V Speed Class The next generation of video speed class defined in the latest SD Card Specification v5.0
INTRODUCTION TO V SPEED CLASS WHY IS THERE A NEW VIDEO SPEED CLASS? Video Speed Class, or V Class, was created to provide a technical platform so that cards can handle higher video resolutions and recording features. For example, the other speed class specifications are either not optimized or able to accommodate simultaneous streams, 360 capture, Virtual Reality content, Video + Pic or 8K video. Additionally, V Class seeks to overhaul the existing mix of Speed Class (e.g. Class 10) and UHS Speed Class (e.g. U1) into one system, making it clearer for consumers. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? Benefits to SanDisk: Maximize New Flash Technologies (e.g. 3D NAND) Optimize card speed and minimize card wear Easier to achieve faster performance Benefits to Consumers: V = Video (clearer for consumers) A single system to distinguish performance V Class Legacy Class Constant Minimum Write Speed SD Bus Mode Video Recording Quality2 UHSII 8K UHD (7680x4320p) SanDisk Positioning 8K+ Video N/A 90 (MB/s) 360 Multiplefile recording 8K+ Video N/A 60 (MB/s) UHSII 4K (4096x2160p) 360 Multiplefile recording 30 (MB/s) UHSII/UHSI 4K UHD (3840x2160p) 4K UHD Video 10 (MB/s) UHSII/UHSI/ High Speed Full HD Video 6 (MB/s) HD (1280x720p) and 4 (MB/s) HD (1280x720p) and 2 (MB/s) SD (640x480p) * www.sdcard.org For more information on video speed class identification, see https://www.sdcard.org/consumers/speed/speed_class
INTRODUCTION TO V SPEED CLASS DESCRIPTION There are wide discrepancies between the sequential write speeds of different memory card manufacturers and brands. This makes it difficult to determine which cards will provide reliable recording of streaming content such as video. Recording video requires a constant minimum write speed in order to guard against recording issues such as dropped frames and added noise, and to ensure smooth playback. Recording video in different qualities and on different host devices also requires different constant minimum write speeds. To aid in clearing the potential confusion and help consumers identify which card supports their host s required constant minimum write speed, the SD Association* (the organization that defines the SD Card specification) defines Speed Class and identifies it using a consistent set of symbols. As the SD Association has introduced different generations of bus interfaces, the symbols have split into two families (Speed Class and UHS Speed Class). However, gave rise to potential confusion between the two families and different icons; therefore the SD Association is overhauling the symbols used to identify constant minimum write speed so that they are part of one family: Video Speed Class. Video Speed Class now identifies the constant minimum write speed in MB/s (megabytes per second)1. The standard speeds are 6MB/s, 10MB/s, 30MB/s, 60MB/s, 90MB/s. These are identified as V6, V10, V30, V60, and V90. New video speed class memory cards are optimised for virtual reality, 360 capture and 8K video recording. VR photo Sam Nicholson Stargate Studios, 360 photo heiwa4126 Flickr, Surfing photo George Karbus.
IMPLEMENTATION Each V Class logo comes in two variants, a long and short version. The logo must be included on the product in either variant. Other uses, such as packaging or manuals, vary in the variant to be used. * Short Version * Long Version SANDISK APPLICATION OF V CLASS SANDISK EXTREME MICROSDXC UHSI CARD
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU USE THE WRONG CARD? Video recording needs a card that can keep up! If you don t have a card that meets the minimum recommended speed to shoot video at the quality you require, you could run into a few issues while recording3. For example... DROPPED FRAMES If your memory card is struggling to keep up with the flow of video data coming in as you record, you could experience dropped frames when you re viewing the video. This might appear as skips or choppy playback. Frame missing Photos Joao Carlos RECORDING ERROR Your device could stop recording completely if your memory card isn t up to speed. If this happens, it might happen right after you start recording, or it could happen minutes in. To be sure you can capture every moment, use a SanDisk memory card with the correct video class, and never worry about missing the action. Filming Stopped Photos Marcel Lämmerhirt ADDED NOISE It is possible that video will still be recorded with a memory card that isn t up to speed, but will be of inferior quality or with added noise as the camera tries to fill in the missing parts of the image. Photos Jonathan & Angela Scott 1 1MB=1,000,000 bytes. 2 8K UHD (7680x4320p), 4K (4096x2160p), 4K UHD (3840x2160p),, HD (1280x720p), and SD (640x480p) video support may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors. See: http://www.sandisk.com/hd 3 Images of video error examples are for illustration purposes only. Information based on internal specifications from the SD Association and subject to change. SanDisk and SanDisk Extreme PRO are trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates, registered in the United States and other countries. The SD and microsdxc marks and logos are trademarks of SD3C, LLC. 2016 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Western Digital Technologies, Inc. is the seller of record and licensee in the Americas of SanDisk products