A Beginners Guide to External Recording

Here at Planet PC we often get questions about external camera recorders from a wide range of customers with a variety of needs.

 

Like many people on a budget maybe you have an older camera which records to tape and you want to take advantage of a tapeless workflow. It could be that you want a way of recording uncompressed footage or maybe you simply want a way of backing up for piece of mind on an important shoot.

 

Whatever the reason, chances are you're not alone and choosing the right device for recording externally can be a tricky one. Here at Planet PC we have a range of options to suit all your needs.

 

Anyone out there using a tape based camera with Firewire capabilities might be familiar with Datavideo's DN-60 (and if you're not we reckon you should be!)

 



Datavideo DN-60

This great little device can be mounted to a tripod or a camera allows the user to bypass recording to tape and instead record digitally to a compact flash card. Not only does this mean that recording times can be greatly increased, it also makes life a lot easier when transferring media to a PC prior to editing. The DN-60 includes a power supply for when batteries are low and also features a "sync to tape" feature meaning start/stop recording can be synchronised with your camera. With an RRP of £375.00 (ex vat) this is a great little product, especially if you're currently using tape and don't have the budget to invest in a new camera anytime soon. Here at Planet PC we think that's a small price to pay for something which provides so many benefits.





HyperDeck Shuttle V2

If recording uncompressed to SSD drives is more your cup of tea then why not have a look at Blackmagic's recording wizardry which comes in the form of the HyperDeck Shuttle V2. This battery powered field recorder is not just compact, it's also great value for money with an RRP of just £229.00 (ex vat). Recording uncompressed footage has never been so easy due to the fact that the HyperDeck allows the user to bypass a cameras standard compression, making this ideal for anyone who needs the highest quality footage possible. The HyperDeck V2 works perfectly for users of both pro and consumer level kit due to the fact that it features SDI and HDMI inputs/outputs. The Shuttle can also be used as a playback source for digital signage or switchers, making it extremely versatile. We think that the price tag alone makes this device pretty much essential for anyone undertaking grading, special effects or chroma key work.

 







Samurai Blade

If you're one of the lucky one's and don't happen to be on a tight budget then have a look at Atomos's newest addition in the form of the Samurai Blade. Machined from aircraft grade aluminium with the capability to record to 2.5" HDD's or SSD drives the Blade really does have all the bells and whistles, and even features hot swappable drives. While this might come in handy it's not nearly as handy as the on board waveform monitoring, built in vectorscope or extremely accurate colour reproduction courtesy of the super bright 1280x720 screen.

Ideal for recording/monitoring HD-SDI the blade uses a mere 6 watts of power meaning that battery life is second to none but just in case you're worried the Blade includes an NP series battery and a power supply. The Blade also features a highly intuitive OS, file recovery system, audio monitoring, a range of signal testing tools and the ability to cut and tag shots in advance. As if the Blade wasn't already good enough we've also got it on special offer for the great price of £799.00 (ex vat). That's £50.00 off the RRP!

 

To see all the kit discussed in this week's blog along with our full range of professional broadcast equipment head over to www.planetdv.net now. Alternatively if you'd like to discuss your requirements in person why not give us a call on 01274 713400 or email us at sales@planetdv.net