SSD Alternative?

[Steve Doll]

Perhaps this is a total noob question...

is it possible to use a non-RED SSD? The official 64GB 1.8" SSD is almost $1k. While the same size SSD elsewhere is $200 or less. It looks like there is a housing that goes around the actual drive, but other than that is there anything special about the official RED SSD?

 

[Mark K.]

Apparently the Atomos Samurai will work with the Epic (so presumably Scarlet as well), you'll lose RAW and 4k, but you'll get much cheaper media options and a common pro-video codec.

 

[Brent G Miller Jr]

That's IF you can turn off the screen data with the SDI or HDMI outputs since an external recorder will pick up that data as well as what you're filming.

 

[Chase J. Carnahan]

is it possible to use a non-RED SSD? The official 64GB 1.8" SSD is almost $1k. While the same size SSD elsewhere is $200 or less. It looks like there is a housing that goes around the actual drive, but other than that is there anything special about the official RED SSD?

It's not about size it's about speed. No other [verified] module OR cards will get you full 4k without dropped frames or without voiding your warranty from RED. Nothing else will get you the performance (200mb/s+) that you want safely. I say, go with the sure thing and get the SSD module and cards from RED. If you don't, you lose the best part about shooting on a RED = RAW! (and protecting your $10,000+ camera setup).

 

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

That's IF you can turn off the screen data with the SDI or HDMI outputs since an external recorder will pick up that data as well as what you're filming.

Supposedly this is quite possible:

From RED.com Scarlet specs:

"MONITOR/PROGRAM OUTPUT HD-SDI and HDMI with Frame Guides and Look Around or Clean Feed 1080p 4:2:2, 720p 4:2:2 SMPTE Timecode, HANC Metadata, 24-bit 48Khz Audio "

Note the Clean Feed 1080p 4:2:2 option

The question may be what quality debayer, but people have mentioned it as an option that works with EPIC so it seems like a viable option for SCARLET.

 

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Perhaps this is a total noob question...

is it possible to use a non-RED SSD? The official 64GB 1.8" SSD is almost $1k. While the same size SSD elsewhere is $200 or less. It looks like there is a housing that goes around the actual drive, but other than that is there anything special about the official RED SSD?

1.8" form factor SSDs are quite a bit less common, and RED clearly tests their media pretty carefully to guarantee its reliability. I agree it does seem like a lot, but they have to make their money somewhere... and SSDs cost a lot more when RED first started R&D and manufacturing on their RED SSDs. Perhaps they also went with SLC for its high erase-write cycles and performance, those cost a lot more than the ones you are probably looking at.

 

[Steve Yager]

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showth...PIX-240-ProRes-DNxHD-Video-Recorder-with-EPIC

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/767838-REG/Sound_Devices_PIX_240_PIX_240_Video_Recorder.html

 

[Steve Doll]

Thanks for the info everyone, I do want to stick with RAW and not fuss with an external device. Was just curious if there was something fancy about the REDMAG vs an off the shelf SSD. Still curious if an off the shelf is good enough if only shooting 2k at 24fps.

 

[Steve Doll]

Oh, and for the price of that PIX recorder, I could buy 3 64GB REDMAGs

 

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Oh, and for the price of that PIX recorder, I could buy 3 64GB REDMAGs

Yes but the PIX 240 allows you to use inexpensive SSDs that you could record on all day, gives you high quality XLR sound inputs, can be used as a monitor, and may significantly increase your battery life. Not to mention it can be used on many different cameras...

3 64GB redmags still need that special reader, can only be used on RED products, and only give you about 90min of recording in the frame/compression modes most people shoot.

 

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Thanks for the info everyone, I do want to stick with RAW and not fuss with an external device. Was just curious if there was something fancy about the REDMAG vs an off the shelf SSD. Still curious if an off the shelf is good enough if only shooting 2k at 24fps.

Yeah there is something fancy about it, it works on RED products, off the shelf SSDs do not.

 

[Daniel Reed]

Curious...

If the bandwidth of the Scarlet-X is limited to 50ish MBytes/sec... wouldn't a UDMA6 CF card** rated at 90MBytes/sec write speed be well capable of maintaining the data rate Scarlet-X needs?(at least for 5 to 15sec short clips/takes, and granted the CF to REDMAG sleeve adapter is still on the table)

Or is that 50ish MB/s speed off the sensor seperate from the media writing speed needed for 4k REDRAW?


** http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...P_032G_A91_32GB_Extreme_Pro_CompactFlash.html


Just an observation... I'm placing my scarlet-x deposit in the near future(soon), and I'm curious about media options, and I happen to have a couple high capacity UDMA CF cards laying about.


Thank You

 

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

No you are right 50MBps is the speed Jim has said Scarlet-X will be limited to for the codec bandwidth to the media. It does seem likely that there is CF media out there that would be capable of faster writes speeds, but RED has always said that off the shelf CF media is inconsistent in its performance though I don't believe they ever went into specifics. RED1 has a similar maximum bandwidth with REDCODE42 and had a standard CF slot, but RED never certified any media besides their own for much past REDCODE28 even when 90+MBps CF media already existed. It seems unlikely they will ever support any 3rd party media in the future, and certainly by offering only their proprietary SSD media as a recording option for DSMC's this is even more likely the case, since you would have to disassemble a $950 Redmag caddy if you wanted to try to record REDCODE to any 3rd party media.