User Guide

108 Chapter 7 Working With Sony XDCAM HD and Video Disk Units
XDCAM camcorders can also record low-resolution MPEG-4 proxy files (1.5 Mbps) for
quick previewing before ingesting into your editing system. Proxy file dimensions are
352 x 240 (NTSC) or 352 x 288 (PAL), adhering to the Common Intermediate Format
(CIF) standard. 500 MB of disc space is reserved for storing general-purpose files such as
text files, Final Cut Pro project files, graphics, and so on.
XDCAM HD extends XDCAM to include several MPEG-2–based high definition video
formats (sometimes referred to by Sony as MPEG HD).
The SP format uses a constant bit rate (CBR) and is compatible with1080i HDV formats
recorded by tape-based HDV camcorders. Once the XDCAM HD footage is ingested, you
can edit it just as you would any other 1080i HDV footage. The LP and HQ formats use
variable bit rates (VBR) and provide extended recording time with lower-than-HDV quality
(LP) and quality that surpasses that of the HDV recording format (HQ), respectively.
A variable frame rate shooting mode is also available on certain XDCAM HD
camcorders. You choose a playback frame rate (24p or 30p) and a recording frame rate
(from 4 to 60 fps in single increments). Because no duplicate frames are recorded, you
can immediately see the results of your VFR footage in-camera without special
processing. For example, if you shoot at 60 fps with a playback speed of 24 fps, the
resulting video appears to be 40 percent slower than real time.
Note: Variable frame rates above 30 fps record 540 lines per frame instead of 1080 lines.
Final Cut Pro includes support for this format, but you need to render these clips in a
sequence before you can play them back.
XDCAM HD devices can record two- or four-channel, 16-bit, 48 kHz uncompressed
audio. FireWire connectors are built in for easy connection to your Macintosh
computer, and Gigabit Ethernet connectors can be optionally included.
Format MPEG-2 bit rate Dimensions Color sampling MPEG-2 standard
LP 18 Mbps (VBR) 1440 x 1080 4:2:0 MPEG MP@HL
SP (HDV) 25 Mbps (CBR) 1440 x 1080 4:2:0 MPEG MP@HL-1440
HQ 35 Mbps (VBR) 1440 x 1080 4:2:0 MPEG MP@HL