Atomos, the creator of the NAB award-winning Ninja, says its HD-SDI Samurai 10-bit Apple ProRes Field Recorder, Monitor and Playback/Playout device will begin shipping in September, during the IBC show in Amsterdam.
Samurai boasts: a high resolution, five-inch (800 x 480) touchscreen/monitor; a Continuous Power battery management system; the ability to record to HDDs and SSDs; silent, fanless operation; and aircraft-grade aluminum construction. It will ship with playout of full-resolution HD-SDI (1920 x 1080) decoded from the devices’s recorded media.
Samurai can be used as an HD-SDI, single-channel playout device for instant review or broadcast, or in any situation that requires an extremely high quality full-HD source — with up to 20 hours of HD playout from a single disk. Producers, directors and camera operators can check quality and composition on-set or on the way home, using the Samurai’s built-in, high resolution 800 x 480 SMPTE color-spec screen, for portability, or at full quality on any HD/SD SD-SDI monitor.
Playback controls emulate a traditional tape transport, with extra flexibility afforded by the touchscreen, according to Atomos CEO Jeromy Young. The Samurai can also accept power via a D-Tap from larger external batteries (7-20V), giving professionals the choice of using the Samurai’s Continuous Power battery management system, or integration with their current camera rig’s power supply, he adds.
Samurai will cost US$1,595. You can pre-order one at http://www.atomos.com .