Sony's innovative XDCAM EX professional product range is specifically designed to exploit the ultimate high speed performance and reliability of SxS PRO and SxS-1 media. However, SxS media is a professional format and not available from retail outlets, so in situations in the field where additional media is required or for cost-conscious users, where this ultimate performance is less important, Sony have developed the MEAD-SD01 adaptor to enable the use of consumer SD Card media.

The MEAD-SD01 adaptor is the same shape as SxS memory cards so as to fit within the media slots on XDCAM EX camcorders, with no protrusions, allowing the media cover to be in place during shooting. The adaptor can accept one high speed SD Card which simply slots inside.

At the time of writing (January 2010), Sony Professional recommends only the latest Class10 SDHC cards. Using 8-, 16-, or 32-GB media, approximately 35, 70, or 140 minutes of recording (in SP mode) can be achieved.

Please note, it is not recommended to utilise the Slow Motion recording function due to speed limitations of SD Card media. The nature of the adaptor and SD Card media will also mean slightly less reliability than SxS media - caution should be exercised when turning off XDCAM EX hardware during recording. XDCAM EX hardware will need a firmware upgrade to use MEAD-SD01 - please see specifications for more information.

Features
Designed for XDCAM EX The MEAD-SD01 has been specifically developed by Sony to operate with XDCAM EX hardware and, as long as users follow the usage guidelines with recommended Class 10 SDHC products, they can be confident of the correct operation of their XDCAM EX hardware.

ExpressCard form factor The MEAD-SD01 Adaptor has the shape of ExpressCard/34 so it can be slotted into the ExpressCard slot of XDCAM EX equipment and other ExpressCard compatible hardware, such as a Windows PC or Mac.

Please note the interface standard between the PC and MEAD-SD01 is not PCI Express but USB2.0 - however both PCI Express and USB2.0 are supported as the ExpressCard interface.

PC Compatible SD Card media recorded with MEAD-SD01 by XDCAM EX hardware works on a PC without any need for drivers. Folders and files of XDCAM EX are shown in the NLE operation window or in Clip Browser in the same way as with SxS media.

PXU-MS240 Compatible The PXU-MS240 240GB HDD back up unit for SxS media is fully compatible with the MEAD-SD01 adaptor once a firware upgrade has been applied - due March 2010 - simply slot the adaptor with SD Card into the PXU-MS240 unit to record content onto the MS240's hard drive.

Additional information The PMW-350, PMW-EX1R, PMW-EX1 and PMW-EX3 can receive updated firmware via an Internet download, while the PMW-EX30 and PMW-10MD will need returning to a Sony service centre as they do not have a USB service port for connecting with a PC. SBAC-US10 SxS Reader/Writer is not compatible because the SBAC-US10 only has PCI Express interface and no USB interface.

If you would like more information or would like to talk with a salesperson please contact the office nearest you or email sales@vmivideo.com with your request (please include the article name, and your contact information).