Oregon-based COBI Digital HD is a full service media production house specializing in high-definition shooting and editing. In June of 2006, the outfit purchased an XDCAM HD camcorder and a recording deck. To optimize the new system's performance, COBI Digital HD sought to use the best available recording media. Word of mouth recommendations followed by hands-on experience lead COBI Digital HD to select the TDK Life on Record PD-RE23CN Professional Disc as its exclusive media solution for the XDCAM HD system.

"We know a shooter in L.A. who recommended we get this camera. We demoed it and it was great. And the media is so convenient that we went for it," said Peter Bedell, Senior Editor at COBI Digital HD. He added, "Sony doesn't recommend other people's stuff. They want you to buy their own media. And they're recommending TDK. That says a lot right there." COBI Digital HD anticipates using 200 to 500 TDK Professional Discs per year. "The TDKs have been extremely good quality-wise. We haven't had a bad one," noted Tom Winmill, Sales Director for COBI Digital HD.

Rugged Media for Demanding Environments
COBI Digital HD is responsible for all production aspects of the TV programs, "Cast and Blast" and "What the Dogs Taught Me," which air on the Outdoor Channel in high-definition. Both shows feature outdoor sporting expeditions shot in challenging natural environments. "This is run and gun outdoors shooting in a river, in a creek, in a stream, on a mountain, and we haven't had any problem whatsoever," said Tom Winmill. "And they go rough in the field," added Mark DuMond, General Manager of COBI Digital HD.

TDK Life on Record Professional Disc media is designed for durability and reliability. The ultra-strong cartridge's lower shell and shutter utilize anti-static resin to prevent the adherence of dirt and dust. DURABIS PRO hard coating technology provides a wall of defense beyond the cartridge by giving the TDK Professional Disc surface 100 times greater scratch resistance than non-treated media.

Prior to purchasing an XDCAM HD system, COBI Digital HD shot its footage on DVCAM and DVCPro HD media. "Obviously, we've used just about every kind of tape that has ever existed. With tape you're talking moving parts and hits and wrinkles and jam ups and pinch rollers and all that stuff," said Mark DuMond. "When you dropped a tape before, you would have a cringe. If you drop a TDK Professional Disc, you do not have that cringe effect," noted Peter Bedell. The TDK Professional Disc is virtually silent operation is another advantage. "You don't know it's running," commented Peter Bedell.

Streamlined Editing, Trustworthy Archival
TDK Life on Record Professional Disc media and the XDCAM HD recording deck have greatly streamlined the post production process for COBI Digital HD. Peter Bedell commented, "There is no seek time. It just goes right to the cut you want immediately … it speeds you way up. It probably gains us 50%. It's that fast."

COBI Digital HD is so impressed with the quality of TDK Professional Disc media that the company intends to use the discs for content archival. "We're going to archive everything on those. We'll be using them for storage as well as production," noted Tom Winmill. Referring to the cartridges' slim design in comparison to tapes, he added, "It's so much more convenient to store these in a smaller space."

Preserving footage is absolutely critical to COBI Digital HD. "Largely what we're shooting this summer for instance, is going to be used on shows next year. So obviously it's being saved because we're not even going to use it for many, many, many months," said Mark Dumond. "We're actually backing up what was shot before on DVCPro HD to Professional Disc," added Peter Bedell. "I don't want to mess with those tapes anymore. I've had a couple jam, and with these shows, what you shoot is what you have to use."

Superior Service and Pricing
The extremely responsive service offered by the TDK Life on Record distributor instantly impressed COBI Digital HD and has kept the production house satisfied. "The TDKs were at our front door as soon as I hung up the phone, so it made it worthwhile for us," said Tom Winmill. "We don't like to wait for things. If things show up when they're supposed to, we stay on that path."

Highly competitive pricing also makes TDK Life on Record Professional Disc media attractive to COBI Digital HD. "HDCAM tapes are triple the cost," noted Tom Winmill. He added, "Believe me, if the quality wasn't there, we wouldn't be using the Professional Discs - at any price."

COBI Digital HD anticipates a lasting relationship with TDK Life on Record. "It's five-star across the board for us right now. TDK has put together a good product, really a good product and it's going to be around for quite a while." He concluded, "We plan to use the PDs exclusively on everything we shoot."

For more information on TDK Life on Record Professional Disc media, visit:
www.tdk-media.com or call (800) 835-8273