Can you give us a brief description of your new HD recorder: Gemini
4:4:4?
Gemini 4:4:4 is a revolutionary full uncompressed
HD recorder which stores video/audio data onto two removable
1.8” SSDs (Solid State Drive) for playback/transfer to a
PC/MAC. Gemini supports most HD/2K formats in 4:2:2/4:4:4,
8/10-bit formats with single-link HD-SDI/3G or dual-link. A
built-in 5.0” sunlight viewable (800 cd/m²), 24-bit,
800x480 color LCD touch-screen serves as a high-quality monitor and
playback screen. Gemini also features an industry first: the
unique ability to record to both drives simultaneously, creating
identical masters.
The 1-lb Gemini with milled aluminum case
measures 5.4 x 4.5 x 1.1” or about the same size as the
popular SmallHD DP6 monitor. But, of course, Gemini also includes
recording, playback, image processing, etc, etc.
So Gemini lets you choose any CODEC you want?
Precisely! The uncompressed HD-SDI output
from your camera is exactly the same data that is fed to the
internal in-camera hardware CODEC. While your camera (and
most recorders) only supports one CODEC, Gemini frees you to use
any CODEC/format.
We found that oftentimes the workflow and editing
system is not well defined at the beginning of a production, or the
client may want the footage in a different CODEC/format.
Gemini gives you the flexibility to deliver accordingly, at the
best possible quality levels. So after two weeks of shooting,
when the director brings word that you’re changing from PC to
MAC (or vice versa), you’re ready to encode that pristine
uncompressed footage into a new CODEC / format, while maintaining
the highest possible quality.
Consider also, that all professional video is
ultimately transferred off the capture-media (typically Flash) onto
HDDs, optical media or LTO Tape. Using high-performance
multi-core processors, you can transfer and encode with little
additional time penalty (compared to a simple transfer). For
example, using an 8-core Mac Pro we’re
getting transfer (SSD →
HDD) + encode
(to ProRes HQ) at 1/2 real-time. So, 30 minutes of
uncompressed 1080p24 video requires a total of 15 minutes to
transfer off the SSD and encode to ProRes. By comparison, a
simple transfer of the same footage (without encode) occurs in 1/3
real-time, or 10 minutes.
Gemini obviously supports 4:4:4, but what about
S-Log?
S-Log, as you may know, maps 12-bit (or higher)
linear data into a 10-bit log space (for transmission over HD-SDI,
which is limited to 10-bits). Gemini maintains the highest
possible quality, by recording 10-bit S-Log video in an
uncompressed format, so there’s absolutely no added noise or
artifacts.
Gemini also supports user-programmable 1D viewing
LUTs, which can be selectively enabled for one or more of the
SDI/HDMI outputs. Additionally, in dual record mode, you can
simultaneously record the native S-Log video to one SSD (online)
and the same video with burned-in LUTs to the second SSD (offline /
H.264 generation).
Will
Gemini have a 3D or stereo option?
Yes. From the beginning Gemini was
conceived as a dual stream recorder. Gemini will
independently record two video streams to individual SSDs, for all
formats except 1080p50/60. You can synchronously play-out the
two individual streams or combine into side-by side, 50/50
composite or anaglyph formats. Gemini uniquely allows you to
simultaneously view 3D video in multiple formats, such as side by
side and 50/50 composite, which should be very helpful in 3D camera
alignment.
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