HD100 still keeps truckin'
 

http://www.447productions.com/ZeissZF_M2.mov

Weird that I still like this combo. Now that I think of it, maybe it's because the pipeline is solid from front to end- finally.

I've been thinking lately though about 720p, and that it's right in between 1080p and 480p. If everyone has 1080p HDTV's, does JVC have a plan to make the bump to 1080p in their ProHD lineup? Does this seem like the inevitable option in the next year or so as nearly every other manufacturer is making the leap to 1920x1080p sensors?

What do people think? For the time being, 720p is sufficient but I certainly have a wondering eye.....

The majority of the population is still watching standard def. HD penetration, much less use of 1080p TVs, is nowhere near "everybody." I don't even own a TV.

Apart from that, 720p60 in a 1/3" HDV form factor was difficult enough. The ProHD series is basically a set of compromises. Split the chips in half to prevent overheating, figure out how to make the two halves match colors, fit 720p60 into only 25mbps of bandwidth on a MiniDV tape at acceptable quality. 1080p, with 1.5 times as many pixels, will take an engineering miracle. I have a feeling that 1080p cameras will be limited to 1/2" and larger chips.

Besides, you can't broadcast 1080p60, so there would be no market for cameras that could shoot it. The only way you could deliver it would be via Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, but there's not very much in either format that's not 24p.

At DV Expo in LA last winter, I was told by two of the middle level people that the plan was to continue the camera to 1080p.

They emphasized that JVC was committed to the form factor and the goal was to have a 1080p version.

This would make sense in light of the development of the higher end lenses. Do these lenses fit any other cameras? To my mind, a lens that is double the price of the camera should have a life beyond the camera.

I'm sure the 1080p is on a flowchart somewhere. Whether or not it is being built, I have no idea.

Jack,

I heard a similar notion at a product show here last February. It sounded like it was very early stage and they had the challenge of whether to engineer for hard drive only or tape based because they were looking at a data rate of at least 35Mbits/sec. on some sort of m2t format.

They already have an HD Everio that uses some m2t derived format at 1080i that records to a hard drive.

But, I agree with Taylor, there is nothing wrong with HDV 720p and it keeps on working.

Cheers.

Taylor-
That clip was awesome! What can you share ( equipment and tech.) about it?
Very nice. How do you like the M2 compared to other adapters, and using stock lens as relay- any other choices? This was hd100, I assume. Thanks for the information. You are very talented.

Yeah - it looked great!

Only caviet to shooting 720p is that if shooting docs, some channels (think Discovery) demand original footage be shot at higher quality. Shouldn't effect narrative work though...

john
evilgeniusentertainment.com