[Poindexter]

Say this is the only gear I've got on me, for simplicity's sake.

I get image link and soundlink from the DNI from the datajack, right?

Can i record video and audio straight onto my commlink, JUST from all that stuff?

[8-bit]

I believe so, as the visual and audio signals are sent straight from your commlink to your brain, and vice versa.

[Malevolence]

I tend to see the brain->commlink data as strictly "textual" or at least simple, much like a keyboard/mouse. You can designate concepts and objects by thought without having to be overly descriptive (instead of "that object 2.532 meters away and 1,5 meters high at 230.4 degrees" you can just think "that car" and the DNI "gets it"). So, without a camera or microphone, you can't broadcast what you see or hear.


But, similar to a computer of today, you can receive high fidelity sound and images/video with nothing more than DNI.


At least, that is the way the rules seem to approach it. I personally don't see why if it is tapped into your audio/visual cortex (or auditory/optic nerves) enough to "write" media, it couldn't "read" media even easier. If I were GMing, I'd probably house rule it to work both directions, but RAW it seems your ability to input audio/visual is limited.

[Spooky]

I suspect the 5e cyber goodies book will have a camera and microphone option to do this. However, I personally see nothing in RAW to contradict your theory. I as GM am not going to allow it without more mods (like cyber eyes with vision aug, ears with hearing aug), because having the mods to make vision/hearing better means to me that you get useable recordings. But that's just me.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Debatable, but I'd say yes.

According to page 439, a simrig can record "experience data (sensory and emotive)", and lists this as its main feature. A direct neural interface on the other hand "connects your brain to electronic devices" (page 222, DNI), so I would personally allow recording of sensory input (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) with nothing but a DNI and a connected commlink.

To my mind you wouldn't be able to play that latter recording back in full sim mode, however, as a simrig would definitely be needed for that. I'd also say that the smell, taste, and touch components of a non-sim recording would be of limited usefulness, except perhaps for later analysis or something. No idea how I would rule those, but the sight and sound as interpreted by your brain, sure.

[Namikaze]

Unless you have a camera or microphone also (contacts or earbuds work) then you can not record your visual or audio inputs.  The DNI alone does not allow you to perceive any audio/visual data on the commlink without a sound link or image link.  The DNI will allow you to control the commlink and send messages, surf the Matrix, etc.  But without those image- and sound-links, the input you get would be only on the commlink's screen and speakers.

[JackVII]

But without those image- and sound-links, the input you get would be only on the commlink's screen and speakers.

I think the rules state that you can experience audio/video AROs with your commlink and DNI without other gear.

A direct neural interface, or DNI, connects your brain to
electronic devices. Direct neural interface (along with a sim
module) is required for VR use, but DNI is also useful for AR
in that you don’t need any additional gear like earbuds or an
image link to see or hear augmented reality objects.

With that said, I am of the opinion that you would need recording devices or a simrig if you wanted to record what you see, hear, feel, etc. Otherwise, you need to use the mic and camera on the commlink (or another external accessory like a camera and/or microphone)

[Xenon]

I get image link and soundlink from the DNI from the datajack, right?

Yes. You get "super" AR.
If your commink is modded with a sim-module you can also enter VR.

Can i record video and audio straight onto my commlink, JUST from all that stuff?

No
Well... Yes, you can use the camera and microphone in your commlink (but i don't think that is what you meant).

You need a digital recording device (camera, microphone etc) if you want to record video and audio.
You need a simrig (plus DNI and and a sim-module) if you want to record your entire "experience".

You can't record what your "eyes" see unless you have a camera in your eyes (cybereyes come with that as default).
You can't record what your "ears" hear unless you have some sort of microphone (cyberears come with that as default).

The information you get from your DNI is limited to "matrix stuff. Mostly AROs.... but also video feeds of your team mates that have cameras in their wireless smartguns,  imaging scopes, drones, helmets etc. Augmented Reality does not replace normal (non matrix) eye sight and hearing, it just augment it with matrix input from nearby devices and matrix in general. If you close your eyes your DNI will still feed the surrounding matrix AROs directly to your brain. You can't record your "normal" eye-sight unless you feed it into the matrix... via a [wireless] camera.


SR5 p. 242 Send Message
You can also use this action to open a live feed to one or more recipients, using any digital recording devices you have.

SR5 p. 439 Simrig
This simsense recorder can record experience data (sensory and emotive) from you or whoever is wearing it... You’ll need to have a working sim module (with the DNI interface) to make a recording.

[Ryo]

Experience AR: Yes.

Record your sensory information: No.

You need a simrig to do that.

[Poindexter]

so, lets add a pair of contacts with smartlink in to the mix.
Smartlink has to have a camera in it, right?

what about now?

[Kincaid]

so, lets add a pair of contacts with smartlink in to the mix.
Smartlink has to have a camera in it, right?

what about now?

Smartgun systems have a camera in them (or, more accurately, include a camera).  Those go in/on your gun, not your contacts.  Smartlinks process the data from your smartgun system and display it in a series of AROs

[Namikaze]

Ahhh, right right.  I forgot that line about DNI giving you all the benefits of AR.  As to the contacts with the smartlink - as Kincaid pointed out the smartlink itself doesn't have a camera.  It's a system of broadcasting AROs and interpreting the data from the smartgun's camera (which is on the gun).

[8-bit]

It is possible to have a micro-camera in a pair of contacts though, so that would work, assuming you put the camera in there.

[Xenon]

Smartlink has to have a camera in it, right?

No, smartguns come with a camera.

Micro-cameras come with a camera.
Cameras come with a camera.
Cybereyes come with a camera.
Commlink come with a camera.
Imaging Scope come with camera.
You can add a camera sensor function in a hand-held or wall-mounted sensor housing.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Would an imaging device really not count as a video recording device?

A camera is an imaging device, just like contacts, glasses, and goggles. I'd say all of the imaging devices on page 443 should be capable of being used to capture image and video. The camera likely has on-board storage and a microphone, but all of them are able to process video somehow (related to their effects on magic, and the differentiation between optical and digital vision devices).