50Mbps will be a future firmware update. It isn’t available now, but soon. HOW SOON? Who knows? People who work at trade shows can act like Used Car Salesmen at times…saying what they can to make it sound better. I am just repeating what I was told. But you are right, in the press release there is no mention of 50Mbps.

The press release also says “The imaging devices used in the camcorder are three newly designed 1/2-inch type Exmor™ CMOS sensors, each with an effective pixel count of 1920 x 1080.” EFFECTIVE PIXEL COUNT…not real. So I am beginning to doubt that it is a TRUE 1920×1080 sensor…but probably some lesser size anamorphic setting or something.

I have yet to have the opportunity to work with ProRes…and no mention was made of how long it would take…and I didn’t ask…so I didn’t mention it. Thank you for mentioning it…that is good to know. Well, then that is something that you set up to happen overnight. Get everything started and then go home. And yes, editing the RAW file would be cumbersome…this is why they give you options to encode into other formats.

I also failed to mention the ability to edit PROXIES…but I wasn’t taking notes and had to work from memory.

It doesn’t do 50mbits 422.

Also you failed to mention that transcoding redcode to Prores422 needs 5 times real time and if you try to edit redcode natively even at quarter frame resolution (1K) you have to render even a simple dissolve (and that on the fastest mac available right now). Red is a good camera but is at least 1.5 years from being functional.

And yes Helmut, it records the new 50Mbps FULL RASTER 1920×1080. That is what makes this camera so appealing.

Just FYI: I don’t think the Sony EX records at 50 Mbps…I think it’s 25 and 35, just like the other XDCAM HD models. 50 Mbps will be delivered by a rumored new XDCAM model (which also does 4:2:2), but isn’t present on the EX. That’s my understanding, at least….

I like the FCP multistation workflow, but don’t like the cost of the SAN software. I like Avid’s way of doing things, but am not sure I like EditShare’s way. Seems convoluted in a few ways. But the 16 seats with no license is a COOL thing.

The MOTU V3HD looks cool on the audio end, but having only the ability to capture as DVCPRO HD means that if you lose lines of resolution (1440×1080 to 1280×1080). So it would be handy as an OFFLINE resolution, but then to capture online you’d need another box…which pretty much negates the advantages of owning this. So I hope they get ProRes support.

I’ve been trying to glean info on the EX and your write up filled in some gaps for me about the camera (Sony USA’s press release doesn’t happen until the 18th). I know the EX only has a fixed lens, but it looks like it has a very nice fixed lens (the Canon XL-H1 has an interchangeable lens, btw). I’m exploring tapeless post/production solutions right now and Sony has a leg up currently because of longer record times and you can write to an XDCAM disc and pop that on the shelf for long term storage or ship it back for editing if you are shooting on location.

Great news about Edit Share too. I’ve always felt the multiuser FCP experience was clunky compared to Avids and I can’t wait to play around w/Edit Share to see what it can do.

Last week ProMax came in and we kicked the tires of the MOTU V3HD for a couple of hours and we came away very impressed w/it for what we needed (no time frame announced, but I was told support for ProRes is in the works). If you want I can give you the name of the rep that demo’d it for us.

-Andrew

But I swear I asked and they said dollars. That was the BIG news that i heard. But, if you are hearing $7k MSRP US, then they must have been talking Euros…or English Pounds.

Matt Jeppsen
http://www.FreshDV.com