD-SDI recorder, get better quality and more gradeable recordings!  But at what price?
• (To be completed)

Research:

• Spoke to my local Sony-approved service centre, who stated they could neither replace nor repair the PHU-60, as it was no longer sold or supported.
• Google: [phu-120 site:.co.uk]
  • http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/index.php?t=product/sony_phu-120k
    • £812+VAT=£974
• Thinks: Almost £1K, starting to get into HD-SDI recorder territory…
  • As stated by Alister Chapman (DATE), “If you capture the 4:2:2 HD-SDI Output and record it using less compression you can push the image much harder in post production. The color space is just one factor that gets improved, the more important thing is that by using a lower compression ratio there is much less mosquito noise and it is this factor more than any other that limits what you can do with EX material in post. “.
  • Also, if I ever get to use a Sony F3 (borrowed/hired) with S-Log, that can only happen via the HD-SDI.
• Sony F3
  • http://ecprostore.com/decks/aja-recorder/ki-pro-mini-highly-portable-10-bit-4-2-2-flash-disk-recorder.html
• HD_SDI Recorders:
  • http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/index3.html
    • http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/463606-ex3-4-2-2-a.html
      • If you capture the 4:2:2 HDSDI Output and record it using less compression you can push the image much harder in post production. The color space is just one factor that gets improved, the more important thing is that by using a lower compression ratio there is much less mosquito noise and it is this factor more than any other that limits what you can do with EX material in post.
  • http://community.avid.com/forums/t/96002.aspx (April 2011)
    • AJA Ki Pro. Most flexible I/O (HDSDI, HDMI, Analog A and V), does cross-conversion, accepts PsF signals, both 23.98 and 24. Larger drives, so longer recording times. 3995 USD
    • AJA Ki Pro Mini. HDSDI and HDMI, no cross-conversion, not sure about PsF, limited recording times. 2000 USD
    • Convergent Design Nanoflash. HDSDI and HDMI, no cross-conversion, accepts PsF (23 & 24), recording times? Will write MXF files! 2995 USD
    • Convergent Design Gemini. 4:4:4
    • Sound Devices PIX 220. HDMI I/O only, mic inputs, does cross-conversion, not sure if it handles PsF (?!), recording times?, writes DNxHD (option) QT files. 1595 USD
    • Sound Devices PIX 240. HDSDI and HDMI I/O, mic inputs, does cross-conversion, not sure if it handles PsF (?!), recording times?, writes DNxHD (option) QT files. 2595 USD
    • Atomos Ninja. HDMI only, not sure if it handles 23/24PsF, long recording times. 995 USD
    • Atomos Samurai. HDSDI only, not sure if it handles 23/24PsF, long recording times. 1495 USD
    • Blackmagic Design Hyperdeck Shuttle, HDSDI and HDMI, handles 23/24PsF, long recording times. 345 USD
    • Blackmagic Design Hyperdeck Studio, HDSDI and HDMI, handles 23/24PsF, long recording times. 995 USD
    • Datavideo HDR 50/100/200. Not sure if it handles 23/24 PsF, long recording times.
    • Cinemartin
    • Cinedeck
  • http://nofilmschool.com/2011/04/nab-roundup-monitorfield-recorder-combos/
    • (Reviews a number of the above, at NAB 2011)
• HD-SDI Storage Demands:
  • http://www.slashcam.com/EN/info/New-mobile-uncompressed-4-4-4-Field-Recorder-of-Cinemartin-479486.html
    • 1080i and 1080p HDTV uncompressed:
      • 24fps
        • 8 bit 1920 x 1080 = 95 MB per / sec, or 334 GB per / hr.
        • 10 bit 1920 x 1080 = 127 MB per / sec, or 445 GB per / hr.
      • 25fps
        • 8 bit 1920 x 1080 = 99 MB per / sec, or 348 GB per / hr.
        • 10 bit 1920 x 1080 = 132 MB per / sec, or 463 GB per / hr.
      • 29.97 fps
        • 8 bit 1920 x 1080 = 119 MB per / sec, or 417 GB per / hr.
        • 10 bit 1920 x 1080@ = 158 MB per / sec, or 556 GB per / hr.
    • 1080i and 1080p HDTV RGB (4:4:4) uncompressed:
      • 10 bit:
        • 1280 x 720p @ 60fps = 211 MB per / sec, or 742 GB per / hr.
        • 1920 x 1080 @ 24PsF bit = 190 MB per / sec, or 667 GB per / hr.
        • 1920 x 1080 @ 50i = 198 MB per / sec, or 695 GB per / hr.
        • 1920 x 1080 @ 60i = 237 MB per / sec, or 834 GB per / hr.
  • My rough extrapolation from the above:
    • About 750 GB/hour uncompressed
    • Avid DNxHD 220 is …..
    • Hence storage requirement for say 4 hours is ???
    • (To be completed)
• Google: [Kipro]
  • http://www.videogear.co.uk/HDD-Recorders/AJA-KiPro-Mini-Compct-Field-Recorder/prod_1488.html
    • £1390+VAT=£1668
  • http://ecprostore.com/decks/aja-recorder/ki-pro-mini-highly-portable-10-bit-4-2-2-flash-disk-recorder.html
  • http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-f3-cinealta/496029-samurai-1495-a-2.html (~May 2011)
    • My biggest gripe with the AJA recorders is they don’t switch to the next CF card when one fills up. It stops recording. The convergent design recorders will fill a card and automatically switch to the next card during recording. They do this without dropping a single frame and it works very well.  During recording a long interview or a live event, it’s a real pain to stop recording and switch cards.
• Gemini:
  • http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-f3-cinealta/494102-photos-gemini-4-4-4-sony-f3.html
  • http://nofilmschool.com/2011/04/nab-roundup-monitorfield-recorder-combos/
• Thinks: The Sound Devices PIX 240 sounds best, especially since it offers DNxHD.  ProRes is great but Apple’s attitude with FCP7/FCPX has made me nervous about relying on any of their products.
• Google: [sound devices pix 240 site:.co.uk] (or without the site)
  • http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/index.php?t=product/sound_devices-pix-240
    • £1999+VAT=2399
    • Add to this the recording medium, which is either Compact Flash (CF) or a Solid-State Drive (SSD).
      • (I wonder what the ranges of price and capacity are like)
    • http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?245423-Sound-Devices-PIX-220-and-PIX-240-video-recorders
  • http://www.sounddevices.com/products/pix.htm
    • Great overview
  • http://www.prokit.co.uk/index.php?view=product&product=Sound-Devices-PIX-Recorder
  • http://nofilmschool.com/2011/04/nab-roundup-monitorfield-recorder-combos/
  • http://www.coffeysound.com/Sound-Devices-PIX-240.html
• Some alternative suggestions:
  • Record to a standard USB hard drive made to “look” to the EX3 like it was a PHU drive.
    • Not necessarily as simple as it first seems: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/496248-ex1-recording-hard-disk.html
  • Record to a laptop:
    • http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/498431-ex3-live-video-into-macbook-pro.html

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 1st, 2011 at 21:16 and is filed under DNxHD, ProRes, recording, SDI, Uncategorized, XDCAM EX. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.