News posts from 2003 Q3

Glenn Gipson · August 7th, 2003, 10:22 AM

Hey, I didn't say anything about Sony changing their ways lol. What's also interesting is how this camera converts IMX to DVCAM....almost as if Sony is jumping ship from their IMX Post equipment.

Joe Carney · August 7th, 2003, 05:57 PM

Based on specs and price, these cameras are no threat to the new 480p from Panasonic, which supports 4:2:2 color space, unlike DVCAM.

Rob Lohman · August 11th, 2003, 05:57 AM

Very sad news. I wish especially him but also his family the best
and hope he will recover.

Jacques Mersereau · August 14th, 2003, 01:48 PM

New HDV Format Proposed

By Elina Shatkin

Aug 13, 2003, 18:31 PST

Canon Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, and Victor Company of Japan, Ltd (JVC) announced a joint proposal of basic specifications for "HDV" (tentative name) format, which realizes recording and playback of high-definition video on a DV cassette tape. The HDV format includes 720p (progressive) and 1080i (interlace) specifications and enables the development of products conforming to the global high-definition infrastructure. The four companies will actively promote the specifications throughout the industry and plan to finalize the specifications around September 2003.

BS digital high-definition broadcasting, which started in December 2001, and digital terrestrial broadcasting, scheduled to commence in December 2003, have increased anticipation toward the expansion of high-definition broadcasting in Japan. Growing sales of high-definition television sets and the introduction of digital high-definition video recorders, such as D-VHS and Blu-ray Disc recorders, have enriched customer enjoyment of high-definition video in the home.

The HDV format specifies the data recording of MPEG-2-compressed high-definition signals based on the DV format, which is internationally accepted as a consumer digital VCR format. Because the new format employs the same cassette case, tape speed and track pitch as the DV format, it can utilize mechanical parts based on the DV format. It also makes it easy for manufacturers to undertake the development of products that are highly compatible with the DV format.

The 720p specifications in the HDV format are the same specifications as adopted in the "GR-HD1" high-definition digital video camera that JVC introduced to the market in March 2003. By adopting both the 720p and the 1080i specifications, the HDV format will enable users to record high-definition video and further disseminate the enjoyment realized of high-definition video.

The HDV format records both video and audio through compression by MPEG encoding. Video signals are compressed by MPEG-2 encoding (inter-frame compression) as BS digital broadcasting, making possible the recording and playback of high-definition video at a bit rate equivalent to the DV format SD (standard definition) specifications (intra-frame compression). Audio signals are digitized with a 48kHz/16-bit quantization sampling frequency and compressed to 384 Kbps by MPEG-1 Audio Layer II encoding.

HDV format key characteristics
1. Ability to record and play back high-definition video on internationally accepted DV format cassette tapes
2. Adoption of 720p/1080i formats to comply with progressive and interlace specifications for high-definition recording and playback The HDV format complies with both the 720 scanning lines (progressive)/1280 horizontal pixels 720p format (60p, 30p, 50p, 25p) and the 1080 scanning lines (interlace)/1440 horizontal pixels 1080i format (60i, 50i). This ensures the recording and playback of high-resolution video for the high-definition era.
3. Improved error correction By changing the error correction method from error correction within a track, as specified in the DV-SD format, to error correction among multiple tracks, the HDV format offers improved error correction capability and enhanced resistance to lost data caused by dropout.
4. Data for special playback Video signals compressed by MPEG encoding do not support image display during special playback such as fast search. The HDV format records specific data for special playback on a dedicated tape, enabling the display of video images during special playback such as fast search or slow-motion playback. (Video image quality during special playback will differ from that during normal playback.)

Chris Hurd · August 14th, 2003, 05:07 PM

Hi Jacques,

We have several threads currently going about this; please see http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=11605 for starters... thanks for this update though,

Marco Leavitt · August 26th, 2003, 02:05 PM

Anybody see today's announcement from Sharp? They claim to have created a 1/4" ccd (for use in cell phone still cameras) that can capture 1144 X 880 images at 7.5 frames per second -- 5 frames per second at 2 lux. Production is said to begin in October. They have also developed a chip "featuring macro functions" that enables close-up photography. Don't know what the chip has to do with focusing range, but that's what they say.

Vladimir Koifman · August 27th, 2003, 02:34 AM

Marco, do you have a link?
This sounds interesting, but when they are talking about Lux rating, what's their lens?
Also, 5fps is a pretty slow speed. I think many cameras have slow shutter mode with even better lix rating. For instance GL2 claims 0.3-0.4Lux in that mode.

Marco Leavitt · August 27th, 2003, 06:38 AM

Here it is.

http://www.sharpsma.com/sma/pressroom/press.htm?newsid=75

The CCD is intended for still photos in cell phones. To me what's interesting about it is that its HD. If Sharp can create a CCD that can do HD video (even if it is crappy 5 fps) for cell phones -- which are basically disposable products -- can you imagine what Sony and Canon must have in the works?

Vladimir Koifman · August 27th, 2003, 09:30 AM

Marko, thanks for the link.
This sensor looks interesting indeed. Their lens is pretty slow, just f2.8. Win f1.4 lens they could go down to 0.5Lux probably with slow shutter. However, I believe the image quality criteria on camera-phone market are quite different.
By the way, Sharp and Sanyo together own 80% of Japanese market of camera-phone sensors, while Sony yet have to dent it. I'm not aware of Canon sensors for video or camera-phone applications though.
As for macro mode, they are offering a module, consisting of CCD, image processor and lens. Their lens probably has something for macro focusing.

John Hudson · September 6th, 2003, 11:28 AM

An unfortunate risk associated with covering war. Too bad. Hopefully he died while "doing what he loved".

Glenn Gipson · September 7th, 2003, 09:09 AM

http://www.filmandvideomagazine.com/...g_uncomphd.htm

This is revolutionary news

Chris Hurd · September 8th, 2003, 05:27 PM

Sadly, this is bound to be a repeating occurence.

Dean Sensui · September 15th, 2003, 01:17 PM

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.c...icleID=1443%20

Would be interesting to see how this technology holds up against plasma screens.

I saw a 20-inch Panasonic LCD television at Sam's Club yesterday. Image quality was impressive and the viewing angle was surprisingly wide.

Also, according to the power supply, it draws about 60 watts of power, about half that of a similar-sized conventional CRT television.

Too bad it was nearly $1000.

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

Gary Bettan · September 18th, 2003, 01:00 PM

Just wanted to let you know that the latest issue of the Videoguys Insider E-newsletter just went out. It is a great way to stay on top of all the latest technology and promotions in the industry.

Check it out - http://www.videoguys.com/Insider_Vol3_Issue5.html - and Subscribe today!!

Gary

Andrew Petrie · September 26th, 2003, 03:42 PM

I got a promo email today introducing Sony Sound Forge 7.0 today... I wondered if they were going to keep the Sonic Foundry brand name after the buyout, but apparently not. I suppose the next incarnation of Vegas will be the same.

August 11th, 2003, 05:57 AM	#48
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Very sad news. I wish especially him but also his family the best and hope he will recover. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 14th, 2003, 01:48 PM	#49
Jacques Mersereau Trustee Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,334	Hi Def DV format announced. XL2HD? New HDV Format Proposed By Elina Shatkin Aug 13, 2003, 18:31 PST Canon Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, and Victor Company of Japan, Ltd (JVC) announced a joint proposal of basic specifications for "HDV" (tentative name) format, which realizes recording and playback of high-definition video on a DV cassette tape. The HDV format includes 720p (progressive) and 1080i (interlace) specifications and enables the development of products conforming to the global high-definition infrastructure. The four companies will actively promote the specifications throughout the industry and plan to finalize the specifications around September 2003. BS digital high-definition broadcasting, which started in December 2001, and digital terrestrial broadcasting, scheduled to commence in December 2003, have increased anticipation toward the expansion of high-definition broadcasting in Japan. Growing sales of high-definition television sets and the introduction of digital high-definition video recorders, such as D-VHS and Blu-ray Disc recorders, have enriched customer enjoyment of high-definition video in the home. The HDV format specifies the data recording of MPEG-2-compressed high-definition signals based on the DV format, which is internationally accepted as a consumer digital VCR format. Because the new format employs the same cassette case, tape speed and track pitch as the DV format, it can utilize mechanical parts based on the DV format. It also makes it easy for manufacturers to undertake the development of products that are highly compatible with the DV format. The 720p specifications in the HDV format are the same specifications as adopted in the "GR-HD1" high-definition digital video camera that JVC introduced to the market in March 2003. By adopting both the 720p and the 1080i specifications, the HDV format will enable users to record high-definition video and further disseminate the enjoyment realized of high-definition video. The HDV format records both video and audio through compression by MPEG encoding. Video signals are compressed by MPEG-2 encoding (inter-frame compression) as BS digital broadcasting, making possible the recording and playback of high-definition video at a bit rate equivalent to the DV format SD (standard definition) specifications (intra-frame compression). Audio signals are digitized with a 48kHz/16-bit quantization sampling frequency and compressed to 384 Kbps by MPEG-1 Audio Layer II encoding. HDV format key characteristics 1. Ability to record and play back high-definition video on internationally accepted DV format cassette tapes 2. Adoption of 720p/1080i formats to comply with progressive and interlace specifications for high-definition recording and playback The HDV format complies with both the 720 scanning lines (progressive)/1280 horizontal pixels 720p format (60p, 30p, 50p, 25p) and the 1080 scanning lines (interlace)/1440 horizontal pixels 1080i format (60i, 50i). This ensures the recording and playback of high-resolution video for the high-definition era. 3. Improved error correction By changing the error correction method from error correction within a track, as specified in the DV-SD format, to error correction among multiple tracks, the HDV format offers improved error correction capability and enhanced resistance to lost data caused by dropout. 4. Data for special playback Video signals compressed by MPEG encoding do not support image display during special playback such as fast search. The HDV format records specific data for special playback on a dedicated tape, enabling the display of video images during special playback such as fast search or slow-motion playback. (Video image quality during special playback will differ from that during normal playback.) __________________ Jacques Mersereau University of Michigan-Video Studio Manager

August 14th, 2003, 05:07 PM	#50
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Hi Jacques, We have several threads currently going about this; please see http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=11605 for starters... thanks for this update though, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

August 26th, 2003, 02:05 PM	#51
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Sharp announcement Anybody see today's announcement from Sharp? They claim to have created a 1/4" ccd (for use in cell phone still cameras) that can capture 1144 X 880 images at 7.5 frames per second -- 5 frames per second at 2 lux. Production is said to begin in October. They have also developed a chip "featuring macro functions" that enables close-up photography. Don't know what the chip has to do with focusing range, but that's what they say.

September 7th, 2003, 09:09 AM	#56
Glenn Gipson Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey Posts: 927	New Low Cost (under 2k) HD Capture Card for G5 http://www.filmandvideomagazine.com/...g_uncomphd.htm This is revolutionary news

August 7th, 2003, 10:22 AM	#46
Glenn Gipson Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey Posts: 927	Hey, I didn't say anything about Sony changing their ways lol. What's also interesting is how this camera converts IMX to DVCAM....almost as if Sony is jumping ship from their IMX Post equipment.

August 7th, 2003, 05:57 PM	#47
Joe Carney Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Centreville Va Posts: 1,828	Based on specs and price, these cameras are no threat to the new 480p from Panasonic, which supports 4:2:2 color space, unlike DVCAM.

August 27th, 2003, 02:34 AM	#52
Vladimir Koifman Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Israel Posts: 115	Marco, do you have a link? This sounds interesting, but when they are talking about Lux rating, what's their lens? Also, 5fps is a pretty slow speed. I think many cameras have slow shutter mode with even better lix rating. For instance GL2 claims 0.3-0.4Lux in that mode.

August 27th, 2003, 06:38 AM	#53
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Here it is. http://www.sharpsma.com/sma/pressroom/press.htm?newsid=75 The CCD is intended for still photos in cell phones. To me what's interesting about it is that its HD. If Sharp can create a CCD that can do HD video (even if it is crappy 5 fps) for cell phones -- which are basically disposable products -- can you imagine what Sony and Canon must have in the works?

August 27th, 2003, 09:30 AM	#54
Vladimir Koifman Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Israel Posts: 115	Marko, thanks for the link. This sensor looks interesting indeed. Their lens is pretty slow, just f2.8. Win f1.4 lens they could go down to 0.5Lux probably with slow shutter. However, I believe the image quality criteria on camera-phone market are quite different. By the way, Sharp and Sanyo together own 80% of Japanese market of camera-phone sensors, while Sony yet have to dent it. I'm not aware of Canon sensors for video or camera-phone applications though. As for macro mode, they are offering a module, consisting of CCD, image processor and lens. Their lens probably has something for macro focusing.

September 6th, 2003, 11:28 AM	#55
John Hudson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 32° 44' N 117° 10' W Posts: 820	An unfortunate risk associated with covering war. Too bad. Hopefully he died while "doing what he loved".

September 8th, 2003, 05:27 PM	#57
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Sadly, this is bound to be a repeating occurence. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

September 15th, 2003, 01:17 PM	#58
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	40" Samsung TV http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.c...icleID=1443%20 Would be interesting to see how this technology holds up against plasma screens. I saw a 20-inch Panasonic LCD television at Sam's Club yesterday. Image quality was impressive and the viewing angle was surprisingly wide. Also, according to the power supply, it draws about 60 watts of power, about half that of a similar-sized conventional CRT television. Too bad it was nearly $1000. Dean Sensui Base Two Productions

September 18th, 2003, 01:00 PM	#59
Gary Bettan Sponsor: Electronic Mailbox Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Glen Cove, NY Posts: 757	Videoguys Insider Just wanted to let you know that the latest issue of the Videoguys Insider E-newsletter just went out. It is a great way to stay on top of all the latest technology and promotions in the industry. Check it out - http://www.videoguys.com/Insider_Vol3_Issue5.html - and Subscribe today!! Gary __________________ Check out http://www.videoguys.com 800 323-2325 We are the video editing and live video production experts! DV InfoNet members save 5%! Use Coupon Code DVINFO5OFF

September 26th, 2003, 03:42 PM	#60
Andrew Petrie Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 484	Sony Sound Forge I got a promo email today introducing Sony Sound Forge 7.0 today... I wondered if they were going to keep the Sonic Foundry brand name after the buyout, but apparently not. I suppose the next incarnation of Vegas will be the same. __________________ Andrew \| Canon XL1s, ME66, Vinten Vision 3, GlideCam V16 (for sale!)