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I love Sony Marketing…NOT
You gotta love a company that runs an ad like the one they have here for XDCAM HD.
You are interested enough in their product to go through the process of
clicking on the ad, reading the stuff, then filling out the LONG form asking
to be sent a DVD about their new camera, then they tell you it will be 8 weeks
for them to get it to you.
So the thinking at Sony must be….let’s see, how about we work really hard
and build a really neat product and spend a bunch of company cash on marketing,
then tell the person we got interested in our product…no you aren’t really that
important to us and we understand that in today’s business life, nobody cares if they
receive information quickly, even if you are ASKING TO PLEASE LET ME
BUY SOMETHING FROM YOU.Now is there any wonder in the world why we are reading stories about how
Sony is trying to get their act together and how their CEO is working hard to
rebuild the brand? A simple, easy to fix example like this shows me
Sony has learned nothing about getting and keeping customers.Dan
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15 Replies
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Sony is actually an acronyn for Soon Only Not Yet.
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Panasonic did the same thing with both the DVX100 and the HVX200.
Not quite 8 weeks, but definitely not speedy.
travis ballstadt
http://www.thrillcateditorial.com -
I think Sony is just playing the game, do the internet ad thing, offer the free DVD thing etc, knowing all along that few if any will buy the products based on the DVD.
People who own Betacams, DigiBetacams DVCam cams etc they might buy, not someone who wants something free.
Your right, Sony is not following through on what seems a happy hand shake from their new products, that
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They will change their tune rather quickly when Red comes to market… don’t you just love competition ?
Aloha
-A -
We are interested in the HD XDCam as well. Trying to get one for a demo has been the problem. We looked at them at NAB this year and I was impressed. However, I would not buy a car without first test driving it. Nor would I buy a camera without the chance to put it through some real-world shooting conditions. Up here in the Upper Midwest, it’s tough to get any attention. Apparently the Midwest is simply that part of the country you fly over while going from the East Coast to the West Coast. Hey! We actually spend money on this stuff too!
I drove to Chicago on Monday (4 hours each way) to attend Apple’s FCP seminar on HD XDCam work flow. OK, there was a good sales pitch for Final Cut in a room where everyone already was using it. There was a good speaker touting the advantages of the XDCam (Jody-nice guy!). There was one camera on display with no time given during the presentation to actually see the camera in action. I guess, after all, it was Apple’s demo.
Anyhow, when I asked the Sony rep. about the rumors of a 2/3-inch version of the camera on the horizon, is was told “could be sometime”. “What will it feature?”…”Can’t say for sure. Lots of good features.”…”How much?”…”Price hasn’t been set yet.”…When will it be introduced?”…”Forth quarter of this year of maybe next year or next summer. Maybe at the ’07 NAB. We’re not sure.”
I need a camera soon, but I would prefer a 2/3-inch CCD block. However upcoming projects are pressing and I need to make a decision soon. Like the poster said above, “Hey, I have money and I want to give it to you Sony! Sell me something!”
It’s frustrating… Times used to be that the manufacturers would be tripping all over themselves to sell you their products. I guess those times are long gone. I still value customer service. When I set up a new HD editing room, the hardware business went to a small, local Apple reseller rather than one of the “Big Guys” in the Chicago area. Why? Because this guy was willing to go the extra mile for me and was actually trying to help me rather than a guy at a company that just waits for their phone to ring and take my order. I’ll go with the little guys who still actually want to help everytime.
It’s a sad commentary on our industry in particular and the economy in general.
…And I still need to buy an HD camera. Sigh…
Tom -
Tom, I feel your pain!
I know what you are talking about BUT if you are having problems with your equipment dealer, you might want to try contacting a Sony rep for your area. They will do anything to get your business. Mine will get me demos of anything when I need to look at it. We had a XDCAM HD demo for about a week, and before that, our XDCAM had an issue that needed to be repaired so we got his demo for a couple of weeks until ours could be repaired. Great service only come from great sales professionals.
As for your quandry on the 1/2″ vs. 2/3″… Personally I’m not able to tell the difference. We have the XDCAM HD already and got it about a month ago. And I have to say… WOW! The picture is absolutely gorgous. As a matter of fact, we had to tune down the sharpness because it looked way too sharp for our needs. And the thought of 1/2″ chips weighed heavy on our minds, but now after getting it in our hands… Its rather impressive. The discovery Channel has cleared this camera for use in its production. That says alot for Sony and the XDCAM HD.
BTW, the only feature we really miss is the 12 second image cache that the standard XDCAM had. When your doing outdoor programming, its hard to know exactly when something is going to happen and its nice to have that insurance policy. Sie La Vie!
If you’re still having problems getting a camera, contact me and I will call my rep and see if he can’t work something out for you. You can call me at 901-853-1455 ext. 244 if you have any questions relating to the XDCAM HD.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com -
Tom,
If you want personal service, contact Kari Hess at Fletcher Chicago. They will support you before and after the sale. http://www.fletch.com
If I were you, I would go the rental route if you need an HD camera right now. Take your time and make the right decision. Remember what Jody said comparing his F-900 and the F-350.
Good luck.
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Director-At-Large
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group -
Wayne,
I’ll be attending the Apple/Sony road show here in Seattle on Aug 17.
A few things I was wondering about first: does the camera have timecode in?
how long does it take to transfer files from the disk to FCP vs realtime?
And does the Sony software allow file transfer for the HD 35 or only the
lower quality 25 ?Thanks,
Dan -
[Dave LaRonde] “Yeah, whenever THAT’s going to be… have they gotten out of the vaporware stage yet?”
I understand that they’ve improved the carving of the balsa wood… Kinetta, anyone?
Arnie
Now in preproduction: Peristroika (Cosmological Congress), a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com -
Let’s see if I can answer all of your questions…
Yes, the camera does have timecode in and out on the PDW-F350, not sure about the F330.
Transfering files from disk to FCP… Well, the machine is firewire 400 so the speeds are the same as any firewire drive.
And to answer your last question, does the Sony software allow file transfer for the HD 35 or only the lower quality 25 ?
Well, at the moment, the software only allows the lower quality 25 for transfer into FCP. But if you also remember, it took almost a year for Sony to give full support to standard XDCAM. That’s too bad, but at the moment, I capture using the DVCPRO HD codec the old conventional way until the software gives full support of XDCAM HD. Besides, I always shoot at the highest quality for the best results.
At the moment, there are some drawbacks and some work arounds but overall, I wouldn’t trade this camera and deck for anything! I love its workflow and the quality is absolutely amazing!
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com
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