Dear Alan,

Your timing is perfect again!

I just received word from MainConcept that they have tried our files and they work fine with their codec package.

Thus, we now have a viable solution for working with our high-quality 4:2:2 files in Adobe CS3 and CS4.

Many thanks Dan,

Now that we have a workable solution, I will order a nanoflash unit and also the Main Concept software. Looking forward to getting it all together.

Thanks again,
Alan

Just wanting to confirm something, if you write some Quicktime files from your computer to a CF card and insert it into the Nanoflash, it will play them through HDMI into a TV?
Steve

Dear Steve,

Almost.

1. Render the Quicktime files to a format that we specify.

2. Use a utility that we will supply to convert the rendered file to our format of Quicktime.
This just ensures that fields are where we expect them to be and we have the exact same format. No transcoding is performed.

3. Initialize the CompactFlash card in the Flash XDR / nanoFlash.

4.

5. Copy the file to the CompactFlash card.

6. Insert card into the nanoFlash then press Play.


We have a beta version of our utility, but we still have some work to do.

I omitted Step 4. At this time, with our beta utility, it is necessary to create a brief file on the CompactFlash card, after it is initialized.

When we release this utility, this step will not be necesary.

We have been concentratiing on the nanoFlash development and this takes time away from this utility. It works now, it just has some limitations and "Step 4".

One limitation at this time is that the rendered files must be less than 4 GB.

Fair enough, as you say not the number 1 priority, but it will be nice as a way to review/show rushes on a big HDTV. I think this is useful as that is what it will likely be viewed on by your viewers.
Thanks Dan.
Steve

Dear Steve,

Just to be clear:

Of course, you can take the CompactFlash cards that you created, and a nanoFlash, to any HDMI TV and review the footage without any intervening steps.

There is a facility for selecting the desired clip, based on Clip Number or Timecode, and then press Play. Or you can play all of the clip. Or you can play a clip, and then skip to the next, or backup to the previous clip.

The output is to both HD-SDI and HDMI.

This is a feature that will be available on the nanoFlash from day 1, we do not need the utility to do this.

So just to be double clear! If you shoot a clip on the Nanoflash, dump it to a hard drive, delete the clip from the card, then reload it from the hard drive to the card will it then play straight off? ie any clip recorded by the XDR/Nano and archived will load straight back in and play.
Steve

Dear Steve,

Yes, that is true, but here is the secret.

We have one special file that we write to the card.

If you format a card, then put prerecorded files back on the card, they will not play.

However, if you leave our special file on the card, then the files that you put on the card will play.

Or if you format a card, then record a few seconds to the card, you can have the lens cap on, then this special file will be created. Then you can put other files on the card.

Frankly, I think we can make this easier, but everything takes time and we have higher priorities.

If you make a complete copy of a CompactFlash card, then you can restore everything to the same card or a similar card at a later time.

(I think I have all of these details correct, but they are subject to confirmation and correction by our engineers.)

That all sounds pretty simple as a temporary solution though. And when you empty a card after use, instead of formatting it again if you just select all movie files and delete them will the "special" file still be on there?
Steve

Dear Steve,

Yes, Exactly!

I have thought about my answer quite a bit before posting this.

While the above should work, I am more comfortable with you reformatting the card as opposed to deleting files.

The reason is that the File Allocation Table is a complicated beast.

When we format (initialize) a card, any "leftovers" are removed.

I would perfer that you actually initialize the card.

I'm assuming all this will be available when I receive my nanoFlash unit?

I'm wanting to use the nanoFlash to play my HD demo reel at a trade show the first week in August.

Thanks,

Jim

Dear James,

By "all of this", I am assuming that you mean the nanoFlash that you pre-ordered and the File Converter Utility.

We are scheduled to ship your nanoFlash before the end of July.

A working, "Beta Version" of the File Converter Utility is downloadable from our website today.

I do not feel that we will have an newer version of the converter posted by the time we ship your nanoFlash.

You could test the utility today, if you so desire.

Thus, you could use our utility to produce a file in our format. Then, if desired, you could play the new file in your NLE, just as a way to prove that our utility works.


Note: Our utility is limited to approximately 4 GB "chunks".

If your file is larger, then just set up and render your larger file in segments so that each segment is less than 4 GB.

When the individual files are loaded to a CompactFlash card, the nanoFlash will play the files, in sequence, seamlessly, provided that they are all in the same format, 720 or 1080.


Also, the File Converter Utility is not needed, if your computer has a HD-SDI output capability. If it does, just play your timeline to your HD-SDI output and record to the nanoFlash.

We have not tested it, but if you can play your timeline to HDMI, the nanoFlash could record your timeline in the same manner.

Please note that HDMI never has timecode, as this is a limiitation of HDMI. But the nanoFlash can generate timecode on its own, if desired.

Dear Friends,

Playing a timeline out of a computer, using an HDMI or DVI-D Video Graphics Card can be iffy.

If you have the right video card, if it supports the correct resolutions, color space, and frame rate, then it should work fine.

But, some only suport "True 60" frame rate instead of 59.94, and this may cause a problem.

In any case, it should be tested on an individual basis.


Another very good way to get a timeline out of a Mac (with an ExpressCard 34 slot), is the Matrox MXO2 Mini at only $450 (US).