Cinedeck Extreme 4:4:4 HD Recorder

Cinedeck Extreme

Cinema-grade external portable HD recorder with 4:2:2, 4:4:4 and 3D Capability with a built-in high quality 7" HD touch control sunlit-viewable monitor.

VMI have purchased the 3D options for these, so 2 x 4:2:2 3D feeds can be now recorded in one unit.

A solid state recorder which is capable of recording

• Apple ProRes: 4444, 422 (HQ), 422, 422(LT), 422 (Proxy)
• Avid DNxHD: 175/185/220x, 175/185/220, 115/120/145, 36/45 recording MXF OP-Atom or .MOV
• CineForm: Filmscan1, Filmscan2, Keying, High, Medium, Low
• Uncompressed 4:4:4 (10-bit) or 4:2:2 (8 or 10-bit) recording .MOV
• Sony S-Log 4:4:4 for PMW-F3 with S-Log option
• ARRI Raw (being released early 2012)

At 12.7x 20 x 8.9cm and weighing 1.8kg, Cinedeck EX replaces a standard 7" on-camera monitor. It is fitted with a D-tap power option or Anton Bauer clip, though it may be preferable to mount this off-camera if shooting shoulder-mount.

• Power source 12-28V DC.
• Robust SSD media means it is ideal for any environment, especially the most demanding, including helicopters, off-road vehicles, and handheld/steadicam systems.
• Wide ambient temperature stability and temperature controlled cooling means you can record in extreme temperatures.

Full specs on specs tab.

How much Data is uncompressed?

Uncompressed is a lot of data, typically in the range of 125 to 150 MBytes/sec (1000 to 1200 Mbits/sec). But, technology advancements now make full-uncompressed workflow quite manageable and affordable. For example, using the new 10Gbps Thunderbolt technology from Apple/Intel, it is now very reasonable to edit uncompressed using a laptop. New $180, 3-TByte (TeraByte) HDDs enable portable RAID arrays with 9-12 TBytes of storage (sufficient for 18-24 hours of uncompressed 1080p24 4:2:2 10-bit).

Full uncompressed capture/editing enables the ultimate in quality with no compression artifacts, added noise, or multigenerational losses. But, you still have the option to work in CineForm/DNxHD/ProRes, etc. via a simple encode process (using programs such as Compressor or Media Encoder).

EXSync Timecode Module

The EXSync hardware timecode module enables a Cinedeck EX to jam sync timecode from an external master clock. This functionality ensures that there is a consistent timecode stamp across multiple Cinedecks or other timecode-based devices. Additionally, a "master Cinedeck" equipped with ExSync can serve as a master clock source for other ExSync equipped Cinedecks or any device capable of reading LTC time code.

Cinedeck Stereo 3D Option

VMI Cinedecks are equipped as standard with the Stereo3D option which adds dual camera monitoring, capture, and playback with full HD-SDI or HDMI monitoring. The single HDMI input on Cinedeck EXTREME supports the v1.4a spec which means it can capture either side by side or interleaved from sources (such as the AJA 5M muxer) or from single 3D cameras with dual lenses (such as the Panasonic 3DA1). The files that are captured in this manner are identical to those files captured via the dual HD-SDI feeds. It is built on CineForm's award-winning Neo 3D and First Light stereoscopic production technology.

The Stereo Option provides left eye/right eye full screen toggle or 50/50, over/under, and side-by-side image display. The full complement of Cinedeck image analysis tools can be applied to each camera signal.

SSD Storage

Compact Flash is a great choice for most compressed recorders, but it simply lacks the required performance for uncompressed video. Compact Flash tops out at about 90 Mbytes/sec, while uncompressed video ranges from 100 to over 300 Mbytes/sec; so clearly, it’s impossible to record uncompressed video onto a single CF card. Additionally, CF card capacity maxes out at 128GB, while SSDs are now available up to 512GB.

Built on cutting-edge 25nm technology, Gemini SSDs provide read/write speeds of 415/260 (Mbytes/sec) respectively. For most video formats, a single SSD has a sufficient bandwidth; however, 1080p50/60 formats generate over 300 Mbytes/sec, requiring us to strip the data across both drives. We do, however, combine the data into a single file during the offload of the SSDs to your MAC/PC.

VMI have decided that 1/4TB is about the maximum that anyone will want to have as a maximum storage capacity, so VMI Cinedeck kits are supplied with 3 x 240 SSD drives.  240GB SSD → 30 minutes @ 1080p24 4:2:2, 10-bit

Thus, you have sufficient storage of 90 minutes of 1080p with 3 x drives and more storage is available at an additional charge :
Additional 240GB drives are available at an additional cost of £50 per day

What is provided in standard kit

• Cinedeck Extreme 7" Monitor with SSD recorder
• Heavy Duty Noga Arm
• Anton Bauer Battery Plate
• 2x 256gb SSD Media
• SSD transfer Station
• Mains Power Module

• Rate: £200 per day
• Additional 240GB SSD drive for Cinedeck
  Extreme£50 per day

VMI article on HD Recorders

SIZE and FEATURES

• 5"h - 8"w - 3.5"d (12.7cm x 20.3cm x 8.9cm); 4lbs (1.8kgs)
• Rugged anodized aluminum enclosure and solid-state construction for extreme durability
• Choice of Anton Bauer or Gold V-Mount battery mounts
• Built-in wide input DC power: 12-28V via wall adapter or industry standard battery

MONITORING

• Simultaneous pass thru of incoming signal for on-set/EVF monitoring
• Realtime HD to SD downconvert for on-set monitoring
• Realtime SD to HD upconvert
• VGA display clone for secondary display with interface
• Stereo headphone jack for audio monitoring

RECORDING

• Records all Apple ProRes formats including 4444, all Avid DNxHD formats (MXF or .MOV),CineForm and uncompressed 444 (10-bit) HD or uncompressed 4:2:2 (8 or10-bit) HD (.MOV) onto 2.5" SSD disk

SUPPORTED RESOLUTION AND FRAME RATES

• HD - 1080 50/60i
• HD - 1080 23.98/24/25/29.97/30 P/PSF
• HD - 1080 50/59.94/60 P/PSF (CineForm Only)
• HD - 720 P 50/59.94/60
• SD—PAL/NTSC
• SI-2K Uncompressed 12-bit RAW 2K (via SI-2K Option)

SUPPORTED CODECS

• Apple ProRes: 4444, 422 (HQ), 422, 422(LT), 422 (Proxy)
• Avid DNxHD: 175/185/220x, 175/185/220, 115/120/145, 36/45 recording MXF OP-Atom or .MOV
• CineForm: Filmscan1, Filmscan2, Keying, High, Medium, Low
• Uncompressed 4:4:4 (10-bit) or 4:2:2 (8 or 10-bit) recording .MOV

DISPLAY

• Large 7" high-res (1024×600) touchscreen display for realtime preview, focus, and review. 250 NITS brightness standard (1000 NITS Hi-Brite option available and recommended for direct sunlight environments)
• Realtime composite and per-channel waveform, vectorscope and histogram for accurate quality control; available in overlay or full screen mode
• On-screen reticle overlays: grids, crosshairs, safe frames, metadata, and letterboxing (opaque mask mode available)
• Intuitive gestural touchscreen interface designed for field recording… most commonly used controls are also accessible via physical buttons on the front panel; most overlay functions available during record

OTHER FEATURES

• Realtime upconvert/downconvert/crossconvert between more than a dozen resolution/frame rate combinations
• Battery meter; disk capacity warning tally for peace of mind
• SDI Link or internally generated timecode support on ingest with on-screen timecode display and programmable offset/start values
• EXSync timecode module for jamsync to external clock source (HW option)
• Garmin GPS data support
• Long distance remote operation via ethernet or WiFi
• Battery life: up to 1.5 hours continuous recording time on a single 1.5 Li-ion battery, up to 5 hours with stacked IDX Endura Elite or equivalent
• 16 1/4" and 3/8" threaded mounting points top and bottom for flexbility