[Steve Mahrer]

Jamie:

Nothing really that different over the SDX, EXCEPT you must be careful if you’re shooting any offspeed footage. Check in the VF or better an external monitor for a beat or interaction of the camera’s acquisition frame rate and the spinning ground glass screen. Adjust if necessary to avoid “freezing” the glass grain pattern.

Good shooting!

Steve Mahrer. (Panasonic)

[Steve Mahrer]

Actually those little extras do count…. DVCPRO HD (100) uses almost exactly 100 Mb/s for the video payload, to that add 4 x 1.5Mb/s audio channels, XML Metadata, Thumbnails, Voice Memos, Proxy info, misc P-2 house keepig stuff, and it comes about to about 120Mb/s… hence the approximate 1GB = 1 minute of record time.

DVCPRO HD (Tape has a total bit rate of about 176Mb/s….. ) so you’re lucky that P-2 doesn’t need channel coding, ECC, ITI sectors data, subcode data and numerous other life support requirements!

Cheers,

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)

[Steve Mahrer]

Gunleik;

Please go to the SETUP MENU ITEM No. 25 (SYSTEM Freq)

Set this to *0003 (25HD)

Power cycle the unit to set this mode.

This is a macro setup mode that disables recording, but enables the 1200A deck to extract the 25fps contents from the tape, upconvert it to 1080p 25 and output it as 1080p 25 (in a 1080i 50 wrapper, same as 1080p 25)

See page of the AJ-HD1200A operting manual for more details.

Good luck,

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic)

[Steve Mahrer]

Hi Gunleik,

Yes the 1200A can extract the 720p VariCam content shot at 25p and upconvert it to 1080 25p, the deck will also convert TC and re-clock the audio. BUT, the 1200’s ouput is via the decks’ HD-SDI, not IEEE1394. 1394 is for off tape (non-converted tape-native (DIF) data) in the case of 720p 25 to 1080 25 that is a video conversion. You’ll thus have to capture via an HD-SDI equiped video card.

Cheers,

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic)

[Steve Mahrer]

John:

Look around for a used AJ-HD130 deck, (those were the predecessors to the 1200A)
It’s a record / play HD only deck, no SD playback, no editing….. but it
does downconvert. NB it plays the older 18um tapes only.

Good luck!

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadast)

[Steve Mahrer]

It’s the Image Stabilizer System that loose when it’s not powered up… Same as the DVX.

Steve Mahrer(Panasonic)

[Steve Mahrer]

Hi Folks:

We added

[Steve Mahrer]

Hi “Enquiring Minds…..”

John, the new SW is a few days old, literally just arrived on our Service server. Our Panasonic policy for SW upgrades is basically the following:

If your camera is under warrenty, it’s a freebie, call to ask the local service center for an upgrade.
If the camera comes into the service shop for some work, it will get the latest SW as a matter of course.
If a user would like the latest SW and the camera is out of warrenty, there is a nominal charge of the equivalent of a few hours labour. Loading the SW into the cameras requires some time, some equipment, and ascertaining that the camera is working correctly before the upgrade… that takes a while.

Similarly, responding to users requests for new features, or “simple” changes requires long hours of software investigation, the writing of new code, then the arduous process of the all important software QC…. Imagine testing for dumb stuff like switching to Film Rec, holding the Eject Button and C/BARs at the same time as you power up the camera, just to ensure that nothing “silly” happens, then multiply that by the huge matrix of camera operational features. That process takes many, many weeks.

Panasonic does listen, we value your input and comments on workflow and operation of the camera. We have added numerous features based upon user requests, User Settable frame rates, Dark Compression, CineGama, VFR, etc etc… Some things are possible, somethings are ‘reltivly’ easy, most are hard, all changes however take time to implememnt and all require testing.

VariCam will continue to grow and evolve, but rest assured it will be around for many years to come, as will our support for the cameras and you, our users.

Shoot good stuff!

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
mahrers@us.panasonic.com (comments and suggestions always welcome)

[Steve Mahrer]

John et al:

We added the Dark Compression bit attribution mode some time back to reduce compression artifacts in “dark scenic content”, typicaly below 10IRE. At that time the function would reset to OFF when the power was cycled… this was intentional as to avoid “surprises….”

I’m relieved to be able to advise our VariCam users that the most recent SW update for the 27F cameras has improved that feature, Dark Compression will now stay On or OFF (user choice) after power cycling. This feature is in the most recent SW, (SYSCON revision) V1.66

So check your cameras, if it’s earlier it can be upgraded to V1.66.

Cheers,

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)

[Steve Mahrer]

Folks: The title of this thread sums it up well…

The VariCam can image and record HD over a range of 1-60fps, but there is no means / point in clocking the CCD any higher than that, period. Not only is the DSP / clock circuitry not capable of working any faster, but the tape / HD-SDI also max out at 60, so it’s pointless.

Sorry to spoil everyone’s day, but it just ‘aint so! Hopefully that will kill the rumours.

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic)