Pls. Note the new FX1 / Z1 are lot more heavier and consume
lot more power !

2 x 970 Batteries and a DvRigPro are highly recommended.

> The camera has no provision to do so. Doing so would
> create a new format, probably called something like HDVCAM.

Thank You Barry for the clarification. Shocking! So even if we spend the extra money on the Z1 we will have to save up for a hard disk Firewire recording device... that I think doesn't even existe yet! Scary.

> In the US it's 1080/24p, 1080/30p, or 1080/60i, no provision
> for 25p or 50i. Or it's 720/24p, 720/30p, or 720/60p, with no
> provision for 25p or 50p.

I know. But Joe understood what I meant. Even here where HD broadcasting is only experimental, HD ready sets sold seem to be capable of synching to 50i and 25p signals as well as 60i and 30p. Your FCC mandates the broadcast standard but doesn't say TV sets can't display other modes. In a few years, a large number of TVs will be 1080i50-compatible, even in NTSC-land. So my hypothesis is that if so much material is originated in 50i even in NTSC-following countries like the US, in a few years there will be so much 50i (and 25p) material and display capability, that it will not make much sense to enforce 30p and 60i for broadcasting, anywhere.

Thanx for the info. I was really debating on a z1, but now I might just stick save the money and get the FX1 instead.

Hi Mark,

Another thing I envy Z1 over FX1 is the overriding the autofocus with manual. Can you tell me how well or bad it works?

Best,

Kaku

It also appears that you can remove more of the text from the Z1 display, but it wasn't clear to me whether you could make it all go away in recording mode (eg: only see the image itself on the LCD/viewfinder with no f-stops, battery info, etc). That would be a really nice feature, my other Sony cameras have so much stuff filling the screen, and the font is so big...

Indeed, the Z1 has an "all displays off" option.

See http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/sony...compare.php#di.

Duh... as usual the answer was right under my nose! Thanks Chris.

<<<-- Originally posted by Barry Green :

I had hoped for a worldwide standard as well, but that's not what we got. In the US it's 1080/24p, 1080/30p, or 1080/60i, no provision for 25p or 50i. Or it's 720/24p, 720/30p, or 720/60p, with no provision for 25p or 50p.

Those are the broadcast standards that have been settled on and agreed on, those are the signals that are being broadcast now, and those are the signals that the HDTV sets in America can display.

In Europe, they're still deciding, but apparently they're deciding between 720/50p and 1080/50i... no provision for 60i! So if things go the way they're going, we will *not* have a worldwide standard! It'll be almost as bad as PAL/NTSC, with the difference that at least the frames will be the same size this time.

Unless some of our European friends do some fierce lobbying to get 60i/30p/60p included in the EBU recommendation, there will be no worldwide HDTV standard. It's too late for the US, we locked in our broadcast standards almost seven years ago, but it's not too late for the EBU... -->>>

Once upon a time (about 3 years ago actually) I was as confused about all this HD standards stuff; as many coming to this forum appear to be. One of the greatest factors leading to such confusion is the mistaken belief that politicians and legislators can channel 'industry' towards a goal that may not be in the manufacturers' interest.

My HD experience here in Australia indicates how little the standards set by legislators will play in the actual delivery of HD FTA material, let alone the capabilities of the hardware required to view that material. To all intents and purposes Australia is a PAL region with HD legislation requiring a minimum 720p signal to comply. Not all of our FTA stations have complied, and continue broadcasting Extended Definition (576p) material despite the derision of viewers, and complaints to the regulatory body.

Does this PAL standard rule out the use or viewing of NTSC HD video? NO WAY!!! The majority of prime-time FTA HD programming is from NTSC sources, and I'd bet that not all of that has been transcoded before it hits our shores....

What manufacturer is going to run two seperate production lines for essentially the exact same product?!!
It just makes economic sense to provide PAL and NTSC capabilities in the one set.
Every true HDTV I've encountered is able to handle both, and my HD10u NTSC stuff plays back on my HDTV as well as my FX-1e PAL material and FTA PAL signals do.

Check the specs before buying a HDTV to be absolutely certain, but I'm predicting that the PAL/NTSC incompatability issue will go down in history as the urban myth that it deserves to be.

In case anyone cares, the answer to my above question about getting audio levels on the FX1 is yes.

When in manual audio mode levels appear on the screen.

When in auto audio, no levels.

Ccool. Yes, I think I am going to get the fx1. I just can not see the value for the extra money with the z1. (I would rather buy the DVD player, etc. )I have used the vx1000 and vx2000 for years, and my xlr adapter, when needed, works great.

So, when in manual with the fx1, and if I am using a xlr input, would this mean that if I have the mics at different levels, the audio meter on the FX1 would show them at different levels?

Dave

My guess would be 'yes', otherwise what's the good of the levels?

Though I will confirm tomorrow (hopefully) when mine arrives.

"So, when in manual with the fx1, and if I am using a xlr input, would this mean that if I have the mics at different levels, the audio meter on the FX1 would show them at different levels?"

If you are talking about a XLR adapter then I don't know but if you are using something like a Beachtek then yes.

"So, when in manual with the fx1, and if I am using a xlr input, would this mean that if I have the mics at different levels, the audio meter on the FX1 would show them at different levels?"

If you are talking about a XLR adapter then I don't know but if you are using something like a Beachtek then yes.

Yea, something like a beachtek

dave