Sony not too long ago up to date its X-OCN White Paper to V1.1 to coincide with the launch of the brand new BURANO digital cinema digital camera. I’ve combed by means of it to tug out essentially the most related info and the way it pertains to the upcoming BURANO.
Manner again in 2016, Sony launched its new recording format known as X-OCN (eXtended tonal vary Authentic Digital camera Unfavorable) which is their reply to a compressed RAW format. I’m solely speculating right here, however I think about that they got here to some type of licensing settlement with RED to have the ability to use X-OCN of their cameras.
X-OCN was developed to reinforce the compression effectivity of Sony RAW to ship visually loss-less picture high quality using 16 bits. It does this by processing the digital camera’s unique picture information using a singular algorithm that was developed by Sony. By using this algorithm Sony might produce file sizes that have been a lot smaller than typical digital camera RAW, however with 16-bit scene linear encoding. X-OCN makes use of CBR (Fixed Bit Charge) encoding, the place the output stays fixed whatever the complexity of the picture. This contributes to minimizing dangers of any distortion or artifacts within the picture, which may be brought on by a limitation of standard encoding
16-bit X-OCN data 65,536 tonal gradations per coloration part or over 280 trillion particular person shades of coloration. What you want to bear in mind, is that whereas having all of those shades of colours is nice, displays aren’t capable of show that a lot coloration info,
In accordance with Sony, the important thing options of X-OCN are:
• Distinctive high quality with the ability of 16 bits
• Smaller recordsdata, Longer recording instances
• Higher decision-making flexibility in post-production
• Steady picture high quality with strong encoding
• Simple to work with full third-party help
X-OCN doesn’t “bake in” your settings for Publicity Index, coloration house, LUTs, gamma, Log, and others, because it solely captures these parameters as monitoring settings.
X-OCN makes use of the identical industry-standard OP1a MXF wrapper as Sony RAW, XAVC, SR, and MPEG2 codecs. Image, Sound and Metadata are contained inside one file wrapper. X-OCN additionally adopts a wavelet rework as a part of the picture compression that enables it to supply nice flexibility in viewing efficiency. You’ll be able to nonetheless playback X- OCN clips easily in real-time by choosing 1/2 or 1/4 decision (and even much less if supported) on software software program.
X-OCN is out there in three completely different flavors. The brand new BURANO is simply capable of document in X-OCN LT, whereas its bihh¥gger brother, the VENICE 2, can seize in X-OCN XT and X-OCN ST as properly.
Above you may see how the bitrate of X-OCN compares to different codecs at 4K/24p and 8K/24p.
Within the case of the BURANO, 4K X-OCN LT (389Mbps) can provide RAW high quality with 16-bit scene linear at nearly equal bitrate to 4K XAVC Class480 (384Mbps) and even at a decrease bitrate than 4K ProRes 422 (503Mbps).
Identical to the VENICE 2, the BURANO doesn’t require the usage of the AXS-R7 exterior recorder to have the ability to document X-OCN recordsdata. That is now all performed internally to the digital camera’s twin CFexpress Sort B card slots.
Now, as I discussed earlier, you don’t get the entire X-OCN recording choices as you do with the VENICE 2. The BURANO is simply able to recording X-OCN LT, you can’t document in X-OCN XT or X-OCN ST. It is going to be attention-grabbing to see if the BURANO finally will get the flexibility to document X-OCN XT or ST.
Sony states that X-OCN LT is good while you want even smaller file sizes. These recordsdata are 60% smaller than Sony RAW but nonetheless provide the image high quality and picture processing flexibility offered by a 16-bit Linear file.
The BURANO is able to recording 8192 x 430 17:9 or 7680 x 4320 16:9 in X-OCN LT at as much as 29.97p.
The BURANO doesn’t use AXS reminiscence playing cards just like the VENICE 2. As a substitute, it has twin CFExpress Sort B card slots. This is sensible given its recording capabilities and codecs and the truth that it’s being squarely focused as proprietor operators.
CFexpress Sort B playing cards are quick sufficient to document the info charges required for the X-OCN LT recordsdata. Nevertheless, you do want to make use of VPG400-certified playing cards to take action. The max. bitrate the digital camera can document is 270MB/s (8K 16:9 @30fps X-OCN LT. You don’t have to make use of VPG400-certified playing cards in case you are recording in XAVC H or XAVC.
Sony can be releasing its personal VPG400-certified CFexpress Sort B playing cards in 1TB and 2TB capacities. I’d think about that any of the brand new CFexpress Sort B 4.0 playing cards could be suitable with the BURANO as they massively exceed the minimal information necessities for capturing 8K X-OCN LT
Now, I don’t consider which you can dual-record X-OCN LT recordsdata to 2 playing cards without delay. You’ll be able to solely use one, however you may document proxies to the opposite. I do consider which you can document XAVC H and common XAVC to 2 playing cards concurrently.
I’m glad that Sony selected to go along with CFexpress Sort B playing cards, as a single Sony 1TB AXS S66 Reminiscence Card prices a whopping $4,000.99 USD. These playing cards are primarily costly as a result of they’ve a most write pace of as much as 6.6 Gb/s.
