Sony announces the XDCAM EX

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Thomas Smet

Well since most HD editing systems need a dual core system or at least a pretty good single chip it is safe to say that most HD editing systems should already have PCI Express.

PCI Express is the new standard and pretty much any motherboard built within the last two years will have at least one PCI Express slot. If you bought a motherboard a month ago that had no PCI Express slots it either is an ultra cheap quality motherboard or a very very old model. I cannot even find a motherboard anymore that has no PCI Express slots unless it is for an older single chip system such as a P4 Prescott or Northwood chip.

The only other motherboards which have no PCI Express slots are those designed for AGP video cards. Again however most of those motherboards are for older styles of chips and hardware and really are not the norm for HD editing systems.

Thomas - silly me! Of course you're right; my Asus P5W-DH Deluxe does have PCI-Express slots (as about all modern motherboards do). What I gave up when choosing this mobo was PCI-X on another one from Tyan; I confused the two interfaces. Thanks!

[Simon Wyndham]

Once your XDCAM files are on the computer (desktop or laptop) then write them to the storage discs via PDW-U1 connected by USB 2.0?

The PDZ-1 software makes the copying of files to another XDCAM device seamless and automatic. No need to manually copy files to the laptop and then copy them again to the U1.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

The PDZ-1 software makes the copying of files to another XDCAM device seamless and automatic. No need to manually copy files to the laptop and then copy them again to the U1.

Simon, I have just read your excellent article on XDCAM workflow advantages on your webpage. I got even more excited, thank you! But now that I know more about it, I'm even more certain Sony would make a mistake of spoiling the almost perfect XDCAM workflow potential for the EX users, if they didn't make it possible to load off from the camera to the U1 directly (via USB, using camera software - without the need for a computer). With this capability, the lack of the Professional Disc in the camera would not create any problems, while allowing for the small and compact form factor. Once written to the U1 even in field, the video would get safely archived, and could than be worked upon in exactly the same, smart and efficient way the XDCAM can be by default. I hope Sony is listening - it's not too late!

[Zsolt Gordos]

Very exciting new opportunities with the EX. It will dramatically change a lot in the business and many of us can benefit from that.
I wonder in the same time what is being cooked at Canon's kitchen today. Very silent, as usually - but they might come out with a competitor product. They obviously have to move towards tapeless solutions otherwise their cams would become obsolete (given the price point their high end cam positioned to).
I wont be surprised if they would launch tapeless solution with interchangeable Canon lenses (and adaptor for Canon still lens range). That would be a very interesting situation given EX will have fixed lens.

[Brian Standing]

Originally Posted by David Heath

But you've got me thinking. What about a Firestore type device which attachs to an existing tape based camera (DSR450 or whatever), but records to SxS as opposed to it's own hard drive?

Or conversely, what about a portable tape recorder that could create a simultaneous archive of whatever you were shooting with the XDCAM ex? It would be nice to have a cheaper archive media option. I'm sure XDCAM disks are good long-term archival options for edited masters, but at $30 per hour-long XDCAM disk vs. $3 per hour-long DV/HDV tape, it's less attractive for long-form documentary, for example.

Is there any reason you COULDN'T record an XDCAM signal to a DV/HDV tape? What comes out of that firewire port on the XDCAM EX camera? Downconverted DVCAM, OR HD imx? How about the HD-SDI port?

Or, how about consumer Blu-Ray disks?

[Harm Millaard]

Originally Posted by Brian Standing

Or conversely, what about a portable tape recorder that could create a simultaneous archive of whatever you were shooting with the XDCAM ex? It would be nice to have a cheaper archive media option. I'm sure XDCAM disks are good long-term archival options for edited masters, but at $30 per hour-long XDCAM disk vs. $3 per hour-long DV/HDV tape, it's less attractive for long-form documentary, for example.

Is there any reason you COULDN'T record an XDCAM signal to a DV/HDV tape? What comes out of that firewire port on the XDCAM EX camera? Downconverted DVCAM, OR HD imx? How about the HD-SDI port?

Or, how about consumer Blu-Ray disks?

The tape mechanism and the logic behind it allows for 25 Mbps streams on DV/HDV (only in CBR), not the HQ 35 Mbps XDCAM streams. The firewire port on the EX delivers a 35 Mbps VBR MPEG stream, captured through FAM.

[Simon Wyndham]

The firewire port on the EX delivers a 35 Mbps VBR MPEG stream, captured through FAM.

It doesn't stream footage in FAM mode. FAM mode is a file transfer mode whereby your PC or Mac treats the camera or other XDCAM device like an additional drive. You then drag and drop the files like you would with any other hard drive or CD/DVD etc.

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Brian Standing

Or conversely, what about a portable tape recorder that could create a simultaneous archive of whatever you were shooting with the XDCAM ex?

I see a period when some clients may continue to want delivery on tape, whilst others may prefer it file based, whether via SxS, Firestore or whatever. My suggestion was to have some tapeless benefits, without the capital outlay on a new camera, and at the same time become compatible with anyone else using SxS. Compared to a conventional Firestore, one based around SxS should use less power, and if you have more than one card the first card could be taken away to begin editing whilst filming continues on a second card.

[Harm Millaard]

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

It doesn't stream footage in FAM mode. FAM mode is a file transfer mode whereby your PC or Mac treats the camera or other XDCAM device like an additional drive. You then drag and drop the files like you would with any other hard drive or CD/DVD etc.

Sorry, incorrect use of words, glad for the correction. It is one thing to talk about the way data are recorded, another to talk about the transfer of these files.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Being new to the XDCAM technology, I've been wondering: why does the EX camera need such a bulky body? I mean - not having a tape or disc mechanism - it could basically consist of the lens and battery, with the chassis just big enough to accept two SxS ExpressCards... Can anyone shed some light on what the fat, boxy rear part of it must have room for, apart from those tiny PCB's?

[Bob Grant]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

Being new to the XDCAM technology, I've been wondering: why does the EX camera need such a bulky body? I mean - not having a tape or disc mechanism - it could basically consist of the lens and battery, with the chassis just big enough to accept two SxS ExpressCards... Can anyone shed some light what the fat, boxy rear part of it must have room for, apart from those tiny PCB's?

Well I think given that the cards are fairly long would be one reason.
Plus there's a fair amount of electronics in there, all the audio gear seems to be at the rear, then there's the HD-SDI circuitry and the battery goes in sideways so probably not a lot of wiggle room in the end.

Also this camera seems designed to take follow focus gear, both the focus and iris rings have real teeth, yippee! If and when you put a matte box and FF gear on the front the body width will not look out of place.

One comment I did make to the nice engineer from Sony, the dang XLRs are in the wrong place. Sony finally got it right on the Z1 and have since gone backwards. However given that the lens seems to be driven by an external servo motor maybe they had no choice.

Other thing that no one seems to have picked up. It looks like the only video output is HD-SDI, so if want to hookup an external monitor it's going to have to have a HD-SDI input which means not cheap. Not that I'm complaining, for the quality this camera looks set to deliver I couldn't see much point in doing otherwise.

Just to get more than a bit off topic. Sony also have a HDV version of the PD 250 in the works, at last. 3 hours of HDV to tape should keep quite a few of us very happy.
Even more off topic and price range, a 2/3" 4:2:2 Cinealta XDCAM camera at around $50K. That's a very good offering also.

To get back on topic, the EX has another small but significant change from the usual Sony practice, the DC power connector is non proprietary. A 4 pin XLR would have been nicer but added a lot of bulk.

[Martin Saxer]

Looking at Chris' pics it doesn't seem to be very big:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost....5&postcount=79

Chris, how big is it compared to a V1 or Z1?

[Boyd Ostroff]

It's just a little larger than the Z1. I'd say that the size relationship between the Z1 and the EX is similar to the relationship between the V1 and the Z1.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Boyd Ostroff

It's just a little larger than the Z1. I'd say that the size relationship between the Z1 and the EX is similar to the relationship between the V1 and the Z1.

...and since the size relationship between the Z1 and V1 is quite considerable, the EX is quite bulky, after all - which confirms my first impression.

Oh, and one more, Boyd - do you think Bob is right in his assumptions it doesn't offer any outputs besides the i.LINK and HD-SDI? No component, HDMI - nothing to just plug in and watch on a regular HDTV?

[Tim Le]

I agree with Bob on why it's so wide. They have the ExpressCards slotting in from the side so it has to be at least as wide as the cards are long, plus a little extra for the connector, circuit board and camera body. The ExpressCard/34 are 75mm long (about 3") so add that something extra and the camera is probably about 4"-4.5" wide (I'm guessing). The back of the V1U on the other hand, is much narrower, being just a little wider than the width of the battery, because the tape transport is in the handgrip.

Bob, I don't think the focus ring has any gears, though.