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Native HD Editing With Sony's System
Sony got back into the nonlinear editing game at the NAB convention of 2001 with the introduction of Xpri, but many industry pundits didn't expect this new NLE to survive. Fortunately, Sony hung in there; in spite of sometimes slow progress, Xpri has reached version 7.0 software. It is gaining plenty of industry respect, filling some unique gaps among NLE products. For instance, it is the only NLE that offers native capture and editing in Sony's HDCAM high definition format. Like many of Sony's products, Xpri is built around a proprietary package that uses a mixture of off-theshelf and original hardware. The Xpri software runs under Windows 2000 using a general Pentium motherboard, but it is installed into a custom workstation with built-in storage. The storage available in a basic Xpri package will accommodate eight hours of HDCAM media (and even more SD media). Sony also offers a complete SAN solution for Xpri systems; this SAN, called Xpri Net, is one of the few currently available for HD postproduction.
A big selling point for editors who come from a linear editing background is Xpri's external control surfaces for fader control, digital effects manipulation, jog/shuttle and menu control that are included as part of the complete Sony Xpri package. One of these devices is the media bar: a panel with a series of color-coded knobs, often mistaken as a color-correction control. In actuality, many of Xpri's menus contain color-coded software adjustments that correspond to the knobs on the media bar. The use of the menu bar changes according to the functions accessed in a specific menu. The jog/shuttle control is predictably smooth, in traditional Sony fashion. The trackball control for digital video effects can be used in other modes as well, such as for manipulating curves during a color-correction session.
The Xpri workstation doesn't include 1394 (FireWire, i.LIIMK) ports or additional USB connections, but each of the control devices is actually a USB hub, so peripherals such as a USB Memory Stick can be connected to any of these external controllers. Although I like the tactile feel of these control surfaces, I've been a little surprised to see that the PC keyboard and jog/shuttle controller are separate. The Sony...