• The PDW-1500 recorder UPGRADED with the optional software, PDBZ-E1500 (announced on February 15th, 2007) for Linear Editing functions, can only use the PFD23A disc.
• In such case, writing speed of the PFD23A is improved from 2.0x to 2.4x.
• The writing speed performance remains at 2.0x when the PFD23A is used with the rest of the XDCAM products or the non-upgraded PDW-1500.

The below chart indicates the compatibility of the professional discs with the different XDCAM products.

Q: Why is Sony offering the Professional Disc media?

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A: Sony believes that the Professional Disc media is a means by which our customers can achieve benefits in production workflows, where flexibility, speed, and cost effectiveness are key requirements. The Professional Disc media has been engineered specifically for professional content creation; its data rate, data capacity, transfer speed, robustness, and instant random access ensure professional-quality performance. Because the XDCAM Professional Disc series of products employ existing MPEG IMX and DVCAM codecs, disc advantages are immediately available without costly infrastructure upgrades, while built-in network and metadata technologies provide unprecedented levels of production flexibility.

Q: Is the XDCAM™ system's Professional Disc™ media the same as the consumer Blu-ray media?
A: No. While there are some similarities, the Professional Disc media uses a unique phase-change recording material to support higher read/ write speeds. In addition, the Professional Disc cartridge shutter supports access by two simultaneous pickups, while the Blu-ray media shutter accommodates only one pickup. There is no cross-compatibility between XDCAM products and Blu-ray products.

Q: What is the difference between the recording material used for consumer Blu-ray disc and that used for the XDCAM system's Professional Disc media?
A: The higher transfer rates of the XDCAM system require a more sensitive phase-change recording layer. The Professional Disc recording layer must change from crystalline (high reflectivity) phase to amorphous (low reflectivity) phase fast enough to enable transfer speeds of up to 72 Mbps per pickup (144 Mbps with two pickups). In comparison, the writing speed of consumer media is 36 Mbps. Aside from the different phase-change material, the track pitch, recording density and production processes are the same.

Q: How does the read/ write/ erase life cycle of the XDCAM system's Professional Disc media compare to the Blu-ray disc?
A: They're identical in the minimum spec. Both are rated at a minimum of 1,000 read/ write/ erase cycles under normal operating conditions. The Professional Disc media has a maximum read/ write/ erase life cycle of 10,000 under ideal operating conditions (73 degrees F, 50% RH)

Q: How does the XDCAM system's Professional Disc media differ from DVD?
A: Profoundly. Although both are 12 cm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, Professional Disc media has five times the capacity, 13 times the transfer rate, a shorter laser wavelength and a protective cartridge for the media. Professional Disc media capacity is 23.3 GB, compared to 4.7 GB for DVD. The XDCAM compact decks have a transfer rate of 144 Mbps with 2 pickups, compared to 11 Mbps for DVD. The XDCAM system uses a blue-violet laser as opposed to the red laser used for DVD.

Q: Is the XDCAM system's Professional Disc media playback-or record-compatible with DVD drives?
A: No. They have different file formatting, track pitch and pickup specifications, in addition to different mechanical requirements.

Q: Will the Professional Disc media replace tape?
A: The Professional Disc is a new medium capable of storing a variety of formats, including DVCAM and MPEG IMX. Therefore, Sony expects that the optical disc, as a new medium, will supplement and reinforce existing videotape. There are application areas where tape media is quite suitable, and areas where disc technology is more suitable. The Professional Disc media and tape will coexist for years to come.

Q: For what applications are XDCAM Professional Disc systems intended?
A: XDCAM Professional Disc systems are intended for all video applications including newsgathering, production, postproduction, vent videography, and so on.

Q: What type of compression does the XDCAM system use?
A: It depends on the video format being recorded. For DVCAM® format video it is DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform). For MPEG IMX™ format video it is MPEG-2 (Moving Picture Experts Group), 4: 2: 2 Profile at Main Level, at 30, 40 or 50 Mbps. Proxy A/ V data uses MPEG-4 Simple Profile video compression, and A-Law audio at total of 2 Mbps.

Q: What is the maximum transfer rate for the XDCAM system?
A: 72 Mbps with one pickup and 144 Mbps with two pickups.

Q: Is it necessary to format a disc prior to use?
A: Yes. Formatting, which creates a file system, is required for brand new discs; however, this is a very quick process that is done when the disc is inserted into a camcorder or deck. Because this happens so quickly, an end user will not be aware that the disc is being formatted.

Q: What is the maximum recording time on the Professional Disc media?
A: Recording time varies with format and data rate. The approximate recording times for the PFD23 Professional Disc media are as follows: 85 minutes -DVCAM format 68 minutes -MPEG IMX 30 Mb/ s format 55 minutes -MPEG IMX 40 Mb/ s format 45 minutes -MPEG IMX 50 Mb/ s format

Q: Can multiple formats be recorded on a single disc at the same time?
A: The Professional Disc format allows this; however, current XDCAM products are not capable of writing both formats on the same disc.

Q: MPEG IMX data streams require a maximum of only 50 Mb/ s, and the Professional Disc media's maximum transfer rate (using one laser) is 72 Mb/ s, why is there a 22 Mb/ s difference?
A: To begin with, approximately 60 Mb/ s is required for real time recording of MPEG IMX 50 Mb/ s Video, eight (8) channels of Audio, Proxy AV Data, and Real-time Metadata. The additional 12 Mb/ s is used as headroom so that data can be accurately written to the disc even in the event of shock and vibration to the system or if defects are encountered on the disc.

Q: What is the operating temperature range for XDCAM systems?
A: The specified operating temperature for XDCAM camcorders ranges from -5° C (23° F) to 40° C (104° F) in ambient temperature, which is a wider range than current professional tape-based camcorder products. The PDW-1 Mobile Deck ranges from 0° C (32° F) to 40° C (104° F), which his equal to current professional tape-based camcorder products, while the operating temperature for the Compact Deck ranges from 5° C (42° F) to 40° C (104° F) in ambient temperature, which is equal to current professional VTR products. XDCAM products operate as well as (if not better than) current VTRs and tape-based camcorders operate when used in the same environment (ex. typical cold winter weather or hot summer conditions).

Q: Once a Professional Disc has been partially recorded, can I record more video without first initializing (erasing) the entire disc?
A: Yes. The disc media is fully rewriteable, and always appends new recordings to the end of the last clip, regardless of what position the disc was being viewed at. You can keep recording more video/ audio until the disc is full. Even then, you can delete the last clip or all clips on the disc to free up needed space.

Q: What is the archival life of the XDCAM system's Professional Disc media?
A: When stored at room temperature (68° F and 40% relative humidity), the estimated archival life of the Professional Disc is greater than or equal to 50 years.

Q. Does the XDCAM system's Professional Disc media have copy protection?
A: No.

Q: Is it possible to erase recordings on a disc?
A: Yes, all XDCAM camcorders and decks can delete the last recorded shot, one by one. A "Quick Format" of a disc, which is equivalent to "all file delete," can be done in about two seconds.

Q: Is there protection from accidentally erasing data on a disc?
A: Yes, there is write protection tab on the disc cartridge. This is similar to a rec/ save tab on DVCAM tape media or a rec/ inhibit tab on other professional tape media. There is also a REC INH function on all deck products to prevent a user from accidentally erasing material.

Q: Can I erase the disc (or files on the disc) without using the deck?
A: The camcorder has a DISC MENU (Maintenance Menu Page M17), this allows the ability to delete that last clip, all of the clips, or perform a "Quick Format".

Q: Is there a possibility of a bulk eraser type machine?
A: At this time, there are no plans to develop a bulk eraser type of machine. Unless desired for security purposes, there is no need to bulk erase data because unlike tape, directly overwriting data on discs does not degrade quality.

Q: What is the Professional Disc cartridge made of?
A: The cartridge is made of polycarbonate and the storage case is made of polypropylene.

Q: What is the warranty on the Professional Disc media?
A: Sony warranties Professional Disc media from defects in material or workmanship for 90 days. See actual warranty for details.

Q: We want to manage Professional Discs using bar codes. Can we stick a bar code label on the front of the cartridge?
A: Yes, adhesive labels, including bar code labels, can be attached to the front of the cartridge.

Q: Are there any effects from magnetic fields or airport X-ray scanners?
A: Since recordings on Professional Disc media are not made using magnetic material like tape, or light sensitive material like film, it is highly unlikely that magnetic fields or X-ray scanners will affect the media.

Q: Is there protection from accidentally scratching a disc?
A: Yes. A polycarbonate cartridge shields the disc from dust and prevents the disc from being scratched. Even if a disc is accidentally scratched, robust error correction enables data on the disc to be played out. If the scratched portion of the disc happens to contain the file system, the data that allows access to all other data on a disc, a mirrored file system is located on the disc in a different physical location allowing the XDCAM system to access files.

Q: Is there any way to recover data from a damaged or corrupt disc?
A: The Error Correction on Sony XDCAM products can recover extensive lost data. However, just as with videotape, if the damage is too severe for error correction to recover, or if the media is broken into pieces, there is no way to recover data.

Q: Can current products (PDW-530/ 510/ 1500/ V1) accept dual layer disc and/ or 8cm disc?
A: No, dual layer and/ or 8cm disc technology is not supported by the current XDCAM line-up (PDW-530/ 510/ 1500/ V1).

Q: Can the HDCAM format be recorded on Professional Disc media?
A: No. With today's technology, it is not possible due to the transfer rate. The HDCAM format is a 140 Mbps stream, while the XDCAM cameras utilize a single laser recording at 72 Mbps.

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XDCAM - Laser Specification

Q: How long does the laser last?

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A: In the PDW-V1, and PDW-1500 decks, Sony's recommended replacement interval for the laser is 6,000 hours of operation (recording and playback combined). This corresponds to three years of use at a constant eight hours a day, five days a week, 50 weeks a year. On the PDW-510 and PDW-530 camcorders, the interval is 4,000 hours of operation. These replacement intervals are based upon our simulation of normal usage. Sony optical products constantly monitor the laser's health by checking the current to the laser. As the laser approaches the end of its life, the current will fall out of tolerance, triggering an alarm. In this way, you can replace the laser before failure occurs. Sony also covers XDCAM equipment with a 7-year powertrain warranty. This provides 7 years of replacement coverage for the spin motor and optical laser block of the equipment. The warranty covers both parts and labor for those two moving parts (three parts in the case of the PDW-1500 since it has dual pickups).

Q: Can I replace the laser myself?
A: It depends. The replacement item is not the laser itself, but an optical block that includes the laser. Replacing and adjusting the optical block requires no special skill. But the installer would require a special measurement tool called an Autocollimator. However, Sony does not expect that a customer will want to buy an Autocollimator for such infrequent servicing.

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Q: Is there shock and vibration resistance built into XDCAM camcorders?
A: Yes, Sony XDCAM camcorders use rubber dampers to hold the disc drive block in place thereby minimizing the effect of any shock or vibration. In addition, a tracking system, based on the best Sony servo technologies, reduces the chance of the optical head recording off track. In the event a shock exceeds the servo's capacity, causing the head to move off track, recording continues in a buffer memory until the head is positioned properly. Once the head is back on track, the buffered information is recorded to disc. A substantial amount of buffering is built into the camcorder to operate in harsh environments.

Q: What happens if the camcorder battery is removed or power is suddenly lost from an AC adaptor while recording?
A: The emergency recovery system is designed to restore as much AV data as possible even if the file system is not closed properly. If power is suddenly lost during a recording, the AV data can be recovered automatically once power is reapplied. When this type of recovery occurs, the duration of a lost recording is a maximum of four (4) seconds from the time just before power was lost.

Q: What if a battery runs out while recording?
A: The system controller automatically stops recording and closes the file system before the full exhaustion of the battery. The camcorder also provides customizable battery settings for notifying the operator when battery power is below a desired level.

Q: What is the time from power on to being able to record, if the disc is already in?
A: Approximately 3.5 seconds. Tape camcorders take around four seconds.

Q: What is the time from pushing the EJECT button to full ejection of a disc?
A: The EJECT button on the camcorder does not abort the recording process. Whether an EJECT is done shortly after a REC STOP or while the camera is idle, the EJECT process is completed in approximately 5 seconds.

Q: Can I use the Ethernet Adapter and wireless microphone at the same time on the camcorder?
A: They both utilize the same slot. However, wireless microphone can be equipped via an optional attachment (part # A-8278-057-A). This attachment enables the Ethernet Adapter and wireless microphone to work simultaneously.

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Q: How long does it take from inserting the disc to a picture being displayed on screen?
A: Approximately 10 seconds.

Q: Is Metadata transferred together with proxy AV?
A: Yes.

Q: When an optical deck receives MXF files from another machine, will there be proxy AV?
A: Yes. All XDCAM decks automatically create proxy AV that is not included in the MXF file. This function also works at high data transmission speeds via Gigabit Ethernet or i. LINK® (file access mode) interface.

Q: Can I play back while transferring over Ethernet?
A: No, it is not possible.

Q: Are the DVCAM files supported by Material eXchange File Format (MXF) for Ethernet file transfers?
A: Yes, both DVCAM and MPEG IMX formats are supported.

Q: Is MPEG IMX compression supported by the i. LINK® interface?
A: Yes, MPEG IMX compression will be supported by i. LINK® (File Access Mode). Although this function is not currently supported with the XDCAM products; it will, however, be supported in the near future.

Q: Why is the transfer rate slower for 100Base-T than for the i. LINK® interface?
A: Although the theoretical maximum transfer rate of 100Base-T Ethernet is 100 Mbps, the effective throughput is around 30 Mbps. In the case of MPEG IMX format material recorded at 50 Mbps, eight channels of audio and metadata increase the total load of 57.5 Mbps. This yields a transfer rate of 0.5 times real time. In contrast, the theoretical maximum transfer rate of the i. LINK (SBP-2) interface is 400 Mbps and the effective throughput is around 90 Mbps maximum. Accordingly, MPEG IMX format material recorded at 50 Mbps will be transferred at 1.5 times faster than real time.

Q: Does the product line allow for direct file access to the disc in any model?
A: Direct file access on the disc is planned to be provided over the i. LINK interface (via 'file access mode') in the near future. "File access mode" over the i. LINK interface will enable such operations as Browse File Directory, Direct read, Get File, Put File, etc. Since it occurs over the i. LINK interface, all products will support the feature as all XDCAM units include the i. LINK interface as part of the standard offering.

Q: I want to convert MPEG IMX format material to DVCAM format material and output it at the i. LINK interface for my DV editing environment. Can I do that faster than real time?
A: The conversion is performed in real time.

Q: How do I get XDCAM video into an Avid® NLE right now?
A: There are two ways currently. Either by capturing in real-time over i. LINK® (AV/ C) or by ingesting from the standard composite or SDI XDCAM outputs, or by capturing in real-time over i. LINK (using AV/ C). Avid announced that in CY '04 high-resolution file transfers, as well as proxy operation, will be supported via Ethernet or i. LINK®, at greater than real-time speeds.

Q: Can the Compact Deck or Mobile Deck be used while on its side or must it be flat?
A: The Compact Deck is designed to be used horizontally on a flat surface; however, the Mobile Deck can be used vertically.

Q: How does audio insertion work with the deck products?
A: Currently, audio insertion cannot be performed directly on XDCAM deck products; however, it will be supported in the future. As of today, audio insertion should be done on either a nonlinear editor or an editing VTR. Fundamentally, when audio is imported through an analog or digital (SDI, AES/ EBU) input, it is overwritten on the existing audio track. When audio is imported through an Ethernet or i. LINK (file access mode) port, the audio file is not overwritten. Audio file insertion should be done by an NLE.

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