Steve Mahrer
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Daniel:
The new AJ-HDX900P is a multi-format DVCPRO-HD camera which records in the 9um DVCPRO-HD EX format. This is the same native record format as used in the AJ-HD1200 / 1700 and new 1400 decks. Any of these VTRs will quite happily play tapes recorded in the 900. The older VTRs (AJ-HD130 / 150 ) are 18um only and cannot play the 9um format tapes.
Cheers,
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Steve;
It depends what your client wants in terms of a final deliverable, but if it’s for “Television” and if for Europe, why not shoot at 720p 50, this will provide you with a high frame rate to which you can easily produce “real-time” PAL deliverables. In this case one 720p frame is downconverted to one PAL field, 50 = 50.
VariCam can be used for under / overcranking, i.e. if you have a native 24fps timeline you shoot 12 for speedup and 48 for slowdown, but you also have the choice of shooting 60fps for a realtime NTSC look, or 720p 50 for a realtime PAL look.
Hope it helps,
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Hi Shane;
The proxy files were likely recorded by the optional Proxy Encoder card in either the AJ-SPX800 or SPC700 P-2 SD DVCPRO 25/50 P-2 cameras. The proxy encoder card in MPEG 4 and is menu adjustable between 192kb/s, 768kb/s and 1.5Mb/s. The proxy files can be recorded on the P-2 card, the SD card or both. The proxy encoder is a PCMCIA card and fits in the top rear slot of the larger cameras.
Now the bad news, the HVX200 cannot work with the proxy card, this is due to power / space / cost constraints. The proxy files can be eaily read by Quicktime or a variety of other player apps. I play it in my HP IPAQ PDA.
Cheers,
Steve
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Hi Chris;
The VariCam is actually quite an “old” camera, it first came to the market as a 720p 59.94 only camera intended for the DoD / NASA in 2000…. many moons! Then we started to add more features and variable frame rates etc. DVCPRO HD (100) is 4 x the bit rate of 25Mb/s and thus needs 4 x the tape to record the bits. We kept the format track parameters the same as DVCPRO 25/50 to keep the head drum “simple”. In late 2003 we moved the newer decks (1200A / 1700) to 9um to double the record time and halve the tape price. In 2005 when we revamped the VariCam to the current H model, we decided to leave it 18um as to avoid confusion. Image if the old VariCam was 18um and the new 9um!! Fear not, all VariCams are 18um.
Just FYI the newly announced AJ-HDX900 (HD multiformat) camera is 9um, as is the new 1400 deck ( like a 1200 but it edits!)
Cheers!
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Langosta;
The AJ-HD1200A VTR records HD using the DVCPRO EX format, that’s exactly the same CODEC / Bit rate as the VariCam, just that we use a 9um track width rather than the 18um track width of the VariCam. This is why you have double the record time of the 126L tape in the 1200 as opposed to the VariCam. The newer DVCPRO HD VTRs: the AJ-HD1200A, the AJ-HD1700, and the AJ-HD1400 (announced at the NAB) all record using the 9um DVCPRO EX format. That do however all play the older 18um tapes from the VariCam and older VTRs.
Hope it helps.
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Curt,
In a word no….. The DV tape drive on the HVX200 is just that, DV only.
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Hi John:
The VariCam is guaranteed to work and provide high quality images from 4-60fps. The CCDs are not stressed by the slow frame rates, it’s just very hard to control dark current differences, hence visible pixels at very slow frame rates. This is why the slower 1-3 fps mode is buried in a service menu. This mode is NOT guaranteed for picture quality, many users do however simply map any visible pixels and use the slow frame rates quite happily. In the newer 27H model cameras, we have an adaptive software algorithm that corrects the lit pixels below 12fps, it work rather well.
I think we all share your views on Michael, it’s good to hear him remembered.
Cheers,
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Sean:
A brief recap of how it works: In the VariCam we perform small assemble edits on tape during time lapse recording process. Each Interval Rec time is a minimum of 10 frames, the Interval Pause Time is the time between time lapse image capture. This paramter is up to you to determine, (hint, think film!). E.G. if you have a need for 30 seconds of content at 24fps, that’s 720 frames. If you know the sunset or whatever required event will last 2 hours, that’s 7200 seconds x 24 or 172800 frames. The interval Pause Time to 172800 / 720 = 240 frames or 10 seconds.
Try this, set the Interval Rec time to 10 frames. Set the Camera Frame Rate to 6fps, N.B. turn the shutter off to reduce jitter in the content. As per the above, set the Interval Pause Time to 10 seconds. The camera will now capture an image once every 10 seconds, the slow 6fps frame rate means that all 10 frames recorded on tape in once interval are indentical. The FRC unit or FCP FRC Sw module will exract one frame per duration to provide a smooth motion effect. The above settings will enable you to truncate 2 hours of time inot 30 seconds smoothly.
Have fun, PRACTICE and think frilm!
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
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Folks:
We added the 4-60 vs 12-60fps options to prevent users trying to shoot at 4fps and still trying to focus / track their subject…. the lack of “realtime” feedback from the 4fps slow capture to the operator is a killer. We recommend frames rate below 12fps be used on sticks.
Just for grins, set the frame rate to 1 fps….. then try to focus or track a moving person, it will drive you nuts! You have broken the machine to human feedback rule of <50ms lag in the human servo.
Steve Mahrer ( Panasonic Broadcast)
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Redlag:
The TC UBs in the VariCam are used to record the frame rate information such as frame rate, 59.94/60.00 and the active frame cadence info. If you plan ANY offspeed shooting do NOT use or mess with those UBs, they are needed to tell FCP what frame rate the camera was shoting at. If you negate the TC UB you will force FCP to work at 60fps regardless of what you shot!
Cheers,
Steve Mahrer (Panasonic)