Sony Xavc Sd Card

Sony makes a couple of notes on the use of SDHC cards for XAVC S video – any recorded files larger than 4GB will be split into multiple files to comply with a 4GB maximum file size limitation. Cards must also be at least SD Speed Class 10 and UHS Speed Class U1 or faster. Video recorded at 100Mbps or more must use a UHS Speed Class U3 card. Sony 64GB SDXC UHS-I Class 10 U3 memory card and Sony 32GB SDHC UHS-I Class 10 U3 memory card. Up to 95MB/sec Transfer Speed / Up to 90MB/sec Write Speed. Burst Shooting: Capture up to 240 high resolution photos in 1 minute using continuous shooting mode Rapid Download: Optimize your workflow. Transfer 32GB of full HD video in approximately 5 minutes. If you are trying to shoot a 4K video (XAVC S 4K - 3840 x 2160) at 24 frames per second, you will need a memory card that can support the required 100mbps. You can shoot in these frame rates at 60M as well, but we recommend shooting in the highest Mbps for better quality and less risk of dropped frames. An SDXC Memory Card of Class 10 or faster is required to record using the XAVC S format. An exFAT compatible memory card is required when recording XAVC S. NOTE: The HDR-AS100 Action Cam will display an error message of MEDIA if attempting to record in XAVC S format without an SDXC Class 10 or higher memory card.

The Sony A7s records to three codecs:

• XAVC S – this is the consumer version of XAVC. Maximum data rate is 50 Mbps
• AVCHD – this is also a consumer codec, maximum data rate is 28 Mbps at 50/60p, 24 Mbps at 24/25/30p
• MP4 – 1440×1080 (1.33 pixel aspect ratio corrects to 1920×1080) 12 Mbps

Here are still frames of all the codecs (click to enlarge). Order:

• XAVC S 25p 50 Mbps
• AVCHD 50p 28 Mbps
• AVCHD 25p 24 Mbps
• MP4 1440 25p 12 Mbps

Cine1 Gamma Cinema Color Space

What do you see?

S-Log2 Gamma S-Gamut Color Space

What do you see?

What I think

I would avoid MP4 at all costs. Not only is the pixel aspect ratio a headache, but you also have very poor data rates for any kind of professional work. For the same reason, I don't recommend dual recording either.

AVCHD looks similar to XAVC S, and if you just want to upload the video straight away it might be okay. There are three disadvantages to AVCHD:

• Poor audio codec
• Harder to edit
• Doesn't grade very well

There are two ‘advantages':

• It's half the data rate, therefore half the storage.
• You don't need an SDXC card for it, you can use SDHC cards (32GB and lower).

You can see quite clearly how the colors change in S-Log2 mode with AVCHD.

To my mind, quite clearly, XAVC S is the only codec I would use. A 1 TB drive can hold 45 hours of footage! Done deal.

Click on the link below to the next lesson or head over to the main menu (above). If you need help with something, feel free to send me an email. I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.

FAQs

These are important topics raised by subscribers that shed more light on this lesson.

Q. Why do you say MP4 and AVCHD are bad? Don't many people use them?

As far is MP4, is concerned, there is a loss in resolution, not only due to the stretch, but also due to the heavier compression.

I'll try to explain the difference. MP4, H.264, AVCHD and XAVC are all of the same compression family (If you'd like to learn more: https://wolfcrow.com/blog/understanding-mpeg-2-mpeg-4-h-264-avchd-and-h-265/). In short, they are all interframe codecs. Secondly, they are all ‘delivery codecs' – which means, they were created for final display, and not for in-camera acquisition. They are ‘consumer-grade'.

‘Proper' video cameras use XAVC I (The A7s is XAVC S, the consumer version), Prores, XDCAM, Canon MXF, etc. Acquisition demands a far more ‘robust' codec, one that can withstand not only the rigors of post production but also the heavy recompression of broadcast. Even in the case of Youtube, you must first render your timeline to H.264 to upload to Youtube. For 1080p, this is a data rate of about 8-10 Mbps. Youtube will further compress it one more time for playback.

The point is, even when you shoot with consumer codecs, it has to undergo at least 2 compression stages to final viewing, and these codecs were never designed for that. You will see heavy banding, compression artifacts, loss of color and tonality, loss of resolution, etc., if you look close enough. It's there even with XAVC S, or even if you shot on the Alexa or Red Epic – but it'll be far worse if you shot on AVCHD, and even more so on MP4. This is also why Vimeo allows you to download videos. This guide has fully downloadable videos so you can study the footage after only one stage of compression, rather than two that you see on playback.

It is paramount to use the maximum data rate when shooting with a consumer codec. So if you choose to shoot AVCHD or MP4, you must be convinced the generation loss on subsequent recompression(s) does not affect your work.

XAVC is a recording format that was introduced by Sony on October 30, 2012. XAVC is a format that will be licensed to companies that want to make XAVC products.^[1][2]

Technical details[edit]

XAVC uses level 5.2 of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, which is the highest level supported by that video standard.^[1][2] XAVC can support 4K resolution (4096 × 2160 and 3840 × 2160) at up to 60 frames per second (fps).^[1][2] XAVC supports color depths of 8, 10, and 12 bits.^[1][2]Chroma subsampling can be 4:2:0, 4:2:2, or 4:4:4.^[1][2] The Material Exchange Format (MXF) can be used for the digital container format.^[1][2]

XAVC allows for a wide range of content production including intra frame recording and long group of pictures (GOP) recording.^[1][2]

XAVC S[edit]

On April 7, 2013, Sony announced that it had expanded XAVC to the consumer market with the release of XAVC S.^[3][4] XAVC S supports resolutions up to 3840 × 2160, uses MP4 as the container format, and uses either AAC or LPCM for the audio.^[3][4]As example used in the Sony FDR-AX100 4K Ultra HD consumer camcorder^[5] and Sony HDR-AS100V action camera.^[6] The Sony α7S as well as some consumer stills cameras with movie support (e.g. the Sony RX10) also offer XAVC-S.

Hardware[edit]

Sony has announced that cameras that will support XAVC include two CineAlta cameras which are the Sony PMW-F55 and Sony PMW-F5.^[7][8] Both cameras record XAVC with a color depth of 10-bits and 4:2:2 chroma subsampling.^[9][10] The Sony PMW-F55 can record XAVC with 4K resolution at 60 fps at 600 Mbit/s and 2K resolution at 120 fps at 400 Mbit/s.^[9] The Sony PMW-F5 can record XAVC with 2K resolution at 120 fps at 400 Mbit/s.^[10]

XAVC can record 4K resolution at 60 fps with 4:2:2 chroma subsampling at 600 Mbit/s.^[11][12] A 128 GigabyteSxS PRO+ media card can record up to 20 minutes of 4K resolution XAVC video at 60 fps, up to 40 minutes of 4K resolution XAVC video at 30 fps, and up to 120 minutes of 2K resolution XAVC video at 30 fps.^{[9][10][11][12]}

The PXW-Z100 is a 7 lbs handheld camcorder with an integrated 20x 4K-compatible zoom lens. The PXW-Z100 is the first 'prosumer' camera that uses Sony's XAVC recording format. MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression is used for HD (1920×1080), QFHD (3840×2160) and 4K (4096×2160) content. Image sampling is 4:2:2 10-bit, with an intra-frame system that compresses each frame individually at a maximum bit rate of 500 Mbit/s or 600 Mbit/s during 4K 50fps or 60fps recording, respectively, and 223 Mbit/s during HD 50fps or 60fps recording.

On November 14, 2012, Sony stated that it might release consumer products that use XAVC.^[13][14]

In March 2014, Sony launched the consumer video camera, FDR-AX100, which uses XAVC S. It provides a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 with a 60 Mbit/s bit rate. It provides 12X optical zoom and records to a SDXC memory card.^[15]

Sony Xavc Sd Card Reader

In February 2015, Sony launched the consumer video camera, FDR-AX33, which uses XAVC S. It provides a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 and increased the bit rate to 100 Mbit/s. It provides 10X optical zoom and records to a SDXC memory card.

In late fall, 2015, Sony released a firmware update (Version 2.0) for the HXR-NX3 camcorder which gives the camcorder the option of recording in XAVC S format in addition to AVCHD.

Software[edit]

Software that supports XAVC include Sony Vegas Pro, Adobe Creative Suite 6, Avid, Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve, Grass Valley's EDIUS Pro 7, Quantel, Rovi and MainConcept SDK.^[1][2] Sony announced that XAVC licensing information and a software development kit (SDK) would be released in November 2012.^[13][14]Sony offers the free XAVC plugin PDZK-LT2 for Apples Final Cut Pro X downloadable at http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com. Version 10.2 of Final Cut Pro X supports XAVC-S natively.

For XAVC S, CyberLink PowerDirector, Adobe Premiere Elements, Apple's iMovie 10, Pinnacle Studio 18 Ultimate and Sony Movie Studio Platinum support it for editing and production.

See also[edit]

• H.264/MPEG-4 AVC - The video standard that is used by XAVC
• SxS - A flash memory standard used by Sony
• AVCHD - A recording format that uses a lower level of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
• AVC-Intra - A recording format that uses a lower level of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefgh'Sony introduces new XAVC recording format to accelerate 4K development in the professional and consumer markets'. Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
2. ^ ^abcdefgh'Sony introduces new XAVC recording format to accelerate 4K development in the professional and consumer markets'(PDF). Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
3. ^ ^ab'Sony expands XAVC format to accelerate 4K Development in the professional and consumer market'. Sony. 2013-04-07. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
4. ^ ^ab'Sony expands XAVC format to accelerate 4K Development in the professional and consumer market'(PDF). Sony. 2013-04-07. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
5. ^'Sony FDR-AX100 review - Hands on with first consumer 4K camcorder'. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
6. ^'POV Action Cam - HDRAS100V/W Review - Sony US'. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
7. ^'Sony supports 'Beyond HD' strategy with new full sensor cameras'. broadcastengineering.com. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
8. ^Steve Dent (2012-10-30). 'Sony goes Red-hunting with PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 pro CineAlta 4K Super 35mm sensor camcorders'. Engadget. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
9. ^ ^abc'F55 CineAlta 4K the future, ahead of schedule'(PDF). Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
10. ^ ^abc'F5 CineAlta 4K truly gorgeous HD'(PDF). Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
11. ^ ^ab'Ultra-fast 'SxS PRO+' memory cards transform 4K video capture'. Sony. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
12. ^ ^ab'Ultra-fast 'SxS PRO+' memory cards transform 4K video capture'(PDF). Sony. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
13. ^ ^abSteve Dent (2012-11-14). 'Sony to release XAVC 4K video spec, licensees include Apple, Adobe'. Engadget. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
14. ^ ^ab'Sony Introduces XAVC Recording Format to Accelerate 4K Development'. CDRinfo. 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
15. ^https://www.amazon.com/Sony-FDR-AX100-Video-Camera-3-5-Inch/dp/B00HNJWVIA

There are two ‘advantages':

• It's half the data rate, therefore half the storage.
• You don't need an SDXC card for it, you can use SDHC cards (32GB and lower).

You can see quite clearly how the colors change in S-Log2 mode with AVCHD.

To my mind, quite clearly, XAVC S is the only codec I would use. A 1 TB drive can hold 45 hours of footage! Done deal.

Click on the link below to the next lesson or head over to the main menu (above). If you need help with something, feel free to send me an email. I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.

FAQs

These are important topics raised by subscribers that shed more light on this lesson.

Q. Why do you say MP4 and AVCHD are bad? Don't many people use them?

As far is MP4, is concerned, there is a loss in resolution, not only due to the stretch, but also due to the heavier compression.

I'll try to explain the difference. MP4, H.264, AVCHD and XAVC are all of the same compression family (If you'd like to learn more: https://wolfcrow.com/blog/understanding-mpeg-2-mpeg-4-h-264-avchd-and-h-265/). In short, they are all interframe codecs. Secondly, they are all ‘delivery codecs' – which means, they were created for final display, and not for in-camera acquisition. They are ‘consumer-grade'.

‘Proper' video cameras use XAVC I (The A7s is XAVC S, the consumer version), Prores, XDCAM, Canon MXF, etc. Acquisition demands a far more ‘robust' codec, one that can withstand not only the rigors of post production but also the heavy recompression of broadcast. Even in the case of Youtube, you must first render your timeline to H.264 to upload to Youtube. For 1080p, this is a data rate of about 8-10 Mbps. Youtube will further compress it one more time for playback.

The point is, even when you shoot with consumer codecs, it has to undergo at least 2 compression stages to final viewing, and these codecs were never designed for that. You will see heavy banding, compression artifacts, loss of color and tonality, loss of resolution, etc., if you look close enough. It's there even with XAVC S, or even if you shot on the Alexa or Red Epic – but it'll be far worse if you shot on AVCHD, and even more so on MP4. This is also why Vimeo allows you to download videos. This guide has fully downloadable videos so you can study the footage after only one stage of compression, rather than two that you see on playback.

It is paramount to use the maximum data rate when shooting with a consumer codec. So if you choose to shoot AVCHD or MP4, you must be convinced the generation loss on subsequent recompression(s) does not affect your work.

XAVC is a recording format that was introduced by Sony on October 30, 2012. XAVC is a format that will be licensed to companies that want to make XAVC products.^[1][2]

Technical details[edit]

XAVC uses level 5.2 of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, which is the highest level supported by that video standard.^[1][2] XAVC can support 4K resolution (4096 × 2160 and 3840 × 2160) at up to 60 frames per second (fps).^[1][2] XAVC supports color depths of 8, 10, and 12 bits.^[1][2]Chroma subsampling can be 4:2:0, 4:2:2, or 4:4:4.^[1][2] The Material Exchange Format (MXF) can be used for the digital container format.^[1][2]

XAVC allows for a wide range of content production including intra frame recording and long group of pictures (GOP) recording.^[1][2]

XAVC S[edit]

On April 7, 2013, Sony announced that it had expanded XAVC to the consumer market with the release of XAVC S.^[3][4] XAVC S supports resolutions up to 3840 × 2160, uses MP4 as the container format, and uses either AAC or LPCM for the audio.^[3][4]As example used in the Sony FDR-AX100 4K Ultra HD consumer camcorder^[5] and Sony HDR-AS100V action camera.^[6] The Sony α7S as well as some consumer stills cameras with movie support (e.g. the Sony RX10) also offer XAVC-S.

Hardware[edit]

Sony has announced that cameras that will support XAVC include two CineAlta cameras which are the Sony PMW-F55 and Sony PMW-F5.^[7][8] Both cameras record XAVC with a color depth of 10-bits and 4:2:2 chroma subsampling.^[9][10] The Sony PMW-F55 can record XAVC with 4K resolution at 60 fps at 600 Mbit/s and 2K resolution at 120 fps at 400 Mbit/s.^[9] The Sony PMW-F5 can record XAVC with 2K resolution at 120 fps at 400 Mbit/s.^[10]

XAVC can record 4K resolution at 60 fps with 4:2:2 chroma subsampling at 600 Mbit/s.^[11][12] A 128 GigabyteSxS PRO+ media card can record up to 20 minutes of 4K resolution XAVC video at 60 fps, up to 40 minutes of 4K resolution XAVC video at 30 fps, and up to 120 minutes of 2K resolution XAVC video at 30 fps.^{[9][10][11][12]}

The PXW-Z100 is a 7 lbs handheld camcorder with an integrated 20x 4K-compatible zoom lens. The PXW-Z100 is the first 'prosumer' camera that uses Sony's XAVC recording format. MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression is used for HD (1920×1080), QFHD (3840×2160) and 4K (4096×2160) content. Image sampling is 4:2:2 10-bit, with an intra-frame system that compresses each frame individually at a maximum bit rate of 500 Mbit/s or 600 Mbit/s during 4K 50fps or 60fps recording, respectively, and 223 Mbit/s during HD 50fps or 60fps recording.

On November 14, 2012, Sony stated that it might release consumer products that use XAVC.^[13][14]

In March 2014, Sony launched the consumer video camera, FDR-AX100, which uses XAVC S. It provides a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 with a 60 Mbit/s bit rate. It provides 12X optical zoom and records to a SDXC memory card.^[15]

Sony Xavc Sd Card Reader

In February 2015, Sony launched the consumer video camera, FDR-AX33, which uses XAVC S. It provides a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 and increased the bit rate to 100 Mbit/s. It provides 10X optical zoom and records to a SDXC memory card.

In late fall, 2015, Sony released a firmware update (Version 2.0) for the HXR-NX3 camcorder which gives the camcorder the option of recording in XAVC S format in addition to AVCHD.

Software[edit]

Software that supports XAVC include Sony Vegas Pro, Adobe Creative Suite 6, Avid, Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve, Grass Valley's EDIUS Pro 7, Quantel, Rovi and MainConcept SDK.^[1][2] Sony announced that XAVC licensing information and a software development kit (SDK) would be released in November 2012.^[13][14]Sony offers the free XAVC plugin PDZK-LT2 for Apples Final Cut Pro X downloadable at http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com. Version 10.2 of Final Cut Pro X supports XAVC-S natively.

For XAVC S, CyberLink PowerDirector, Adobe Premiere Elements, Apple's iMovie 10, Pinnacle Studio 18 Ultimate and Sony Movie Studio Platinum support it for editing and production.

See also[edit]

• H.264/MPEG-4 AVC - The video standard that is used by XAVC
• SxS - A flash memory standard used by Sony
• AVCHD - A recording format that uses a lower level of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
• AVC-Intra - A recording format that uses a lower level of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefgh'Sony introduces new XAVC recording format to accelerate 4K development in the professional and consumer markets'. Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
2. ^ ^abcdefgh'Sony introduces new XAVC recording format to accelerate 4K development in the professional and consumer markets'(PDF). Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
3. ^ ^ab'Sony expands XAVC format to accelerate 4K Development in the professional and consumer market'. Sony. 2013-04-07. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
4. ^ ^ab'Sony expands XAVC format to accelerate 4K Development in the professional and consumer market'(PDF). Sony. 2013-04-07. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
5. ^'Sony FDR-AX100 review - Hands on with first consumer 4K camcorder'. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
6. ^'POV Action Cam - HDRAS100V/W Review - Sony US'. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
7. ^'Sony supports 'Beyond HD' strategy with new full sensor cameras'. broadcastengineering.com. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
8. ^Steve Dent (2012-10-30). 'Sony goes Red-hunting with PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 pro CineAlta 4K Super 35mm sensor camcorders'. Engadget. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
9. ^ ^abc'F55 CineAlta 4K the future, ahead of schedule'(PDF). Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
10. ^ ^abc'F5 CineAlta 4K truly gorgeous HD'(PDF). Sony. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
11. ^ ^ab'Ultra-fast 'SxS PRO+' memory cards transform 4K video capture'. Sony. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
12. ^ ^ab'Ultra-fast 'SxS PRO+' memory cards transform 4K video capture'(PDF). Sony. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
13. ^ ^abSteve Dent (2012-11-14). 'Sony to release XAVC 4K video spec, licensees include Apple, Adobe'. Engadget. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
14. ^ ^ab'Sony Introduces XAVC Recording Format to Accelerate 4K Development'. CDRinfo. 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
15. ^https://www.amazon.com/Sony-FDR-AX100-Video-Camera-3-5-Inch/dp/B00HNJWVIA

Sony Xavc Codec Download

External links[edit]

Sony Xavc Player