At IBC 2025, we touched base with Roman Rabitsch, CEO at Angelbird, to speak about the way forward for CFexpress and what CFexpress 4.0 actually means for filmmakers. Whereas highlighting their newest playing cards, readers, SSD drives, and cables on the sales space, the actual dialogue was about timing, business wants, and the way workflows can profit lengthy earlier than cameras catch up.
As an editor, I get particularly excited when new know-how tackles bottlenecks in put up. Quicker playing cards, readers, and cables won’t sound glamorous to many individuals, however they imply much less ready and a smoother workflow. Each hour saved in offloading or prepping media is an hour I can spend really enhancing, and that makes a giant distinction.
Entering into CFexpress 4.0
For these of you who could have missed it, we just lately reviewed the Efficiency Card Reader and coated the Stable Flex USB 4.0 cables. Earlier this 12 months, we additionally wrote concerning the Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 playing cards.
At IBC, although, the main focus was not simply on the {hardware}. It was about what CFexpress 4.0 means for workflows and the way the business is getting ready for the subsequent step ahead.
Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 playing cards. Supply: Angelbird
CFexpress 4.0 doubles throughput in comparison with the earlier era, with max reads as much as 3700 MB/s and sustained reads round 3500 MB/s.
Meant for workflows, not simply cameras
Typically it’s known as Model 4 or Gen 4, however the official CFA identify is CFexpress 4.0. On paper, it’s a large step ahead. Roman defined that the main focus is on learn velocity. CFexpress 4.0 is one thing that cameras don’t want but, and it could be one other few years earlier than they really do.
So, the place does it assist proper now? In offloading and put up. Giant shoots and dwell productions usually generate terabytes of knowledge. Having the ability to again that up and get it into the edit bay sooner could make or break a deadline.
Angelbird AV PRO CFexpress B. Picture credit score: CineD
Angelbird’s Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 playing cards are constructed for precisely this. They vary from 512GB to 4TB, with sustained reads close to 3500 MB/s throughout the road. The 512GB card begins at $179.99 at B&H, and goes as much as $1,199.99 for the 4 TB possibility.
It’s going to take time for cameras to catch up, since write speeds should not the limiting issue but. For now, the instant benefit is shaving hours off the switch course of. As Roman put it, in case your reader, pc, and cables all assist CFexpress 4.0, “you actually get the excessive velocity out of it.”
Angelbird Efficiency Card Reader. Picture credit score: CineD
Constructing the CFexpress 4.0 ecosystem
Angelbird is aiming to cowl your entire chain with their ecosystem. The Efficiency Card Reader helps CFexpress 4.0 and consists of an inside fan to forestall transfers from throttling. In our earlier assessment, it was even quick sufficient to function an SSD substitute for enhancing. It sells for about $249.99 at B&H.
Stable Flex Cables from Angelbird. Picture credit score: CineD
The identical pondering extends to cables. Angelbird’s Stable Flex USB 4.0 fashions assist 40 Gb/s transfers and use bolstered connectors to keep away from unintentional disconnects. They could seem like customary cables, however Roman reminded us {that a} weak hyperlink right here can kill efficiency.
Pricing and long-term worth
Roman additionally touched on the pricing of CFexpress 4.0 playing cards. Whereas reminiscence chip prices rise and fall, he identified that they’re already aggressive per gigabyte in comparison with many V90 SD playing cards. For professionals who transfer giant volumes of knowledge, that price-to-performance ratio issues as a lot as velocity.
He additionally burdened that purchasing into CFexpress 4.0 now isn’t just about at the moment’s workflows. It’s about positioning your self for the longer term. When cameras finally demand larger throughput, the playing cards, readers, and cables will already be prepared. Which means much less scrambling to improve gear underneath stress and extra confidence that your media pipeline will hold tempo with manufacturing calls for.
Picture credit score: CineD
Notes on drive velocity from an editor
Simply six years in the past, a consumer despatched me 4TB of 8K RED footage on a discount USB 2.0 drive and needed a two-day turnaround. It was solely doable; nonetheless, it took almost 20 hours simply to dump the footage to my system!
With speeds like Angelbird is exhibiting, jobs like that turn into attainable, letting me begin enhancing immediately as an alternative of ready a day simply to repeat information. Angelbird is a part of a push to ease bottlenecks and hold workflows transferring ahead, and I welcome it.
We’ll hold following how Angelbird shapes quick media options. You should definitely go to Angelbird’s official website for extra on their merchandise and ecosystem.
What about you? Would you employ CFexpress 4.0 playing cards principally for enhancing, backup, or each? Tell us within the feedback under.
