nanoFlash Mounted On EX1

New price, More Features for nanoFlash

New price, More Features for nanoFlash

(Colorado Springs, CO, May 7, 2009) Convergent Design announced today a $2,995 MSRP price for the highly anticipated nanoFlash, which will ship in June, now with analog audio I/O. nanoFlash is the world’s smallest, lowest-power professional HD/SD recorder/player creating visually lossless Quicktime or MXF files stored on affordable Compact Flash media.

The diminutive (4.2x3.7x1.4” / 107x94x36 mm) nanoFlash easily mounts on any professional camera, adding less than 1 lb (400 grams) additional weight. The very low power consumption of less than 6 Watts assures long battery life, while the very wide power input range of 6.5 to 19.5V makes nanoFlash compatible with most power sources.

nanoFlash utilizes the very high quality XDCAM HD 422 CODEC (from Sony) at 50/100 Mbps (Long-GOP) or 100/140/160 Mbps (I-Frame-Only). Quicktime and/or MXF files can be played/edited in Avid, Final Cut Pro, Edius, Vegas and Premiere (restricted usage) without transcode or re-wrap. HD/SD-SDI and HDMI I/O ports support 1080p30/25/24, 1080i60/50 and 720p60/50 video formats. nanoFlash can also be used as an HD/SD-SDI to HDMI or HDMI to HD/SD-SDI converter.

nanoFlash records embedded audio over HD/SD-SDI or HDMI. Users can optionally input analog audio (stereo unbalanced line, stereo unbalanced mic or one balanced mic) via the 3.5 mm jack recently added. Audio monitoring is available via a headphone output. All audio is recorded at 24-bit, 48KHz sampling.

Two Compact Flash slots (32GB CF cards are US $75) provide 80 minutes of 100 Mbps record/playback time without touching the hot-swappable cards. Video can be played directly off the CF cards using a FW-800 reader (attached to your NLE) or transferred at 3X to 6X faster than real-time to your hard-drive.

Utilizing the same CODEC technology as Flash XDR, nanoFlash is capable of video quality compatible with D-Cinema movies and very high-end cameras, including Thomson Viper. nanoFlash can be used for a wide variety of applications, including tapeless recording, presentations, POV/field recorder, SDI switcher recorder, and video assist among others. The small size and lightweight makes nanoFlash ideal for skydivers, underwater video, 3-D, racing, jet planes, helicopters, medical and virtually anyplace high quality recording and/or playback of HD/SD video/audio is required.

The nanoFlash is scheduled to ship in June with a list price of $2,995.

More information including sample MXF and Quicktime files, a comprehensive FAQ and photos can be found at www.convergent-design.com

Mike Schell
Convergent Design
 
It all sounds fantastic Mike. Just one question, with this new added audio option, does that audio replace the audio from the SDI/HDMI input or are these two channels additional (in that you end up with a full 4 channels in the mov.mxf)?

Obviously I am hoping the latter.

Also, are there any monitoring options (levels/headphone outputs) for this audio in? If not, what is the recommened best practice for using this new feature?
 
GuyB said:
It all sounds fantastic Mike. Just one question, with this new added audio option, does that audio replace the audio from the SDI/HDMI input or are these two channels additional (in that you end up with a full 4 channels in the mov.mxf)?

Obviously I am hoping the latter.

Also, are there any monitoring options (levels/headphone outputs) for this audio in? If not, what is the recommened best practice for using this new feature?
Click to expand...

Hi Guy-
We are still analyzing if the analog channels can be added to the SDI/HDMI embedded audio. Naturally this is an ideal scenario, but we need to study the code in more detail (but it's definitely on our list).

The nanoFlash does include headphone outputs as well as audio level meters on the LCD display.

Best-
Mike Schell
 
Mike Schell said:
Hi Guy-
Users can optionally input analog audio (stereo unbalanced line, stereo unbalanced mic or one balanced mic) via the 3.5 mm jack recently added
Click to expand...

It sounded like you had added an analogue stereo input jack, so I was just trying to work out if you can record 4 channels by the 2 channels coming in in a standard SDI/HDMI input, as well as the potential 2 channels from the 3.5mm jack, or does the audio from the jack only replace the embedded audio?


Sorry missed that part on the headphones, the levels are what I was really interested in though, thanks.
 
Great news, Mike - so you've decided to go with the audio recording, after all:)

I guess I'd express everybody's strong wishes, if I ask you to make your best and enable the analog channels to be added to the SDI/HDMI embedded audio (for 3 or 4 channels total).

PS
May I also ask for - even though most NLE do not accept it at this time - the 720p/24/25/30 to be added as the output format? When planning slow motion with EX cameras, we usually shoot most of our projects in this format, with only the fragments planned for slo-mo overcrancked to 50/60 fps. Now, I realize the NanoFlash doesn't support overcranking, but those fragment could be recorded on SxS card, and incorporated at post...

Or is there a definite, technical reason why no NLE can support 4:2:2 720p/24(25) at 50/100 Mbps?
 
Last edited:
moldcad said:
Great news, Mike - so you've decided to go with the audio recording, after all:)

I guess I'd express everybody's strong wishes, if I ask you to make your best and enable the analog channels to be added to the SDI/HDMI embedded audio (for 3 or 4 channels total).

PS
May I also ask for - even though most NLE do not accept it at this time - the 720p/24/25/30 to be added as the output format? When planning slow motion with EX cameras, we usually shoot most of our projects in this format, with only the fragments planned for slo-mo overcrancked to 50/60 fps. Now, I realize the NanoFlash doesn't support overcranking, but those fragment could be recorded on SxS card, and incorporated at post...

Or is there a definite, technical reason why no NLE can support 4:2:2 720p/24(25) at 50/100 Mbps?
Click to expand...

Hi Piotr-
OK, I spoke with our engineers and adding the 2 analog audio channels to the embeded audio (to create 4 channels) is doable and on our list of future updates.

Yes, we are going to add 720p30/25/24 support also, at least in MXF file format. There is no technical reason it is not support ny the NLEs, I think they have just not added to their CODECs.

Also overcrank and undercrank looks very likely. We are studying the implementation now.

Best-
Mike Schell
www.convergent-design.com
 
Anybody considering combining a nanoFlash unit with Express Card SDHC adapters in the SxS slots, for redundant recording on the cheap-a-cheap (after biting the bullet to pay for the nanoFlash unit)?
 
Over / Under Crank on nanoFlash

Over / Under Crank on nanoFlash

I now see how to implement over / under crank on the nanoFlash. I will discuss with our engineers next week and work out a schedule. I would expect to see this feature in the coming months, as it's not that difficult (we just have a laundry list of other feature to complete)

Mike Schell
www.convergent-design.com
 
Can you record the 4 channels of audio (2 from SDI, 2 from analogue) to the CF card now though? Personally that is my main priority, just be able to record the SDI audio with the analogue audio to the MXF file. I've got the feeling you think I am looking to then also add the 3rd & 4th channel of audio to the SDI out. While that might be good for some, its not something I was looking for.
 
GuyB said:
Can you record the 4 channels of audio (2 from SDI, 2 from analogue) to the CF card now though? Personally that is my main priority, just be able to record the SDI audio with the analogue audio to the MXF file. I've got the feeling you think I am looking to then also add the 3rd & 4th channel of audio to the SDI out. While that might be good for some, its not something I was looking for.
Click to expand...

Hi Guy-
Our plans are to record the 4-channels of audio (2 embedded, 2 analog) to the MXF/QT file. I don't know if we can add in the 2 analog channels back to the SDI-out during the capture, but the 4 channels of audio will be stored on the CF card and will be embedded in the SDI during playback.

Mike Schell
www.convergent-design.com
 
MitchLewis said:
Sweet! It would work even better mounted to the rear cold shoe mount on the EX3. Send me a Nano Flash and I'll be happy to take some beautiful photos of this combination for you. hehehehe
Click to expand...

Hi Mitch-
Thanks for the offer, but I already have a local EX3 user set-up for a photo shoot this week. Yes, mounted on the cold shoe makes the most sense.

Mike Schell
 
US RRP is $2995
Exchange rate is 0.77
US RRP in AU $3889
Add GST (aka Sales Tax) = AU$4278

So on a pure exchange rate conversion comparison, the Australian RRP price is about 30% higher. Our 'pre-order discounted price of $5095 is still 19% more than the US RRP (forget their pre-order special price). In other words it will still be significantly cheaper to buy through the grey market than locally.

Does this seem reasonable to you Mike?
 
Right on Guy...why do we in Australia get slugged time after time! It can't be explained by freight cost!

Can we order direct, not through the "over-priced" Australian appointed, ripoff distributers!
 
evom said:
Right on Guy...why do we in Australia get slugged time after time! It can't be explained by freight cost!

Can we order direct, not through the "over-priced" Australian appointed, ripoff distributers!
Click to expand...

You're unlikely to be able to order directly from Convergent, but you should be able to order from reputable web sites such as B&H. Or as Robert says, pick up a cheap return fair to the US , have a nice little holiday and pretty much get the air fair payed for by the price diff (although you would have to pay US sales tax on purchase). Perhaps there is finally a trip to NAB or SMPTE in my future :)
 
It's an absolute joke! Can't believe this price difference is still happening. Maybe the more we bring it up, complain, buy os ourselves etc..we might see some level of transparency...but I ain't holding my breath!

The local distributors must think we are idiots and don't know how to check prices!

I know Australia is a pretty small economy but why the continual rip offs?
 
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