ProVideo d.o.o

The Complete Solution for Collaborative Editing Environment

HDXchange

Case Studies

Metadata wins the day at RaceTech

News & Events

Sony launches HDXchange "Extreme" architecture at NAB 2008

Democratising content creation - with HDXchange

Sony shows the benefits of HDXchange to programme makers and resellers at ISE 2007

Resources

HDXchange Interactive Demonstration

Brochures

Workflow Guide

HDXchange Brochure

HDXchange in Action: Corporate Production

HDXchange in Action: Higher Education

Overview FeaturesBenefitsTechnical Specification

Built to generate bigger returns for your business.

HDXchange makes it quicker and easier to get great-looking pictures ready for a wide range of playout platforms - from conventional broadcast, tape and DVD to the web, IPTV and mobile devices.

HDXchange has been designed and engineered by Sony to simplify today's collaborative workflows. It's a powerful, scalable platform that's built on widely recognised open industry standards... so you're not locked into proprietary acquisition formats or media.

It's also the perfect environment to unlock the powerful workflow benefits of the Sony XDCAM, XDCAM HD and the new XDCAM EX* file based production systems.

At the heart of HDXchange is a rugged, fully RAID protected central server, managed by a resilient database. A simple management GUI allows administrators to create and manage individual users or powerful workgroups who can seamlessly collaborate together on shared projects.

As your storage needs grow, the HDXchange can scale with you by either adding additional disk based storage for online processes or by adding a near line solutions such as a tape-based archive system like the Sony PetaSite.

Links between centralised storage and individual workstations are via standard Ethernet connections, so it's easy to integrate HDXchange into your existing IT infrastructure. In the future, Fibre channel support will be added, allowing a massive increase in HDXchange's capacity to simultaneously serve large groups of users.

Choice is everything and HDXchange remains agnostic to the type of NLE editing system that can be used directly on the system. Currently Sony Vegas, Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid's Liquid family of editors are supported but additional NLE's will be added shortly.

Content from the HDXchange can be delivered to a wide range of devices including SD and HD broadcast playout servers or systems focused on delivery into retail environments such as Sony's Ziris Digital Signage platform.

A Complete workflow solution from acquisition through to delivery

The HDXchange provides users with a complete end-to-end solution for content delivery. Dedicated applications are included for many of the standard tasks needed to quickly and efficiently process content from camera to screen. Dedicated ingest terminals allow content to be imported directly onto the central storage without the need to use a NLE editing system. During ingest additional metadata can be added directly to the material and this information is held on a SQL database, allowing multiple users to easily search and retrieve the content for later use.

Once the material is ingested, a proxy file is automatically created which allows many more users to review the content via the browsing interface. The browsers can create simple cuts only storyboards which can then be exported to the NLE editing systems via an industry standard XML file.

Once at the NLE terminal the XML file is imported instantly into the timeline and the user is then able to finish the project in the usual manner but now with the benefit of working directly with the online quality files.

Easy to configure, use and expand

In order to reduce deployment costs, HDXchange is both easy to configure and use. All server and client applications are stored on the HDXchange Core Server and when users log into the HDXchange domain, shortcuts to the necessary client applications will automatically be loaded onto their desktops. This flexible approach eliminates the need to pre-install software on every computer, and since HDXchange uses floating licenses, users don't need to worry about pre-installing licenses either.

HDXchange is developed to grow with your business demands, and in order to future proof your investment the system can continuously grow in terms of storage capacity and bandwidth. HDXchange can use both NAS and SAN technologies and the storage is fully quota managed allowing either individual users or shared projects to have secure allocated space on the server.

Open platform with support for 3rd party NLEs

HDXchange is based on industry-standard platforms and protocols. This allows for easier integration with third-party applications such as third party NLEs. Both Mac and Windows based workstations can log directly onto the server and the current version of the browsing client supports both platforms. Version 3.2 of HDXchange will extend the number of supported NLE's to Apple's Final Cut Studio, Sony's Vegas and Avid's Liquid family of editors. Additional NLE's will be supported at a later date.

Multi-format friendly, with support for both SD & HD

> HDXchange provides optimal workflow for a variety of Sony SD and HD video formats. These include XDCAM, XDCAM-HD, XDCAM-EX, HDV, DV and DVCAM. HDXchange's native support for XDCAM proxies allows for quick and efficient operations when using XDCAM and XDCAM HD devices. Other SD and HD signals such as tape based VTR and live video feeds can also be can also be ingested via a SDI/HD-SDI digital I/O.

Powerful media management tools based on rich metadata and low-resolution proxies

HDXchange provides comprehensive and intuitive tools for managing media. A rich metadata environment, based on the Dublin Core metadata model, allows operators to easily input, modify and search for material. When material is ingested from an XDCAM or XDCAM HD source, low-resolution XDCAM proxies, high-resolution files, and key metadata are automatically copied to HDXchange. When material comes from non-XDCAM sources, HDXchange automatically generates a matching low-resolution proxy. These low-resolution proxies provide an efficient and effective mechanism for operations such as browsing, logging and creating storyboards.

Comprehensive Archive integration

HDXchange can easily integrate with archive systems. When material is moved from the HDXchange core server to the archive server, the material's metadata and low-resolution proxy remains online. This allows operators to still search for, browse and work with material even after it's been moved to the archive. Version 3.0 of HDXchange will support PetaServe/PetaSite archive systems.

System in Box

HDXchange is delivered as a complete working solution. All included applications are pre-installed on server. Once the client workstations log onto the server, the applications are automatically available from the desktop.

Easy to Manage

Minimal IT knowledge is required - reducing management costs. All administration services are available remotely through a web based front end. These include controls over users and groups, dynamic quota management and raid status.

Reliability and Scalability

Protect your investment with secure online storage which can be dynamically expanded at anytime. The integration with highly scalable archive systems provides the ability to manage hundreds of thousands of hours of media.

NLE Choice

> Select the production tool best suited to the knowledge and experience of staff. Reduce retraining costs and offers future flexibility.

Powerful Media Management Tool

Reduce operating cost by managing media from ingest through to output and archive in a single easy to use operating environment.

XDCAM Workflow

HDXchange gives immediate access to the workflow benefits of the XDCAM family of file based productions systems.

Multi-format

Work in the format best suited to your workflow whether it's SD or HD. Support for HDV, DVCAM, DV25, XDCAM/ XDCAM HD and the new XDCAM EX*. Also supports MXF, AVI and QuickTime file formats.

* = Official XDCAM EX support will be added Q1 2008

Technical Specifications
Please be aware that the features/specifications can differ from country to country
3 Power cords for Server
Receptacle	USA / CANADA: IEC320 - C13 Straight EUROPE: IEC320 - C13 Straight UK: IEC320 - C13 Straight
Plug	USA / CANADA: NEMA 5-15p EUROPE: CEE 7 type VII UK: BS1363
Cord Type	USA / CANADA: SJT, 3 x 18 AWG EUROPE: HAR, 3 x 1.00 mm2 UK: HAR, 3 x 1.00 mm2
Minimum Rating	USA / CANADA: 10 A / 125 V EUROPE: 10 A / 250 V UK: 10 A / 250 V
Length	USA / CANADA: 1500 mm ~2400 mm EUROPE: 1500 mm ~2400 mm UK: 1500 mm ~2400 mm
Safety Approval	USA / CANADA: UL / CSA EUROPE: HAR UK: BSI, BASEC
Client PC Minimum Specifications:
Logging Clients	OS: Windows XP Pro, SP2 CPU: > =Dual Xeon 3.2GHz RAM: >= 2GB GPU: 256M GeForce 6600 (or equivalent) PCI Express: HP 1394 FireWire PCI Card HDD: >= 160GB
Browse, XDCAM Gateway, & Export Clients	OS: Windows XP Pro, SP2 CPU: >= P4 2.8GHz RAM: >= 512MB GPU: 256M GeForce 6600 (or equivalent) PCI Express: HP 1394 FireWire PCI Card (for XDCAM GW) HDD: >= 80 GB
Vegas 6.0 Clients	OS: Windows XP Pro, SP2 CPU: >= P4 3.2GHz RAM: >= 1GB GPU: 128MB GeForce PCX5750, DDR, DVI + TV - PCI-EXPRESS (or equivalent) PCI Express: HP 1394 FireWire PCI Card (for XDCAM GW) HDD: >= 160GB
Apple Final Cut Pro 5.0 Clients	OS: Mac OS X CPU: >= Dual-Core 2.0GHz PowerPC G5 RAM: >= 1GB GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 LE with 128MB of GGR SDRAM PCI Express: NA HDD: >= 160GB SATA
Officially Supported Devices
DVCAM	VTR's DSR-11, DSR-45AP, DSR-25, DSR-1500A,P DSR-1600AP, DSR-1800AP, DSR-2000AP, DSR-DR1000P Cameras DSR-250P DSR-400P DSR-450WSPL DSR-PD170P
HDV	VTR's HVR-M10E, HVR-M15E, HVR-M25E, HVR-1500, HVR-DR60 Cameras HVR-Z1E, HVR-A1E, HVR-V1E
XDCAM	VTR's PDW-1500 (DVCAM mode), PDW-D1 (DVCAM mode), PDW-R1 (DVCAM mode), PDW-U1 (DVCAM mode) Camera's PDW-510P, PDW-530P (DVCAM mode)
XDCAM HD	VTR's PDW-F70, PDW-F30 Cameras PDW-F330K/L, PDW-F350L
XDCAM EX	PMW-EX1
General
NIC	Integrated Dual Gb Ethernet Controller
Removable Media Drives	1 3.5" Floppy Drive, 1 CD-ROM Drive
External interfaces	2 SCSI, 5 USB, 1 VGA, 2 RS232, 2 RJ45, 1 6-pin mini din keyboard connector, 1 6-pin mini din mouse connector
Brackets for rack mounting	Supplied with 72-cm (depth) support rails

Dimensions	482 (w) x 132 (h) x 732 (d) mm
Weight	40 kg
Power requirements	600 W
Certifications	FCC, UL, CE
Processor	Dual 3GHz Xeon
RAM	2GB
HDDs	16 x 500GB SATA configured as RAID 10 for Material & 2 x 80GB SATA for OS configured as RAID1
GPU	Integrated ATI Graphics

Built to generate bigger returns for your business.

Technical Specifications