Right on the heels of the Ki Pro update, Nexto has also released their own 1.10 firmware for the Video Storage Pro (NVS2500). This update is has several improvements including:

• Added preview support for MXF files Convergent Design’s nanoFlash. (Previously only MOV files were supported for preview)
• 2x faster M-Copy & SYNC speeds (approx. 30MB/s) for faster USB hard drive syncing and copying
• 2x faster CF & SD/MS copy speed (approx 30MB/s)
• 5x faster full verify speed for SxS (approx. 80MB/s)
• Added Copy & Verify function. Automatic full verify after copy.
• Export the backup folder in internal HDD to CF/SD/MS.
• Added Delete for memory cards including SxS and P2.
• Added preview for external devices such as P2/SxS/CF/SD/MS and external USB hard drive
• Display file name during the ‘Clip View’ mode
• Added support for SxS-1(indication on life time expire)
• Preliminary support for AVC-Intra50
• Support for ‘avi’ file for the Sony PMW-350

This is great news for any NVS2500 owner. Make sure to update your device. The firmware update can be found here - NVS2500 1.10 Firmware

Over Thanksgiving weekend, there was a discussion on the Cinematographer’s Mailing List (CML, cinematography.net) about new camera technologies and future trends in our industry. Neil Smith of Hollywood DI asked me to give Abel’s perspective on what’s to come. Since writing my response, numerous people have commented on it and suggested we re-post it for others to see. It is presented here for you to read and draw your own conclusions.

From Neil Smith, Hollywood DI:

Mitch, I’d be interested to hear your views on how you see the industry changing over the next 12 months … you guys have been in the game a lot longer than most of us and have never ceased to adapt and change and continue to deliver great products and services.

My response:

What we see as the big change in the industry is how the market now leads the manufacturers. Unlike what so many sometimes think, the manufacturers have always tried to listen to their customers to develop products with which everyone will be happy. Focus groups and meetings with large clients worked well in the past, but the business of Image Capture has expanded at an exponential rate. And there are also forums such as this that communicate in minutes what once took months. There are different markets and different ways to serve them. And these markets are letting the manufacturers know this, and the manufacturers are responding. And sometimes a manufacturer just might know something and drop a product that makes everyone stop and take notice.

…continue reading So, What Lies Ahead?

There have been a few updates this month to some of our newest products. Nexto has improved their Video Storage Pro (NVS2500) with several updates. The first is support for MOV wrapped MPEG2 files, so files made in the JVC HM700/100 and from the Convergent Design devices (nanoFlash) can be previewed. They have also fixed some bugs and improved compatibility with USB drives. Download the firmware and read about all the updates here – NVS2500 Firmware 1.06.

AJA has also been working on adding function to their Ki Pro portable recorder. The latest firmware adds an ARM recording option that will allow users to have the device start recording on timecode start. This is an important improvement for anyone wanting to slave the Ki Pro to their camera. Additionally they have made several improvements to stability and user interface. You can download the firmware and read about future updates here – Ki Pro Firmware 1.01.

The recent v.675 release of the Phantom software from Vision Research modifies how the white balance is stored in the raw cine files. This rendered the files created with this version incompatible with all the existing third party products that read the Phantom files.

Fortunately, developers have been quick to update their tools. Version 2.0.12 of the GlueTools Phantom Cine toolkit now supports the new white balance system, and I just got word that Iridas has implemented support as well, and that updated builds of their products should be available soon.

So, if you’ve downloaded files with the latest Phantom software and you see images that look like this:

instead of this:

you know you need to update your post software.

Sony has released new firmware for the PDW-U1 that enables full data write back. The previous firmware version allowed writing MXF files into the Clips folder, but the new version adds the ability to write any data type to the UserData folder. This means that the ProDiscs can be used for data archive of any material, up to 46.4 GB on a Dual Layer disc. The PDW-U1 has finally become a full fledged data archive machine. The latest firmware also adds support for mixed format recording discs. Download the firmware from Sony’s support site here - PDW-U1 Firmware version 2.2.1 for Windows & Mac.

Doug Percher from International Supplies was nice enough to bring by the Nexto Video Storage Pro unit the other day and let us try it out. In the past, Nexto had shown us their eXtreme ND 2700 and other models that provided a OTG (on-the-go) way of downloading CF, SDHC cards, Memory sticks, and a variety of other flash memory. It’s basically a portable hard drive unit with some memory slots. The card goes in, and with a few clicks, the card is downloaded to the internal drive. This was a great unit for the DSLR market, Red One users, and AVCHD camera owners. But the Video Storage Pro brings this idea to a whole new level. It’s a must have for any tapeless camera owner, P2 & SxS included!

…continue reading Nexto Video Storage Pro

AJA has just announced their new KI Pro tapeless video recorder. I’m really excited about this little box, which has a host of new features that are really amazing. It is a rugged field recorder that encodes video directly to 10-bit Apple ProRes 422. The ProRes HQ codec has really impressed us, with quality only paralleled with the highest end HD acquisition formats. AJA has done a great job working with ProRes, first with the IoHD and now with the KI Pro. The box is a fully functional recorder going directly to hard disc (HDD or SSD), or on to ExpressCard 34 media cards. Yes that’s right, it can record to your SxS cards or other ExpressCard 34 media. For video inputs it has SD/HD-SDI, HDMI, and Component video. It also takes timecode input, 2 audio XLR inputs, and is powered by a standard 4-pin XLR cable. With all of these options you can record the output of just about any camera on the market, and even attach it to a camera with an optional accessory.

…continue reading AJA’s New KI Pro Portable Recorder