XDCAM EX

Another new HD format. A new codec, carried in a new file wrapper, recorded on a new solid-state media. This is getting a little difficult to keep track of.

Sony XDCAM EX builds in the fairly recently established Sony XDCAM HD products, which are in turn derived from the earlier XDCAM products.

Currently there is one camera utilising the technology, the Sony EX1 - a handheld form factor HD camera that seems to compete in many ways with Panasonic’s HVX202. It has styling familiar from Sony’s HDV camera range, with a number of refinements (the flip out LCD is more protected now, for example).

XDCAM EX is a 1080/720 Long-GOP MPEG-2 format, based on a 25Mb/s CBR (SP) or 35Mb/s CBR (HQ) datastream. The 720 format is basically the same as what is established in XDCAM HD, but the 1080 mode is a little different. Rather than being 1440×1080 sampled (like HDV and just about all other 1080 formats) it records a full 1920×1080 raster, at 4:2:2 14bit. This is pretty special for a small form-factor HD camera, in fact pretty special for ANY HD camera, as few, if any, short of the HDCAM SR Genesis record a full raster.

The new codec is all wrapped up in an MP4 wrapper however, moving away from the promising MXF format, and adding another hurdle to the Post Production end of the workflow.

From an operation point of view the camera is boxing above it’s weight too. It features a Fujinon HD lens with real, genuine, manual controls for Iris, Zoom and Focus. And it records it all with 1920×1080 1/2inch CMOS sensors.

But all that good glass adds weight to the camera, and at just a smidge under 3kg, it is a real workout for a hand-held camera. Without being able to brace the weight on your shoulder, it could become pretty heavy pretty quick.

And being solid-state the media issue has to raise it’s head. Like the Panasonic P2 system, the XDCAM EX system relies of high-capacity solid state storage cards. Sony has created it’s own, the SxS (S-by-S) card. It is based

on the PCMCIA ExpressCard profile (whereas P2 is PCMCIA PC-Card) meaning the readers are not as widespread (basically only Macbook Pros and some top of the line PC laptops at the moment). However to their credit Sony have made the cards an open format - they are currently being made by Sony and Sandisk, although others may be expected to follow.

Presently the cards are available in 8GB and 16GB sizes (at NZ$720 and NZ$1,280 respectively, excluding GST). A 32GB card is expected early 2008. This makes the cards cheaper than their P2 equivilents, and given the lower datarate they will hold more. A 16GB card will record 25min of HQ mode 1080, and 35min of 720 in the same mode.

Post-production still presents a challenge however, as the format has changed enough from the HDV and XDCAM HD formats to make those processes impractical. At present FCP has announced native support for XDCAM EX, due ’soon’. In the meantime the workflow involves transcoding to Apple ProRes422. For Avid, who knows. There were no Avid resellers at the launch, and the word was never uttered by the Sony staffers.

In the end the camera is a very impressive option, and at a retail price of a shade under NZ$12,000 (including 2 SxS 8GB cards) it could be a HVX-killer. And is almost certainly Sony’s most innovative offering in this form factor since the PD150. However the uncertainty about post production (especially in the non-FCP world), the lack of trust in Long-GOP formats and the existing userbase of the HVX and P2 stand in it’s way. But it certainly has better glass, cheaper media and more pixels than the HVX and that could be enough. Plus it’s got the big Sony name on it.