Sony XDCAM HD Cine Alta...

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Unknown Screenwriter

Just got my new issue of MovieMaker in the mail today and in the center is a brochure for Sony's new entry into HD Filmmaking...

While not quite a microbudget Indie camera, still pretty cheap at $17K without lens I'm sure...

Here's a link to the new brochure:

Sony XDCAM HD Cine Alta

Some of the features...

HD 1080 Recording using the “MPEG HD” Codec

Selectable Bit Rates

Wide Choice of Video Format – Interlace and Progressive Including Native “23.98P” Mode

High-quality Uncompressed Audio Recording

HD/SD Switchable Recording and Up/Down Conversion Capability

Selectable between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios

Equipped with three 1/2-inch-type HD CCDs

HD recording in 1080/59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 25P, and 23.98P modes

PDW-F350 provides a “Slow & Quick Motion” function

Wide Choice of Lenses

PRESS RELEASE

filmy
 
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Sounds like Sony's answer to the Panasonic HVX200 -- looks like they're gambling that a lot of people will want to stay with tape for the foreseable future.

My gut feeling is that these two cameras alone will probably kill the HDV format off in the next two years.

It'll be interesting to see what JVC's response to this is.
 
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Did I read it incorrectly?

clive said:
Sounds like Sony's answer to the Panasonic HVX200 -- looks like they're gambling that a lot of people will want to stay with tape for the foreseable future.

My gut feeling is that these two cameras alone will probably kill the HDV format off in the next two years.

It'll be interesting to see what JVC's response to this is.
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I thought they were recording on a 23 Gig Opitcal disc?

filmy
 
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Isn't that the camera that Lucasfilm taped Star Wars II and III with?

I saw a documentary on TV a while ago and the narrator said that Lucas was using the then-new Sony 1080 24p camera for those films. I think this is the camera I've seen advertised for at least the last two or so years. Back then it was $100,000USD.

w00t - This is my 600th post!
 
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Different...

mrde50 said:
Isn't that the camera that Lucasfilm taped Star Wars II and III with?

I saw a documentary on TV a while ago and the narrator said that Lucas was using the then-new Sony 1080 24p camera for those films. I think this is the camera I've seen advertised for at least the last two or so years. Back then it was $100,000USD.

w00t - This is my 600th post!
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Different camera but same technology and a whole lot cheaper...

filmy
 
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How much are the discs you have to use with this system? The constant arguement I'm having with my crew, use tape or discs. The Panasonic discs are almost $1000 a disc with only 4 GB available. How do you archive your source footage? I wouldn't trust a hard drive over a year's time. And from an indepenedent level it takes at least a year to get any project done. It scares the hell out of me to have just a disc that can be wiped out by a magnet. It would cost close to $10,000 for all of your footage to be dedicated to just those discs. Besides, I would have to down convert to SD to get my edit done anyway. I don't plan on investing into another system until HD editing doesn't cost me $20,000. Besides the Intel chip switch and the HD-DVD vs Blue-Ray argument. I'm holding out, but that shouldn't stop my crews progress on our next round of projects.

dv.com just did a comparison of the HDV with the high end cameras. Basically they said, none of them are junk and the difference is the image quality. And from a nerd versus regular Joe stand point, no regular person is going to know the difference. I'm leaning towards the Sony Z1U, but I'm confused on whether it has 24 frame rate at the 1080i resolution. Anyone?
 
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The panasonic AG-HVX200 is already supported by direct to firewire drive systems -- which means that the footage can be recorded directly to an editable hard drive - this means no time spent digitising.

In terms of back up, as the images are at that point data, you back it up to DVD as data (make multiple copies) and you can of course create a backup file to an alternate Hard Drive.

If you want to get a price on the optical discs, sony has been using the technology on SD systems for a while now, just check with a retailer.

It's a completely different technology from the P2 data sticks that panasonic are using, so I don't think the prices are comparible.
 
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Without regard to price between the Sony CineAlta and the Panasonic HVX200, I'd pick the Panasonic in a heartbeat. That little handheld has got a lot of sex appeal doing 1080/24p uncompressed on a hard drive and being $6K.

Now if I could only win the lottery to get one...
 
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The XDcam is an interesting camera. I think Sony is aiming it at News and Corporate video. The disks are around $30 a pop. They are random access and you can record over them. Plus you can delete bad takes in the camera. It could be a good tool for indie filmmakers. I like the idea of having an archival disk and not something on a memory card which you have to dump to a hard drive or DVD.

On the flip side, the Panasonic HVX200 is only $6000 (add some P2 cards and you're at $10,000) because it has no HD tape or disk recording device. I was at a demo and the Panasonic rep said that they saved $16,000 by not recording to tape. The size of the HVX200 is a benifit in most situations, but the Sony looks more like a pro camera because of its size. Corporate clients see a HVX200 and wonder how it can record "big" pictures. They see the Sony XDcam and it looks impressive. (I hate these kinds of thought patterns, but you have to factor them in.)

It will be interesting to see how both cameras fair in the market.

Scott
 
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I understand the price issue. But that doesn't eliminate the archive inability with this system. With tapes, you have the hard copy and a final cut pro document. And no matter what happens to your drive. As long as you properly back up your fcp document you are good to go. I have a had a drive die on me and had to rebuild. Minust the time code breaks one of DPs consistently hands in, I just had to recapture my footage and my project was back online in a matter of a day. Didn't have to rebuild my edit. So the issue is, how do you make sure your footage is archived in case of disaster? And I'm sorry, 4GB for a $1000 is way to expensive. And I don't trust any drive, minus a dat tape back up, with my source footage. Your entire budget and project relies on it. And the dat drive is another $1000, plus tapes. It's been awhile since I researched a dat drive, so my cost maybe off. It's at least $300-$500 on a minimum. After everything is said in done, is this cost effective?
 
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Right now 4gig P2 cards are around $650, just for the record.

For archiving, the suggestion is to dump your footage into a computer from the P2 cards and then burn DVDs of the footage for backups. With the present DVD storage capabilities, that's a lot of DVDs if you go uncompressed. When whatever new standard gets set, HD DVD or Blue ray, then you'll cut down on the amount of DVDs. The other option is to get backup harddrives, but on a long feature that will get costly. Finally, you do the back up hard drive deal until you get all your footage onto it, then rent a deck and dump all the footage to HD tape. I like this route the best because you might only need the deck for a day or two, you end up with tapes for archival storage so if years later you want to access it, you can.

I like the HVX200, but the archival issues are big.

Scott
 
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