SONY PDW-700 HIRE - XDCAM CAMERA CAMCORDER HIRE LONDON UK - SONY PDW700 HIRE - SONY CAMERA HIRE RENT

Since its introduction in 2003, the Sony XDCAM system has revolutionised video production. The combination of file-based operation, optical recording and Sony's industry-leading camcorder technology has opened up new ways of working to broadcast and production facilities around the world . Now, Sony has expanded the XDCAM line-up at the top end with the PDW-700 XDCAM HD422 camcorder.

The PDW-700 captures stunning HD images. It features three newly developed 2/3-inch progressive Power HAD FX CCDs at 1920 x 1080 resolution. 14-bit A/D conversion and advanced digital signal processing are also used to ensure the highest picture quality.

The PDW-700 records at a data rate of up to 50Mb/s using an MPEG-2 4:2:2P@HL compression technology called MPEG HD422.

With fast file-based operation and outstanding picture quality, the XDCAM HD422 line-up has widened the appeal of XDCAM for applications such TV drama, documentaries and general entertainment programs, and for ENG where speed of operation is a critical requirement.

2/3-inch-type Three HD Power HAD FX CCDs

The PDW-700 is equipped with three 2/3-inch-type 2.2-megapixel full HD progressive CCDs, which are also used in the well-proven HDC-1500 HD Camera from Sony. Based on Sony's Power HAD FX sensor technology and the latest on-chip lens structure, this type of CCD offers a high sensitivity of F11 at 59.94 Hz (F12 at 50 Hz) and an excellent signal-to-noise ratio of 59 dB in Noise Suppression (NS) mode, which helps to reduce the high-frequency noise elements of video signals using Sony's advanced digital processing technology.

Wide Choice of Video Formats: Interlace and Progressive

The PDW-700 offers a wide choice of video formats for both frame rates and scanning mode. They include 59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, and 25P in a resolution of 1920 x 1080, and 59.94P and 50P in 1280 x 720.

Supported Recording Formats - HD/SD and Interlace/Progressive

One of the big appeals of the PDW-700 is its highly flexible multi-format recording capability. Users can select a recording format from HD (MPEG HD422 and MPEG HD) and SD (MPEG IMX* and DVCAM*), in a variety of frame frequencies (as shown in the table on page 4).

*Requires optional CBKZ-MD01 software.

14-bit A/D Conversion

The PDW-700 incorporates a high-performance 14-bit A/D converter that enables images captured by the high-performance CCDs to be processed with maximum precision. In particular, this high-resolution A/D conversion allows the gradation in mid-to-dark-tone areas of the picture to be faithfully reproduced. Thanks to the 14-bit A/D converter, pre-knee signal compression in highlighted areas can be eliminated, and the camera can clearly reproduce a high-luminance subject at a 600% dynamic range.

State-of-the-art DSP LSI

The newly developed DSP (Digital Signal Processing) LSI is the heart of the image-processing device for the PDW-700 camcorder. In conjunction with the 14-bit A/D converter, it reproduces images captured by the CCD at maximum quality. In addition, white balance, white shading, and flare are digitally corrected, allowing for stable image correction. What's more, the PDW-700 provides a NS (Noise Suppression) mode to reduce high-frequency noise elements in a video signal using Sony's advanced digital processing technology.

High-quality 4 Channel 24-bit Audio Recording

The PDW-700 records uncompressed four-channel, 24-bit audio. It is also equipped with a range of audio interfaces.

Well-balanced Compact Body

The PDW-700 is designed to be very compact and ergonomically well balanced, providing a high level of mobility and comfort in various shooting situations.

Shock and Dust-resistant Disc Drive

To minimize errors caused by shock or dust entering the disc drive, the PDW-700 has several unique ways of providing operational resistance to such factors. The disc drive entrance is concealed by two lids, helping to prevent any dust from entering the drive. In addition, four rubber dampers are used to hold the disc drive block in place and to absorb shocks that would otherwise go into the disc drive.

3.5-inch* LCD

A large, easy-to-view, colour LCD screen on the PDW-700 camcorder's side panel enables operators to instantly review recorded footage, as well as access the camera's set-up menus and view status indications such as four-channel audio meters, and the remaining time available on the disc and battery. It also enables advanced operations such as Thumbnail Search and Scene Selection.

*Viewable area, measured diagonally.

Slow Shutter*

The shutter speed of the PDW-700 is selectable down to a 16-frame period (in 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8- and 16-frame periods). During such a long frame period, electrical charges accumulate on the CCDs which dramatically increase sensitivity. This helps camera operators to shoot in extremely dark environments. The Slow Shutter function also allows operators to use shutter speeds longer than the frame rate, and to intentionally blur images when shooting a moving object, for increased shooting creativity.

*Only the even numbers of frame settings are available in 720 mode.

Picture Cache Recording

The PDW-700 offers a Picture Cache Recording function that is especially useful during ENG applications. Up to 30 seconds of audio and video signals are buffered into the camcorder's memory before the Rec start button is even pressed (when in Standby mode). This means that everything that happened 30 seconds before the Rec start button was pressed will still be recorded onto the disc.

What's more, this function works even before the disc is inserted in the drive - thereby helping to prevent the loss of any unexpected, yet important events. The caching period can be adjusted by menu setting. This camcorder cache memory also allows users to exchange the discs while recording. By removing a disc from the drive and inserting a new disc within 30 seconds, video, audio, and time code can be recorded seamlessly onto the new disc.

Live & Play Function

The PDW-700 camcorder has a Live & Play function that can simultaneously output both playback signals (images already recorded) and incoming camera signals (images seen through the viewfinder). Both signals are fed to their respective output and viewfinder connectors independently, and can be viewed at the same time. This allows users to frame the next shot, adjust the exposure, and even focus the lens while the camcorder is playing back recordings from the disc.

Smooth Gain Control

A wide choice of gain and its easy-to-use control system is one remarkable feature of the PDW-700 camcorder. By setting the gain to the assignable switches, the user can easily access the desired gain. And the transition to each gain value is extremely smooth thus eliminating undesirable abrupt changes to the overall image.

Optical ND Filters and Electrical CC Filters

The PDW-700 camcorder comes equipped with optical ND (Neutral Density) filters and electrical CC (Colour Correction) filters. The optical ND filter is controlled via a built-in ND filter wheel -- Clear, 1/4ND, 1/16ND/, and 1/64ND. And with the electrical CC filter, the user can easily obtain the desired colour temperature by setting the mode - 3200K/4300K/5600K/6300K - on a camcorder-assignable switch.

The user can select the four values cyclically or choose one preset value. Another usage of the CC filter function is the colour temperature setting which can be instantly set to the required level with an absolute value 3200K, 4300K, 5600K, or 6300K. This is also available via an assignable switch. This is useful when a sudden change happens in the shooting environment and a quick and direct setting is required.

Trigger REC Function

The PDW-700 camcorder has the Trigger REC function that enables synchronized recording with PDW-HD1500 and PDW-F75 XDCAM decks or HDCAM™ portable decks connected via the HD-SDI interface - a convenient feature for backup recording.


IT/Network Friendly

In the Sony XDCAM series of products, recordings are made as data files in the industry-standard MXF (Material eXchange Format) file format. This allows material to be handled with great flexibility in an IT-based environment - easily available for copying, transferring, sharing and archiving. All these operations are accomplished without the need for a digitizing process.

File-based data copying allows for degradation-free dubbing of AV content, which can be performed easily on a PC. The file-based recording system also allows for material to be viewed directly on a PC, simply by linking it to the XDCAM unit via an i.LINK connection. This works in just the same way as a PC reading files on an external drive.

The PDW-700 XDCAM HD422 camcorder comes equipped with IT-friendly, computer-based interfaces. These include an i.LINK interface supporting File Access Mode as standard, and an Ethernet interface.

Easy Maintenance and High Reliability

XDCAM HD422 products use the same platform as the XDCAM products in wide use around the world. They share the advantage of no mechanical contact between the equipment and the recording media, achieving both a high level of durability and a long media life. XDCAM HD422 products also offer the same high resistance to shock and vibration as other XDCAM products.

Powerful Nonlinear Recording

The XDCAM HD products use a large-capacity nonlinear optical disc for recording, called Professional Disc, which Sony has developed specifically for professional recording applications.

The PFD50DLA and PFD23A are 12cm, reusable optical discs. The PFD50DLA is a Dual Layer disc with a capacity of 50 GB, while the PFD23A is a Single Layer, 23 GB disc. The large capacity of the PFD50DLA makes it possible to record up to approximately 95 minutes of high-quality MPEG HD422 material.

The Professional Disc is extremely reliable and durable because it experiences no mechanical contact during recording or playback, and is packaged into an extremely durable and dust-resistant disc cartridge.

Non-contact recording and playback also makes it an ideal medium for long-term storage of AV assets. Whereas traditional tape archive systems must be rewound on a periodic basis to remove magnetic powder debris, the Professional Disc completely eliminates this process.

Its reliability has already been demonstrated by the huge number of XDCAM products deployed worldwide since 2003.

Highly Streamlined Workflows

At the same time as recording the high-resolution video and audio data, XDCAM products also record a low-resolution version of this AV data on the same disc. Called "Proxy Data", this is much smaller in size than the high-resolution data (1.5 Mb/s for video and 0.5 Mb/s for audio).

Because of its lower resolution, Proxy Data can be transferred to a standard PC at a high speed, and browsed and edited using the PDZ-1 Proxy Browsing Software (or other compatible editing software offered by industry-leading manufacturers). With the PDZ-1 software, it can be converted to the popular ASF format for playback on Windows™ Media Player, providing dramatic improvements in production workflows. Proxy Data can also be viewed directly on a PC without data transfer using an i.LINK (File Access Mode) connection, and can even be sent over a standard Ethernet network.

The overall flexibility of Proxy Data means that it can be used for a variety of applications, such as immediate logging on location, off-line editing, daily rushes of shooting on location, client approvals, and more.

Metadata

All XDCAM HD422 products are capable of recording a variety of metadata, which provides a huge advantage when searching for specific data after an initial recording has been made. Information such as production dates, creator names and camera setup parameters can be saved, together with the AV material, on the same disc using the supplied PDZ-1 software.