News

ARRI develops ARRIRAW T-Link Certificate to verify recorders for D-21 camera (26/9/2008)

The ARRIRAW T-Link (Transport Link) certificate has been developed to allow certified data recorder manufacturers to market their ability to record the raw data from the ARRIFLEX D-21 film style camera. The ARRIRAW T-Link is a simple and standardized method of transporting raw data from the ARRIFLEX D-21 to a recorder. It is a method of packing the ARRIRAW 12 bit data into the RGBA HD file format.

Transmission is achieved over a standard dual link HD-SDI connection per SMPTE 372M. At this point, certified manufacturers working in partnership with ARRI include Codex Digital and S.two. Data recorder manufacturers can receive the T-Link certificate if they fulfill the following conditions:

1. Their product can record the ARRIRAW T-link stream.
2. Their product can show a live preview while recording.
3. Their product can play back the ARRIRAW images.
4. Their product can de-squeeze an anamorphic image for preview and playback.
5. Their product outputs raw data in a format that can be read by the ARRI Image Booster software.

Marc Shipman-Mueller, Product Manager for Cameras and Lenses at ARRI oversees the ARRIRAW certificate program. He notes, "Recording RAW data has various advantages, including a simply better image quality and more flexibility in post. Now that the HD workflow for the D-21 is going well, we are concentrating more on the RAW data workflow. In that regard we are very pleased to work closely with S.two and Codex. "

S.two previously was used for a digital cinematography workflow on Director David Fincher's Zodiac, therefore becoming certified for ARRIRAW T-Link was a natural progression. "ARRI has once again taken a leadership position with the introduction of ARRIRAW T-Link. The S.two data-centric workflow is an ideal companion to the new D-21 and we are proud to be certified," stated Chris Romine, President of S.two.

Paul Bamborough, a co-founder of Codex Digital commented, "Getting the best possible pictures is of paramount importance. We think the ARRIRAW T-Link is a great advance because it allows the maximum possible resolution and dynamic range to be passed down the production pipeline from the camera into postproduction. In the case of the ARRI D-21 that means 12-bit samples at the camera's full resolution. This is a great fit with data-oriented systems such as the Codex Recorder because, unlike tape, Codex is not tied to one standard. We can record whatever format is given to us, and then immediately produce all the traditional deliverables that may be needed."

www.arri.com

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