Which HDCAM deck for online?

[Bob Zelin]

you can use Sony’s cheapest VTR – the Sony JH-3 player – to get 23.98 uncompressed HD 1080i playback, with no problems. This VTR will also do the 23.98PD 2:3 pulldown for you, if you are finishing for TV, so your project can be in 59.94. You will NOT GET BETTER RESULTS if you use the expensive HDW-F500, instead of this “cheap” JH-3.

Bob Zelin

[Aaron Goddard]

Bob, thanks for responding. Someone on the HD High-End forum suggested that the JH sereies “… were really designed just for viewing HDCam tapes” so we should go with the F500.

What about the embedded audio. I don’t see a 1080 23.98 easy-setup with embedded audio. Does the K2 automatically capture that or should I duplicate and edit the capture preset?

Thanks, AG

[Jerry Zorek]

What is your final output? HDCAM? The highest quality is HDCAM Sr. The SRW-5000 is the one that Sony bundles with the F900. $84,000 for the deck plus another 10k if you want dual link recording for mastering. I’m not sure if the f500 is available anymore for purchase if you are looking to buy. If it’s a rental situation then it should be easy to find. Most broadcasters are not using HDCAM Sr. as far as I know just regular old HDCAM. Sony makes a nice half rack field deck that packs alot of power into a small form factor. It’s the HDWS280. More information at:

https://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayCategory?p=16

[Gary Adcock]

Q[Aaron Goddard] “What about the embedded audio. I don’t see a 1080 23.98 easy-setup with embedded audio. Does the K2 automatically capture that or should I duplicate and edit the capture preset?”

Aaron
That is a function of the Kona control panel not FCP. Use the Kona 2 1080 23.98 psf set up and use the control panel to choose your audio preferences

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com

[Bob Zelin]

The JH3 puts out embedded audio, and the Kona 2 and Kona 3, and Kona LH all capture embedded audio. Simply go into the Kona control panel, select INPUT tab, and on the audio portion, select Embedded 1-8, instead of AES.
No need to change your easy setup or Capture Preset.

The person on the HD Hi End forum is a dope. I will have to look for his post.

bob Zelin

ps – embedded is refered to as SDI A/V

[Aaron Goddard]

I didn’t think the F900 recorded dual-link 4:4:4, only the F950 does that. Assuming I’m right about that, why would you want an SR deck If you are working with tapes recorded wtih 3:1:1 color sampling?

Thanks, AG

[Walter Biscardi]

[Aaron Goddard] “Someone on the HD High-End forum suggested that the JH sereies “… were really designed just for viewing HDCam tapes” so we should go with the F500.”

Yeah, and people keep telling me the J3/902 (Beta Format) is just for producer’s to view tapes too because they want to sell me a $50,000 DigiBeta deck. Or it’s too slow to start shuttling.

Whatever. I’ve used my J3 for over 2, maybe three years now. Solid workhorse and the picture quality is perfect. One of these days I’ll add a JH-3 if I get enough HDCAM work.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Director, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now Posting “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Jerry Zorek]

It would only really be of value for going out of the Kona dual link to the Sr Deck for mastering. I’m not sure why Sony bundles it with the 900 except that they figure you can still use the SRW-5000 for HD capture then master back out to Sr. at 10 bit 444.

[Bob Zelin]

I don’t think that the HDWS280 does insert and assemble edits, and I KNOW FOR SURE that the 280 DOES NOT offer 2:3 pulldown (which comes standard with the JH-3 player). The 2:3 pulldown option for the SR5500 and the old HDW-F500 was VERY EXPENSIVE, which makes the JH-3 player a great value.

If you look at the Sony website, Sony like selling these VTR’s in “PAC’s”, where they “bundle” the JH-3 player with a recorder, like the HDW-M2000/10 recorder (which also does not offer 2:3 pulldown).

I know some of you are stuck with using Sony, but you can see why Panasonic is killing them with products like the 1200 and 1400 VTR’s that offer everything for half the price of the 280.

I find it amusing that Discovery has announced that they will be requiring SR delivery of HD next year. I know that they pay NOTHING for their shows, and I can’t wait to see who is going to spend over $100,000 for a loaded SR5500 with options, just to deliver a “discount” production to Discovery.

What a wacky business we live in.

Bob Zelin

[Aaron Goddard]

OK, this is getting interesting. Can the K2 OR K3 output dual-link from a 1080 10-bit Uncompressed timeline? I thought source tapes had to be recorded dual-link 4:4:4 in order to be captured using AJA’s dual-link RGB codec. And isn’t this codec only 2K? Wouldn’t a software conversions be required to output 4:4:4?

AG