Lawrence Bansbach
Forum Replies Created
-
Again, all other things being equal, yes, increasing density decreases sensitivity. But signal processing logic differs, pixel array design (photodetector type and the positioning
of the photodetector within the pixel) and manufacture (material used) differ, and light-sensitivity variability within a pixel array differs between two different CCDs that otherwise have the same size and pixel count. So is there any reason to believe that Panasonic will have something markedly better than Sony or JVC? I don’t know, as I’m not privy to their R & D. But pixel shifting, while it permits higher resolution with a smaller actual pixel count, does so at the expense of chroma information. It doesn’t make much sense to me to advertise 4:2:2 sampling when a lot of that is eaten up through pixel shifting. -
I’m hoping for 1,280 x 1,080 so that there’s no pixel shifting. You can’t assume that all CCDs with denser pixel counts are equally plagued by low dynamic range and light sensitivity. I have to believe that Panasonic can develop a 1,280 x 1,080 CCD that solves these issues.
-
My understanding is no — $5,995 buys you a camcorder sans P2 cards. The 8-GB card should be available by the time the camera ships and is projected to cost about $2,000.
-
Sorry, Jan, I wasn’t trying to conceive of a workaround, just considering the possibilities. I fully expect Panasonic to offer practical solutions.
-
Couldn’t the P2’s edge connector be used as the interface?
-
[Nigel Thompson] “Under 10K should mean 9000 there about”
It could mean anything up to $9,999.99. The problem is including the cost of P2 in the final price. Panasonic has kind of painted itself into a corner with the whole “P2 isn’t media but more like memory” mantra. In a computer, media, though necessary, are extrinsic. Memory, however, is an essential component. I would argue therefore that the base price of the HVX200 must include some denomination of P2 — even if only one 2-GB card. And I think that Panasonic is sweating the pricing of P2. Sure, it’s a source of revenue, but Panasonic can’t really believe that HVX users will willingly accept significantly shorter shooting durations or seriously consider hot-swapping P2 cards during a hand-held shot. People can’t be expected to drastically alter their production workflows or pay many thousands more for adequate recording duration. For P2 to supplant tape, it has to be at least as convenient to use as tape and not priced as prohibitively as it is currently. Therefore, I believe that there is a lot that Panasonic hasn’t told us. It would be inconceivable that they would produce that the marvel that the HVX200 manifestly is and then tie it to an impractical recording “technology” (I want to say “medium,” but I’d probably start a ruckus). I think that capacities must increase and prices decrease — both significantly — if P2 is to succeed in the long run.
-
[js33] “First of all memory is so fast why couldn’t regular SD memory be used instead? Non proprietary, cheaper and readily available. You could just pop in to Fry’s or any store and pick up a couple extra on the way to the shoot. “
Actually, it’s not just the cost of the SD memory that accounts for the cost of P2 cards. I think someone here calculated that based on the cost of the high-speed SD modules, a 4-GB P2 card should cost only $600-$700. It’s a combination of value-added technology (there is additional circuitry that configures the SD meory into a RAID) and, well, greed. I’m sorry, but assuming the RAID circuitry added $100 to the P2’s cost, nothing else could account for the extra $800-$900. (And that assumes Panasonic pays $600-$700 for the constituent SD, which it obviously does not.)
“Second. Why not have an option for small hotswappable hard drives. These could be used for lock down shots where you know the camera won’t be moved around or even for handheld shots. With the price of HDs falling even faster than memory it would seem a shame not to include this option.”
If the hard-disk solution incorporated a RAID, then hot-swappability wouldn’t be that necessary. It might be a little bulkier, but if it had multiple drives, it could hold several hours of DVCPro-HD footage, so there would be less of a need to swap out disks while shooting.
-
I believe that Jan Crittenden addressed this (I can’t remember which forum) by saying that for 1080p24 the 24p is indeed embedded in a 60i signal, just as it is for SD 24p, as you described.