That begs the question, ¿Will this firmware upgrade have any relevance in relation to Convergent Designs' XDR?

As long as the bit-stream is standard HD2 -- anything that inputs HD2 should work.

One question -- does Device Control work when the camcorder is outputting HD2?

By that I mean both Timecode output and VTR Control.

Has anyone seen 1080i footage created on a 200 series cameras? Is it good quality 1080i or are there serious artifacts?

what is the lux on this camera

Rob.

Rob, it's just a 200 with a firmware upgrade. There is no other difference between the U & UB (or E & EB for Aus.) models; i.e the lux is the same as the existing models - hence why some of us have been a little disappointed at what JVC has decided to call a "NEW MODEL". I'm not a big Sony fan, however the announcement of the PMW-EX3 is worthy to be called a new "NEW MODEL".

Just the thoughts of a dumb consumer...

JT

This is not a firmware upgrade. It is a camera modification, that it why it has to be send to a JVC service center.

Where did you hear that?

I got my information after speaking with my local JVC service rep.

JT

JVC product manager at NAB

Did they tell you what was involved in the upgrade? (I ask you this because I actually asked them to tell me specifically what was involved and they said firmware only.)

Okay, we'll have to reserve further speculation until they make their official announcement, as stated on their website:

" Specific details of this modification will be posted on May 1st, 2008 at the JVC Pro web site. "

Hi James.

From the information I got it is very strait forward...send the camera for a modification....

Lets wait for as you wrote for May 1st.

Thanks.

J.

So what does the 1080i feature in the Video Format do? Is that for shooting live video?

Exactly. For those of us who bought our camera in the last 3 months, this is a courtesy service.

The response I have from JVC (published earlier in this topic) also supports that this is more than firmware. If it were only firmware, there would be no reason to withhold it from all 200 series users.

I suspect there is a relatively minor parts upgrade - maybe a chip exchange or something. They are willing to do this work for the recent purchasers to save dissatisfaction with their purchase, but it would be challenging to deal with all the 200's sold. Probably dealing with this group of previous owners has to be strategized. If it can be done for a reasonably priced, fast turnaround upgrade I'll want it, since I deal with producers needing specific formats frequently. Having the "current" model will be attractive to many of us of course.

Glen - I think it's pretty clearly described. You get 1080i HDV through FW so you can record live to a DR-HD100 (or the new flash beast). Not to tape. This format would be compatible with Sony HDV footage projects, and also native for many HD cable stations.

Well, the website lists the upgrade as a hardware enhancement. So much for a simple download fix.
I called JVC and they couldn't tell me why my HD200 purchased prior to 2/1/08 can't be modified. They only stated that my camera wasn't eligible. Very frustrating. I mean, what's the freakin' difference between a camera ordered on January 31st and one on February 1st???
I have a call in to the area sales rep and my local rep. Maybe they can provide answers.

Patience, Glen. JVC is considering how to best respond to the legacy owners. As I posted before, it's been clear for awhile that there is a modification required. It remains to be seen whether this will be practical for legacy owners, but clearly it's more of an issue for JVC to appease recent purchasers, as is common throughout the tech industries.
I suspect it may become available for a price, which even if high, would settle most of us down into a more practical analysis of how much the feature is worth to us rather than merely wanting the latest and greatest because it's there.