SONY PDW700 XDCAM

Revised 2/20/09

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Section Links)

XDCAM TERMINOLOGY AND SYSTEM INFORMATION ...................................1

WALK AROUND ...................................................................................................4

CAMERA MENUS...............................................................................................11

CAMERA SETUP................................................................................................13

SHOOTING.........................................................................................................24

ADVANCED SHOOTING OPTIONS...................................................................32

OUTPUT .............................................................................................................35

OUTPUT .............................................................................................................36

INPUT .................................................................................................................39

LCD.....................................................................................................................40

MANAGING CLIPS USING THE GUI .................................................................41

FINDING AND PLAYING CLIPS IN THE GUI.....................................................43

THE CLIP MENU ................................................................................................45

THE DISC MENU................................................................................................50

EDITING IN THE GUI .........................................................................................52

CONNECTING THE CAMERA TO A COMPUTER.............................................59

GUI SHORTCUT LIST ........................................................................................60

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XDCAM TERMINOLOGY AND SYSTEM INFORMATION

This chapter will explain some of the terminology used when operating the Sony XDCAM system. The XDCAM format represents a fundamental shift in camera technology from tape based photography, and as such, introduces a new language and way of doing things. This is not a technical manual, but rather, a user friendly guide to operating the XD Camera system.

• XDCAM: XDCAM is a recording format, like UMatic, Betacam and SX. Unlike those older formats, it can be standard definition or high definition. It can also record on solid state memory like that used in digital still cameras.

IMPORTANT NOTE: While the F700 is capable of recording in a Standard Definition format, CNN will not be providing the menu to users which allows for the changing of the format from CNN’s HD format. In effect, by not providing the user with the ability to access the format menu, it minimizes the possibility of accidentally recording in any format other than CNN’s chosen HD format.

• MEDIA: What the pictures and sound are recorded to. Tape is a medium, optical discs are medium, solid state memory cards are all medium.

• BLU RAY: Blu Ray discs are the type of optical disc that XDCAM records to. Essentially, another generation of DVD, it uses a blue laser with a higher frequency, to record and read to a disc, thereby increasing the capacity of a DVD sized disc. It is related, but not compatible with Blu Ray discs used in Sony’s Playstation and hi def consumer machines. The XDCAM hardware we use, can support both dual and single layer discs.

• FILE BASED FORMAT: XDCAM, and indeed other new generation ENG formats such as P2, are file based formats. These files are generally created when the camera or record deck are started and stopped. Roll the camera, capture the shot, stop the camera and a file is created. That is, the video and audio recorded to the disc are essentially computer files. As such they can be moved about, copied and edited by computers potentially speeding up the workflow and delivery of stories to air. Besides the files containing the video and audio captured by the camera, they can also contain other information about the shots. This is called METADATA.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Files cannot be less than 2 seconds long. In other words, if you start and stop the camera in less than two seconds, it will still record a two second shot. Also the disc will not record more than 300 shots/files no matter how much empty space may remain on it. It is unlikely that this would be a problem.

• METADATA: Metadata is any text information related to the file/shot and the subject of that file (i.e. timecode, time the shot was recorded, etc).

• FILE FORMATS: Files often have a period with a three letter ID on them. Common formats are .jpg for pictures, .doc for Word documents, etc. XDCAM records files as .MXF files. MXF stands for Material eXchange Format. It is essentially a wrapper that contains the video, audio file and the metadata, which is another file format (XML). This MXF file is, as it’s name implies, is easily transferable between computer devices. It may need “translation” to be read by specific programs.

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• RECORDING FORMATS. Hi Def and Standard Def. Standard Def is DVCAM. DVCAM can also be shot in 16:9 or 4:3, but the Hi Def formats are only 16:9. The two formats cannot be mixed on a disc. Again, CNN has removed the menu from the camera that allows a user to change the format of the camera to anything other than CNN’s HD format.

• BIT RATES: This refers to the amount of data used to capture a shot. The bigger the bit rate, the better the quality. The PDW700XDCAM camera has Hi Def and standard definition recording options. They have a relationship to the amount of video you can record on to a disc. Some options are variable in that the amount of data used for a shot depends on the shot. The numbers given are therefore average. They are:

Bit Rate In Cam. Ref. Time on Disc. Single/Dual

Hi Def 50 Mbs Fixed MPEG HD422 50 Apprx. 43 min/95 min 35 Mbs Variable MPEG HD420 HQ Apprx. 65 min/145 min 25 Mbs MPEG HD420 SP Apprx. 85 min/190 min 50/40/30 Mbs MPEG IMX DV CAM 25 MB/S DVCAM Apprx. 85 min/190 min

IMPORTANT NOTE: You cannot mix formats on the same disc. You cannot go from a PAL type of set up, to an NTSC one on the same disc. You will need to use a new disc, or reformat and erase the old disc. The user can go from 60i to 30p. You can change the Bit Rate from shot to shot on a disc. IMPORTANT NOTE: The CNN Standard for Hi Def shooting is: 1080 60i at 35MB/S shown as HD420 HQ in the camera menu.

• SHOT MARKERS, ESSENCE MARKERS AND LABLES. On the camera, either whilst recording or in playback, it is possible to add Shot or Essence marks. These are references marks. They could indicate anything, such as a good stand up take or the beginning of a sound bite. Labels are another way of giving information about a shot. All these items are a form of metadata.

• EMBEDDED AUDIO. Audio is essentially recorded within the structure of the video and not on separate tracks. This allows for the video and audio to travel along one cable. The HDSDI (hi def serial digital), supports embedded audio.

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THE XDCAM BLUE RAY SYSTEM

The Blu Ray disc has it’s own structure. When mounted on a computer it appears like an external hard drive. If you open that on the computer you will see that there are several files and folders. The folders are:

• CLIP. Where the high res version of the files/shots are kept with a corresponding file of metadata.

• SUB. Where the low res proxy version of the files/shots are kept. These low res

versions are linked to the hi res. They can be used to view on a computer without ingesting the larger hi res version and therefore can save time.

• EDIT. This folder contains “in camera” edit information. It is possible to make a

basic edit in the camera or on a deck. Essentially the EDL for that edit is kept here. These would be relativley small files.

• GENERAL. This is a folder reserved for general storage. It can be used for any

files, such as scripts, a Final Cut Pro project file or stills related to the story. It holds up to 500mb of information or 4700 files.

A disc can be recorded on up to 10,000 times. It is not susceptible to magnets or X Ray machines. It is not possible to over write files. In other words, if you are viewing clips and need to record again, it will do so in free space, not on top of the file you were just viewing. Files have to be purposely deleted. The disc has a record inhibit tab like a tape. Like a tape, the tab prevents recording on the disc. The tab also prevents any data additions you want to make to it, such as formatting the disc, adding metadata or putting files in to the General folder. Therefore, given the deliberate process needed to erase a file, having the record inhibit tab on is probably unnecessary. Like a tape, the disc has a protective cover and door. Don’t open them up as dirt and dust do not play well with the laser and drive. XDCAM TRANSFER will be the software interface between Final Cut Pro and the XDCAM hardware. It facilitates the importing of clips into FCP. Whilst Apple computers can handle MXF files, FCP cannot edit them. This software unwraps the files and presents them to FCP as QuickTime files which it can edit. It also preserves, but cannot edit, any metadata and shot markers that are associated with the files. XDCAM Transfer’s capabilities are always being improved and more functions will be added.

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WALK AROUND

This section deals with the location and function of controls. For functions that require more than a basic description, a page reference will guide you to more in depth instruction.

FRONT PANEL

Auto W/B BAL Shutter/Clear Scan Selector

Record

AUDIO LEVEL SEE PAGE 25

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SIDE PANEL PT 1

FILTER SELECTOR SEE PAGE 28.

Color Temp. Preset SEE PAGE 29.

Speaker/ Headphone

Level

Audio Alarm Level

Audio Channel Monitor Select SEE PAGE 24

ASSIGN 1 AND 2.

SEE PAGE 18

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SIDE PANEL PT 2

PowerPower Mode

Output White Balance

Gain Control SEE PAGE 29

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BEHIND THE SIDE DOOR

LCD DISPLAY/TIMECODE SWITCHES.

AUDIO LEVEL CONTROLS

GRAPHICAL INTERFACE

CONTROLS (GUI) SEE PAGE 40

AUDIO CHANNEL SELECTER

SEE PAGE 24

TIMECODE SWITCHES

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MONOCHROME LCD MONITOR

TIMECODE

WHAT IS NEW ON THE REAR CONNECTOR PANEL

DC POWER FOR EXTERNAL WIRELESS

DISC/BATTERY STATUS

INDICATORS

HD/SD-SDI OUTPUTS

(INCLUDES EMBEDED AUDIO)

FIVE PIN ANALOG AUDIO OUTPUT

FIREWIRE/ILINK

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CAMERA HANDLE

ASSIGN 3 AND 4 WITH SWITCH GUARD SEE PAGE 18

TOP PANEL

DISC TRANSPORT CONTROLS… USUAL CONTROLS PLUS TWO EXTRAS. PREV. AND NEXT ARE FOR JUMPING FROM ONE CLIP TO ANOTHER.

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THE VIEWFINDER

1. Record format and Bit Rate.

2. Color Balance

3. Extenders On. No indicator when off.

4. Digital Zoom On. No indicator when off.

5. Zoom Position 0=wide, 99=telephoto

6. Battery Capacity. Can be a %, a voltage or an indication for external supply

7. Filter

8. White Balance Memory. A, B, P (preset), T (ATW), Daylight Preset Indicator

9. Selected gain. No indicator when off.

10. Shutter speed. No indicator when off.

11. Audio Levels

12. Time Code

13. Remaining Time On Disc

14. Remaining Clip Capacity On Disc

15. Iris F Stop.

Important Note: The viewfinder will flash error messages for exposure and white balance. It can also show time code and CLIP numbers. All these individual items can be turned on or off in: U11, 12,13 VF DISP 1, 2 or 3 menus. This info can also be output from the Video Out connector.

5 4 3 4

1

2

15 1211 13 14 7 8 9 10

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CAMERA MENUS

There are two menu systems in the camera. One is the GRAPHIC USER INTERFACE or GUI that deals with the management of clips/video recorded on the camera. This is covered in MANAGING CLIPS USING THE GUI on page 40.

The other menu is the System Menu that deals with functions, user customization and camera set up. The System Menu has functions that allow the photojournalist a great deal of control over how they use the camera and to fine tune the look of the picture it takes. Throughout this manual there will be references on how to make changes in menu settings.

Accessing the menu is done via the menu switch on the side of the camera. Navigating through the menu is done via the menu wheel on the front of the camera. That wheel also click presses to select an item in the menu. The menu switch when turned ON will display the menu both in the LCD and the viewfinder. When the CANCEL/PRST switch, to the right of the OFF/ON switch, is flicked up the STATUS display will show how the camera is currently set up.

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The system menu when first displayed, will show a USER menu. This consists of the most used menu functions.

In this manual, when a sub menu item is mentioned, directions on how to navigate to that item are given in the following way. MENU>SUB MENU, where the > symbol represents clicking on the next item in the list.

When you turn on the ON/SEL switch, the last page you were in will be displayed.

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CAMERA SETUP

This section deals with setting up the various options in the camera. This includes how to tell the camera is recording in the correct format, changing the format, checking and loading the appropriate SCENE FILE, ie the look of the camera, getting a disc ready for recording and customizing the camera for the user. There are many ways of changing how this camera looks, shoots and in general, behaves. Some do not necessarily apply to CNN’s work flow and are not covered here.

STATUS MENU

The first thing to check when using a camera for the first time, is that it is set up correctly. The primary concern is that it will record in CNN’s standard set up, which is HD 1080, 60i at 35mb/s which will be indicated in the camera as HD420 HQ. This can be done by checking the status menu with the MENU switch located under the door on the front side of the camera.

ON/SEL

When flicked upward toward ON/SEL, the display will show the current settings of the camera. The menu displayed will alternate between SYSTEM, FUNCTION, AUDIO STATUS and ABNORMAL menus as you continue to click the switch up. The FORMAT menu will show what record format the camera is set to and the state of the camera outputs.

NOTE: If the LINE, FREQ and REC FORMAT do not match the parameters in the picture above, you must load the ALL FILE from the SONY MEMORY STICK to change the cameras format to the correct settings. This process is covered on page 15.

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The FUNCTION menu will show the status of assignable buttons, zebras, their levels and if the picture cache is on.

The AUDIO STATUS menu will show audio levels, formats and switch status.

The ABNORMAL menu will show which settings are not in their normal setting. These will light the orange exclamation point warning light in the viewfinder.

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LOADING THE CNN “ALL FILE”

If the LINE, SYSTEM and FREQ data on the SYSTEM menu does not match the picture on page 13, you must load the “CNN PRESET” “ALL FILE” from the SONY MEMORY STICK to change the camera to the correct recording format.

1. Go to User Menu U29 ALL FILE - SEXECUTE.

croll to “ALL FILE LOAD” and select it to

2. On the ALL LOAD page that comes up, click the thumbwheel and scroll down to CNN PRESET FEB/13/09. It should be the only item available. **If the “CNN PRESET FEB/13/09” File is not present, see “PLACING THE ALL FILE ON THE SONY MEMORY STICK” below.

3. Select it to load the new ALL FILE

4. Turn off the menu and check the SYSTEM Status Menu to ensure the record format is 1080i 59.91 HD420HQ (as pictured above / left).

PLACING THE CNN PRESET “ALL FILE” ON THE SONY MEMORY STICK

1. Mount the camera’s Memory Stick onto a computer using an external USB SONY MEMORY STICK READER.

2. Open the Memory Stick and navigate to the following location. MSSONY>PRO>CAMERA>HD_CAM

3. Drop the file, 00000001.ALL, into that folder. There may be an ALL FILE already in this folder. Ensure that all old ALL files are removed. If they have the same name, dropping the new one in should replace the old.

4. NOTE: There may be a .USR or User file in this location too, as well as the five CNN scene files (.SCN)

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DATE AND TIME

One important bit of METADATA the camera records, is the date and time. It is important that the camera has this information set up correctly. This can be done in the Time/date menu as follows:

1. U24 TIME/DATE.

2. Select ADJUST to EXEC to bring up the rest of the options.

3. Go through each item to bring up the desired value.

4. Hit OK to go on to the next item and to save them when done.

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SCENE FILES

Various settings for shooting a particular scene can be saved as a Scene File. These files contain specifics on how the camera has been painted and any shutter speed settings selected for the scene.

• The camera can hold 5 scenes.

• A Memory Stick can hold up to 100 scene files, from which scenes can be uploaded to the camera.

• CNN will have a standard set up for the camera, and it is a good idea to know how to load that file from the camera or a Memory Stick.

To load up from one of the camera settings, go to:

1. U07 SCENE FILE.

2. Scroll to the desired file and click. The box becomes solid and that scene is now active. If you deselect it, the camera returns to it’s previous set up.

To load up a scene from a Memory Stick:

1. Insert the stick in the camera and on this menu page go to SCENE RECALL.

2. A new page appears called SCENE RECALL.

3. Scroll the wheel until the page containing the desired scene file appears.

4. Press the wheel, then scroll to the file and press the wheel. A message appears RECALL OK? YES-NO.

5. Select YES.

One other option on the SCENE FILE page is the STANDARD setting. Selecting this returns the camera to the factory setting.

If the camera has been set up in a fashion that will be used again, these settings can be saved as a Scene File by doing the following:

1. On the SCENE FILE page select SCENE STORE. A SCENE STORE page opens.

2. Click the wheel, select the desired number to save the file to,

3. Click the wheel again and then confirm the OVERWRITE OK? prompt. This obviously will erase whatever file occupied that position before.

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If you want to save a file to Memory Stick:

1. Insert the stick before going to the menus, and when you get to….

2. …The SCENE STORE page as above, it will represent the Memory Stick.

3. You will have 20 pages of files to save to.

ASSIGN BUTTONS

One very useful feature of the camera is the six Assign buttons. ASSIGN 1 and 2 are on the front of the camera below the Zebra button, and ASSIGN 3 and 4 are on the camera handle. ASSIGN 3 and 4 have a switch guard that slides over them to prevent accidental operation. The RET button on the lens and the COLOR TEMP SW on the side of the camera can also be used to assign various functions.

The buttons are assigned in the U08 ASSIGNABLE menu.

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The options for ASSIGN 1, 3 and 4 (push-type) switch, COLOR TEMP. button, or RET button on the lens.

Function Description

OFF Assigns no function FRONT MIC Switches between stereo and mono audio when a stereo microphone is

connected PICTURE CACHE Assigns execution for recording in picture cache mode SUPER (VFDISP & MENU)

Superimposes viewfinder and menu text over outputs from the SDI OUT 2 and TEST out when it is turned on in the OPERATION menu .

MARKER Assigns the function to toggle on or off display of all markers RETAKE Delete last recorded clip. Good for those multi take stand ups (Not available

for Lens Return button) ATW Turns on or off auto tracking white balance RETURN VIDEO Assigns the function that displays in the viewfinder the HD-Y (1080i) signal

input to the GENLOCK IN connector. LENS RETURN Assigns the recording review function REC SWITCH Becomes a roll button. Perhaps on the handle for low shots. TURBO SWITCH Assigns the turbo gain. ZEBRA Turns on the Zebra function. FREEZE MIX Function for frame matching the camera to a recorded shot COLOR TEMP SW 3200K

Switches color balance to 3200K.

COLOR TEMP SW 4300

Switches color balance to 4300K.

COLOR TEMP SW 5600

Switches color balance to 5600K.

COLOR TEMP SW 6300

Switches color balance to 6300K.

ELECTRICAL CC Allows you to change the color temperature automatically when the ND filter is switched.

CC 5600K Applies an electrical 5600K filter. ZOOM TELE/ WIDE

Zooms out (Assign 3 & 4 only)

ZOOM WIDE/ TELE

Zooms in (Assign 3 & 4 only)

SHOT MARK 1 Shot marks the file with shot mark 1 SHOT MARK 2 Shot marks the file with shot mark 2 CLIP FLAG OK Marks shot with OK designation. CLIP FLAG NG Marks shot with NG (No Good) designation. CLIP FLAG KEEP Marks shot with Keep designation. FOCUS MAG Blows viewfinder picture up by 2X. DIGITAL EXTENDER

This magnifies the center section of the video. It uses electronic processing, which prevents the decrease in sensitivity that occurs when the lens extender function is used. (Video will momentarily become black and audio is momentarily muted when switched on and off).

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The options for ASSIGN 2 are as follows.

Function Description

OFF ASSIGNS NO FUNCTION FRONT MIC Switches between stereo and mono audio when a stereo microphone is

connected PICTURE CACHE Assigns execution for recording in picture cache mode SUPER (VFDISP & MENU)

Superimposes viewfinder and menu text over outputs from the SDI OUT 2 and TEST out when it is turned on in the OPERATION menu .

MARKER Assigns the function to toggle on or off display of all markers REC VIDEO SOURCE

You can select between data recorded from the camera or an external source.

ZEBRA Turns on the Zebra function. FREEZE MIX Function for frame matching the camera to a recorded shot DIGITAL EXTENDER

This magnifies the center section of the video. It uses electronic processing, which prevents the decrease in sensitivity that occurs when the lens extender function is used. (Video will momentarily become black and audio is momentarily muted when switched on and off).

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CLIP NAMING

Each file or clip, is automatically assigned a name. This name is not very descriptive, taking the form C0001, C0002 etc, up to C0300. Remember a disc can only hold 300 shots, because of this, the file name will get duplicated over discs.

Besides the file name, each clip can have a Title automatically applied to it too. This Title can be somewhat customized and when combined with the File name, can help with managing all the clips in a shoot. The TITLE takes the form TITLE00001. The word prefix TITLE can be changed to something more useful. The number in the Title can also be altered, either by having it start from 00001 on each new disc, or to start at any value up to 99999.

To assign a user defined title automatically, go to the following user menu:

1. U25 CLIPTITLE.

In this menu, the selection TITLE has two options. DSAPL and ENABL. More menu options appear.

2. Select Enable

The default TITLE will be TITLE00001. To put an actual name instead of TITLE:

1. Scroll down the menu to PREFIX and select.

2. Once there using the menu wheel, tap out a name. It can have 10 characters. NOTE: This is not a very quick function and as a result, is not necessarily something you could do between elements of a shoot.

If you go to the NUMERIC item in the above menu, you can customize the number at which Titles will start.

• Selecting the CLEAR NUMERIC in the above menu, returns the Title number to 00001.

Besides tapping out a Title name, it is possible to take a name stored within the camera. The camera can hold 20 such names. These have to be loaded via the Memory Stick and originally created on a computer. The following is a step by step guide on how to do this.

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1. Create the document on a computer with the name TITLES.TXT

2. Write the titles, each on a new line. All letters and numbers can be used along with most symbols.

NOTE: At the most each Title can have 10 characters and there is a maximum of 20 Titles that can be loaded.

3. Load the document on to a camera formatted Memory Stick in the following location. MSSONY\PRO\XDCAM\GENERAL\VAL_LIST

4. Insert the Memory Stick in the camera.

5. On the CLIP TITLE menu click on LOAD PREFIX DATA item. MEMORY STICK ACCESS appears and then COMPLETE. If it says FILE NOT FOUND check the location the file was put on the Memory Stick.

6. Now on the SELECT PREFIX item of the CLIP TITLE menu, when selected, the names from the Titles document will appear.

7. Select the desired Title name.

IMPORTANT NOTE: On a Mac, this list can be created in the Text Edit application. In order to ensure this application creates a .TXT document, go to the Preferences and in New Document check Plain Text. In the Open and Save option, select “Add “.txt” extension to plain text files.”

Another option concerning File names and Titles, is to apply the Title as the File name. If clips have the Title as a file name, and a Title has been given a name and number as outlined above, the clips when viewed on a computer, will have a more meaningful name than C0001. To do this.

1. Set TITLE on the CLIP TITLE menu to ENABL.

2. Go to the USER menu U26 FILE NAMING page.

This menu may come up with only NAMING FORM :C**** showing.

3. Select it and scroll to display FREE as shown above.

4. In AUTO NAMING the options are C**** to give file names that form, or TITLE to apply the selected Title as the File name.

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SLATING THE BARS

The camera can output a slate superimposed on the bars. The slate can be made from 12 alphanumeric characters and symbols. Four different slates can be stored. Setting this up is done from

1. U22 SHOT ID.

2. Select one of the four IDs and click.

3. It opens up a window to type out the ID.

In menu U23 SHOT DISP, you can select which Shot ID is displayed amongst other information that can be superimposed on the Bars.

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SHOOTING

In this section we will deal with common shooting modes and how they are set up in the camera. First off, when turning on the camera, the disc if inserted is read. The camera is checking the format of the disc, the state of the last file recorded and where to record the next file. This takes a few seconds. If a Memory stick is inserted, it will read that too, also taking a little while. Whenever the camera is reading or writing to the disc, a blue access light illuminates near the rear. A red light on the side by the Memory Stick slot let’s you know when the camera is accessing that device.

Most functions on this camera are the same or similar to other Sony cameras. It may be HD, but it is just a camera. Functions that differ or are new, are covered here.

AUDIO

The PDW700 can record four channels of audio. Audio is recorded uncompressed and at a high quality. There are a number of menu pages that deal with audio. Most of the audio controls are found under the door on the side.

To monitor audio there are a couple of switches to select channels and mixes.

Under the MONITOR area of the panel, the CH-1/2 CH-3/4 switch on the bottom selects whether you are monitoring channel pairs 1 and 2 or 3 and 4. The top switch then determines which of the channels in a pair you are listening to or a mix of them.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The CH1/2 or CH3/4 switch also determines which channels will be output from the 5 pin XLR on the back of the camera.

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Control of what feeds what channel, and how, is much like previous cameras.

The CH-1 and CH-2 switches on the camera select what audio source you are receiving. Choices are FRONT, for the camera mic, WIRELESS, for the drop in wireless module, and REAR for the two XLR inputs.

There is also a switch that selects whether the audio levels are recorded automatically or manually set. If you are recording manually you can set the audio level with the level dials. How those dials work in combination with the one on the front of the camera are set up via a menu.

The CH-3 and CH-4 switches on the camera also let you select which audio source you are recording but audio level controls are a bit more complicated. To change between auto and manual levels you will have to first change settings in two pages in the audio menu and then adjust the levels from the front MIC LEVEL dial. To change these settings go to:

1. U18 AUDIO-2>AU CH34 AGC MODE and change the setting to OFF.

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2. Change U19 AUDIO CH-3 or CH-4 LEVEL to FRONT.

3. Select between manual (FRONT) or fixed (AUTO) level adjustment for channel three or four.

AUDIO MENUS

There are three menu pages for audio found at U17, U18 U19.

The picture above shows the items on AUDIO 1. The items that may need to be changed in normal operation are:

• FRONT MIC SELECT to turn the camera mic into a Mono microphone.

• AUDIO CH3/4 MODE selects between recording the same thing as CH1/2 or recording from different inputs selected by the switch on the side panel of the camera.

• REAR XLR AUTO means that when a cable is connected to the AUDIO IN CH1 or CH2 connector, the input from that connector is automatically selected for audio recording, regardless of the setting of the AUDIO IN CH-1 or CH-2 switch.

• HEADPHONE OUT selects whether the headphone jack puts out mono or stereo audio.

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Above is a picture of the AUDIO 2 page.

• AU REF LEVEL sets the output level of the 1 kHz test signal that can be turned on on page 3.

• AU REF OUT sets the output reference level.

• AU OUT LIMITER turns on an audio limiter on the output

Above is a picture of the AUDIO 3 page.

• AU SG (1KHz) selects whether tone is output when bars are put up, ON or not at all, OFF or when put to AUTO, when the CH-1 switch is set to AUTO. The factory default is OFF, so no tone will be output at all.

• MIC CH1 LEVEL selects whether the camera mic levels for channel 1 are adjusted by the FRONT, SIDE 1 or both controls. Default is the FRONT

• MIC CH2 LEVEL same as above but for the channel 2 side of the camera mic and using the SIDE 2 control

• REAR1/WRR LEVEL and REAR2/WRR LEVEL also select what control adjusts levels. SIDE 1, SIDE 2, Front, F&S1 or 2.

• AUDIO CH3/4 selects if channel 3 or 4 audio has automatic level controls or is controlled from the front of the camera.

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THE SHUTTER CONTROLS

There are three modes of shutter control. Standard, Extended Clear Scan (ECS) and , Slow Speed Shutter.

• The Standard electronic control will, in the CNN standard setting of 1080 60i, give you shutter speeds of 1/100, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 and 1/2000 th sec.

• The Extended Clear Scan (ECS) mode is for shooting things like monitors. The range this works in when the camera is in 60i is 60.0 to 4300 Hz.

• Slow Speed Shutter, or SLS is a shutter mode that was not on an SX camera. The SLS mode is used for shooting subjects in low level light. The SLS is a frame accumulation shutter. It basically takes the value of light for a number of frames and applies it to one frame. The numbers of frames that can be selected is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8 and 16 frames. The resulting image is brighter than could be done with normal exposure and without the noise associated with using gain. However camera movement and movement within the shot will be blurred and with higher frame accumulation rates, jerky . It would be useful perhaps, for shooting a wide exterior of a building at night or any other static subject in low light.

The Shutter switch works like that on an SX camera. Pushing it will enable it and then cycle through the Standard shutter speeds. It will then go into the ECS mode. When in ECS turn the Menu wheel on the front of the camera to obtain the desired frequency.

Cycle the switch through the Standard modes and ECS until SLS appears in the viewfinder. Then, like in ECS, use the Menu wheel to select the desired frame accumulation rate.

WHITE BALANCE AND FILTERS

The big difference between the PDW700 and the SX is the fact that there are no color correction filters on this camera. There are four filters, they are clear and ND filters, outlined below:

Filter # Value Effect

1 Clear None 2 1/4ND 2 Stops 3 1/16ND 4 Stops 4 1/64ND 6 Stops

This means that in the factory default setting that if you white balance the camera on a filter you can roll in more or less ND and the white balance will stay the same. This could allow you to say shoot outside and roll in an ND filter to allow a change in depth of field, without having to re-white balance or end up with an inaccurate white balance. You will still be able to store two white balance values, an A and a B.

The FILTER WH MEM can be changed on U05 WHITE SETTING. When this is turned on each filter will store a white balance value for each filter number, meaning you can roll the filter and it will change the color temperature to the last white balance for that filter. This will give you eight possible white balance values. A and B times four filters.

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The PRST switchs white balance color temperature is 3200K. This means that no matter what filter you are on the preset value will 3200K. If you need a preset daylight white balance you will have to use the COLOR TEMP button on the side of the camera. The COLOR TEMP button will illuminate when it is active. The COLOR TEMP button and its preset value can be used no matter what position the white balance switch on the side of the camera is in. The COLOR TEMP button preset temperature can be set to 3200K, 4300K, 5600K, and 6300K on the ASSIGNABLE SW page of the OPERATION menu. You can also assign color temperatures to the ASSIGN 1/3/4 switches and the RET button on the lens.

Another white balance setting is Auto Tracking White (ATW). ATW is a function where the camera will basically auto white to the prevailing color temperature. ATW can be set to operate when the White Balance switch is set to the B position, or can be operated by one of the ASSIGN buttons. This is done in the menu. To make B be ATW, go to the U05 WHITE SETTING>WHITE SWITCH B. Also in that same WHITE SETTING menu, is ATW SPEED WHICH can be changed to determine the speed at which ATW reacts. SHOCKLESS WHITE will also let you determine how fast the change between white balances occur when you flip the camera switch.

Also in this same menu you can change that default Preset WB from 3200K to anything you want, in the COLOR TEMP <P> item.

ZEBRAS

It is possible to have two Zebra patterns displayed in the viewfinder. Zebra 1 can be adjusted anywhere between 20% to 107%.

A second Zebra pattern is also available. Zebra 2 can be adjusted between 52% to 109%. It shows up as dots.

The viewfinder can show Zebra 1 on it’s own, or both 1 and 2. The Zebra options are in the U10 VF SETTINGS menu.

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GAIN

The gain switch is marked like an SX camera as L, M, H. The actual values these represent can be defined by the user in the U04 GAIN SW menu. In this menu each switch position is represented. You can select the following value to each switch. -6, -3, 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42.

This menu also has a selection to apply a value to GAIN TURBO. GAIN TURBO can then be applied to an ASSIGN button.

SHOT MARKERS

SHOT MARKERS, also called ESSENCE MARKS, are a way of tagging a shot. They are useful because they allow a Photojournalist to ID a good shot, a good sound bite or a good stand up. They are applied by hitting an assignable button that has been designated for this purpose. All the assignable user buttons can be used for setting shot markers except for ASSIGN SW 2. There are two types of ESSENCE MARKS, SHOTMARK 1 and SHOTMARK 2. . The reason there are two types, is that clips can be sorted on ingest to Final Cut Pro by those marks. In FCP they show up as MARKERS with the 1 or 2 designation. They can represent whatever you want for the situation you are in. For example SHOTMARK 1 could be reporter questions and SHOTMARK 2 could be answers. Either or both can be set to the assignable buttons. If the lens return button, ASSIGN SW <RET>, is set to RET you can assign a shot mark by hitting it once for a SHOTMARK 1 and hitting it twice in quick succession for a SHOTMARK 2.

ESSENCE MARKS

Essence Marks (Shot Markers) can also be manually turned on via User Menu U35. This menu also allows you to adjust the index picture position (more on index pictures on the next page).

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INDEX PICTURE

Each clip recorded in the camera has an INDEX PICTURE. This is really the thumbnail picture that is used to represent it when the clips are viewed in the GUI menu. It is possible to select where in the shot, that thumbnail picture will be taken from. The camera will default to it being the first frame, but this may not always be the best representation of the shot finally recorded. For example a quick grab shot. To set how many seconds in to a shot the camera will take that thumbnail, go to the same ESSENCE MARK menu as above where there is a INDEX PICTURE POSITION option.

MARKER BUT NOT SHOT MARKERS

This section deals not with Shot Markers, but with markers displayed in the viewfinder. These include the center point, safety zone and aspect ratio. The options are gained from the U15 MARKER 1

The first item turns on the Markers. CENTER is the center point. SAFETY ZONE can be defined by the SAFETY AREA item and the ASPECT items turns on and determines the size of an area shown in the viewfinder to aid shooting. For CNN that would be 4:3 for most situations.

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ADVANCED SHOOTING OPTIONS

In this section we will cover features on the camera that have not been available before on Sony tape ENG cameras. These features are not necessarily things you will use daily, but knowing what they are gives you that option.

CACHE RECORDING

This is perhaps the most useful of the advanced features. The camera can be set up to record into a cache memory, so that when the record button is pressed, a predetermined amount of time before that is also recorded to the disc. This is very useful for stakeouts, saving endless recording time of a closed door, or for capturing lightning strikes after they happen. The amount of time the camera will cache can be set up to 30 seconds.

To enable cache recording go to

1. U03 REC FUNCTION.

2. Roll the CACHE/INTERVAL REC to CACHE select and

3. Then select the cache record time. INTERVAL can also be selected in this menu but only one of these functions can be running at one time.

The ability to toggle cache recording on and off, can also be applied to one of the ASSIGN buttons. This would make it easier to access the function and therefore easier to use. Being able to quickly turn on/off the function, would negate a lot of the caveats with using this feature.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are some caveats to using this function, but if they are understood, it is a very useful feature.

• Once the roll button is pressed to stop the camera, it will in fact still be writing to the disc. Due to this, it is not advisable to keep this function on all the time. You can take another shot whilst it is writing to the disc, but the start point of that shot may not be exactly what is set up to be cached. You should avoid rapid stop and starts.

• When this feature is turned on, that cache time will increase the size of each file and therefore use up disc space quicker.

• The thumbnail of the shot, will also not be what you were looking at when you pressed the roll button.

• If the camera is powered down before it has finished writing to the disc, it will in fact remain on until the cache is empty. However if power is lost, whatever was still in the cache memory will be completely lost.

• Time Code will only be Free Run.

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DISC EXCHANGE CACHE

Disc Exchange Cache will allow you to change discs while you are recording without losing any video. This is done by filling the cache memory in the camera while you are swapping the disc out.

To use disc exchange cache follow these steps:

1. Turn on DISC EXCHG CACHE in the 03 REC FUNCTION menu.

2. While continuing to record press the eject button on the top of the camera.

3. The camera REC tally lights will flash once per second.

4. Quickly insert a new disc. If the flashing increases to twice per sec the internal memory cache is almost full.

5. The camera will continue to record as normal. Once you stop recording you will have wait until the camera can write the video it has recorded in the buffer back to the disc.

Note: Recording may not start immediately if the disc is not formatted or if the disc already contains a large number of clips.

Note: Disc exchange and interval recording can not be enabled at the same time.

Note: Preformat your discs before attempting to exchange them using this feature. The 30 seconds you have to switch discs does not include the time it will take the camera to format a blank disc.

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INTERVAL RECORDING

Sometimes called time lapse. Interval recording can be set up to automatically record a specific number of frames at a set interval or manually when the record button is pushed.

This function is found in the same menu as cache recording but can not be enabled at the same time. U03 REC FUNCTION.

Cache recording gives you two main options. Automatic Interval (A INT) or Manual Interval (M. INT) record mode.

• Auto Interval mode automatically shoots a frame at a time at the specified interval. The user must set the total time for shooting (TAKE TOTAL TIME) and the length of time for recording on the disc (REC TIME). The camera will then figure out the interval to record the shots at.

• Manual Interval Rec mode records a specified number of frames when you press the record button. There are two manual modes, Single shot, which records once per press of the button, and consecutive mode, which records repeatedly at a specified interval after the record button is pressed.

• PRE-LIGHTING allows for a camera light to be turned on before the shot is taken to stabilize the lighting conditions.

Once the menu options have been selected, press the record button. If Pre Lighting has been selected, recording starts after the light has turned on. In A. INT mode AUTO INTERVAL XXMXXS (indicating minutes and seconds) appears in the viewfinder as well as a green TALLY indicator, which will flash whilst the camera is in this mode. In M. INT mode the videwfinder will show INTERVAL XXSEC XFrames. When the camera is actually recording, the Rec indicator in the viewfinder lights.

Pressing the record button again, will interrupt Interval Recording in one of the following manners.

If the camera is actually recording, it will pause the recording. Pressing it again will resume Interval Recording.

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Pressing record in a pause between recordings will start the camera rolling as normal. Pressing it again will stop the camera, pressing it a third time will resume Interval Recording. In other words you can grab a single shot.

To end Interval Recording either Power Off the camera, or go to the menu and turn it off. The settings made for Interval Recording will remain intact.

IMPROTANT NOTE: The caveats.

• Audio cannot be recorded.

• While in interval record mode, the camera cannot be put into a playback mode.

• Time Code can only be Record Run

• The camera must have sufficient power to last for the duration of Interval Recording. (ie. it should be on AC Power for durations over a couple of hours).

• If Pre Lighting is selected, make sure the light’s own power switch is turned on.

DIGITAL EXTENDER

The digital extender function magnifies the center section of the video. It uses electronic processing which prevents a decrease in sensitivity. This function can be easily turned on and off if it is put on an assignable switch.

FOCUS MAG

Focus in HD is more critical than in SD because more picture detail will show the parts of the picture that are out of focus. FOCUS MAG, or magnification, is a viewfinder function that can be used to digitally blow up the center part of the picture so focus can be more accurately set. This function can be assigned to the Lens Return switch in the Assignable Switch menu and will only be available while the switch is held. Focus Mag must first be enabled in the U37 SELECT FUNCTION>FOCUS MAG.

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OUTPUT

In this section we will go over the various inputs and outputs on the camera, focusing on the new features. The main things that remain the same are the DC in and out connections, the two XLR audio ins, the 5 pin audio out, TC in and out and Gen Lock.

New features include an HD/SD-SDI out, an SD-SDI out and a Test out, as well as a FireWire connection. The SDI connections are used for SDI output and the Test out (located on the back side) will be used for cropped down converted 4:3 NTSC analog output for live and recorded output.

FIREWIRE/ILINK FIVE PIN ANALOG

AUDIO OUTPUTHD/SD-SDI OUTPUTS

(INCLUDES EMBEDED AUDIO)

TEST OUT

The Test Out on the side of the camera will output either a composite (standard def) signal or an HD Luminance (black and white) signal. To select this, go to U01 OUTPUT 1. The VBS option represents composite out. This will be used for outputting 4:3 cropped, down converted NTSC analog video for live shots or SD recording needs. You can also output superimposed characters if SUPER is turned on.

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As stated on the previous page, you can output Stanadard Definition 4:3 (cropped) video from either one of the SDI ports or the TEST OUT. However, you also need “DOWN CON MODE” on User Menu 2 set to “CROP” as pictured above.

In the rare situation in which you need to output Standard Definition 16 x 9 (perhaps for an affiliate or CNN.COM), you need to set the DOWN CON MODE to “SQUEEZE”. Although the output might look “crushed” on a 4:3 monitor, it will appear in correct 16 x 9 aspect ratio on a monitor set to display a 16 x 9 picture.

SDI OUT

The SDI connectors on the back of the camera can output HD or SD SDI with embedded audio, either live or for clip playback. Output 2 can also superimpose setting menus, timecode and shot data. U01 OUTPUT 1

FIREWIRE/ILINK

FAM or File Access Mode is used for transferring the recorded clips as computer files. FAM mode must be turned on for the computer and camera to connect. Go to U21 POWER SAVE and enable FAM.

When FAM is enabled, and the camera is connected to a computer via the FireWire, it will mount as a disc on the desktop. The camera LCD will show PC REMOTE. FAM can be turned on in the menu, but the camera cannot go into FAM mode if it is accessing the disc. That is the disc cannot be playing, recording etc, or in Thumbnail mode. Interval Record must be off.

When the disc mounts on a computer, besides eject, the other playback controls are disabled. When data transfers are complete, the disc on the computer can be ejected as any other hard drive is.

The Firewire output can be turned off to save battery power but must be enabled for usage.

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LIVE & PLAY

One other item on the above menu is LIVE & PLAY. When this is enabled the camera can put out a live shot whilst playing a clip from the disc. The possible scenario for this is to play out a VO or SOT during a live shot. The camera will make a clean switch from live to disc and back. During playback of the clip, the viewfinder will show the live shot in case reframing is needed. Live & Play can be turned on in the U02 OUTPUT 2 menu.

To select which clip to play,

1. Go to the CLIP MENU

2. LOAD CLIP LIST.

3. There you pick which one will play when you

4. Press play in the LIVE AND PLAY mode.

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INPUT

The PDW-700 camera can record video or it can record a video signal from an outside source since an optional video input card has been installed in your camera.

You will be able to record an HD or SD SDI signal or a composite SD signal into this camera with a BNC connection.

Composite Analog Input Test Out (Analog Output) HD/SD SDI Input

Internal camera or external video recording must be turned on or off in the U09 SOURCE SEL menu or this function can be selected for the ASSIGN 2 switch on the side of the camera. (Switching by the menu is not possible if the function has been assigned to the Assign 2 switch.)

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TO ENABLE RECORDING FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE:

To record an external source, do the following:

1. Switch REC VIDEO SOURCE from CAM to EXT.

2. Select the video input you will be recording from by using the EXT VIDEO SOURCE option. Choices will be HDSDI, SDSDI or VBS for analog composite video.

There are some things that must be noted about recording into the camera.

o When recording using the SDI inputs, audio will be embedded in the SDI signal. When using the GEN LOCK analog input audio must be recorded through the external XLR audio inputs.

o Analog composite signals are up converted to HD signals before recording (recorded as 4:3 pillared HD video).

o Video breakup may occur when switching between CAM and EXT during recording.

LCD

DISPLAY/EXPAND

This button, located on the LCD, has two functions. One as part of the GUI clip menu that will be covered later in this manual, and the other under normal camera operations. In this case the Display button toggles the LCD through showing the shot with viewfinder information, showing the shot clean and showing a display containing camera information similar to that in the LCD on an SX camera.

LCD SET UP

The U14 LCD menu allows for the LCD color to be adjusted and for the LCD to display markers and zebras (in conjunction with the zebra button

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MANAGING CLIPS USING THE GUI

In this section we will introduce the Graphic User Interface, the GUI, and how we use it to view clips, sort them by various attributes, delete them and lock clips on the camera and delete media on the discs.

The GUI is operated through controls on the side of the camera near the audio controls. Some of the functions of these controls are also duplicated by the playback controls on the top of the camera and the menu wheel on the front of the camera.

The main controls on the side are the THUMBNAIL button, a SEL/SET button that has various functions, and a Shift Button to access secondary functions of the other two controls.

DISPLAYING THE THUMBNAIL SCREEN

The system menu must be turned off in order to display Thumbnails. To display a thumbnail of all the clips on the disc, simply press the THUMBNAIL button. An indicator light comes on when this button is pressed, and the LCD displays the Thumbnail Screen. This display contains information concerning each clip, how many clips are on the disc, date and time. Pressing THUMBNAIL again, will take the camera out of that mode and return the screen to its previous display.

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Overview of the GUI

Below is the front page of the GUI.

Clip number out of total clips

Clip with a SHOT MARK on it

Clip with altered Poster Frame

Number of Selected Clip

Selected Clip

Indicator where the display is in relation to all the clips

Locked Clip Date & Time Clip was recorded

Selectable Clip Information

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FINDING AND PLAYING CLIPS IN THE GUI

Even within the GUI there are several ways to move around the clips to find the desired one. Below are the options, but in all circumstances press THUMBNAIL to access the GUI.

Once in the GUI you will see one clip will be highlighted in yellow. This signifies that this clip is selected, or cued up. To get to another clip you can:

• Roll the MENU knob (on the front of the camera)

• Use the CURSOR keys (under the door under the LCD)

• Use the PREV and NEXT buttons (F REV and F FWD)

• To get to the first clip on the disc, press SHIFT and PREV

• To get to the end of the last clip on the disc, press SHIFT and NEXT

• SHIFT and CURSOR up and down will page up or down

• Push MENU and select SKIP SCROLL

Once you have found the desired clip you can play it. Simply press PLAY and the disc rolls from that point. It will continue through the remaining clips until stopped. If you want to cue the clip up but not play it, press the MENU knob. When you have finished playing you will need to press the THUMBNAIL button again to access the GUI. It will come back up with the last clip played selected.

As clips are played, Shot Marks 1 and 2 can be applied as when recording, using the lens return button or any ASSIGN buttons with that function. This can be useful when screening tape and remember, the Shot Marks transfer to Final Cut Pro as Markers.

FINDING A SPECIFIC POINT IN A LONG CLIP

Often a disc could be filled with one long clip, an interview for example. In this case, the GUI will only have one thumbnail in it and using the above method would mean having to shuttle through the clip in a tape like manner. Fortunately it is possible to break open a clip to find a specific moment using timecode. To do this, take the following steps:

1. Enter the GUI

2. Select the desired clip

3. Press the EXPAND button found on the left of the LCD. The clip breaks into 12 equal parts

4. Use the timecode values on the bottom of each thumbnail to find the approximate place you need to be

5. Either play it there or press the EXPAND button again to break the clip down into 144 parts.

6. Use the timecode to find the desired location

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7. Either play it from here or press the EXPAND button again to break the clip down to 1728 parts

8. Find the desired point and play

9. Press SHIFT and EXPAND to step back until the main GUI page it displayed

In EXPAND mode the display looks very similar to the regular GUI. Notice that it does say “EXPAND CLIP” on the top left. It also indicates in the example below, that clip 25 of 125, has been expanded into 12 parts and that the first part of the twelve, is selected.

The duration of the selected part is displayed at the bottom right of the display.

Once a part of the clip is selected, it can be played from that point in the same way as any other clip.

This function allows for a clip to be broken down by three degrees. If a clip is not long enough to be split into 1728 parts, it will be split in to as many as it can be, but by then each part may only be a single frame. After going to the third level, if the EXPAND button is pressed again a message indicating that the clip cannot be expanded any further it displayed.

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THE CLIP MENU

Up until now, all the functions covered in the GUI have been done with controls on the front of the camera. The next few features will involve the CLIP MENU to achieve certain functions. To access the CLIP MENU, push the MENU button on the front panel. When a menu is displayed there are a number of options that can be used to navigate and select functions. You can either:

• Use the SET/SEL button or MENU knob to move up and down menu items and then press it to select a function or go to the next menu level.

• Use the up and down cursor keys to move up or down menu items and the cursor right key to enter the next menu level. However you will need to press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob to select a menu function.

• Use the jog wheel to move up and down menu items, and the SET/SEL button or MENU knob to select a function or to move to the next menu level.

Once a menu item is selected, the GUI will do what was desired. If you want to exit the menu or step back up a level, press the RETURN button to the right of the LCD.

FINDING CLIP PROPERTIES

Every clip has information about that clip recorded with it. This is called metadata and can be useful when trying to find when a clip was recorded or even what it was recorded on. To access this information on a selected clip, press the MENU button. This brings up the THUMBNAIL MENU. Navigate to CLIP PROPERTIES and select it to reveal the information. Press the RETURN button to exit or the SET/SEL BUTTON OR MENU KNOB wheel to return to the GUI.

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FINDING ALL THE SHOT MARKS ON A DISC

A previous section explained how to find the shot marks in a single clip. However you can use the GUI to display all the shot marks by type, across a disc. This may be useful if you have shot marked all the shots you want to include in an edit. To do this, take the following steps:

1. When in the main GUI page, press SHIFT and THUMBNAIL. The Select Essence Mark menu comes up

2. Select the type of shot mark you want to find

3. Press the SET/SEL BUTTON OR MENU KNOB button.

A new page displays showing all those shot marks across the disc. Like any other page, each thumbnail can be selected and played.

Press the RETURN button to go back to the main GUI display.

CHANGING THE CLIP INFORMATION DISPLAYED

Beneath each clip in the GUI is information about the clip. Different options are available. Timecode at the start of the clip, the date the clip was recorded, duration of the clip and Sequence Number which will be the order the clips were recorded in.

The default is timecode, but if want to view one of the other options, do the following:

1. In the GUI press the MENU button to bring up the THUMBNAIL MENU

2. Select CLIP INFORMATION at the top of the menu

3. Select the information type

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DELETING A CLIP

To delete a clip, take the following steps:

1. In the GUI select the clip that you want to delete

2. Press MENU to go to the THUMBNAIL MENU

3. Scroll down to DELETE CLIP

4. Select that menu item.

A window appears with four thumbnails depicting four parts of the clip. They are either four equal parts or Shot Marks if present. This helps you determine what the shot contains before deleting it.

5. CANCEL is highlighted. Select it to cancel, or scroll up to OK

6. Select OK to delete the clip. There is no return or recovery when you do this

When in the main page of the THUMBNAIL MENU, besides some of the options are short cut commands that allow the user to access those features quickly.

For deleting a clip, the short cut command is SHIFT and RESET. This will still bring up the page with the four thumbnails and the CANCEL/OK options, but deleting can be done this way from the GUI.

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LOCKING A CLIP

In order to prevent a clip from being accidentally deleted, it can be locked. Locked clips have a padlock on their thumbnail.

Whilst a locked clip would have to be unlocked before it can be deleted, formatting the disc will erase all clips, even those that are locked.

To lock a clip do the following:

1. Select the clip to be locked in the GUI

2. Press MENU to open the THUMBNAIL MENU

3. Scroll down to LOCK/UNLOCK CLIP

4. Select it

Alternatively press SHIFT and STOP to lock or unlock a clip right from the GUI.

CHANGING THE THUMBNAIL OF A CLIP

Sometimes when recording, the thumbnail generated by the camera or deck, may not be a good representation of the shot. For example a press conference may be rolled on before the speaker comes to the podium. In this case the thumbnail will be the empty podium where you may prefer that it show who spoke. The thumbnail representing an individual clip can be changed in the GUI menu.

1. Select the clip in the GUI

2. Press MENU to bring up the THUMBNAIL MENU

3. Scroll to SELECT INDEX PICTURE

4. Select that item to bring up the function

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5. Use the JOG or SHUTTLE to roll to the desired point

6. Use the SET/SEL BUTTON OR MENU KNOB or CURSOR UP to highlight OK

7. Press the SET/SEL BUTTON OR MENU KNOB to change the thumbnail image to the new one

In the GUI, thumbnails that have been changed are marked by a page turn in the top left corner.

Even if the disc is viewed in another deck, the new thumbnail will be the one that is show for that clip.

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THE DISC MENU

The DISC MENU is still a part of the GUI. However here there are options that are specific to the entire disc and not just a single clip. For example, in this menu the disc can be formatted, all clips can be locked or unlocked, and all clips can be deleted in one command (except for locked clips).

This menu is also used when editing clips on the disc.

To access the DISC MENU simply press SHIFT and DISC MENU found next to the REC button.

LOCK OR DELETE ALL CLIPS

In the DISC MENU scroll down to the LOCK OR DELETE ALL CLIPS item and enter it. In there is a sub menu containing separate items or LOCK ALL CLIPS, UNLOCK ALL CLIPS and DELETE ALL CLIPS. All three can be selected and will come up with a confirmation page with CANCEL selected. To perform these functions you must scroll up to the OK option and then press the SET/SEL BUTTON OR MENU KNOB knob. Deleting all clips is not reversible.

DISC PROPERTIES

Like the Clip Properties in the Clip Menu, the DISC PROPERTIES option in the DISC MENU reveals information about the disc such as User ID, total duration of material on the disc, remaining time on the disc and how many times the disc has been rewritten or formatted.

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FORMATTING THE DISC

Formatting a disc will erase all information on the disc, including any edit CLIP LISTS or contents in the GENERAL FOLDER of the disc, as well as any clips whether or not they are locked. It is a good way to recycle a disc when the contents on it are in archive or are copied permanently elsewhere.

To format a disc follow these steps:

1. On the panel, under the fold down lid, on the side of the camera, hold down the orange SHIFT button and press the DISC MENU button

2. Scroll down the menu until you see FORMAT DISC and select.

3. Selecting it, like selecting Lock or Delete All Clips, brings up a confirmation window and a reminder that this function will erase everything. The command is set to CANCEL and must be changed to OK to execute.

4. You will then be given a menu with the choice to EXIT or format more discs. Simply insert the next disc to be formatted.

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EDITING IN THE GUI

Without the aid of another deck, the PDW-700 can create a frame accurate rough cut of the clips on a disc. This may be useful for example, if you want to play out a selection of clips or portions of an interview on a satellite feed, without having to play the whole disc or shuttle through it like a tape.

No new clips are created and no original material on a disc is changed, but a set of instructions telling XDCAM hardware how to play the edit is written to the disc. This is called a CLIP LIST. The disc can hold up to 100 different CLIP LISTS. As the CLIP LIST is written to the disc, it can be played in any XDCAM device (Dual Layer discs can only be played in hardware that supports them).

Another term to note is SUB CLIP. It refers to sub clipping or cutting/editing clips. It is also a button on the front of the deck under the THUMBNAIL. This button on it’s own is pressed as part of the edit process. A light illuminates when the mode is on.

Important Note: Be aware that the same button is used in conjunction with the SHIFT key to bring up the DISC MENU, which is also needed in the edit process.

CREATING AN EDIT OR CLIP LIST

1. Press THUMBNAIL to bring up the GUI

2. Press the SUB CLIP button to enable the edit function

A CLIP LIST window will open up. If it is the first edit on a disc it will be called “Clip List (no name)”. If a CLIP LIST has already been created and is loaded, that particular one will open up.

3. Press SHIFT and DISC MENU (Sub Clip) to bring up the DISC MENU

4. Highlight and select the LOAD CLIP LIST item

A page of CLIP LISTS will open up. If an edit has already been made and saved, it will be noted by having a creation date and time as it’s name.

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5. Select any of the E**** numbers that are there. Generally it is a good idea to use the first available one

The CLIP LIST window appears again, but this time the name will be the E**** number you selected. The CLIP LIST window is a basic non linear edit interface.

6. Press the MENU button to bring up the THUMBNAIL MENU. It will be already set to the ADD SUB CLIPS option

Note: There is a shortcut to bring up the ADD SUB CLIPS option from the CLIP LIST window. It is SHIFT and SET (press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob)

This brings up the CLIP LIST window again, but now the top half of it shows all the clips available on the disc, eight at a time. The bottom half is the timeline.

7. Find a clip you want to include in the edit, but the usual navigation methods

8. Press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob

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A yellow bar appears in the timeline. This indicates where the clip will be placed. With the first clip it does not matter, but with subsequent clips, this bar is positioned to create the desired sequence of shots.

9. Press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob to bring the selected clip down on to the timeline

The CLIP LIST window will appear after every edit. This is useful when you need to refine the edit.

10. Press SHIFT and SET/SEL button or MENU knob to add another shot

11. Follow steps 7 and 8

12. Place the Yellow bar where you want the next shot to go

13. Press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob

14. Continue as necessary

The same functions covered earlier in this manual to EXPAND a clip or to find SHOT MARKS/CHAPTERS, work here. You can edit where a shot is started by using those methods. The EXPAND function will only break a clip open in multiples of eight due to the smaller area of screen to view thumbnails, but other than that, it functions the same.

Also you can include multiple sequential shots from the disc into the edit in one command, using the methods of highlighting multiple thumbnails covered earlier in this manual.

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REFINING THE EDIT

When you have built your basic Clip List, you can further refine the clips or sequence. It is possible to trim a clip, move a clip or delete one from the edit all together.

Trimming a Clip

Whilst we can select where we pick up a clip by using the EXPAND function or the CHAPTER function, we cannot change the end point in the initial edit. We have to take a shot from one of those points to the end. We can however go back to the clip and trim both the beginning and end of the clip. When the CLIP LIST window is up after a clip has been edited, do the following:

1. Highlight the clip to be trimmed

2. Press the MENU button to bring up the THUMBNAIL MENU

3. Scroll to TRIM SUB CLIP and select it

A window called CLIP LIST (TRIM) appears cued to the first frame of the selected shot and with the IN POINT ready to be set.

4. Use the play controls on the top of the camera or the MENU knob to cue the clip up to the new IN POINT

Note: You can in fact go backwards and include video from the previous shot on the disc.

5. Press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob to change the IN POINT to the new value

6. Roll the MENU knob or press CURSOR DOWN to highlight the OUT POINT

Note: You can also press the CURSOR LEFT and RIGHT buttons to go between the IN and OUT POINTS. Those cursors are in fact called IN and OUT.

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7. Use the camera play controls or twist the MENU knob to cue the clip up to the new OUT POINT

Note: Again, you can include video from the next shot on the disc.

8. Press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob to change the OUT POINT to the new value

9. Scroll or cursor down to OK and save the changes or CANCEL to exit without change

Above the IN and OUT Cursors are lights. These illuminate when an IN and OUT POINT are set. However the IN light will flash if an attempt is made to enter a point after an OUT POINT. The OUT light will flash if an attempt is made to enter an OUT earlier than an IN.

Deleting a Clip

Deleting a clip is also done by first selecting it from the CLIP LIST window.

1. Once a clip is highlighted, press MENU to bring up the THUMBNAIL MENU

2. Scroll down to DELETE SUB CLIPS. Notice the short cut of SHIFT and RESET

Note: Deleting a clip here does not delete it from the disc. Note that it refers to deleting a sub clip, not simply a clip.

3. In the confirmation window that appears, CANCEL will be highlighted. Scroll to and select OK to delete the sub clip

Moving a Subclip

If you decide to re-sequence the shots in the clip list, you can do this again by highlighting the shot to be moved in the CLIP LIST window. Then:

1. Press MENU to bring up the THUMBNAIL MENU

2. Scroll down to and select MOVE SUB CLIPS

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The CLIP LIST (MOVE) window opens with the yellow position bar present between the shots, The clip to be moved is highlighted.

3. Scroll the yellow position bar to the new location for the shot

4. Press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob to make the move

SAVING THE EDIT

When the edit is complete and the CLIP LIST window is up, go to the DISC MENU (SHIFT and DISC MENU). From there simply highlight and select SAVE CLIP LIST.

The CLIP LIST window reappears and you can continue to edit. If you save again, it will have the same E**** number but the new date and time will be in it’s name. However if you want to make other versions of the edit, select SAVE CLIP LIST AS from the DISC MENU. This will bring up the list of E****. Select the next available NEW FILE and press the SET/SEL button or MENU knob.

LOADING AND PLAYING A CLIP LIST

Whilst a CLIP LIST is active, it can be cued up and played like any other clip. However if you have more than one on a disc and wish to load up another, do the following:

1. Press THUMBNAIL to enter the GUI

2. Press SUB CLIP to load up the last used CLIP LIST

The following steps would apply if you are already in a CLIP LIST having just edited.

3. Bring up the DISC MENU (SHIFT and DISC MENU)

4. Highlight and select LOAD CLIP LIST

5. Scroll and select the desired CLIP LIST

This is now the edit that will be played from the camera or re-edited. In fact, by pressing THUMBNAIL to turn it off, the loaded CLIP LIST will still be cued up and ready. Turning off the SUB CLIP button will revert the camera back to normal.

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CLEARING OR DELETING A CLIP LIST

In the DISC MENU is an option to CLEAR CLIP LIST. If this option is selected, it will simply unload the current CLIP LIST. It is not deleted, it is simply not cued up. A blank CLIP LIST window will appear.

If you want to delete a CLIP LIST:

1. In the DISC MENU select that item.

2. Scroll to the CLIP LIST you wish to delete and select it.

3. A confirmation window appear where you can either CANCEL or OK the command.

4. The E**** will then be available for another edit.

LEAVING THE EDIT PROCESS

To get out of editing simply press the SUB CLIP button. The light will go out and you will be in the regular GUI. Pressing THUMBNAIL will exit the GUI.

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CONNECTING THE CAMERA TO A COMPUTER

The camera when connected to a computer, mounts the loaded disc on to the computer as if it were a hard drive. For editing in Final Cut Pro, this allows far quicker access to the clips on the disc than would be possible by capturing the video in a tape like manner. This type of connection is called FAM or File Access Mode. In order to make this kind of connection, the Mac must have the relevant FAM drivers, and to allow the transfer of clips to Final Cut Pro, XDCAM Transfer software must be installed. DNG Macs will have all the required drivers and software. The FAM mode must also be turned on in the camera by going to U07 POWER SAVE, and turning the ILINK (FAM) selection to ENABL. (iLink is Sony’s term for Firewire).

A FAM connection is made by taking the following steps:

1. Load up the required disc into the camera

2. Ensure that no menus are running, including the Set Up menu and the GUI

3. Ensure the disc is not playing or recording but is stopped

4. Connect the camera to the Mac with a Firewire 400 cable

Once the connection is made, the LCD display will indicate “PC REMOTE”. At this point the only function available on the camera is EJECT. However do not use this button to eject the disc, but follow the Mac OS method of ejecting drives to remove it from your deck top. Whilst mounted the following icon appears on the computer desk top.

There is no real need to actually open up the disc to see the contents. In fact altering the file structure of the disc can cause problems for the edit.

To remove the disc from the computer, do one of the following:

• Right click on the disc and select EJECT.

• Drag the disc down to the Trash on the dock and let go.

Even though the disc is removed from the computer and physically ejected from the deck, the deck remains in PC REMOTE. This allows for another disc to be loaded up and included in the edit. When finished, eject any disc mounted and in the deck, then remove the Firewire cable from the computer to leave PC REMOTE mode.

The XDCAM Transfer software used to ingest the video into Final Cut Pro, is covered in a separate manual.

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GUI SHORTCUT LIST

Function Operation Clip List Thumbnail (display clip list thumbnail screen)

SUB CLIP/DISC MENU

Expand Thumbnail (display expand thumbnail screen)

DISP SEL/EXPAND

Chapter Thumbnail (display chapter thumbnail screen)

HOLD/CHAPTER

Essence Mark Thumbnail (display essence mark thumbnail screen)

SHIFT + THUMBNAIL/ESSENCE MARK

Add Sub Clip (add sub clip) SHIFT + SET/S.SEL Delete Clip (delete clip) SHIFT + RESET/RETURN Lock/Unlock Clip (lock or unlock clip) SHIFT + STOP Set Inpoint (set In point) Left-arrow + SET/S.SEL Set Outpoint (set Out point) Right-arrow + SET/S.SEL Cue up Inpoint (cue up In point) Left-arrow + PREV or left-arrow + NEXT Cue up Outpoint (cue up Out point) Right-arrow + PREV or right-arrow +

NEXT Reset Inpoint (reset In point) Left-arrow + RESET/RETURN Reset Outpoint (reset Out point) Right-arrow + RESET/RETURN Cue up (cue up) SET/S.SEL a) Cue up & Play (cue up and play) PLAY/PAUSE b) Page Down (switch to next page) SHIFT + down-arrow or F FWD Page Up (switch to previous page) SHIFT + up-arrow or F REV Go To End (go to the last item) SHIFT + NEXT

Go To Top (go to the first item) SHIFT + PREV

Select Multi Clip (select multiple clips) SHIFT + right-arrow or SHIFT + left-

arrow Exit (exit the current thumbnail screen) THUMBNAIL/ESSENCE MARK

a) If Settings >SET Key on Thumbnail in the Disc Menu is set to “Cue up & Play”, then play starts as soon as cueup is ready. b) If Settings >SET Key on Thumbnail in the Disc Menu is set to “Cue up & Play”, then pressing the SET/S.SEL button has the same effect.