PMW-300 Questions

[Jack Zhang]

Originally Posted by David Heath

To pick up on Jacks earlier point, then is there any possibility the PMW300 may have a long-GOP mode of XAVC? To allow 60p mode with much less than 200Mbs?

The PDF Q&A provided by Sony did state it was 100MB/s. If this was I-frame only, this means no 50p/60p in 1080. Long GOP is a different story though. Sony wasn't specific when describing the XAVC recording capabilities.

[Bo Skelmose]

No benefits with an external recorder when XAVC 10 bit is on the camera!

[Robin Probyn]

Originally Posted by Arbel Rom

Well, as far a the "Look" of 25p/50p video goes -
we have been somewhat of "brainwashed" by decades of filmaking technology to think stroby video looks "better" and more "cinematic".
When you come to think about it, when we move our head from side to side, the image our eyes see does not strobe in any way whatsoever.
I admit to the sin that to me interlaced and 50p video also looks "cheap" and not professional.
But the only reason for that is what I grasp as "quality" look, and nothing else.

That being said, I think that I will take a while before the 25p/30p cameras become outdated, and after 4 years of loyal service I believe the EX-3 can step aside with great respect,
and I'm pretty confident the PMW-300 will bring an equal (if not better) ROI for my type of cinematographers.
And after the answers from Alister and others - Would an external recorder like the Odyssey 7Q bring any use coupled with the PMW-300?

Not sure if its brainwashing.. The Hobbit 48p version had a lot of the general public.. who don't know anyway thing about HFR.. "not liking the look" saying it looked cheap and not believable.. . there is something about those HFR that makes things look too "real" great for sports but little easel i think..

[Arbel Rom]

BTW, does anyone has any experience with the Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q,
as a recorder and as a field monitor with the EX-3/EX-1?

[Arbel Rom]

One more question:
Will the SDHC adapters be able to record 50 mb/s 4:2:2 in the PMW-300?

[Jack Zhang]

No, because SDHC/SDXC uses the FAT32 file system and 4:2:2 specifically requires the UDF filesystem.

You can use XQD cards which do support UDF, and provide similar performance to SxS with future proofing for Sony's 4K offerings down the line.

[Arbel Rom]

Thank for the info!

[Michael Hourigan]

Hi all,

Just to update on the XAVC question for the PMW-300. Spoke with Hugo Gaggioni Sony's Chief Technology Officer for the Broadcast and Production Systems and the official word on this is this:

"The chip can do long or intra. The 100 Mbps is only for those regions in the world that would like to code 50 or 60Hz interlace in intraframe manner. We will introduce 100 Mbps intra during the summer first and then introduce 35/50 Mbps long GoP in the fall."

In relation to weather this upgrade will be free (as with the PMW-400) i was told it is TBD (to be decided)

Hope that is of some help to you.

[Andrew Smith]

Michael, thank you very much for that.

Any chance you can hit him up for the PMW-300 manual being available online? I'd like to read through it in detail before so much as bothering a camera sales rep.

Andrew

[Michael Hourigan]

Hi Andrew,

The manual is available (as far as i know) on the support section of the PMW-300K1 page on the Sony website. Check out this link:

PMW-300K1 (PMW300K1) : Support : United Kingdom : Sony Professional

[Jack Zhang]

Originally Posted by Michael Hourigan

Hi all,

Just to update on the XAVC question for the PMW-300. Spoke with Hugo Gaggioni Sony's Chief Technology Officer for the Broadcast and Production Systems and the official word on this is this:

"The chip can do long or intra. The 100 Mbps is only for those regions in the world that would like to code 50 or 60Hz interlace in intraframe manner. We will introduce 100 Mbps intra during the summer first and then introduce 35/50 Mbps long GoP in the fall."

In relation to weather this upgrade will be free (as with the PMW-400) i was told it is TBD (to be decided)

Hope that is of some help to you.

There's all the proof that there will be no 1080p50/60 I-frame. 50mbps still has a remote possibility it could be 1080p50/60, but by that time, cameras that do that natively with 4K will have already replaced the 300.

[Andrew Smith]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

...I'm just getting REALLY tired of the ciné folks insisting that only 24P matters.

I'm in Australia. Only 25P matters. :-P

Andrew

[Andrew Smith]

For those that it may be of help, the PMW-300 K1 operations manual, saving you from logging in to a web site to be able to access it.

Andrew