[Mike Schell]

The Flash XDR / nanoFlash should make your video acceptable to all the networks. The BBC requires a minimum of 50Mbps 4:2:2 MPEG2 for it’s content. As Michael Palmer mentioned, the Flash XDR and it’s brother the nanoFlash can record at 50 or 100 Mbps Long-GOP or up to 160 Mbps in I-Frame only mode. At the 50 Mbps the image quality is certainly above DVCProHD and at the 100 Mbps level, the video is visually indistinguishable from uncompressed.

You won’t need a big upgrade to your hard-drive or PC/MAC to support these data-rates, as most drives can easily handle multiple streams of MPEG2 (50 Mbps = 6.5 MBytes/sec, 100 Mbps = 13 MBytes; most drives are good for 30 to 40 MBytes I/O).

We have posted some comparison still images on our website. We’ll also have some comparisons of complex video and green/blue screen comparisons shortly. In addition to improved resolution and reduced mosquito noise, you get a much better key with 4:2:2 color space as compared to 4:2:0 found in HDV or the 35 Mbps EX1/EX3.

Mike Schell
Convergent Design

[Mike Schell]

Hi Ron-
Sorry I missed this post, way back in January. When you have a moment, check out our Flash XDR portable HD recorder, which is based on the Sony MPEG2 hardware CODEC. Flash XDR can record in both Long-GOP 4:2:2 full-raster MPEG2 at 50 and 100 Mbps as well as I-Frame only 4:2:2 full-raster at 100 or 160 Mbps.

We plan to record some panning video footage using Long-GOP and I-Frame only modes (and post on our web site). I do suspect that the I-Frame only 160 Mbps rate will essentially eliminate all these issues you discussed.

Mike Schell
Convergent Design
https://www.convergent-design.com

[Mike Schell]

Hi Richard-
The absolute definite way to evaluate this problem would be to record uncompressed video out the HD-SDI port and compare this result (on a frame by frame basis) to the video stored on your SxS cards. Then you can determine if the artifacts and blurring is caused by the compression or some other setting, such as shutter speed. (I suspect compression issues).

Long-GOP MPEG2 compression generally performs well, even with some motion. However, there are some situations where Long-GOP will fall short, especially in highly complex images, such as grass. MPEG2 P and B frames are created by comparing the current frame to the I frame and then compressing the difference. If subsequent frames within a GOP are radically different than the original I Frame, then this differencing approach can create artifacts.

So, in high-complex, high-motion situations, I-Frame only, will likely produce better results. Our Flash XDR portable recorder gives you this option. You can record in full-raster (1920×1080) Long-GOP 4:2:2 at 50 or 100 Mbps rates for most applications. This produces excellent video quality for most applications and is the most space efficient (longer record times).

But for the really complex moving images, you can select MPEG2 I-Frame only full-raster 4:2:2 recording at 100 or 160 Mbps rate. This mode would eliminate any of the motion artifacts caused by the temporal compression used in Long-GOP.

Flash XDR gives you the option to dial in the compression bit-rate and type of compression to match the situation. You can even record different bit-rates and Long-GOP / I-Frame only to the same Compact Flash card and then upload to your NLE.

Mike Schell
Convergent Design

[Mike Schell]

Hi Ted-
Just to further elaborate on Michael Palmer’s post, the Flash XDR does support 1080p30 as well as 1080p24. You can feed the HD-SDI signal directly out of the EX1 and we can record at bit-rates up 100 Mbps 4:2:2 Long-GOP or 160 Mbps 4:2:2 I-Frame.

More info, including comparison images available at our web site.

Mike Schell
Convergent Design

[Mike Schell]

Hi John, Michael-
Just for clarification, the JVC HD50 deck will playback all the various JVC tape formats (720p24/25/30/50/60) and output in either 720p, 1080i or SD resolutions. But it will not play back 1080i tapes. The MPEG2 decoder in the JVC deck only does 720p not 1080i, but they do have a cross converter / down-scaler which does the conversion to 1080i or SD.

You have a similar problem on the Sony M25U deck. The Sony deck does play back all the Sony 1080i formats, and it will play back JVC 720p30 tapes (out the HDMI port, but not out Firewire), but no other 720p formats. Also the Sony deck deos not handle the 108024F format from Canon.

It’s somewaht of a mess with the different formats and tapes, so you have to be careful to match the video format with your deck / camcorder.

Mike Schell
Convergent Design