Codex Digital Codex & Codes Portable

“The Codex worked out great as one of our capture formats on Speed Racer,” explains Dale Hunter, D.I.T. on the Wachowski brothers’ 2008 racing feature. “We could capture anything (uncompressed) from 10bit 4:4:4 (at 110 minutes a disk pack) to 8bit 4:2:2 (at over 180 minutes a pack).

“The gigabyte Ethernet came in handy for remote control, reference still capture, and especially when they did on-set composites. The comps were easy to pull off because of Virtual File System (VFS) feature. VFS allowed us to capture just about anything low res, jpegs, DPX and QucikTime files to their full resolution counterparts, or just about anything in between.

“The touch screen interface was pretty to navigate. The touch screen could be finicky (having to hit the same area twice since my big fingers didn’t hit the right location, etc.) The hardware was robust. I liked working with it.”

“The feature that sets the Codex system apart from the others is that the raw data recordings can be internally converted to many file types and resolutions. This minimizes the amount of hardware required to provide all the deliverables of a major project like Speed Racer,” explains Jeff Cree.

In September 2007, after Speed Racer finished shooting, Codex unleashed a new portable HD 2k/4k field recorder. No bigger than a toaster, this new unit features all the elements of the first Codex and more. It can be used for run and gun broadcast production and easily carried anywhere – around a set, up a mountain or into the field. The Codex Portable creates new opportunities for multi-camera production.

It has the ability to record from two 4:4:4 cameras simultaneously, either independently for A and B camera shoots or locked together for 3D stereoscopic projects. It can record from 4:2:2 cameras simultaneously, and allows the synchronization of multiple records. With this feature, six synchronized Codex Portables can act as a 24-track video recorder, enough to record an entire concert, sporting event, or TV drama at higher-than-broadcast quality.

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