Shining Technologies CitiDISK HDV 120GB Direct-to-Edit Device Review

What's that you say? You say you still record high definition on tape? That may sound like a question from the future, but after using Shining Technology's CitiDISK HDV hard drive recording system, we know you'll be asking it too. The CitiDISK HDV is the perfect counterpart to your existing HDV camera. Record to hard disk at the touch of button, and create video files for immediate use in your NLE. Cut down production time by creating an instant backup. Whether you're traveling or in the studio, having the high-definition direct-to-edit capabilities of the Citi-DISK HDV will be very valuable.

CitiDISK Ups the Ante

Even though its storage has increased, the new CitiDISK HDV has the same small design as the DV model. Packed inside this 10 ounce device is a 100GB shock-mounted laptop hard drive, a FireWire bus, and a rechargeable battery. The 2.5" 5,400 rpm hard drive is no slouch either. Many small hard drives revolve at 4,200 rpm, which is OK for most applications but isn't ideal for video. The 6-pin FireWire bus ensures that your HDV video records without a hitch. And since FireWire seems to be such a standard for video, it feels quite familiar.

An added advantage is the ability for bus-powered operation. Forgot the power adapter? No problem, just plug the CitiDISK into your NLE via FireWire to charge or start editing. Although the internal battery should last an hour and a half on full charge, we used the CitiDISK on battery power to shoot and edit for much longer. If you need the extra juice though, external batteries are available. Using more battery power will allow you to take full advantage of the product, since you can record and store up to 420 minutes of HDV video on the drive itself. All this can be kept on your hip with the supplied carrying case and FireWire (IEEE 1394) cable.