No SD-SDI?
 

Hi there. Just found out that the SDI connection on the F350 is a HD-SDI only, so no SD/HD switchable, like my XL-H1 for example. Am I right or am I overlooking something?

If you run in DVCAM mode, you'll get SD-SDI output. IOW, you can't acquire in HD and spit it out the SDI pipe as SD.

-gb-

Hmm, strange. I was comparing the PDW 530 with my F350 today. We tried to hook up both to a sony LCD monitor with SD SDI inputs for A/B switching. To do a fair test I had put my settings to DVCAM mode, but I couldn't get a SD SDI signal out of the camera.

So Greg, are you definitely sure about this? If so, can you point me in the right direction how to do this, maybe a setting in the menu or something, 'cause out of the box it doesn't work like that.. Thanks in advance!

Wow, I was certain that it could. Let me check on that with the Sony folks.

-gb-

EDIT Just checked the ops manual. Page 51 spells it out and I was clearly mistaken Vincent. It only outputs HDSDI and will do so while recording or paused in DVCAM mode, but will NOT output any signal when playing back material recorded in DVCAM. Mea Culpa!

But how to hand some material to a broadcaster who doesn't have any XDCAM HD equipment? When I buy the PDW-F350, all my future recordings will be in HD, because I need them for my own projects. But sometimes I need to give some material to a broadcaster who works in PAL 4:3 or 16:9. I think the only thing they can do for me is to provide a SD-SDI input from their IMX oder Digibeta machines. So it would be very good to have a function, which gives an anamorphotic 16:9 or left-right-cropped 4:3 signal to a SD-SDI output.

If this solution doesn't exist, I need to copy the material on the Avid and play it out to my old Betacam SP deck...

Matthias

@ Grag: thanks for searching. To me this seems to be a bit of a shame. Since my low budget XL-H1 does provide this..

@ Matthias: There are a couple of companies with HD SDI to SD SDI converters, like Miranda: www.miranda.com

The studio deck (PDW-F70) has concurrent HD-SDI and SD-SDI outputs, and you can configure your SD for letterbox, squeeze etc. The deck of course also has RS-422 control.

At some point there is a line drawn between camcorders and decks -- and a camera cannot be expected to have the full functionality of a deck.

Keith

Of course You are completely right, but I am looking for a solution without the need to buy a deck, because I don't need it for my own workflow. Perhaps I can force the broadcasters to buy one of it... :-)

Matthias

In my situation I'm not talking about a post situation but a live situation. I still shoot a lot of times in DV mode, so beside composite there is no way out then.

hmmm... its only a workaround, but you can transfer any HD clips via firewire (not FAM mode) as a DV stream...

Or downkonvert the clips in your NLE , but this will take longer, giving you more conversion choices also...

ULI