OT: HDV vs XDCAM

pb wrote on 2/11/2005, 4:32 AM
The affordable Sony HDV camcorder looked like our next camcorder...until yesterday. SPOT could give you more detail on timelines because the Sony rep alluded and hinted BUT an XDCAM price point equivalent of the DSR 390 (1/2") will be coming out very soon, followed shortly thereafter by a 2/3" version in the DSR 570 price range. Yes, they they are HD/DV and come with a 7 year "bumper to bumper" warranty. When I went into the seminar I planned to order the little HDV camcorder. I left convinced XDCAM is the way to go.


Perhaps if DSE has a few minutes he could share his opinions of XDCAM.

Peter

Peter

Comments

farss wrote on 2/11/2005, 6:05 AM
Well I don't have anything like the experience of SPOT but I'll thow in my 2 cents worth.
XDCAM and HDV are very different beasts. Much bigger CCDs and interchangeable optics has got to deliver a way better image and I assume a way bigger price tag.
I sure like the look of XDCAM but a few questions spring to mind.
What are you going to edit the footage with? As far as I know all you can do with Vegas and XDCAM is edit the proxy DV25 files which to some extent defeats the whole purpose of the camera in the first place.
Second issue is last time I looked the disks only hold something like 30 mins of footage. This is around the same as for a DB camera and that was never a showstopper for that format. But that's OK for ENG, for anything else with DB cameras it's either a DB field recorder or OB vans etc.
If I'm off track on nay of this, someone please tell me, we've looked longingly at the XDCAMs but...

Bob.
Spot|DSE wrote on 2/11/2005, 6:15 AM
I'll mostly echo Bob's comments.
Comparing HDV and XD cam are like comparing a really fine, high end pontiac with a Mercedes. The high end Pontiac looks like the Mercedes on the outside, and it gets you from place to place in style and comfort.
But under the hood, behind the doors, below the seats, and in the general design/craftsmanship, the Mercedes is a much better car, but it costs a helluva lot more.
pb wrote on 2/11/2005, 7:39 AM
Well, the soon-to-be-announced "professional" HDV camcorders alluded to by someone in this forum (don't think it was Douglas) will likely be at least at the same price point as the DSR 390 on the low end and DSR 570 at mid range. I see the little Sony HDV camcorder as Sony's Canon XL2/Panasonic X1000 eradicator.

THe Sony of Canada rep said we will get 90 minutes on a disc, have a choice of frame rates and, if we wish, record in DVCAM format. This makes the XDCAM option appealing to me becasue I could combine the XDCAM with my DSR 570 for two camera shoots, match the footage AND be able to offer real HD. Also like the 100,000 X write and 1,000,000 times read AND 7 year bumper-to-bumper.

I am pretty sure Sony of Canada stated Vegas will be able to edit XDCAM output. Might have been the Vegas 6 being released at NAB 2005 he was referring to. The XDCAM output is IEEE 1394 but I'd buy the disc drive and stick it in my PC.

Peter

BTW: I sure am glad I divested myself of BetaSP equipment. Up here in Canada you can get a BVW-75 with very low hours for 8,000 CAD (6400 US) direct from Sony Broadcast dealers used equipment Depts. Scary, eh? Also found out my BetaSX gear doesn't have much trade-in value!

taliesin wrote on 2/11/2005, 9:49 AM
Not sure - probably you already know that infos:

XD-Cam devices store and deliver either 50 Mb/s, 40 Mb/s or 30 Mb/s Sony IMX video. Or 25 Mb/s DVCam video. You can transfere only this 25 Mb/s DVCam via firewire and you only can handle this format (natively) inside Vegas.

You cannot transfere the IMX video via firewire. You either have to decompress the IMX Signal and transfere it as an uncompressed signal via SDI and - for now - have to convert it into DV to feed Vegas with it. Or you can natively transfer IMX via SDTI but your NLE have to be able to import and edit IMX natively which Vegas does not. The only NLEs which completely can handle IMX natively are Sony DNE-2000, Sony XPri and Pinnacle Liquid Blue (Avid with some restrictions).

Using Vegas and/or firewire forces to only use 25 Mb/s DVCam with a XD-Cam device. And whatever format - IMX or DVCam - it's only SD, no HD.

Marco