Government

HDXchange System Links Government HD Production

The Internet will be remembered as possibly the greatest public works project in modern history. Much like the railroads and interstate highways tied together our country, this online revolution, which began as a Defense Department initiative, has indeed made this a much smaller world -- allowing home offices and government agencies alike to connect seamlessly over long distances, with workers sharing digital data, using multiple desktop computing formats, and making the concept of a consolidated office, often, a thing of the past.

How can government production divisions react to the increasing demand and expectation to share data -- - audio, video and Web - across multiple locations? How can government audio/video workgroups collaborate and respond quickly to content demands? Importantly, with the government transition already underway to high-definition production, how can these large files be shuffled and shipped without clogging up existing bandwidth -- and accommodating multiple media formats?

To make content sharing easier, more efficient and simpler to manage, Sony's new HDXchange™ system offers a unique approach to workgroup collaboration. The system is specifically suited to environments in which video content is shared among many users in a facility. For government offices that broadcast over the air or over the Web, after the service is completed, the programming can be transferred into the HDXchange main storage and then can be accessed by different users for different purposes (editing, we, etc.) using the HDXchange system.

The HDXchange system is a networked hardware/software suite for managing and sharing standard- SD and HD content from ingest to editing to final output. Basically providing a catalyst for entry- and mid-level government offices who are moving to high-definition production, the HDXchange system allows users to take advantage of leading nonlinear editors on either Windows® or Macintosh® platforms to share video assets and streamline the editing process.

For example, in one HDXchange-enabled office, an operator can be simultaneously ingesting and live logging HD, HDV™, CAM™ and DV files, either manually or via scheduled capture. In another office, or production suite, Sony's popular XDCAM® HD files can be ingested along with metadata. A storyboard artist or team can, meanwhile, be creating/publishing storyboards or viewing clips, creating shot-lists with thumbnails for review. Edited files, using any of the popular desktop systems, can be simultaneously conducted somewhere else. Sony's Petasite® can be located in an entirely different location, tied into the entire process for archiving. And the finished production can be transferred to designated locations, created and saved in multiple playlists, to a variety of playout devices. All the while, the entire process can be viewed and managed by personnel anywhere in the world by authorized, password-protected web browsers.

The HDXchange suite will provide approximately 250 hours of video storage (at 25 Mbps HDV or DVCAM rates) and automatically generates proxy files for network browsing, offline storyboarding, and web applications. The system will support an optical disc workflow, as well as the workflow of typical DVCAM and HDV format users.

In government agencies that demand centralized command and control, the HDXchange system can be accessed and monitored through a Web browser interface, allowing a single person to proactively troubleshoot and detect problems before they become critical issues. The HDXchange system can also be connected to remote monitoring services offered by Sony's Professional Services Group, so it can be fully managed, supported and kept up to date without the need to interrupt a the agency's daily operational routine.

The HDXchange system also offers users production flexibility whether working with Sony products or solutions from other manufacturers. For example, during ingest, manual or timed recordings can be made with all relevant metadata associated with clips, and the system can be linked with tape-based acquisition devices. It is also possible to review and replay incoming clips and mark and annotate the material. Video content acquired on other compatible formats or media moves into the HDXchange system via an industry standard i.LINK® interface*.

The system supports standard formats and protocols including QuickTime®, MXF, AVI, MPEG2, MPEG4. The HDXchange system is also compatible with leading nonlinear editing solutions including Sony Vegas®, Apple's Final Cut Pro® and others. The HDXchange system also includes embedded applications for network browsing, material ingest, video and edit decision list exchange for supported editors, and archiving options.

For a visual diagram of the way that HDXchange will revolutionize your production workflow visit sony.com/hdxchange.

* i.LINK is a trademark of Sony used only to designate that a product contains an IEEE 1394 connector. All products with an i.LINK connector may not communicate with each other. Please refer to the documentation that comes with any device having an i.LINK connector for information on compatibility, operating conditions and proper connection.