Request for features
 

Having now used the flash XDR for the first time in a real situation these are my comments.
Power test in a Bugatti Veyron 250 mph 49 degrees c temperature.
Would like battery voltage levels and cut offs relating to different chemist batteries.
No volume control on head phone outs
Audio limiters
More confidence that thing is actually recording.
LCD readout refresh slow i.e. timecode and audio meters.
Still would like fast forward on playback.
If constantly recording, after filling up card 1 and 2 replacing with new machine then starts recording on 1 and 2 again.
How about video overlay of settings on sdi out?

Just a few thoughts

On the positive side

Very stable worked without problem pictures look good,

Now waiting to here from edit suite their thoughts.

Dear Jonathan,

1. In the Flash XDR we do not currently have a voltage monitoring circuit.

(We have added this to the nanoFlash, so we will be implementing your suggestion in the nanoFlash.)

2. Headphone volume control. This is planned. The Flash XDR was designed to do this; we just have not implemented this in our firmware yet.

3. We were not able to include audio limiters in the Flash XDR. The issue was room on the circuit board. From a practical point of view, the Flash XDR always records 24-bit audio.
As such, just keep your level a little on the low side and you will be fine.

With 16-bit audio, audio limiters are very desirable. With 24-bit audio, recording low and raising the levels in post works great due to the extra resolution of the audio signals and the low noise circuits.

Yes, the LCDs are relatively slow. If I remember correctly, they refresh about 40 times a second.

4. You can go from sub-clip to sub-clip very quickly, and you can control the size of the sub-clips.

We will be implementing Fast Forward (while playing) and a limited Reverse. (Full reverse while playing is not easy for us.)

5. "If constantly recording, after filling up card 1 and 2 replacing with new machine then starts recording on 1 and 2 again.” Sorry, but I do not know what you mean. If by machine, you mean CompactFlash cards, then I understand.

6. Video Overlay of settings on SDI Out.

I like this idea. We will consider this. But, this requires quite of bit of code, and we need to implement some other features first.

It was interesting to hear that you tested the Flash XDR in a Bugatti at 250 mph.

We have been in a Ferrari.

We fly with the Blue Angels, Virgin Galactic's White Knight II, we have flown in a F-22 (one time), and have flown in UAV's. We are frequently in helicopters.

Soon, we should be diving down to 450'.

We have been in Africa, and Brazil during the summer, in Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia (near crocodiles), and in "Hollywood" (any many other places.)

A television series in New Zealand is using the Flash XDR and a television series in the US and another in Canada is using the Flash XDR for all in-vehicle shots.

And we have been used in hospitals during surgeries.

After a few years, we would like to be able to quote Johnny Cash: "I've been everywhere, man!”.

Dan,

I work as a medical photographer / videographer in a newly built 850 bed hospital. I have been asked to provide a means to record surgical operations. We are equipped with HD XDCAM cameras but the pendant cameras (the one attached in the middle of the operating lights) in each of the operating theatres are still SD quality. Their output is the humble SD BNC. The nano would be ideal but I guess I have to attach a converter to convert a composite SD signal to a SD-SDI signal isn't? Does CG have something on these lines?

Dear Brian,

We expect to ship a firmware upgrade for the Flash XDR which will allow recording of Standard Definition SDI signals within two weeks.

This will be a standard feature on the nanoFlash when it ships.

Please note that this is a Standard Definition SDI signal that we record, not a composite or SD component signal.

Since you have a composite signal and not SD-SDI, you will need a converter.