Vision Research launched the eagerly anticipated CineStation docking station for Phantom HD/65 CineMags at NAB 2008.

High-speed imaging requires a significant amount of memory, and this is especially true with high-res cameras such as the Phantom HD, Phantom 65, or the new V12. For example, with a resolution of 1920×1080, the Phantom HD camera consumes almost 4 megabytes of memory for each frame shot. At a speed of 1,000 frames-per-second, the camera needs almost 4 GB of memory for each second of record time, depleting 16 gigabytes of internal camera memory in just over 4 seconds!

With the CineMag, users can upload the camera memory to the CineMag’s non-volatile memory at a rate of 13.6 Gbits per second – taking 10 seconds to save a 16GB file. Additionally, users can record directly to CineMag memory at frame rates of up to 450 fps at HD resolution.

“While Vision Research Phantom cameras deliver incredible imagery, they were always difficult to use in general motion picture production due to their specialized workflow,” said Mitch Gross, Technical Director of Rentals for Abel Cine Tech. “Having to deal with umbilical cables from the camera to a computer, limited shooting times, delays due to download times and controls from the computer instead of the camera, limited Phantom cameras to specialty use. Now with CineMags and the new CineStation, these restrictions are all lifted.”

Prior to the availability of the Phantom CineMag, a shot in camera memory had to be downloaded to a hard disk drive over GigaBit Ethernet, taking between 10 and 16 minutes depending upon network and computer performance. This download time interrupted the momentum on set and made a day of shooting longer and more costly. The CineMag, introduced last year, has been a breakthrough on set, but until now, still required using the camera offline to download the massive amounts of high-speed imagery. The new Phantom CineStation streamlines this workflow breakthrough by allowing CineMags to be viewed, trimmed, played over video, and saved to hard disk using an offline docking station rather than the valuable camera asset.

The Phantom CineStation is a simple setup that connects to a PC using GigaBit Ethernet. Users simply snap in a CineMag to the CineStation and use the supplied software to view each cine stored on the CineMag, play the cine files over the dual HD-SDI ports or component video ports, set in- and out-points to trim the cines, and save the files to a connected hard disk drive.

To help speed the download process even further, an optional 10GigaBit Ethernet connection is planned for summer 2008.

“We would expect any customer utilizing Vision Research’s CineMag technology to be a potential user of a CineStation,” said Rick Robinson, Director of Marketing for Vision Research. “However, we also believe that many post production facilities working with raw Phantom cine files would be interested in a CineStation as well, as their customers can simply deliver the high-speed imagery to their facility on a CineMag.”

The Phantom CineStation comes with dual HD-SDI outputs allowing for 4:4:4 playback of the recorded cine files at all HD formats (except 60p which is 4:2:2), making it easy to review and select shots to download and archive. Component video is also supported.

“Clients can use the cameras on set much as they would any other camera,” added Gross. “With a CineMag, they can shoot without a cable running to a computer, making handheld, Steadicam or remote crane operation feasible. And downloading is now done where it should be – in a separate environment from shooting. No longer does the production team have to worry about post production’s workflow needs.”

Abel is accepting orders for the CineStation at NAB with deliveries set for early June. The 10Gbit interface will be available this summer. It can be purchased as an option to a new unit or an upgrade to an existing system.