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P2 Chip vs. Tape
How much difference is there in quality by recording to the P2 chip instead of recording to a DVCPro HD tape?
Thanks,
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10 Replies
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No difference whatsoever. The recorded information will be bit-for-bit identical.
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Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available on ebay and at Amazon (https://www.fiftv.com/db) -
The codec is the same (DVCPro HD). The difference will be in the internal chips and signal processing of the various cameras, and also the lens. HVX200 has 1/3″ chips and different A/D signal processing than the 2/3″ chip varicam. This only begins to scratch the surface on how and why the image will differ from big Varicam to little HVX, but the actual codec is the same.
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It seems then that it would be a decent enough camera for 5k shooting to tape and later using P2 when the price/capacity improves.
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I don’t know if the question was meant to involve VariCam vs. HVX, was it? The question originally asked was the difference between P2 and DVCPRO-HD tape. You can chain an HVX to an AJ-HD1200A deck and record straight to tape with it; the resulting image will be bit-for-bit identical to what you would have gotten had you recorded onto the P2 card instead. That’s what I meant…
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Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available on ebay and at Amazon (https://www.fiftv.com/db) -
That’s true if you’re only shooting in a studio. I’d rather lug around a few P2 cards in the field,
rather than a very expensive, very heavy deck and a very long extension cord. 🙂
Capturing to the upcoming Firestore or Cineporter, or the P2 card/laptop route seems better all around,
especially if you don’t already own a DVCPro HD deck. With P2 you’ll never need one. For mastering to HD you can rent one
occasionally.
Ed[Bear Baker] “It seems then that it would be a decent enough camera for 5k shooting to tape and later using P2 when the price/capacity improves.”
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How feasible is it to make a QT movie of your project and take it to an on-line house that has FCP and way to dump to DVCPRO HD and or HDCAM???
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[Mike Schrengohst] “How feasible is it to make a QT movie of your project and take it to an on-line house that has FCP and way to dump to DVCPRO HD and or HDCAM???”
I don’t see how this relates to the topic at hand. You really need to start a new topic if you want an answer to this question.
Shane
Alokut Productions
http://www.lfhd.net -
Extremely feasible. Dub houses would love you for it. Keep them the tape game.
Jeremy
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[Barry Green] “I don’t know if the question was meant to involve VariCam vs. HVX, was it? The question originally asked was the difference between P2 and DVCPRO-HD tape. You can chain an HVX to an AJ-HD1200A deck and record straight to tape with it; the resulting image will be bit-for-bit identical to what you would have gotten had you recorded onto the P2 card instead. That’s what I meant…”
Barry, I see your point. I was just think about HVX being totally tapeless, that’s why I jumped to the Varicam conclusion.
Bear Baker, take a look at the P2 store. It’s handy. It runs off battery, pretty light and easily transportable. I know people don’t want to pay that much for the custom interface, but it is whole heartedly worth it. Keeps you shooting rather than wrestling with a deck, unstable firewire cables that could come unplugged and other such scenarios. Now, if you need to provide tape because the post house has Media 100 or some other NLE that cannot handle mxf, then that’s another story. As Barry says, the image will be bit for bit identical. Also, you will spend a whole lot more on a 1200a deck and DVCPRO HD tape, then on P2 cards and some hard drives.
Sorry to jump to conclusions.
Jeremy
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My immediate usage for this camera is going to be SD, where I will be shooting DVC Pro 50. I don’t own any P2 cards yet, but do own the Panasonic AJ-SD93 DVC Pro 50 deck (which is a half-rack sized deck), which I’ll be utilizing for some controlled interviews. I tested Firewire from the camera passing through to the deck… works fine. I also have the component and SDI boards in the deck… plan is to digitize to the deck and go SDI out to my edit system.
Anyone venture to guess what will give me the better signal out of the camera to the deck: RGB outs or Firewire?
Larry Marshall
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