SHOT ON RED

The DSMC2 line uses wavelet compression. Komodo and Raptor - uses a cosine based codec (DCT).

 

Wavelets allow you to stuff a lot of image information into a 300MB/s bitstream. To package a similar amount of image metrics into a DCT codec requires roughly 800MB/s using current topologies. Wavelet based codecs like JPEG2000 or RedCode are efficient users of bandwidth, but require serious computational muscle to decode.

 

DCT is less efficient, but much easier to decode. 

 

So, which is better - less data coupled with higher client side hardware requirements, OR, more data but easier to decode on commodity hardware? RedCode was a key technology in developing digital cinema cameras able to deliver high resolution RAW imagery at data rates commensurate with available media/processing tech in 2007.  In 2021, its a more nuanced issue. 

 

With storage costs always declining and much faster bus standards like USB 3.2 and TB3 (not to mention USB4 and TB4) - and CF Express variants capable of >800MB/s sustained writes hitting the market, RED went DCT. The ability to work fluidly with RED files on modest computer systems is worth the extra storage requirements.