Sony XDCAMTM User Manual
XDCAM
TM
HD Family
www.sonybiz.net/xdcam
We’re living in a fast-paced world where time and
money are scarce resources. Broadcasters and programme makers are under greater pressures than ever
before. Increased competition means more channels
chasing a fragmented audience that’s offered almost
limitless viewing choices. Capturing great-looking
images from anywhere in the world and getting to them
on air ahead of your rivals can be a matter of survival.
Global viewing audiences want to be informed, entertained and enthralled. And in a media-saturated world
they won’t hang around if your competitors have got the
best pictures first.
While viewers are expecting more, tight project budgets
mean there’s no latitude for making the wrong decisions
and paying the price later on. Choosing the right format
isn’t just about raw performance and up-front hardware
costs. It’s about understanding the real price of every
second on screen in terms of media lifecycles, facilities
overheads and human resources.
In response to new opportunities and an increasingly
competitive landscape, traditional broadcast workflows
are changing fast. Tape-based production is being
supplanted by network-oriented paradigms. From planning and acquisition to editing, playout and archive,
broadcasters are embracing the benefits of, file-based
production. News gatherers have led the way, but now
the entire production community – from documentary
makers to sports, drama and live events specialists –
is following suit.
Unrivalled performance.
Absolute reliability.
At the heart of this rapid migration to networkoriented production is XDCAM. It’s the world’s first
professional non-linear format that harnesses the power
of open standards like MXF in a rugged package
that teams superb performance and reliability with
exceptionally attractive removable media costs.
For starters, XDCAM has been designed to shrug off the
physical rigours of the harshest physical environments.
Whether you’re at the summit of a snow-capped
mountain in sub-zero temperatures or driving across
sand dunes in the mid-day desert heat, XDCAM performs unflinchingly.
Based on proven optical disc technology, XDCAM
brings acquisition and production processes into one
seamless workflow. Since you’re shooting and editing
with the same physical medium, pictures captured in
the field with XDCAM can be instantly available in your
non-linear editing environment. And because highresolution content plus proxies and metadata are all
stored on the same removable optical disc, XDCAM
dovetails seamlessly with today’s IT-oriented, networkcentric news environments.
PDW-F350 Camcorder
PDW-F330 Camcorder
PDW-F70 Recording Deck
PDW-F30 Viewing Deck
Time and money.
Two things you can’t afford to waste.
Just as importantly, XDCAM saves you time and
money on every project compared with
traditional tape-based production. Good for a
minimum of 1,000 record/re-record cycles, the
rugged optical disc cartridge stores up to
2 hours of broadcast-quality pictures – plus all
your associated project files – while taking up
less shelf space than a Betacam cassette. And
since files can be imported faster than real-time
from XDCAM into your non-linear news or
production environment, there’s no need to
hang around ingesting hours worth of taped
footage into your NLE before craft editing starts.
Just think about it. The savings in facilities and
operator costs alone can repay your investment
in XDCAM within months… or even less.
XDCAM is much more than just a standalone
production format. It’s been conceived as part
of a total environment that integrates content
creation, storage and distribution in a single,
seamless workflow. Leveraging support for MXF
and open IT industry standards, XDCAM offers
third party interoperability with hardware,
applications and complete solutions from over
thirty vendors.
Better still, XDCAM is ready for today’s High
Definition world. With XDCAM HD you can enjoy
all the benefits of file-based, network-oriented
acquisition and production – plus true HD
picture quality to enhance the international
commercial appeal and shelf-life of every
project.
Broadcasters and programme makers in Europe
alone are rapidly embracing the benefits
of XDCAM to drive down costs, open up new
creative possibilities and secure a formidable
competitive edge for themselves. Isn’t it time
you joined them?
One format family. One vision.
Infinite possibilities.
High Definition
is changing the way we see the world.
Viewing audiences are demanding betterlooking pictures. With Sony XDCAM HD you
can embrace the creative and commercial
opportunities that High Definition opens up to
programme makers everywhere.
XDCAM HD builds on the proven strengths
of Sony XDCAM to make High Definition, non-
linear, end-to-end workflow a cost-effective
reality.
Whether you’re shooting news, your first
independent feature or a corporate training
video, XDCAM HD teams all the advantages of
file-based acquisition and production with true
High Definition picture quality.
Just like Standard Definition XDCAM, XDCAM
HD has been designed and engineered as a
no-compromise professional system for
dependable results under a wide range of
operational conditions. After all, you’d expect
nothing less from Sony – the worldwide leader in
High Definition video know-how, from scene to
screen.
Recognising that the creative and commercial
demands of every project are different, XDCAM
HD camcorders allow you to shoot true
1080-line High Definition pictures at a choice of
three data rates. Select 35Mb/s for the best
possible on-screen look with 60 minutes
shooting time per disc. Switch to 25Mb/s and
it’s easy to edit shots captured on XDCAM HD
with other High Definition material acquired
using HDV. Or switch to 18Mb/s and enjoy a
massive 120 minutes recording time on a single
disc.
The sheer versatility of XDCAM HD doesn’t
stop there. Variable frame rate shooting lets you
create super-smooth slow- or fast motion
sequences… a tricky-to-achieve feature that’s
normally the preserve of high-end camcorders.
It’s a formidable creative tool, but we haven’t
cut corners on quality, reliability or your
real-world operational needs. While XDCAM HD
delivers an immediate step up to High Definition
picture quality, it uses exactly the same rugged,
re-usable, removable optical media as
Standard Definition XDCAM to keep your
operational costs down. What’s more, it offers
the same familiar operation and ergonomics as
other Sony professional camcorders – so
there’s no painful learning curve to slow you
down.
XDCAM HD also provides a perfect fit with the
rest of your non-linear production environment.
Support for a growing range of third party
editing applications means you can mix and
match tools from your preferred suppliers… and
have great-looking pictures ready for playout in
the shortest time possible.
If you’re already using Standard Definition
XDCAM, it’s easy to migrate to High Definition
working at your own pace. XDCAM HD players
can replay SD XDCAM discs directly – and you
can also downconvert XDCAM HD material if
you want to post produce in an existing SD
environment.
Best of all, you’ll be amazed at just how
affordable XDCAM HD is. Putting High
Definition production within reach of corporate
production budgets, XDCAM HD makes
fantastic business sense in today’s business
environment.
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HD Video Codec Compression MPEG-2 MP@HL
Sampling Rate 4:2:0
HQ, 35 Mb/s VBR 66 minutes (4-ch audio)
Bit Rate and 69 minutes (2-ch audio)
Recording Time* SP, 25 Mb/s CBR 87 minutes (4-ch audio)
(approx.) 92 minutes (2-ch audio)
LP, 18 Mb/s VBR 113 minutes (4-ch audio)
122 minutes (2-ch audio)
Number of Pixels 1440 x 1080
SD Video Codec Compression DVCAM*
Sampling Rate 4:1:1 (NTSC)/4:2:0 (PAL)
Bit Rate and 25 Mb/s, 85 minutes
Recording Time (approx.)
Active Lines Per Frame 480 (NTSC)/576 (PAL)
Audio Compression None (Linear PCM)
Number of Channels 2 or 4, selectable
Sampling Frequency 48 kHz
Quantization 16 bits/sample
HD 1080 Recording using
the “MPEG HD” Codec
The XDCAM HD products record 1080-line
high-definition video using the “MPEG HD” codec
that uses the industry-standard MPEG-2 MP@HL
compression. The use of this codec, which is based on
common MPEG compression, allows compatibility
with many other devices such as non-linear editing
systems.
Selectable Bit Rates
Users can select desired bit rates of either 35, 25,
or 18 Mb/s depending on their requirements for
picture quality and recording length. Choosing the
highest bit rate of 35 Mb/s results in the highestquality pictures over a recording time of 66
minutes*, while choosing the 18 Mb/s bit rate
provides a longer recording time of 122 minutes.
*Approximate time in two-channel audio recording mode.
Wide Choice of Video Format –
Interlace and Progressive Including
Native “23.98P” Mode
The XDCAM HD products offer a wide choice of
video formats for both frame rates and scanning
mode. They include 1080/59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 25P,
and native 23.98P.
High-quality Uncompressed Audio
Recording
In addition to HD video recording, high quality audio
is an equally significant feature in the XDCAM
HD system. The XDCAM HD products can record
four-channel, 16-bit, 48-kHz uncompressed audio.
The Sony XDCAM
HD system is a highly
versatile production
tool that offers
flexible recording
functionalities
including a choice
of video frame rates,
interlace or
progressive modes,
recording data rates,
and both HD
or SD* formats.
*Selectable between 16:9 and 4:3
aspect ratios.
XDCAM HD – Versatile, Disc-based HD Recording System
HD/SD Switchable
Recording and Up/Down
Conversion Capability
The XDCAM HD camcorders provide the powerful
capability to record in DVCAM format with
NTSC/PAL and 16:9/4:3 switchable modes, as well
as the MPEG HD format. What’s more, both the
XDCAM HD camcorders and decks incorporate a
down-conversion capability that allows material
recorded in the MPEG HD format to be converted
to SD signals and output via the SD video output
connectors (including SD composite and i.LINK™*
connectors). This enables users to view the material on an SD monitor or transfer it to other SDbased equipment such as a VTR or editor.
The PDW-F70 and PDW-F30 decks also boast an
up-conversion capability, which allows material
recorded in the DVCAM format to be converted to
HD signals and output via its HD-SDI** or HD analogue component connector. These capabilities
allow users to easily and flexibly migrate to HDbased operations at their own pace.
Another powerful capability of the decks is upconversion recording via the optional PDBK-104
board. This allows input signals from the SD-SDI or
SD analogueue composite connector to be recorded in the MPEG HD format, further increasing flexibility in mixed SD/HD operations.
*i.LINK is a Sony trademark used only to designate
that a product is equipped with an IEEE1394
connector. Not all products with an i.LINK connector
may communicate with each other. Please refer to
the documentation that comes with any device having
an i.LINK connector for information on compatibility,
operating conditions, and proper connection.
**HD-SDI output is only available on the PDW-F70.
XDCAM HD Recording Specifications
* When recording in HQ (35 Mb/s) or LP (18 Mb/s) mode, recording time may be more than the above
specified figures depending on the actual bit rate that is adopted during VBR encoding.
**DVCAM recording on camcorder models only.
XDCAM HD
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File-based Disc Recording
In addition to its
impressive HD picture
quality, what makes
the XDCAM HD system
so distinguished is its
file-based disc recording
capability. This brings
huge benefits such as
instant random access
and IT connectivity,
to name just two.
Powerful Non-linear Recording
– the Professional Disc Media
The XDCAM HD products use a large-capacity
non-linear optical disc for recording, the PFD23
Professional Disc media, which Sony has developed
specifically for professional recording applications.
The Professional Disc is a 12-cm, single-layer,
reusable optical disc with a capacity of 23 GB. This
large capacity makes it possible to record up to two
hours* of HD material on a single disc. Professional
Disc media is highly reliable and durable because it
experiences no mechanical contact during recording
or playback, and is packaged into an extremely
durable and dust-resistant disc cartridge. The
non-contact recording and playback also makes it
an ideal media for long-term storage of AV assets.
Whereas traditional tape archive systems must be
rewound on a periodic basis to remove magnetic
powder debris, the Professional Disc media
completely eliminates this process.
Its reliability has already been demonstrated by the
SD version of the XDCAM products in various areas
such as ENG and EFP.
* The figure is approximate. The precise recording duration will depend
on the bit rate selected.
XDCAM HD
PFD23 Professional Disc
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IT/Network Friendly
In the Sony XDCAM Series of products, recordings
are made as data files in the industry-standard MXF
(Material eXchange Format) file format. This allows
material to be handled with great flexibility in an
IT-based environment – easily available for copying,
transferring, sharing, and archiving. All these
operations are accomplished without any “digitising”
process required. File-based data copying allows for
degradation-free dubbing of AV content, which can be
performed easily on a PC. The file-based recording
system also allows for material to be viewed directly
on a PC, simply by linking it to the XDCAM unit via
an i.LINK connection. This works in just the same
way as a PC reading files on an external drive.
The XDCAM HD camcorders and decks come
equipped with IT-friendly, computer-based interfaces.
These include an i.LINK interface supporting DV OUT
and File Access Mode as standard, and a Gibabit
Ethernet interface available on the PDW-F70 and
PDW-F30 decks as an option. Connecting the
XDCAM HD system to an Ethernet network offers
users a new style of network-based operations that
can dramatically improve the efficiency of their
workflows.
No Overwriting to Footage
– For Immediate Recording Start
By virtue of recording on optical disc media, the
XDCAM HD system makes each new recording on
an empty area of the disc. This is extremely useful,
especially when shooting with camcorders, as it
relieves the concerns of camera operators about
accidentally recording over good takes, and eliminates the burden of searching for the correct position to start the next recording. In short, it means
the camera is always ready for the next shot!
Instant-Access Thumbnail Search with
“Expand” Function
With all XDCAM HD products, video and audio signals
are recorded as one clip file each time a recording
is started and stopped. During playback, cue-up to
the next or previous clips is possible simply by
pressing the ‘Next’ or ‘Previous’ button, as you
would do on a CD or DVD player. Furthermore,
thumbnails are automatically generated for each
clip as a visual reference, allowing operators to cue-up
to a desired scene simply by guiding the cursor to a
thumbnail and pressing the ‘Play’ button. For further
convenience, the ‘Expand’ function allows one
selected clip in the Thumbnail display to be divided
into 12 even-time intervals, each with their own
thumbnail identifier. This is useful if you want to
quickly search for a particular scene within a
lengthy clip.
Scene Selection Function
The Scene Selection function allows simple cuts-only
editing* to be performed within the camcorder or
deck itself. The results of the edits can be saved as
an XDCAM EDL (called “Clip List”), which can be
written back to the original disc to stay with the
material. The disc can then be played back according
to the Clip List so that only selected portions are
played out in the desired order. The Scene Selection
function presents dramatic improvements to
conventional workflows, such as when transferring
material to a non-linear editor and/or server, or
when searching for material and/or edit points in linear editing systems.
When GUI-based operation is preferred, the Scene
Selection operation can also be performed on a PC
running the PDZ-1 Proxy Browsing Software
supplied with all XDCAM products, providing a visually
familiar working environment.
*The video and audio of a clip cannot be edited independently.
XDCAM HD
Expand Function
Detailed interoperability
between XDCAM and
products from other
companies can be
found in the XDCAM
Interoperability Guide.
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