XDCAM HD various topics
 

Pretty cool stuff, says they have true 24p, and variable frame rate on one of the models.
http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/6446

Too bad the lower priced 330 doesn't feature the different frame rates as its big brother. At that price point it should. The capacity of the storage is very good, though. Hope that ends up being a winner for Sony. The price is the only reason I probably won't be looking in to this camera.

Deck Required?
 

OK, I have looked at the pdf brochure and although you can offload proxy's via FW what about the full rez source?

To support 35 Mbps you will need S400 FW - but does the camera allow full source download to the computer or is it strictly deck only? This will of course seriously affect the price for a package...

Cameras allow rull rez transfers thru firewire!

Stupid newbie questions from current DVX user
 

I think I've decided that the 330 is my next camera, but I'm fuzzy on workflow (tech challenged). Assuming I'm using FCP 5.04, would the 330 firewire in to my Mac in the same manner that a Panny DVX does? Do I need one of those cards (Kona, etec) to capture? What format would I output to? Sorry for the lame questions, appreciate any info.

Thanks.

There's two options.

The first is to record footage in 25mbps mode on the camera and then ingest to FCP like any other HDV camera. But you don't get the benefit of the higher datarates or the XDCAM workflow that way.

The second is to record 35mbps and transfer the MXF files off the disc into FCP. But there is a problem. Apple have never properly supported XDCAM in FCP. They have left it to people to use a third party app called Flip4Mac in order to import XDCAM files into FCP. And I'm not sure if that program yet supports HD XDCAM. No doubt it will, but I'm not sure if it does just yet.

Free XDCAM HD Seminar - L.A. Wed 3/15 7PM
 

XDCAM HD Seminar

Presented by Sony and Hollywood Studio Rentals

When: Wenesday March 15, 2006 @ 7PM

Where: Hollywood Studio Rentals
620 South Flower St
Burbank, CA
91602
818-526-0101

RSVP to:
XDCAM_HD@YAHOO.COM
Name, Address, Phone, Email

Hands On Demo, Projected Footage, Presentation

Great -- thanks for the info Sean!

Notes from SXSW at HD For Indies
 

Our buddy Mike Curtis at HD For Indies has published some notes he took on an XDCAM HD presentation at the South By SouthWest film festival in Austin. They're on his blog at this link:

http://www.hdforindies.com/2006/03/s...d-mini-meeting

Enjoy,

First look at Sony PDW F350
 

By Douglas Spotted Eagle
http://www.studiodaily.com/main/tech.../pvr/6302.html

Thanks for this link, Michael. DSE provides a nice, quick overview of the F350.

Is it necessary a deck to get "true progressive"? What's this?
 

The dvxuser.com member NBCshooter posted this:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.p...65&postcount=7
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.p...6&postcount=10
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.p...1&postcount=13

He is saying that was the Sony people that info him about this. What does it mean? Do we need to buy a deck to achieve "true progressive"? Isn't it enough to transfer the files (any 35Mbps HD file) via firewire from the cam itself to any PC? Of course, XDCAM-HD compatible? In order to get any HD recordable modes?

I've been reading that's not possible to HDV compatible streams but I've been thinking differently to 35Mbps "true progressive" or interlaced, or am I wrong?

The progressive frame information is held within an interlaced stream. Sony call this PsF (Progressive Segmented Frame). This is true progressive scan, and is pretty much how every progressive scan camera stores its information with the exception of 720p cameras.

The F900 and HDW-750 shoot progressively using PsF. The DVX100 uses a similar method too, as do the DSR-450, and PDW-510/530 cameras.

So, to have "true progressive" or PsF (whatever) it means that we need to buy a deck as well? Or the camera itself (the PDW-F330 model or the 350 one) will it be enough as a sort of deck to handle the PsF (with all its necessary and full information) to a PC? At 35Mbps quality, of course.

Thank you.

No. The camera records true progressive. You do not need a deck.

XDCAM is file based, ie you drag and drop the video files that it creates from the XDCAM disc onto your hard drive. This is done faster than realtime. There is no streaming of footage needed. Any NLE will handle the progressive scan files just like any other progressive scan camera such as the DVX100, DSR-450, PDW-510/530 etc etc. There is nothing special about the way the progressive scan in this camera is done. And there are no special hardware requirements needed to be able to see it.