CineForm HDMI Recorder Concept Posted

[Bill Strehl]

Originally Posted by David Dwyer

All looks good Bill but can I use it with my Sony Z1 to record and view live footage onto the laptop?

I can't answer that as I am unfamiliar with the Z1.

My thought is that this laptop paired with the Matrox MXO2 Mini might be a good solution for people like me who have the HV series camcorders from Canon and can get 4:2:2 color via the HDMI port and use Cineform software to improve the workflow.

[Serge Victorovich]

This thread started 2 years ago in November 13th, 2007, 04:29 PM ...
"CineForm HDMI Recorder Concept " still concept ? !

[David Newman]

Not quite. No hardware manufacture wanted to build the the prototype we proposed. :(

However, this CineForm recorder will be out in a couple of months (if not sooner.)
cinedeckHD Hardware's done just software to finish.

[Richard Leadbetter]

That's amazing David, and very sad. Too many vested interests out there? I've always had the impression that CineForm quality and workflow has been a thorn in the side of the big players. I do wonder if ProRes would exist at all if it weren't for CineForm...

[David Dwyer]

Originally Posted by David Newman

Not quite. No hardware manufacture wanted to build the the prototype we proposed. :(

However, this CineForm recorder will be out in a couple of months (if not sooner.)
cinedeckHD Hardware's done just software to finish.

Confused a little - So Cineform are building a hardware device as well as the cinedeck?


Or are you building just the software for the cinedeck?

[David Newman]

CineDeck developer licensed our codec.

We have alway been a 99% software company, and the HMDI recorder project was going to happen the same way. We did have a hardware partner earlier in the project, but they went belly-up. Still open for others. We are still looking for non-custom hardware solution for this, like an Atom based netbook/embedded motherboard -- the performance is not quite there yet (so close though.)

[Serge Victorovich]

David, thank you for info about CineDeck.

[David Dwyer]

Originally Posted by David Newman

CineDeck developer licensed our codec.

We have alway been a 99% software company, and the HMDI recorder project was going to happen the same way. We did have a hardware partner earlier in the project, but they went belly-up. Still open for others. We are still looking for non-custom hardware solution for this, like an Atom based netbook/embedded motherboard -- the performance is not quite there yet (so close though.)

David what sort of specs you after?

Processor
◦Intel® Pentium™ SU4100 Dual Core ULV Processor 1.3GHz
◦800MHz FSB 2MB Cache
◦Intel GS45 + ICH9MS
Memory
◦3GB DDR3 800MHz
◦Configuration: 2GB + 1GB
◦2 x Slot SODIMM
Hard Drive
◦250GB SATA

Samsung X120 Netbook - Netbooks at Ebuyer

[David Newman]

I've commented on the Atom spec's before in this long thread. Over 12-months ago 1.6Ghz dual Atom would encode 1080p at 16-17fps, with 533MHz FSB. The memory bus is faster now and clocks up a bit, but otherwise that haven't change much in a while. The missing feature to Atom setup is a single PCI-Express lane, so we can feed HDMI in without a big hardware effort. If as can get to 20fps with a PCI-E lane, we can do 24p/30i through SSD buffering -- it is really close.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Richard Leadbetter

I do wonder if ProRes would exist at all if it weren't for CineForm...

I don't understand this statement at all. The two have nothing to do with each other and use totally different technologies.

[David Newman]

ProRES (DCT) and CineForm (Wavelet) are too vary different technologies, but in many case serves the same purpose -- higher quality intermediate. However, Richard is more correct than is publicly known. More generally I think Avid's DNxHD and CineForm, lead Apple to ProRES. This is always a license, buy, or build it yourself decision, ProRES was not created in a vacuum.

[Perrone Ford]

Completely understood. I am aware of the DNx/ProRes connection, just couldn't see how to extrapolate that to Cineform, which if my information is correct, predates them both.

[David Newman]

Yes, CineForm pre-dates both, and the first is still the best :)

[David Dwyer]

Originally Posted by David Newman

I've commented on the Atom spec's before in this long thread. Over 12-months ago 1.6Ghz dual Atom would encode 1080p at 16-17fps, with 533MHz FSB. The memory bus is faster now and clocks up a bit, but otherwise that haven't change much in a while. The missing feature to Atom setup is a single PCI-Express lane, so we can feed HDMI in without a big hardware effort. If as can get to 20fps with a PCI-E lane, we can do 24p/30i through SSD buffering -- it is really close.

Is this possible Cineform device a online or offline device?

I mean will I be plugging in my camera to the Cineform device and recording directly onto the netbook/nettop device? Will I have a live feed on the netbook so I can use it as a external monitor?

Or will it be a offline device and convert my tapes/mt2 files after I have got them off the camera?

[David Newman]

The idea has always been to bypass camera compression recording CineForm directly in a mobile device -- whether that design included monitoring was only a bonus feature not a requirement.