Sony disk recorders

By Alexander Biryukov

Review contents:
Disk recorders: past, present and future DV MasStor — a new page in NLE history Hard disk recorder DataVideo DV Bank DN-100 New surprises from Doremi Doremi Labs disk recorders and servers Disk recording devices of Ikegami Whipflash2 disk recorder Panasonic DVD recorder Sony disk recorders

Till recent time majority of camcorders with recording onto hard disk were pretty inconvenient in use. Besides heavy weight and large dimensions they hade high price. But at last NAB show Sony presented several news devices which feature quite compact size and acceptable price. All of them are intended for use in combination with units dealing with digital video recording formats: DVCAM, MPEG IMX and HDCAM.

DSR-DR1000P

DSR-DR1000P is the hard disk recorder for DVCAM stream recording. Housing of half standard rack contains 80 GB hard disk which can hold over 6 hours of DVCAM stream. Originally it was intended for recording and editing of TV programs that is why developers provided it with VTR-like control panel including playback speed control regulator. Due to it DSR-DR1000P has some features similar to standard VTR:

• variable playback speed in the range of +/-2 of normal speed;
• dynamic motion control (DMC) with external controller.

DSR-DR1000 supports audio playback in wide range of playback speed. At the same time device features all advantages of hard disk recording:

• simultaneous recording and playback of already recorded material;
• interface i. Link with support of SBP2 protocol for DV files transfer and common i. Link (AV/C) protocol.

SBP2 protocol allows transferring of DV files from DSR-DR1000 to other compatible equipment with high speed. Besides this disk recorder can work in network environment and transfer files via common 10Base-T/100Base-T Ethernet network using FTP.

Recorder is equipped with all necessary connectors for simple integration into appropriate studios. It has analog Composite/Component, i. Link and SDI inputs/outputs.

DSR-DU1

One more representative of DVCAM family disk recorders is DSR-DU1 which is compact block dockable to Sony DVCAM camcorders. Block contains 2.5" 50 GB hard disk. This device is able to record DVCAM/DV 25 Mbps video and audio stream during not less than 3 hours. The stream is being recorded as files simplifying its further editing by means of special software applications.

DVCAM family DSR-DU1 disk recorder installed onto camera

With help of i. Link interface DSR-DU1 is connected to camcorder output letting simultaneous recording both onto hard disk and videocassette. Image played back can be viewed either on viewfinder of Sony DSR-570WS/P or DSR-370/P of on LCD-screen of Sony DSR-PD150/P or DSR-250/P.

When shooting is over recorder can be disconnected from camera and used for offline editing, EDL creating and as player for dubbing or as source for NLE workstation equipped with i. Link interface.

There are many other convenient functions in DSR-DU1 such as loop and time lapse record for slow process shooting. Additionally audio and video signals can be cashed in the internal memory and recorded onto hard disk later on upon pressing Rec button. Up to 8 seconds of video and audio information are being memorizing continuously. IEEE 1394 interface of DSR-DU1 also supports AV/C and SBP2 protocols.

DSR-DU1 recorder usage for work with DNLE system

Disk recorder accepts DVCAM/DV streams from camera using AV/C protocol. For downloading of remote DV files into compatible NLE systems with i. Link interface DSR-DU1 can use any of these two protocols.

In case of using SBP2 DV files recorded onto DSR-DU1 can be selected from menu of compatible NLE workstation and than downloaded onto station’s hard disks two times faster than in real time. After recording begins start and end values of the time code generated during shooting are stored on the recorder’s hard disk and transferred along with material shortening registration process for NLE station.

DSR-DU1 has NTSC/PAL standard selector and can record and playback information in any color coding system. This function is accessible from menu.

Disk recorder has shock resistant housing and use of internal memory cash makes DSR-DU1 highly reliable even in intensive shaking conditions. Power consumption of device is 8.5 W and its weight is only 600 grams.

When DSR-DU1 is used in combination with DVCAM format camcorders it placed inside of CA-DU1 solid aluminum camera adapter to protect it from outside influence even more.

DSR-DU1 provides Playback, Stop, Next Clip, Previous Clip and Record functions.

MAV-555A

MAV-555A is multichannel disk recording device for MPEG IMX format. It deals with MPEG-2 streams of 50 Mbps. It can be used in news production, sports and live play outs and for program editing.

MAV-555A multichannel disk recording device

Recorder is produced in two versions: MAV-555/10 (10 hours of recording) and MAV-555/30 (30 hours of recording). As well as other MPEG IMX family members which this recorder belongs to, MAV-555A saved all those advantages such as convenience in use, low maintenance cost and high signal quality. Durable housing design and shock absorbing mounting of hard disk make transportation of device safe. Disk space for video data recording consists of eight disks plus one parity disk according to RAID 3 technology. Disk space for audio data recording consists of one main disk and one parity disk according to RAID 1 technology (mirrored). The device can be equipped with additional 2D and 3D DVE cards (BKMA-560, BKMA-561) and with Gigabit Ethernet interface. Recorder can record and playback in loop mode and record with time delay.

If necessary it can be modified for work with HD signal (HD-SDI). In standard mode there is possibility to organize four channels with simultaneous access (2 inputs/2 outputs, 1 input/3 outputs) and Super Slow Motion mode.

MAV-777

New model of MAV-777 disk recorder provides HDCAM compression. It is developed in proceeding of Sony MAV-555 model and especially designed for working with HD signals. MAV-777 is mostly similar to MAV-555 in terms of control simplicity and functionality. In standard configuration recorder is equipped with one input and one output. This can be extended up to four inputs/outputs using optional cards (BKMA720 and BKMA730). HD-SDI can simultaneously support up to four ins and outs in following configurations: 2 ins/2 outs and 1 in/3 outs. All output HD-SDI ports contain SD-SDI outs so that HD and SD signals can be obtained on the output simultaneously which simplifies device’s integration.

There are two versions of this recorder for eight and four hours of video recording.

In common Sony disk recording devices for video and audio signals represent evident step forward in comparatively to previous units intended to similar use. Sony’s recorders sufficiently lighter and feature good price/quality rate. That is why possibility if these recorder use in daily operation becomes more and more real.

By D&K Corporation