Digital Video - March 2008 - (Page 17)

422 without a hitch. ProRes 422 HQ, however, would drop frames and never play adequately on one drive. So my first test was to transcode material to ProRes 422 HQ using Compressor and then editing in FCP. I was pleased to discover that not only would the F2 in a RAID 0 configuration record ProRes 422 HQ without dropping frames (as noted in the Io HD test above), it would play back any material transcoded to the faster HQ variant of the codec. Furthermore, I kept adding layer upon layer and got to six layers of ProRes HQ before the “orange bar”appeared in the FCP timeline in Unlimited RT mode. In Safe RT, I would get the “red” render bar after five layers. However, after rendering, I could play back without dropping a frame. I did transfer some uncompressed 8bit 1920x1080 60i footage to the drive. As expected, it dropped frames. The outcome was certain enough; still it needed to be tested. I also tried to force DVCPRO HD 720p footage to a render state. It finally “went red” on me after 10 layers in FCP. Sonnet is an experienced player in storage technologies, and they have not missed a trick with this remarkable little unit. The drives are mounted side by side not just to create a more portable unit for your computer bag but for an important design reason. Drives mounted on top of each other can create a “cross-coupled vibration” which could drop frames. Increasing the footprint also allows for fanless and thus quiet operation of the unit. The use of FireWire power is ingenious. Of course, keep in mind that the F2 could also work on a desktop Mac with a compatible eSATA card. The Sonnet F2 has the potential of changing the way mobile Mac editors work. Sonnet’s choice of the latest Western Digital mechanisms, the largest 2.5" drive currently on the market, is to be praised. Sonnet’s unique design makes me scratch my head wondering why nobody else had thought of it yet. The only potential negative that I could see would be for those who need the Express34 slot for Sony or Panasonic (with Dual Adapter) solid-state cards. The only workarounds I could propose would be either copying files to the internal drive, transferring to the F2 for editing, or copying to an external FireWire drive. Still, the Sonnet F2 ranks as one of the most innovative storage products in years and is well worth the consideration of Mac editors who need a small, powerful storage solution at a reasonable price. By the way, the Express34 card also has drivers for Windows 2000/XP/Vista, and the drives can then be formatted through Windows. DV f o c a l p r e s sbooksk s focal press b o o for creatives, by creatives By Trish & Chris Meyer ISBN: 9780240810102 $64.95 By Rich Harrington & Mark Weiser ISBN: 9780240810294 $39.95 By Rich Harrington ISBN: 9780240809267 $54.95 By John Skidgel ISBN: 9780240809106 $49.95 Focal Press books are available where all fine books are sold. To find video samples and pages from these books visit www.focalpress.com learn • master • create http://www.focalpress.com http://www.focalpress.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - March 2008

Digital Video - March 2008 Contents DV Update Q&A Fest Circuit Instant Expert LP-Micro Light Fusion F2 Drive PPFP-3N Bag Ego Digital Imaging Light KE-79CC Boom & Fuzzy Close-Up: Honoring George Spiro Dibie, ASC Food Fight Key Thoughts on Chroma key DV101 Dynamic Duos First Look: A Big Serve Cameras & Courtrooms Ad Index Production Diary

Digital Video - March 2008

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