Has anybody got there hands on one a PDX10?
Video Camera and desktop video in Australia did a review on it the DSR-PDX10P (the pal version).

The specs say the CCDs are 4:3 but they also say it delivers true widescreen 16:9

The 16:9 mode is achieved by using all the of the horizontal pixels on the trhee 1.07 million pixel CCDs. These pixels are used by t he still imaging function. By using the space on the left and right hand side of the 4:3 video frame zone on the CCD a wider angle of view is created whilst maintaining full vertical resolution.

The effective rating in normal 4:3 video mode of the CCDs is 690,000 pixels per CCD, still mode is 1,000,000 pixels.

The CCDs are sony HAD technology

The reviewer stated that colour accuracy, saturation and defination in shaow ares of the picture are superior to the results from the TRV950

A few links I thought might be helpful the one with the 16:9 explaination confirms my belief on how the 16:9 is caught on 4:3 chips

http://www.exco.it/pagine/sony/dsr.htm (general info)

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/reframe.php?url=http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/cgi-bin/browse-no-frames.cgi?view=item&item=sony_dsr-pdx10p

Now that link has the pictures which show how the 4:3 chips captures 16:9, the think which is interesting that I did not really think of is you get a wider lense. 8mm by their calculations.

What is interesting is it seems you must loose a fraction of your verticle resolution something I thought would not happy, still not sure how many TV lines it will resolve in 16:9

I'm not suggesting you're wrong about the 4:3 vs. 16:9 native dimensions on the chip. But I don't see where on either of those links it says that the chips in the PDX10 are 4:3 in dimension. In fact, the statement on the second link, "oversize 3-CCD block," would seem to indicate the chips are not the usual 4:3 dimensions. Also, I don't see the pictures you mention (that show how 4:3 chips capture 16:9).

Also, I'm wondering, if the megapixel chips are high enough resolution to possibly capture the same resolution in 4:3 and 16:9, is the argument about what sort of "native" chips these are academic?

Hi there donking I am not saying I know for sure just adding the information as I found it really (the video camera mag review says the chips specs are 4:3) True about your comment with the high resolution chips being able to capature 16:9 within a 4:3 space, however the suggestion that the field of view is 8mm wider suggests that it does use the side bits of the the 4:3 chip usally reserved for still images. Which means more wide screen picture (which I would be interested to know the actual width of the CCD used then as it would also effect depth of field etc marginally)

What I really want to know is how many lines does it resolve in 16:9 what is the real resolution it provides? How does the DV codec cope this this. These questions I do not know the answers for, but it seems a promising product.

hi,
about this 16:9 stuff i don't really believe that pdx10 has true 16:9 chips. if i try to take max resolution picture onto memory stick, it forces me to 4:3 ratio. But it definently uses different tehnology for 16:9. When switching pdx10 to wide mode, it increases horisontal angle of view, pd150 in that case decreases vertical angle of view.

rgrds, Margus