Product
Review: CitiDISK for HDV
May 2006
TEST
BENCH:
SHINING TECHNOLOGIES CITIDISK HDV 120GB DIRECT-TO-EDIT DEVICE
$949
Shining Technology, Inc.
(714) 761-9598
www.shining.com
What's
that you say? You say you still record high definition on tape? That may sound
like a question from the future, but after using Shining Technology's CitiDISK
HDV hard drive recording system, we know you'll be
asking it too. The CitiDISK HDV is the perfect counterpart to your existing HDV
camera. Record to hard disk at the touch of button, and create video files for
immediate use in your NLE. Cut down production time by creating an instant
backup. Whether you're traveling or in the studio, having the high-definition
direct-to-edit capabilities of the Citi-DISK HDV will be very valuable.
CitiDISK
Ups the Ante
Even though its storage has increased, the new
CitiDISK HDV has the same small design as the DV model. Packed inside this 10
ounce device is a 100GB shock-mounted laptop hard drive, a FireWire bus, and a
rechargeable battery. The 2.5" 5,400 rpm hard drive is no slouch either.
Many small hard drives revolve at 4,200 rpm, which is OK for most applications
but isn't ideal for video. The 6-pin FireWire bus ensures that your HDV video
records without a hitch. And since FireWire seems to be such a standard for
video, it feels quite familiar.
An
added advantage is the ability for bus-powered operation. Forgot the power
adapter? No problem, just plug the CitiDISK into your NLE via FireWire to
charge or start editing. Although the internal battery should last an hour and
a half on full charge, we used the CitiDISK on battery power to shoot and edit
for much longer. If you need the extra juice though, external batteries are
available. Using more battery power will allow you to take full advantage of
the product, since you can record and store up to 420 minutes of HDV video on
the drive itself. All this can be kept on your hip with the supplied carrying
case and FireWire (IEEE 1394) cable.
Banish
Dropouts
One of the great features of the Citi-DISK HDV is its ability to simultaneously
record to the hard drive while the camera records to tape. With a tape loaded
into your HDV camera, pressing the camera's record button triggers the CitiDISK
too. This means you will always have a copy of your video. No more worries
about a dropout ruining your only good take. You can use your video files right
away, and store your tape as a permanent backup without it being damaged. You
can even record HDV on tape while recording a down-converted DV version to
disk. Talk about a time saving. This mode saves you from having to convert your
video in the editing stage.
The
CitiDISK HDV doesn't make using a tape mandatory. Say you've got four blank
tapes in your camera bag but the shoot goes on for six hours; not a problem.
You can fit approximately six and a half hours on the 100GB drive.
The
portable hard drive design is also rugged and proven to take the bumps and
bruises of the demanding videographer. However, the only true
"tapeless" option comes with some caveats: like CitiDISK's regular DV
model, you have to reach down and trigger recording on the CitiDISK by hand.
Also, the file system (FAT32) limits each file to 2GB in size, approximately
ten minutes per shot. The drive continues to record but breaks the files into
2GB chunks. Hopefully there will be an update that allows for more
functionality.
Ready For the Light Show?
By the looks of it, the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind may
have influenced some key design decisions. Since there is no LCD screen to
display your options and settings, the CitiDISK uses blinking green, orange and
red buttons to indicate which recording mode you're using. The green and red
buttons are pressed (sometimes in combination) to navigate. New to the fray is
the
When
switching modes, things can get complicated in a hurry. For instance, the green
and red lights flash repeatedly upon startup, and the user has to cycle through
the recording modes. To select AVI mode for use in Adobe Premiere, you press
the red light during the startup sequence. But the red light is also used to
trigger tapeless recording. To switch to Quicktime mode, select the green
light. To record to Matrox RT100, you'll need to get to red and green. Luckily,
there is only one HDV recording mode, and it's the default. On top of all of
this, there is an awkward battery on/off switch which requires a sharp object
to switch on and off. Unless you already know the user interface (or you keep
the guide handy), we highly recommend sticking to only one recording format while
you're out in the field.
With
so many HDV cameras sold in 2005, the CitiDISK HDV gives more value to each and
every one by allowing for tapeless recording. And even if you don't own a high
definition camcorder, the CitiDISK HDV is a solid solution for regular DV
recording with room to grow.
TECH SPECS
Platform: PC or Mac
Operating System: Win 98SE/2000/XP, Mac OSX or Linux
Default Format: FAT32
HDV/DV Recording Capacity: 420 minutes
Interface: FireWire
Sustained Data Rate: 12Mbytes/sec
Dimensions (mm): 77 x 135 x 24
Weight: 10 oz
Drive Capacity: 100GB
Drive Speed: 5,400 rpm
STRENGTHS
- Bus powered
charging and recording
- Durable and
lightweight
- Defaults to HDV
recording
WEAKNESSES
- Confusing user
interface
SUMMARY
The CitiDISK HDV is a great new addition to the direct-to-edit market.
Andrew Burke is Videomaker's Assistant Editor and has worked worldwide in all areas of video production.