Throughout the history of human kind, technology has shaped our lifestyles in many ways through the evolution of more efficient and affordable products.  In the beginning, humans manufactured their own clothing, grew their own food, even built their own homes.  Through time, the making of such commodities became cheaper, faster, and better, giving way to mass commerce and a different way of acquiring the products that we use regularly.  Likewise, until recent years video content producers under budget constraints were forced to build their own recording solutions.  Fortunately, this too has now changed.  Wafian's Direct-to-Disk recorders are designed to provide high quality (10 bit) 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 full resolution 1920x1080 and now 2K recording.  As such, they provide a low cost, tapeless, higher quality alternative to D5, DVCPRO-HD, and HDCAM recorders.  Using the HR-1 as an acquisition device allows broadcast companies and film makers to record higher quality from their HD video cameras.

Until recently, individual system builders would likely use one of the two more popular capture cards on the market, the BlackMagic DeckLink, or AJA's Kona.  Both of these solutions record uncompressed video at 192 MB/s, requiring a large stripped disk array (8 or 12 drives).  Because of this, their systems were loud, hot  and could only hold a relatively small duration of video.  The HR-1 uses the CineForm Intermediate and records at 15-25 MB/s, so you can store a lot more video on only 4 disks.  The disks are mirrored so the video is protected against a disk failure while storing up to 18 hours of footage.  CineForm designed this variable bit-rate wavelet-based compression format for post production so it is visually lossless thru 15 generations.

Wafian recorders include an easy to use recording application, packaged in a convenient form factor that makes it more suitable for bringing on set.  Below are some of the features, which you will not find in BlackMagic or Kona's software:

• Extract 24 frames from Canon's F2 (24F) mode (remove pulldown) -- to get true 24p clips
• Extract 24 frames from JVC's component output - to get true 24p clips
• Adjustable audio delay for syncing (some cameras do not send out audio and video in-sync)
• Automatic and configurable file name rules
• Configuration presets to save multiple recording and playback settings
• Slow motion effect for JVC 720p60 --> p24, p30, or p48
• Convenient touch-screen LCD for keyboard-less operation, recording monitoring, and immediate clip review
• Multiple time code formats, playback settings, event logs, and many other features

The CineForm Intermediate format, used by Wafian recorders, allows its users to store an impressive 18+ hours of full-raster 4:2:2 HD Video, or 17+ hours of 4:4:4 full-raster video, and still be affordably priced.  This is especially amazing when you consider tape decks with comparable image quality are available at several times that price.  This is why many production companies chose Wafian products to record the pre-compression signal from new affordable interchangeable lens HDV cameras like the Canon XL H1 and the JVC HD250U.  In the studio, Wafian recorders offer RS422 control for remote operation.

The Wafian HR-F1's DC power option, its hot-swappable drives, its solid state drive option, and its embedded OS were engineered with mobility, optimal recording performance, and stability in mind.  Wafian's HR-1 and HR-2 recorders are carefully integrated, robust, rack mountable systems available with a shockmount chassis and case system.  All of Wafian's recorders are built with production sets, transportation, and field use in mind, making them exceptional tools for professional video production.

Video production is a complex, competitive, and expensive business in which recording reliability is a must.  Wafian's integrated systems are backed by the most flexible and caring customer support team in the industry, plus the advantages of frequent software upgrades at no additional cost!  Needless to say, many of our current customers who had chosen to build their own systems ended up coming back to Wafian.