SONY PDW-U1 Optical Disc Reader/Writer

Okay, so there might not be all that much that I can say about Sony?s new PDW-U1 XDCAM disc reader/writer, but there is plenty I can say about why XDCAM owners/users should own one. In fact there is plenty I can say about why none-XDCAM owners should own one, including Digital Photographers, Panasonic P2 camcorder owners, or anyone else who wants the ultimate in long-term, safe and cheap archiving solutions; read on.

If you haven?t stumbled upon this new device allow me to explain what it is and what it does. The PDW-U1 is Sony?s new external USB XDCAM Professional Optical Disc reader/writer. Well, if you go out and buy one right now it will be a reader only, but then via a firmware update sometime in the very near future it will be a writer also. This firmware update will become available via the www.sonybiz.net web site and carrying out the firmware update will be a simple matter of downloading the updater file to your desktop and installing it onto the U1via the USB connector.

Current XDCAM owner/users will know that Sony?s (and TDK, Fuji, Maxell) XDCAM discs come in capacities of 23GB and 50 GB. You will also know that there is currently a dedicated 500mb of space for storing other relevant files such as scripts, shot lists, photos and anything else that you might find relevant to any given project. Well all this is about to change with the new firmware updates. The first firmware update will allow the U1 to become a writer i.e. you can export complete edited project timelines back to disc, export individual clips/groups of clips etc back to disc. But now for the good bit, well, AMAZING bit actually. That 500mb of allocated file space I was talking about, well it is about to become a lot larger than 500mb, the entire disc to be exact, that?s write (pun totally intended). When this second firmware becomes available later in 2008 you will be able to insert a blank XDCAM disc into the U1 and it will format it as a 23GB (or 50 GB depending on the size of the disc used) file storage device if you so desire. This will mean you can treat the entire disc space just like a regular Blu-Ray writable disc or hard drive. You can drag/drop any file directly onto the XDCAM disc, files such as: Sony?s new SxS MP4 video media folders, other video files, audio files, photos, text documents, well, anything you like.

The PDW-U1 is one of Sony?s latest additions to the XDCAM family. XDCAM has been established since 2003 when the standard definition PDW-510 and PDW-530 models. Then a year later the high definition PDW-F330 and PDW-F350 models came along, and more recently the PDW-F330 and PDW-F355, as well as the new XDCAM EX series, the PMW-EX1.

Up until now the easiest way of importing XDCAM files into your edit system was either via the camcorders directly via there FireWire outputs with the camera set to either FAM mode for simply drag-and-drop of the files, or as a direct stream. If your camcorders are out in the field a lot then the other option was to buy one of the XDCAM decks such as the PDW-F30, PDW-F75 or the high-end PDW-1500. If you are on a tight budget, there hasn?t been a cheap option; until now; enter the PDW-U1.

The PDW-U1 is hardly a fully-fledged VTR type deck, but it is not meant to be. The PDW-U1 is a cheap method of being able to get your XDCAM or XDCAM HD clips into your computer via FAM (File Access Mode) drag-and-drop. It has been designed to sit on your desktop and remain part of your edit suite. But because it is a very portable USB2 device (about the size of an external LaCie hard drive) it can be unplugged, popped in a bag and taken on location. The PDW-U1 has thick rubberized corners so it is rugged enough to stand being thrown into a bag and moved around. The U1?s dimensions are just 59 x 164 x 226 mm and it weights just 1.4 kg (3 lb 1 oz).

The U1 is priced around the ?1,595 plus VAT. For me personally I feel that this is a bit on the pricy side, but it is still cheap compared to a deck. I personally don?t own an XDCAM deck so for me, every time I need to import files from XDCAM disc to my computer I have to lift my PDW-F350 up onto my computer workstation desk. Due to the fact that the F350 is a full-size shoulder mount camcorder, this usually means I have to start moving things off my desk to make room for it. Now I?ll be able to have the cute little PDW-U1 sitting there all the time, and every now and then it will say ?Feed me disc, feed me disc?.

The design of the U1 is simplicity itself. On the front you will find the slot in which the XDCAM discs go and an Eject button. Apart from this there are light indicators for Power, Disc In, Disc Access, and Error/Alarm. The rear of the unit is even more basic. A push-button on/off switch, a DC power socket and a USB2 socket. That?s about as complicated as the U1 gets; nice huh! I did find the on/off button to be a bit twitchy sometimes. When you push it to turn the unit off, it sometimes sticks and does not pop out all the way, you have to ?nurse? it out. This only happens on occasion and should not cause any long-term issues. However, I would like to see Sony change this ?twitchy? on/off switch design for the next production run. It would have also been nice to have the on/off switch on the front of the unit, to save thumbling round the back. My guess is that Sony put it to the rear to save people pressing it y mistake instead of the Eject button.

The PDW-U1 is by far the most affordable addition to Sony?s XDCAM line-up and it extends the IT credentials of XDCAM by offering a simple and portable drive that can be used with both Macs and PCs. The U1 can be used for viewing clips using Sony?s free software on either Mac or PC, or for full read/write access with compatible NLE software systems.

So far the PDW-U1 will work with systems such as Apple?s Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas, Canopus Edius, Avid systems, Adobe Premiere and many others.

The best news about the PDW-U1 is the fact that it supports the new Dual-Layer XDCAM media. What does this mean in the real word? Well, up until now you could only export a master programme from the timeline back to XDCAM disc with a maximum duration of approximately 62 minutes (in highest quality HD 35mbps mode). That is using a current 23GB XDCAM disc. The new dual-layer XDCAM discs are 50GB in capacity so it will now be possible to export a full HD programme from your edit system back to XDCAM disc with a duration of around 145 minutes. A much more respectable programme duration, especially for those long documentaries. Even though the new PDW-F330 and 355 can record to the new dual-layer discs, you might still want to buy a PDW-U1 for reasons I?ve mentioned already such as desktop space and being able to have your camcorder in use in the field and still have a means of importing/exporting footage from XDCAM disc.

The PDW-U1 is a true USB2.0 plug-and-play device and it is compatible with all XDCAM SD and HD recording formats including DVCAM, MPEG IMX and MPEG HD. The U1 can read and write to both existing single layer XDCAM discs (PFD23/PFD23A), as well as the new dual-layer XDCAM discs (PFD50DLA). The dual-layer discs can hold approximately 145 minutes of full HD 35Mpbs footage, or around 3-hours of DVCAM footage or over 4-hours of MPEG HD footage recorded at 18Mpbs.

The clip/file transfer speeds from the PDW-U1 to the computer are faster than what can be achieved using the F330/F350 camcorders. This is due to the fact that the read/write lasers in the U1 are much faster than those found in the F330/F350 camcorders. My PDW-F350 for example takes just under half real time to import my HD clips i.e. 65 minutes worth of full HD clips can be imported into my Final Cut Pro system in around 25 minutes, this time includes the Proxy files too. Using the PDW-U1 takes approximately 15 minutes to do the same job.

In use the PDW-U1 is totally silent when switched on, when reading/writing a disc things don?t change much, just a barely audible humming sound; you can feel it vibrating very slightly during read/writes also. The U1 looks sexy, is portable and well build, but above all, it does an amazing job. Just what the XDCAM family needed, I for sure will be buying one of these little gems the second they become available.

The only negative point is the price. ?1,595 plus VAT is just too much money for what is essentially a Blu-Ray disc reader/writer. I know XDCAM is not Blu-Ray and it is a lot more robust and has a longer shelf life, but the technology is based on it and the costs are virtually the same. So it seems very unfair that you can buy an external FireWire Blu-Ray reader/writer from the likes of LaCie for under ?500 inc vat, yet XDCAM owners are forced to pay three times that for what is essentially the same thing. I would have liked to have seen the PDW-U1 priced at under a grand inc VAT; but that?s just me. This isn?t just a Sony pricing policy either. Other manufactures also have somewhat inflated prices for peripheral products too.

If it wasn't for the expensive price, I'd have given the PDW-U1 a 5-star rating.

The PDW-U1 comes supplied with: AC adaptor Operation manual PDZ-1 Proxy Browsing Software PDZ-VX10 XDCAM Viewer Software Proxy Viewer Software PDZK-P1 XDCAM Transfer Software Setup utility software

?2008 Nigel Cooper