XDCAM HD low cost Professional Disc recorder with i.Link interface
Even when recording in MPEG HD, the XDCAM HD deck output a real-time SD signal via i.LINK DV out and composite out, further enhancing versatility and operational compatibility (eg with monitors or recording equipment on location.)
The PDW-F30 fully supports the Quick and Slow Motion feature of the PDW-F350 and will play back this content.
XDCAM HD products can record video signals in 1080/59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 25P and native 23.98P - using a "MPEG HD" codec with industry standard MPEG-2 MP@HL compression. The user can also select the following bit rates; 35, 25 or 18Mb/s depending on picture quality and recording length requirements. Choosing the highest bit rate of 35Mb/s results in a recording time of approximately 60 minutes, while choosing 18Mb/s provides a recording time of approximately 120 minutes - the longest recording time offered by any current HD camcorder. MPEG HD images are recorded at 1440x1080 pixels with 4:2:0 sampling.
The PDW-F30 can record in the ubiquitous DVCAM format with a choice of NTSC/PAL and 16:9/4:3 modes using File Access Mode [FAM]. In addition, both camcorder and decks incorporate a down-conversion capability that allows material recorded in the MPEG HD format to be converted to DV signals and output via the i.LINK port - enabling users to edit the material using compatible DV-based nonlinear editors. DV/DVCAM footage can also be upconverted.
XDCAM HD products can record two or four-channel, 16-bit, 48-khz uncompressed (Linear PCM) audio - delivering high sound quality.
Because the XDCAM system records video and audio as IT-type files rather than a linear AV stream, XDCAM HD products offer a range of tremendous benefits.
The PDW-F30's 16:9 colour LCD displays enables easy access to advanced XDCAM features. For example, a thumbnail display provides immediate access to detailed metadata or key scenes (selected automatically and/or manually) for quickly reviewing content on site. You can even perform simple cuts-only editing on the deck itself.
XDCAM HD products automatically record low-resolution AV data simultaneously with the HD or SD resolution data on the same disc. This low resolution content - called "Proxy Data" - uses MPEG-4 to be high compact (1.5Mb/s for video and 0.5Mb/s for audio) while still offering reasonable quality. Fora fast-breaking news story, Proxy AV could even be relayed over a low bandwidth link (e.g. mobile phone) and broadcast. In normal circumstances, Proxy AV applications include;
One of the most popular features of Betacam SP decks was the top quality, near-analogue jog audio feature. This is almost exactly reproduced with PDW-F30, which offer near-continuous slow-motion speed down to 1% steps. Noiseless slow-motion is variable from -1.0 to +1.0.
Using the same interpolation filter technology as Digital Betacam, XDCAM HD decks offer stable and smooth picture quality during slow motion with minimal vertical jitter in both SD and HD.
XDCAM HD decks share the same platform as the XDCAM SD products which have proven themselves in demanding applications all around the world. As there is no mechanical contact between media and recording heads, a high level of durability and long media life have been achieved. XDCAM products have also demonstrated exceptional resistance to shock, vibrations and extremes of climate. In addition, there is a Silver Support pack included as standard.
The PDW-F30 features a range of input-outputs and interfaces for maximum production flexibility.
