Equipment evaluation: Sony Clie PEGA-VR100K
Paul Hubbard
Argonne National Lab
Posted May 15, 2004
Overview
What it is: Solid-state video
recorder that encodes NTCS or PAL video onto MemoryStick media.
Possible uses: Reliable method
of recording an experiment, presentation or other video feed.
Cost: $280 on Amazon as of May
2004
One-line review: Useful for
sitations not requiring more than 15fps. Not cheap, though.
Introduction
Many labs with video cameras also have a bank of VCR machines for
recording the video feeds for later analysis and viewing. This unit,
which goes by the unwieldy name of 'Clie PEGA-VR100K Video Recorder',
offers an updated solution for video recording.
It has many features similar to a VCR: Record button, cable tuner,
composite input with audio, programmable recording (more on this later)
and a simple display incorporating, of course, a clock. Unlike a VCR,
it records onto Sony's 'Memory Stick' media:
As of 5/04, a 256MB stick is about $75, $130 for 512MB, and $350 for a
1GB chip.
Also like a VCR, you can select different quality settings when
recording, to trade quality for recording time.
Unlike a VCR, its digitized as its recorded. Output format is a
Quicktime movie, MPEG4 (simple profile) with MPEG AAC-LC for audio.
Pleasingly, you can take a recording, load it onto your computer, and
simply rename it from .MQV into .MOV, and it will play on your desktop.
If you have a late-model Clie Palm pilot, you can also play the videos
on it.
Sample video
I've encoded a sample video, 30 seconds of a local television show
called 'Check Please'. It's recorded at the best quality settings, and
is about 224kB. This is recorded from the composite input, using my VCR
as a tuner, from broadcast TV.
Sample video clip (Quicktime, 224kb)
At those recording settings, it uses 384kbits/sec.
From a review
on PDA Buyers' Guide, I've borrowed their charts of bitrates and
recording times.:
More In-depth reviews...
Can be found on PDA
Buyers' Guide, Bargain
PDA and ClieSource.
In this review, I will focus on its usefulness for equipment sites. The
ClieSource review has additional video clips encoded at the lower
bitrates.
The official
product page has more information as well.
Using the unit: Notes and Limitations
One oddity involves programming this for recording. While it has a
record button, using it limits you to 2 hours of record time, for
reasons not clear to me. Full programming (e.g. 'Record Line input
starting at 10AM with quality 'HQ' for 3.5 hours') requires the use of
a Sony Clie PDA, and their included 'Video Utility' program. Obviously,
this is an added cost to consider when evaluating the unit. However,
the PDA can also be used to play the movies, which is perhaps useful in
the field or on the lab floor.
A second oddity is the lack of video outputs. It has a pass-through
video out, but that cannot be used to play back movies. That's too bad,
as one could otherwise connect the unit to a cheap display.
Since the unit is DC powered (5.2 volts at 2A), this could be operated
from a battery, at considerably less power than a VCR, making it an
attractive choice for sites lacking AC power.
It has no moving parts, generates little heat, and generally seems like
a reliable piece of hardware. If you can live with the 2 hour limit, it
is self-contained and easy to operate.
Using it to record experiments
One potential use is as a reliable VCR, where the video in is connected
to the camera (or Axis video out) for solid-state recording of an
experiment. This does not require a network connection, VCR tape, etc.
However, the 15fps limitation loses every other video frame compared to
NTSC, and even at the max bitrate the quality is sub-VCR.
However, if the quality suffices, the wow factor and potential utility
are high - instant digital recordings that you can play on PDA or PC or
email to your collaborators, timed recordings, battery operation for
use in the field, and small form factor.
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Support
This work was supported primarily by the George E. Brown, Jr.
Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Program of the
National Science Foundation under Award Number CMS-0117853.