Convergent Design has begun shipping its nanoFlash portable HD/SD recorder/player, a device that records HD/SD video and audio using the Sony XDCAM 4:2:2 codec onto CompactFlash cards.
The nanoFlash records at data rates of up to 160Mb/s (XDCAM 4:2:2) or 220Mb/s 4:2:2 (I-Frame only). The quality is said to be virtually indistinguishable from uncompressed video, even in high-motion complex scenery. Audio is uncompressed 24-bit 48KHz. The video and audio are stored in either MXF or QuickTime file format onto CompactFlash cards in the device’s dual slots.
The footage can be played or edited directly off the cards (or copied to a hard drive) using third-party external USB or FireWire 800 CompactFlash card readers.
The nanoFlash bypasses the camera’s built-in codec, recording at higher-quality levels. The never-compressed HD/SD-SDI or HDMI output from a live camera source is fed directly into the nanoFlash, maintaining the quality directly off the CCD/CMOS sensors. The device also offers on-set playback without any of the rewind/recue issues associated with tape.