Attention: Jan Crittenden

[Alex Leith]

I’ll second the “drop the tape” sentiment. You’ve got a camcorder with amazing potential for HD and high quality SD… with a miniDV tape drive bolted on… It seems a little incongruous and not really suitable for those who are most going to buy this camcorder – those who want DVCProHD or DVCPro50…

It feels a bit like a half-assed marketing attempt to make the move to P2 a little more paletable.

Or perhaps panasonic are planning to drop the DVX100?

Dump the tape, save the weight, save the $$$

Alex

[Toke]

Maybe next model could have tape dropped and more p2 slots or even place for 2.5″ or 1.8″ hdd.
For now, ability to record overspeed (eg. 60fps) from p2 to tape is unique and might get popular
among those who have to hand over a tape after work.

[Pappasarts]

This is a transitional camera. It’s dissolve from A to B , but with a slight carry over. I want no tape, but then I also know that no ever needs to use the DV tape drive on the HVX200.

Panasonic could come out with a version with no tape drive. They could call it the HVX-200P2 and a use the extra room to drop in a few more P2 slots on the side. This camera could come in at a few hundred less or the same price. Either way the concept of ” Video as DATA ” is here to stay and wether it’s P2, HDD or some other memory system, it’s here for good.

Jan might back that up. I was waiting for Jan to comment on the post since it’s directed towards her. I’m sure she is taking a rest, while trying to restore her voice and spend time with her husband this weekend.

PS: Jan if you get a chance please read this article:

https://www.pbase.com/aghvx200/pappasarts_entertainment_

Michael Pappas

[Graeme Nattress]

I’d certainly have liked the HVX to have no tape drive, and just have more P2 slots. I’d have found that personally compelling. Instead of the tape drive, I’d like a little computer that has the driver to run a standard hard drive, or two RAIDed built in. That’d be cool. I doubt we’ll see that until the next generation of cameras, but we can dream eh. That won’t stop me liking the HVX, but I doubt I’ll ever put a tape in the tape drive….

Graeme

– http://www.nattress.com – Film Effects for FCP

[Jeremiah Black]

I initially had the same reaction as Graeme on this one, but after thinking about it, I’m actually kind looking forward to trying out the tape drive. One thing changed my mind, and that was that I’m really curious to see how the camera’s downconverted HD looks recorded to mini-dv. Maybe it’s silly to look forward to the tape drive just to satisfy a curiousity, but I have to admit, I’m REALLY curious as to how it looks. One of the first things I’m going to do, is record to a mini-dv tape and see how it looks coming from the HD chips, and then I’m going to shoot DVCPRO HD to P2 and then downconvert the DVCPROHD from the P2 card onto mini-dv tape in camera, and compare the two side by side for fun. At the very least, we’ll have true 16×9 and true 24p DV on a Panasonic camera for the first time, and that’s a pretty cool bonus on top what is already promising to be a great HD camera.

Also, DV does still come into play on some jobs. For example, sometimes I do some web shows, that, being web shows, end up getting shown in a little box on your computer that’s two inches big. I’d probably still shoot those with DV beacuse DVCPRO50 or 100 don’t increase the viewer experience enough to knock out the mindless convience of shooting to tape. So, what that does is allow me to really sell off the ol’ DVX-100, because on those jobs where it would’ve actually been useful, the tape transport on the new camera guarantees that I still have the ol’ DVX-100, if I ever want it. It’s clear that flexibility is Panasonic’s goal, and I kinda like it, even as eager as I am to have new technologies replace the old. As had been said before by Graeme and Luis, it’s a great transition camera on many levels.

jeremiah black
dual 2 gig G5
2.5 gigs of RAM
Decklink Extreme capture card

[Toke]

And option to hand over a mini dv tape which have overspeed stuff (720p60 downconverted to 480p24/30) after a job to some producer sounds very compelling…

[Alex Leith]

I think that HD downconverted to miniDV is going to look *slightly* worse than stuff shot straight to miniDV…

You’re compressing the footage twice (first to DVCProHD then to DV).

And also HD has a potential to slightly soft when converted to DV because the edge enhancement is less intense.

On the up side I cannot emphasise how excited I am that I’m going to have the opportunity to actually own my own DVCProHD camcorder. Plus this will make an excellent second camera on our Varicam shoots.

And tape drive or no tape drive… HURRY UP AND FINISH THE CAMERA! 🙂

Alex

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

Hi Michael,

>I wanted let you know that I really think that the HVX200 is an excellent camera with what info has been released so far. Though I have been very outspoken on this subject, it’s driven by concern about technology and not to attack or impede forward developments.

I think I understand that. Frankly I don’t think that any one has the time to spend writing missive upon missive if they really are not interested.

>Like you and everyone else, I want the HVX200 to be 110% of what it can be. I wish I could have been at NAB. I would have been a little disappointed though. I did believe as others did too that there was going to be a working model or at-least footage from a prototype. This was an assumption ( a reason why assuming is not good thing to do ) on my part based on your open enthusiasm for the camera online.

I know I said in another forum that it was going to be a mock up and in the Millimeter Press announcement it was said to be a non-working model. When we debuted the DVX at NAB 2002, it was also a Mockup. And by that fall we had a product.

>Of-course, I can see from the view of Panasonic. If there was as much as a glitch in material or a unit flaw at the show. It would have become the only thing focused on and not how good this camera really is and will be.

Bank on that!!!!!

>I think the HVX200 design is excellent. It’s a maturing design from the DVX100, and has a much more classy softer look. The HVX200 is very streamlined looking, and takes on a nice looking composite design as well. As I posted on the board, if it was a shoe box with a lens, it wouldn’t matter to me, but I think Panasonic has a winning design here.

The color is the same as our DVCPRO cameras. I too like the design. There are lots of ergonomic considerations in there.

>The one thing I didn’t expect was a DV tape drive. I didn’t want that on the camera since I have been an advocate for tape to fade away for many years now. I also know that this must be the transitional camera into a total tapeless future in camera designs in this product line.

This is the one place where I had to tell a lie as the company wanted this to be a surprise. The rationale for it is simple. Many customers coming to this camera will purchase it as the next upgrade to their DV camera. Many will not have an HD customer base, but can transition to it. So it is sort of a helping hand here, they can continue to work they way they have and make money as they learn new skills for shooting in HD.

>Jan, I am glad that you are a very active representative of Panasonic Professional on all the boards. This is a very encouraging and powerful statement on behalf of Panasonic. This is an action you would only expect from much smaller companies and not one as large as Panasonic.

It is funny but it has always sprung from that “Pay it Forward” mentality or the giving back to the community. I remember and honor those that helped me grow to understand complex stuff. The interesting thing is that now after being on the internet for now 10 years so many people know me. It was really interesting at this NAB. I don’t know how to help at the local nursing home, but I do know how to help here. And the cool thing is that my boss encourages me.

>Anyway Jan, I just wanted to let you know that I like everything that has been laid on the table at NAB in regards to the HVX200. I look forward to when it’s officially released.

You and me both. This fall, like the end of August /September we will be doing a P2 Production Tour and we should be able to show pictures. That will be the next really fun thing to do.

>Your busy now, wait tell the month before and up to the day it actually gets a hands on display at a show and then released. Those will be some busy days for all of you in your department.

That is a scary thought. I remember the crowds around the DVX were huge, but not like this NAB. So you may be right. Yikes!

Thanks for the thoughts.

Best regards,

Jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, AG-DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[Toke]

[Jan Crittenden Livingston] “I too like the design. There are lots of ergonomic considerations in there.”

One thing I would have copied from fx1/z1 is to place lcd in the front of the camera.
That way you can look more closely on your subject at a same time as looking lcd.
Looking down whole day gets a really bad neck ache.

Not necessarily to side of cam mic, maybe between zoom ring and auto-focus knob might also work…

[Jeremiah Black]

[toke lahti] “One thing I would have copied from fx1/z1 is to place lcd in the front of the camera.
That way you can look more closely on your subject at a same time as looking lcd”

That’s a good point. That was the only thing I really liked about the Z1U. I remember thinking, “I hope Panasonic decides to put their LCD on the front.” It’s just so much better. The HVX-200 is going to blow the pants off Sony’s HDV cameras, but I hope they do copy this one bit of design from the Z1U. No more “flip out” LCDs.

Front mounted LCDs- mmmmmm, good stuff.

jeremiah black
dual 2 gig G5
2.5 gigs of RAM
Decklink Extreme capture card