Panasonic Ships New P2 Drive With USB 3.0

Panasonic Solutions Co. today announced that the AJ-PCD30 P2 drive, a new three-slot P2 device with a USB 3.0 interface for super-fast offloads from a P2 card (USB 3.0 cable not included), is now available. The USB 3.0 standard facilitates dramatically higher transfer rates, which achieves offloading AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD content at more than 12X real-time, making the PCD30 especially well-suited for use in reality television and long-form video production, according to Panasonic.

When using a Windows PC with a USB 3.0 connection and simple RAID configuration, users can offload three fully loaded 64GB E-Series P2 Cards in less than 15 minutes.  Even P2 offloads to computers without RAID drives can be up to 4X real-time.

The PCD30 can transfer data from up to three P2 cards simultaneously, making content immediately available to nonlinear editing systems and servers. With three 64GB P2 cards inserted, the device can offer immediate access to more than three hours of AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD, or more than six hours of AVC-Intra 50 or DVCPRO50 content.

The PCD30 can be used externally, or can be installed in the five-inch bay of a Windows-based desktop for use as a built-in reader. It is compatible with Windows and Macintosh operating systems. It is backward compatible with the USB 2.0 standard and supports all P2 frame rates and formats.

Weighing approx. 2.6 pounds and compact at 5-7/8 inches W x 1-11/16 inches H x 7-7/8 inches D, the AJ-PCD30 P2 drive has a suggested list price of $2,255.