Re: What will "pro" version have??
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher C. Murphy :
Anyone have any idea what the "pro" version will have? This HDV camera seems to have quite a bit for the money. I just read that the "pro" version will have XLR connections, but that can't justify $3,000?? My guess is "Optical" disc harddrive on-board or some other major thing that this camera doesn't have on it.

Any else have a guess? I'm really curious as to what the "pro" will have...someone has to know??

Murph -->>>
XLR connectors, switshable from 1080i to 720p, 24fps recording mode?

XLR connectors....they better or I will be P.O'ed!

I'd like to see optical disc support with higher than 25mb per second. Maybe they'll have 50 or 100mb on a removeable disc and it records up to 3 hours like full-size DVCAM? If they do that it'll probably be the best video camera ever built for the money.

Murph

Murph,
I've seen Sony's prototype of HD XDCAM.
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20040527/nhk40.jpg

It's 50Mbps/MPEG2, 45min for a 23GB single layer disc.

oh my gosh. how exciting :D. come on Canon get your arse into gear now lads!! ;)

Masahiro,

Is that way over $7,000? If so, it's probably not in my budget range. Do you have any other info about it?

Murph

There are some in-depth articles about this new camera over at camcorderinfo.net. They say a pro version is expected March 2004 for around $7,000 but no further details.

But this "consumer" version looks mighty nice! Hell, I already have a Beachtek box from my VX-2000 :-) I think there are some really great features here that have nothing to do with HDV and should be included on the PD-170. I really like the quantity and design of the manual controls for focus, zoom, iris, gain, audio. FINALLY a servo lens with calibrated zoom and focus stops! And a native 16:9 250,000 pixel LCD. That's a big improvement over letterboxing 16:9 on a 200,000 pixel screen.

It also shoots 16:9 and 4:3 DV. Of course we'll have to see how it performs and give them some time to shake out all the bugs. But it sure looks like a winner to my eyes.

I noticed there is a psuedo 24p mode with the mention of CineFrame24.

I'm willing to bet that with the $3000 jump to the pro model, Sony will include true progressive 24 and 30p modes. What else would warrent that much of an increase?

Who knows? Maybe it's a shoulder mount design, as the DSR-250 is to the PD-150?... I'm sure all this will be revealed before too long.

3k is a huge price jump for the pro model, I mean 24p is a software fix...xlr is a couple hundred bucks...

I think we are talking some kind of harddrive capture mechanism.

I'd like to believe that, Michael, but if it has a hard drive then it's no longer "HDV." It becomes only "HDV compatible." The legal policies of the HDV consortium have mandated that a product can have the HDV logo only if it uses an HDV cassette.

From http://www.hdv-info.org/trademk.htm:

"(2) License of HDV trademarks

HDV and HDV logo will be licensed only to the tape drive products which can record and play video cassette compliant to the HDV Format (HDV Tapes). The HDV trademarks may not be used on any products without a such tape drive."

Go figure.

Damon,

Agree with you on Canon needing to get their rear in gear...

I've been patiently waiting and waiting -- like everyone else -- for HDV but figured it might be a while yet since Canon released the XL2 as an SD camera, albeit the penultimate SD cam. (This is where I begin softly sobbing). So, why oh why did Sony wait to announce their HDV 3-chipper until the week AFTER Canon released the XL2?

Ah, well. It's just money!

I'd really like to see what Panny comes out with and how soon it will be realeased. Canon could probably stand by the XL2, but might have to drop the price a little (who am I kidding, you guys wanna start a pool on how long before the XL2S?). HD with 24p will likely kill off the DVX100, and if they relaese their HD model with a P2 recording system it definitely won't be HDV, like Chris said. Maybe that's why they didn't accept the format? These are great times (thank god I haven't bought a cam in awhile)!

PS - I don't know if I missed it, so is this cam capable of SD recording? I think that will still be a valuable feature for quite some time.

Manual Controls!
 

FRom http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/5118

"And for ultimate control, the iris, gain, white balance, shutter speed and focus can also be adjusted manually. "

why can't JVC do this on their HDV cameras?

Something else I noticed that's funny...In one of Sony's press releases...

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Pr...409/04-0907bE/

...they mention all the editing systems to support their new cam...EXCEPT their own Sony Vegas? I though Vegas 5 already supported HDV? Why wouldn't it be on their list?

<<<-- Originally posted by Jesse Bekas : PS - I don't know if I missed it, so is this cam capable of SD recording? I think that will still be a valuable feature for quite some time. -->>>

Yes, it shoots both 4:3 and 16:9 SD and records DVSP and DVLP.