Seems that although standard XDCAM works just fine in Vegas and V8 adds support for partial FAM Sony decided to change the wrapper to mp4 on this camera for the convenience of Adobe.
OK, we get a utility to strip the stream out of the wrapper but I'd imagine we loose some of what XDCAM has to offer in the process.
Would be nice if someone who knew all the facts was to speak up though.

Bob.

prolly can't (NDA's are prolly still in effect)

Dave

NITPICKING ALERT: the word is "probably", not prolly.

Vegas has been very good about supporting new Sony video formats. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the 8.0a update also has EX1 support.

yea, john's.... prolly... right

:D

Dave

I'm just wondering if one can have a "NITPICKING ALERT"? - Meaning, drawing attention to something that, in essence, is a tiny, potentially inconsequential criticism that maybe politely ignored, if one wished . . maybe. . . or not . . .

Just thought I'd bring that to your attention, John.

I still wanna Sexy-Sony-EXxy. ( "wanna" = "want a" )

Grazie

"I still wanna Sexy-Sony-EXxy. ( "wanna" = "want a" )"

Having seen what you've done with your Canon I'm looking forward to seeing how your EX1 gets pimped.

Bob.

The answer to the question is here http://digitalcontentproducer.com/cameras/revfeat/first_look_xdcam_ex/index.htmlLeitner review of PMW-EX1[/link]

Thanks,
that clears it up nicely.

Bob.

Every review I read is remarkably positive about the camera. Hard not to want one. The camera looks very well laid out; remarkable that so many features have been incorporated from higher end cameras. Really like the hard control rings on the lens (be like old times) as well as the assist features when you want them. Putting the LCD up high is great (like the Z1) and being able to use expanded focus during a take is a real advance. Capability for manual guidance to the AF is a good innovation (the Z1 isn't all that good at knowing what one wants), which will make AF much more useful in those run & gun situations. 800 ASA (still OK at 1600 ASA equivalent) is pretty remarkable. And you can still record to a laptop (in HDV) should you wish to use OnLocation.

"Vegas 8 may require a rewrapping of MP4 files to MXF using Sony’s new Clip Browser"

Sounds to me like there's no answer there, until I see someone definitively answer this question publicly sans all speculation, I won't accept any statement one way or another.

(just my policy though)

Dave

So much has been said on the EX1, yet I'm still unclear about all its recording modes... On the brochure's last page (specs), it's said that in SP the camera is only capable of 1440x1080/60i (NTSC) or 1440x1080/50i (PAL).

Yet on page 5 (upper left corner), it's indicated that the EX1 is capable of 24p (with pull down) at 1440x1080, as opposed to native 24p in 1920x1080 or 1280x720.

So, which formats are really available through i.LINK (in HDV) - just the interlaced ones, or all written within interlaced stream (because if 24p with pull-down is available, I see no reason why the 25PsF and 30PsF wouldn't)....

Anybody?

All good questions for the Roadshow on Tuesday -- hopefully I will be able to post hard information after that.

As far as I know the camera does nothing "HDV" so I'm having a problem understanding the question or more to the point the significance of it.
Perhaps what you're wanting to do is use the camera with the DR60? If so then I really haven't got a clue, whatever it feeds down the 1394 link would have to be compatible with what the DR60 can accept but in the bigger picture I'm at a bit of a loss as to why you'd use the EX1 with the DR60, for around the price of the DR60 you can buy 3x 16GB cards and that's a fair amount of recording time.

Bob.

Bob,

It's been explicitely mentioned in many reviews, as well as the brochure, that the signal from i.LINK is technically HDV.

Yes, I am thinking of using my DR60 with the EX1 - but I already have one, so - until the SxS cards prices drop significantly, I guess it could be a viable solution (BTW, the DR60 is more like 2x32GB cards). Of course, I'd prefer to buy more cards if I diddn't already have the DR60...

Piotr

Yes, the SP mode is HDV (1440 x 1080 ) 25 Mb/sec. This can be delivered via firewire. The HD mode (35 Mb/s) doesn't talk via firewire.

After a quick read through the brochure Sony seem to be making much of that output being compatable with a wide range of existing HDV devices. I don't know of any device made by Sony that can handle 25p over firewire so it'd be good odds that what's coming down iLink will be 25PsF. I cannot workout though what audio will be in that stream, everything else in the cam is 16/48K uncomp.

Bob.

The EX camera records to SD memory cards.

The upper-end Vaios and Mac notebooks come with a card slot, you can buy a desktop card reader, or you can set the camera + memory card array to be seen as a mass storage device.

The files on the cards are recorded as .MP4 format, using MPEG-2 compression.

A simple software utility comes with the camera. This applet allows you browse the memory card contents, format and clean up the cards, and also let's you pull files off the memory cards, to your computer drive. You have the option to import the files into your computer as .MP4, or .MXF. For Vegas, choose .MXF

Importing .MXF is super fast, and there is NO generation or quality loss, zero, for those wondering.

Vegas can open all of the EX's .MXF types

Simplified instructions:

1) Import files as .MXF using the supllied utility software.
2) Add file to Vegas timeline.

-SCS dev

Much appreciated.

Bob.

Concerning the camera formats:


"Unlike XDCAM HD camcorders, EX1 doesn’t record DVCAM. Nor can it output DV of any sort. On the fly, it can convert HD to SD through SD-HDI or analog component cables, adding letterboxing if desired. That’s it as far as standard definition is concerned. When recording at 25Mbps (called SP mode), format choices are further limited to 1440x1080 and 60i, 50i, or 24p—in other words, HDV. (It is possible to parallel- record HDV to both SxS and an external hard disk drive at the same time.) Put another way, all 25Mbps is recorded as either 60i or 50i, which in the case of 24p requires addition of standard 3:2 pulldown. In contrast, 35Mbps (called HQ for high quality) is recorded as native 24p, 25p, 30p, 50i/p, or 60i/p. HD-SDI output of these native frame rates, however, similarly requires transport as 60i or 50i with 3:2 pulldown where necessary. Note that when recording in 35Mbps mode, EX1’s 1394 port has no signal. An omen? "


...the cam probably needs all its resources in 35Mbps mode so it cuts the "real time 1394 output" that can otherwise be used in 25Mbps to record on hard drive and SxS card simultaneously..?

Assume for a moment it was to send a 35Mb/sec mpeg-2 stream down that 1394 port what would you do with it?

On the other hand if you want to get serious it does send 4:2:2 down its HD-SDI port. There's quite a range of options that let you do all manner of things from that signal and at upto 100M from the camera.

From Convergent Design you have a little box that'll write at 50Mb/sec to CF cards for $5K.

There's the Wafian recorder that'll give you longer takes for around $10K onto RAID 1 disk packs.

And there's always a HDCAM deck.

Or a HD-SDI switcher, cheapest I've found so far is from Datavideo for around $11K. Three or four EX1 plus that switcher gives you a mini OB setup at poverty pack prices, relatively speaking of course.

Bob.