hmmm:

http://www.edirol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=341&Itemid=390

Yeah I just saw this posted from NAB the other day. Looks real intriguing to me.

It can record DV/HDV to removable 120GB hard drives as well as, can record uncompressed audio too boot.

So if I wanted, I could record HDV video along with 2 tracks of audio, and tehn get a feed from a board or use 2 external mics for an additional 2 tracks of uncompressed audio. Pretty darn sweet and genius if you ask me.

The only thing that would be better about this unit is if it used removable SD media to get rid of the moving parts of a hard drive. And it would most likely make the unit a bit smaller as well.

Wonder how much it's going to run?

I must have been sleepwalking through NAB. Thanks for finding this.

From their NAB2008 Press Release (http://www.edirol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=350&Itemid=399):

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EDIROL Adds Video to Portable Field Recorder Line-up

April 14, 2008 – NAB Show, Las Vegas, Roland Systems Group, leaders in audio/video mixing and capture technology, today unveiled the new EDIROL F-1 Video Field Recorder . The F-1 is the newest member of the popular and growing lineup of EDIROL field recorders combining video capture with multi-channel audio.

The EDIROL F-1 is the ideal addition for any videographer or producer wanting to accelerate their workflow by capturing HDV or DV directly to a hard drive in the field. With two additional audio inputs, no file size limitation, removable hard drive and multiple power options, the F-1 can be used anywhere and in a variety of applications.

In addition to capturing video, the F-1 has two balanced audio inputs for capturing an additional two audio sources supplementing the two channels already part of the video stream. The extra two audio channels are locked to the video and accompany the digital stream as separate uncompressed linear broadcast wav files. This feature not only doubles the typical audio inputs but also provides 16-bit/48Hz audio quality which is beneficial in improving HDV audio quality.

The EDIROL F-1 has no 2GB or 4GB file size limitation found in other solutions and uses a removable HDD for storage allowing the user to swap drives and continue shooting. The removable HDD can also be directly connected to a computer of immediate editing of the video and audio footage.

The unit includes a built-in RGB output that enables connection of a VGA monitor for quick thumbnail previewing without the need to connect a computer. The USB port enables connection of a mouse or touchscreen functionality when using an external monitor. Also available via free download is the F-1 utility software enabling more advanced previewing and file management when connected to a computer. In addition, the built-in network port enables remote control ability of one or multiple units using a simple ethernet switch and computer.

The F-1 Video Field Recorder joins the EDIROL field recording family which includes the R-09HR 2-channel, R-44 Solid-State 4-channel, and R-4Pro 4-channel with timecode portable audio field recorders.

Thanks for the information. This thing looks right up my alley! I talked with a very nice gentleman from Edirol on the phone about it a few minutes ago. He said at NAB they were "talking about" a basic package at $2995 that would include 1 HD and 2 batteries. Naturally, the price is subject to change, so I really appreciated him giving us a ballpark number to chew on.

Projected summer release = time to save up!

The only downturn for me: no QuickTime support. At least, I can't find a mention of it in the specifications. As I work with FCP, this is an essential feature for me as I do not want to convert .m2t to .mov files.

Besides that, this could be a winner.

It is good to see these devices coming to market.

They offer real world record times at a lower price than P2.

Hopefully the competition will drive proprietary memory down to a reasonable level.

The F1 looks good, but I would like to see higher level codecs & bitrates supported.

I was wondering the same thing. The high definition is recorded in m2t files, so does this mean using log and transfer in fcp and going through the pro rez 422 easy set-up. This would negate any drag and drop opportunity for fcp users.

You know, rather than require every hardware manufacture to support QuickTime, shouldn't Apple fix Final Cut to support native m2t editing instead?

Oh, man, that looks so sweet! External power jack takes 9-16vDC, so you could run it off a 12v gel cell. Extreme lust on my part. My only questions are, how much for a 2nd removable drive, and how hard would it be to swap in a larger drive in the removable casing? And can I get a frame to let me plug the drive directly into my editing machine?

Martin

This knocks spots off every other D2D on the market. Bit large in size, but the nNovia is not much smaller and doesn't offer as many features.
The LAN connection is pure genius. I have been thinking about the possibilities of LAN connecting on a multi-camera shoot for a while because good old ethernet is faster than anything else. I now want to do a Frankenstore project, 'Typical!' I hear Daniel Kohl say.

Why do you think they're using a 120gb drive? The 500gb are down to $100

Edit: So the hard drive is made to be proprietary at $500. They take a $40 laptop drive, put it in a case and charge $500. For $500 it should be SSD.

The whole thing seems a bit pricey to me.

I think the price is pretty good considering the probable quality. I just don't like companies making a simple hard drive into a proprietary product.

I think the price is pretty good considering the probable quality. I just don't like companies making a simple hard drive into a proprietary product.

Personally speaking, I think that Edirol dropped the ball on this.
This unit should have been a CF or SD media recording unit. There is no need for hard drives anymore in recording units, except for Edirol to make more money.

If the F1 was a card driven unit, it could be much smaller and lighter, and have no need for moving parts. I am certain Edirol can develop this. After all they use SD recording media already in their portable recorders.

If this unit was smaller and lighter and used recordable card media for recording capabilities, I would be all over it.