New Multiformat, Camera-Mountable DVR Streamlines Production Workflows and Eliminates Transcoding by Supporting High-Quality NLE Formats Such as ProRes

(Irvine, California--March 25, 2011) Fast Forward Video (FFV) is launching the sideKick HD, a multiformat, straight-to-edit, camera-mountable digital video recorder (DVR), at the 2011 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The sideKick HD is designed to ease the production workflow by providing a versatile recording solution that meets the needs of both producers and post-production editors.

"Today's HD camcorders provide sophisticated features such as large sensors and interchangeable lenses, but their internal recording quality is lacking. With the sideKick, producers can get the most out of their camcorders without having to compromise on image quality. Instead of using the camera's on-board recording device, they can capture video directly from any HD/SDI or HDMI output," said Nicole Hollinger, director of marketing for FFV. "The sideKick is the end result of an 18-month development process in which we worked closely with key customers to develop a DVR that provides the flexibility producers expect, while satisfying the demands of post-production editors."

The sideKick HD captures video directly from any HD/SDI or HDMI output at bit rates up to 220 Mbit/s, with 4:2:2 sampling and 10-bit resolution in industry-standard codecs such as ProRes. By recording directly to these high-quality NLE formats, the DVR eliminates the time-consuming transcoding step, which degrades image quality.

In addition, the sideKick HD records video onto standard 2.5-inch hot-swappable solid-state SATA drives for greater flexibility and increased record times, and provides a 4.3-inch on-board confidence monitor, which offers playback options including scrub and jog capabilities. The sideKick HD mounts directly to any HD camcorder or HDSLR utilizing the 1/4 -20 insert and battery power optional accessories.

"The sideKick HD fills a definite need in our operation for a camera-mountable DVR. It lets me choose the final editing codec without additional transcoding," said Paul Tetreault, Possibilities AV. "FFV has really got it right — from easy-to-use menus and automatic recording to auto-sensing the frame rate and resolution. This is a must-have recording device for today's media producers."

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