A cool thing about P2 cam _slots_

[Luis Caffesse]

[Peter DeCrescenzo] “So, Panasonic and 3rd parties might offer a variety of option cards which add all sorts of features, _possibly_ such as SDI/HD-SDI output, GPS positioning, hard drive interface, customizable graphic/title/aspect-ratio “safe” markers, wired ethernet, timecode I/O, genlock, _raw_ video image data (a la Viper), and much more, depending on how much “access” a P2 slot allows to the cam’s internals. “

Peter,

That does seem to open up a whole world of possibilities.
But then again, don’t forget that the P2 Slots will probably only have access to the footage AFTER it has gone though the DVCProHD compression. So, adding HD-SDI out, or raw video image data, via a PCM card probably wouldn’t really give you the desired ‘uncompressed’ images you would get from a Viper, or from the HD-SDI out on the F900.

Also, I doubt that information could be input via the card slots seeing as those slots are probably only configured to recieve information, not send it. But I’m just guessing here.

Luis Caffesse
Studio 3 Productions, Inc.
Austin, Texas

[Deleted User]

Yes, it depends on what access an option card has to a particular P2 cam’s internals.

For example, the AJ-SPX800 cam may allow functionality in this regard that the less expensive AG-HVX200 does not.

Of course, some P2 cams might not have an “option slot” at all. Do we know if the AG-HVX200 will have an option slot?

A P2 option card’s potential market would be greater if it can work in all P2 cameras, as long as the cam is not missing some required corresponding feature. For example, an option card which required a particular camera DSP wouldn’t funtion in a cam without this DSP. But other, more general purpose option cards might work in most P2 cams.

In the P2 brochure, bottom of page 12: Footnote #3 is intriguing. Seems to imply that the AJ-SPX800’s option card slot is similar/identical to the P2 slots. Also, the Proxy Card seems to (?) be able to send data to a P2 card in another slot (?) …

… but I may be completely misunderstanding the brochure.

Comments?

– Peter

[Luis Caffesse]

[Peter DeCrescenzo] “Seems to imply that the AJ-SPX800’s option card slot is similar/identical to the P2 slots”

Ahhhhhhh
I misunderstood what you were saying.
I was assuming the ‘option card’ you were talking about would go into one of the available P2 card slots. But if the option card has a dedicated slot, that changes things significantly.

Of course, they’ve got to keep some tricks for the higher end cams.

I’m still thrilled about 1080/24P.
An ‘option card’ slot would just be gravy.

Luis Caffesse
Studio 3 Productions, Inc.
Austin, Texas

[Deleted User]

… like the AJ-SPX800 model does?

All the best,

– Peter

[Deleted User]

[Peter DeCrescenzo] “Is this a good place to collect a wishlist for P2 option cards? “

How about a video waveform and vector scope option card? The WF/VS pattern might be displayed on the cam’s LCD screen or VF, or on an external video monitor.

What about more than 4 channels of high quality audio added to DVCPRO-50 video, recorded in a 100 megabits/sec data stream? Of course, special software would be required to work with it in post.

Oh, wait, I forgot: I said no time/space anti-matter warp transports! 😉

– Peter

[Gabriel]

AJ-SPX800/900 have 5 slots for P2 cards (as everybody knows) plus one option slot on top (between the radio mic receiver and the handle). Few options here: proxy card on option slot or wireless network card on option slot or wireless card on option slot AND proxy card in P2 slot 5. More to come. P2 cards are compatible with any current model laptop. Other option cards can be considered in the future, but camera software would have to be updated. Personally I don’t think the HVX200 will have an option slot (I don’t know for sure, this is a personal opinion, not a Panasonic official statement) beacuse I don’t beleive there’s enough room in there for one.

Gabriel Costache
Sales Engineer
Panasonic NZ Ltd