Does anyone know a video capture card planned for ExpressCard/34 slot?

[Kaku Ito]

Does anyone know a HD video capture card planned for ExpressCard/34 slot?

[Keith Wakeham]

I'm not to sure of the standard but I think its like a mobile PCI-E slot so it may be possible to get a cable ran out to some sort of PCI-E adapter so that HD-SDI based cards could be used kinda like how decklink has the 4 lane riser connected to a DVI port.

[Joe Carney]

ExpressCard/34 and /54 are new standards meant to supercede the existing cardslot and add PciExpress connectivity to laptops and desktops.

Here is a good link
http://www.expresscard.org/web/site/

My laptop has both, but I'm hoping someone comes out with a laptop with at least 2 ExpressCard/54 slots. I've installed a card from SIIG which gives me eSATA connectivity, in other words, full desktop speed Hard Disks, faster even then firewire 800 drives. They also offer a RAID version. Frees up my lone 1394 port for the camera and I can use my SoundBlaster ZS surround card for mixing if needed (pcmcia slot).

[Keith Wakeham]

I think but i'm not sure that these expresscard slots are essentially 1x pci-e in a mobile format. So that means that no current sata raid controller or hd-sdi card will work in it because the only ones i know about are 4x minimum. However 1x should still have enough bandwidth for uncompressed, its just exsisting equipment was designed for min of 4x like xena LHe and declink PCI-e along with highpoint sata and firmtek and stuff.

[Joel Dech]

Originally Posted by Kaku Ito

Does anyone know a HD video capture card planned for ExpressCard/34 slot?

Well, I am completely new to video, so please forgive me if this is not what your looking for, but I am a professional Audiophile nut, and I know this due to that.

A company called MAGMA makes PCI/PCIe expansion chassis. Well they also small tiny mobile ones for the (now old -ha ha) PCMCIA slots on your laptop to go to 1,2, or 4 regular PCI slots. This has been GREAT !! And works flawless for mobile set ups.

I just got off the phone with them because I am wondering this for my future mobil audio studio set up, and they said by August they will have a Express Bus to PCIe expansion chassis for the new Intel MacBooks !! This is great news. In the mobile audio world this thing rocks. It is bullet proof and acts as if it were part of the computer.

Here is a link to the current ones for STANDARD PCI. Just to give you a idea of how compact and convienent they are.

http://www.mobl.com/expansion/produc...ion/index.html

Now just imagine that, but for Epress Bus to PCIe. This NOW would allow you to connect ANYTHING that you would normally be able to connect to a desktop PCIe slot, now to your Laptop !!! I believe the through-put holds up to the test as well. Golden --

Hope this helps --

[Richard Leadbetter]

Interesting stuff Joel.

The Magma website has plans for a PCI to ExpressCard adaptor, not PCIe to ExpressCard... do you know something we don't? ;)

[Joel Dech]

Originally Posted by Richard Leadbetter

Interesting stuff Joel.

The Magma website has plans for a PCI to ExpressCard adaptor, not PCIe to ExpressCard... do you know something we don't? ;)

Well I called them and spoke to "Heather" (ext. 226 - she is the super tech down there).

I specifically asked her (cause I need it), and she specifically said by the end of the year they will be releasing a ExpressCard TO PCIe expansion chassis for the new Intel Macs. (a 1 card, a 2 card and a 4 card one).

She went on to say that it is obvious that they would have to do such a thing due to the way it is going. Why ONLY make something go to plain PCI when that is already a obsolete slot technology. "They would be shooting themselves in the foot over that one" she said.

It will come,,,, we just need patience.

[Richard Leadbetter]

Thanks Joel. In theory, from a technical perspective, a PCIe to ExpressCard adaptor would be much easier to produce than the PCI/ExpressCard adaptor that Magma are already promising to release.

Maybe I should give Heather a call - I actually dropped her a line a couple of days ago via email, but got no response, which is a little disappointing. The PCI/ExpressCard adaptor has been "coming soon" for quite a long time now and I really could use it :)

[Shawn Redford]

Originally Posted by Joe Carney

I've installed a card from SIIG which gives me eSATA connectivity, in other words, full desktop speed Hard Disks, faster even then firewire 800 drives. They also offer a RAID version. Frees up my lone 1394 port for the camera and I can use my SoundBlaster ZS surround card for mixing if needed (pcmcia slot).

I assume that you have this SIIG SC-SAE512-S1 SATA II ExpressCard 54 (and this is the RAID version). Would you be willing to run the free HD Tune utility (http://www.hdtune.com/) that allows you to check HD performance and report back with the results? Also, could you share the specific hard drive and enclosure that you're using. Tom's Hardware lists a number of 2.5" drive data transfer rates and 3.5" drive data transfer rates. I would really be curious to know how your setup compares with these results and I'm especially curious to know if the SIIG card introduces any bottlenecks.

[Warren Jobe]

Kaku,

This looks like the perfect companion for an HD-SDI camera (or SDI converted from the component output) and an expresscard laptop:

http://www.vydeo.com/products/EC34.html

[Kaku Ito]

Thanks about information of Magma, I know them very well, we used to distribute their products in Japan, but we stopped handling because they could not fix the issues on some products.

And Warren, great information! Great to know someone is working to that direction.

[Rick Bolton]

here ya go:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/general-h...ml#post1136571

A straight 34mm version should be ready in several months but the 54mm > 34mm adaptor will work easily.