HD100e Camera and "Back" Wish List
 

I'm really intrigued by Jacques' suggestion here, especially since it looks like JVC is considering offering this configuration.

This approach is in line with Mike Pappas's "JVC GY-HD100u and Its Second Coming" (http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/jvcprohd/pappas5.php) about guaranteeing a longer future for the camera, albeit at the cost of sacrificing the HDV recording to tape. It'd be great if JVC offered a camera with higher quality output-only formats and HDV recording to tape, but if that wasn't an option than from the posts there's a market that would be willing to sacrifice tape if they can get the higher quality output formats. A number of people have talked about taking advantage of the analog uncompressed output. You could eliminate the need to buy a multi-thousand dollar device to convert an analog signal back to digital if the camera could output the digital signal it had to begin with. I'd rather spend those thousands of dollars on capturing the digital output. Being able to choose between multiple capture devices would be a great, just like choosing the right lens or mic is great.

Anyway, I started this thread to try to consolidate the ideas of people interested in a tapeless HD100e camera. What output formats, compression, etc. should it support (both audio and video)? Any other ideas?

I'd also like to see what people would suggest for devices to capture the data streams. Sign me up for portable Firestore-style HDD device with swappable hard-drive modules with 1, 2, 4, or 8 hour capacities. Is that feasible? How much would it cost to manufacture? How about a tape back, what makes sense for tape?

I'm also like to see support expressed and rallied for this approach so that JVC offers the HD100e, and JVC or other manufacturers build devices to capture its output. It'd be a great option for content creators.

Maybe this approach is more expensive but if I have an easier time selling my footage or productions to the large outlets and my footage survives the inevitable format evolution longer, then I can hopefully make that money back. With a standardized modular system I can upgrade individual components (camera, lens, back) as my needs, budget and the components offered change. That also protects my investment.

Don

I would like them to offer the same multiformat camera in North America as they will in Europe and other PAL countries.

Don:

I would like to see an optical storage device such as Sony's Blue-violet laser system used in their XDCAM units. The system can write data up to 144Mbps. That's perfectly acceptable for uncompressed HD. However, at 23Gb capacity, the disk does not offer hours of recording.

I'm a wildlife videographer and several times I've lost critical data stored on magnetic media when going through antiquated security checks at internationl airports. Sometimes they just will not hand check your video tapes. The optical option would give me piece of mind.

Since no one has suggested formats I'll go ahead and give my wish list for a tapeless HD100:

720/60p - HD-SDI (from digital source not analog)
720/60p/30p/24p - HDV:19.7 Mbps, HD?:~50Mbps, HD?:~100Mbps
480/60p - HDV:19.7 Mbps, HD?:~50Mbps, HD?:~100Mbps
480/60i/30p - DV

I'll take one of those for under $10K :) .

Don

I'd settle for a Firestore-type device that mounts in the back like the FS-3 (thereby probably helping out in balancing the cam on the shoulder). It should accept standard HDV, but most importantly uncompressed variable frame rate 720p. It would be interresting to have it optionaly encoded in DVCPROHD for native and lite editing in FCP (and other NLEs supporting that format).