Dear Friends,

Since AJA announced the Ki Pro Mini, we frequently get asked why one would choose the nanoFlash versus the Ki Pro Mini.

Another related question is why shouldn't I just buy a Ki Pro Mini, since it costs less.

So, we have prepared a document that addresses these questions.

Of course, we are trying to be fair, there are applications for both units.

And, of course, we like our nanoFlash and think it holds up very well to the competition.

When a Lower-Priced Recorder can Actually Cost More
nanoFlash / Ki Pro Mini Comparison

When considering the purchase of a professional video recorder, it is important to analyze the total cost of ownership, including the recorder, media, battery and mounting, among others.

Below we compare the costs of adding the nanoFlash (nano) and the Ki Pro Mini (mini) to the popular Sony EX3 camera.

Recorder Costs
• nanoFlash Bundle (recorder, AC power, D-Tap Cable, Hot-Shoe Mount, CF Reader) = $2995
• Ki Pro Mini (recorder, AC Power) = $1995

The mini recorder is clearly less expensive than the nano by $1,000.


Media Costs
In comparing the media costs we used the industry accepted norms for broadcast quality video.
Your desired bit-rates for both units may be different.

nanoFlash
• Recording at 50 Mbps 4:2:2 Long-GOP
• Uses Transcend 400X 32GB Compact Flash cards at $80 each
• Record Time = 80 Minutes / card
• Media Cost = $1.00/Minute
• Cost to Record 160 Minutes = $160 (Two 32GB Cards)
• Longest uninterrupted record time = 160 minutes (actually infinite with hot-swap)

Ki Pro Mini
• Recording at 100 Mbps 4:2:2 I-Frame
• Uses Lexar 600X 32GB Compact Flash cards at $250 each
• Record Time = 36 minutes / 32GB card (10% of card volume is reserved)
• Media Cost = $6.94/Minute
• Cost to Record 144 minutes = $1,000 (Four 32GB Cards)
• Longest uninterrupted record time = 36 minutes (double if you use 64GB cards, which cost more than 2X the 32GB cards).

The lower Compact Flash card cost coupled with the more efficient CODEC makes nanoFlash the clear winner in the media cost comparison. Additionally, if you need more record capacity, you can elect to offload the nanoFlash files onto the low-cost Nexto drive (500GB drive for $300), which adds 1200 minutes of additional record time. On the mini, which is not compatible with the Nexto, you will need to purchase 33 additional CF cards, or some other less convenient and portable backup solution.


Power
The nanoFlash draws 6 watts (max) compared to the mini which requires 15-18 watts. The low power consumption on the nanoFlash enables many users to run off a single battery, powering both the camera and the nano. The mini typically will require a second battery.

nanoFlash
• Replace the standard Sony battery with Swit S-8U62 (with D-Tap) for $169
• Use same charger as EX3
• Requires D-Tap to Hirose cable (included with nano bundle)
• Total battery (and mount) cost = $169 (3 hour run-time for camera and nano)

Ki Pro Mini
• Add an Anton Bauer Dionix 90 Battery and Charger for $895
• Anton Bauer Gold Mount for $125
• AJA Mini Mount for $75
• Total battery and mount cost = $1095 (5 hour run time for mini, 3 hour for mini + camera)

The lower power consumption of the nano clearly reduces the battery costs. Using the same battery to power the camera and the nano adds no additional weight or complexity. The addition of the AB battery adds 1.7 lbs of weight and $926 in additional cost over the nano solution.


Mounting
The nano bundle includes a hot-shoe ball mount, which we have found to be sufficient for most applications, as the nano can be easily mounted on top of the camera. The mini mount will likely require a 15mm rod system and associated mounting plates. The total cost is difficult to estimate.

nanoFlash
• Hot-Shoe ball mount included in bundle, added cost = $0

Ki Pro Mini
• Mounting system is not clearly defined, price to be determined.


Cost Summary
nanoFlash
• nanoFlash Bundle = $2995
• Compact Flash Reader (included)
• Media for 160 minutes of 50 Mbps Long-GOP 4:2:2 (broadcast quality) recording = $80
• Swit S-8U62 Battery = $169
• Hot-Shoe Mount = $0
• Total Cost = $3244

Ki Pro Mini
• Ki Pro Recorder = $1995
• Compact Flash Reader = $19
• Media for 144 minutes of 100 Mbps I-Frame 4:2:2 (broadcast quality) recording = $1000
• Anton Bauer Battery, Charger, Mount = $1095
• Camera Mounting System = Unknown
• Total Cost = $4109 + cost of camera mount


Next, let’s consider the unique features that each recorder offers:


nanoFlash Unique Features
• Installed base of over 3200 units
• Acceptance by all major networks: BBC, Nat Geo, Sky, ABC, CBS, Discovery, etc.
• Well tested code base, 6 major firmware updates over last 18 months.
• Lowest size (1/2 of mini), power (6 watts vs 15-18 watts) and weight (1 lb vs 1.2 lb), note that the weight of the battery is not included in this figure.
• Feature rich: over/under crank support for all cameras, time-lapse, pre-buffer recording, image flip, hot-swap, 3:2 pull-down removal on both HD-SDI and HDMI Inputs
• Widest Bit-rate support: 18 to 280 Mbps, I-Frame and Long-GOP Sony CODEC
• Low-Cost Field Backup / CF Card Off-Load Solution (Nexto Drive, 500GB, $300)
• Excellent NLE support: Avid, FCP, Premiere, Vegas, Edius
• Ability to span CF cards for much longer record times.
• Very active forum (DVINFO) and customer acclaimed 24/7 technical support

Ki Pro Mini Unique Features
• Balanced XLR Audio Inputs
• Ethernet Connection for control and setup
• 10-bit CODEC (see note below)
• LANC Loop

8-Bit / 10-Bit CODEC Diferences
While the mini does offer a 10-bit CODEC (the nano is 8-bit), the extra 2-bits of quantization are only helpful if your camera has very low noise (measured as the video signal to noise ratio, aka S/N). For reference, each bit of SDI data equates to about 6 dB of the signal to noise figure.

Most affordable cameras (priced under US $10K) only output 8-bits of effective data over SDI (the lower 2-bits are permanently set to zero). Cameras with 8-bit (effective) outputs include all Canon and JVC cameras as well as all Panasonic cameras which utilize the DVCProHD or AVCHD CODECs (including the AF100) and all cameras with HDMI-only outputs.

The Sony EX1/EX3 is the only notable “affordable” exception, which does output 10 active bits over HD-SDI. However, even at a 0dB gain setting, the EX1/EX3 has a video S/N ratio of 54dB, or 9-bits of effective data. When the camera gain is increased above 0dB, the S/N value quickly drops to 8-bits of effective data.

The new Sony F3 camera with an S/N figure of 63 dB is one of the first “affordable” cameras with a full 10-bit effective SDI output.

So, the extra 2-bits of quantization available on the ProRes CODEC will be a valuable feature for use with the Sony F3 camera, but few other “affordable” cameras will benefit for the extra data. One can argue that ProRes, being an I-Frame only CODEC, is easier to edit. However the nanoFlash does offer both Long-GOP and I-Frame only CODEC capability.

In summary, in our opinion, the nanoFlash remains the most cost-effective professional video recorder, one that is field-proven, and one with the richest feature set coupled with excellent after-sales support.

__________________
Dan Keaton

Convergent DesignsAugusta Georgia