The HVX200 is sweet. From everything I've read, it's a technological tour de force. The storage media is based on SD flash memory in a RAID array, to support screaming fast recording rates. The optics, etc., etc. are at a whole different level than consumer electronics. This camera could be used to make a feature film (well, an indy feature).
When Panasonic goes through their next format change, they'll likely bump up the compression format from DVC PRO HD (100 Mbps 3/4 horizontal resolution MPEG-2 Intra), to AVC-Intra (same data rate, but way, way better compression algorithm --> near transparent compression).
In the meantime, I can get the Sanyo at the price of a single memory card for the HVX200. It's bound to be a huge leap in performance over my old Hi-8. And it does 720p. I reject 1080i as a capture format. In general, interlace is just wrong. It was a necessary evil in the middle of the 20th century, but its time has passed. I also reject 30p. One thing the TV people got right was the picture rate. 30 frames doesn't cut it. 24 frames makes my eyes hurt. I prefer 4:2:2, as found in the pro formats. But I'm willing to live with 4:2:0 (lower resolution chroma), esp. since it's progressive. And there's a $120 wide angle adapter to get to 27 mm (in 35mm equivalent)
Since the Sanyo is AVC-based and uses GOPs ("groups of pictures", an alternative to Intra coding, in which each frame is entirely standalone), the data rate is about 1/8th that of DVC PRO HD. I know a good job can be done with 720p AVC at 12 Mbps. It won't be artifact free, but it could be good. I'll have to look at Sanyo's implementation and see how they did. (Another reason for progressive -- at lower data rates it degrades more gracefully than interface.)
(Sony, Panasonic, JVC and Canon are using a branding called AVCHD(tm), which is a particular of flavor of AVC ... HD. Sanyo is not part of that program, and their AVC profile might be a little different. The tools are increasingly agnostic about those differences.)
I think I have to go to a store and play with one. (Pardon me sir, but could I run around the parking lot making vrooom, vrooom noises while testing your camera?)
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When Panasonic goes through their next format change, they'll likely bump up the compression format from DVC PRO HD (100 Mbps 3/4 horizontal resolution MPEG-2 Intra), to AVC-Intra (same data rate, but way, way better compression algorithm --> near transparent compression).
In the meantime, I can get the Sanyo at the price of a single memory card for the HVX200. It's bound to be a huge leap in performance over my old Hi-8. And it does 720p. I reject 1080i as a capture format. In general, interlace is just wrong. It was a necessary evil in the middle of the 20th century, but its time has passed. I also reject 30p. One thing the TV people got right was the picture rate. 30 frames doesn't cut it. 24 frames makes my eyes hurt. I prefer 4:2:2, as found in the pro formats. But I'm willing to live with 4:2:0 (lower resolution chroma), esp. since it's progressive. And there's a $120 wide angle adapter to get to 27 mm (in 35mm equivalent)
Since the Sanyo is AVC-based and uses GOPs ("groups of pictures", an alternative to Intra coding, in which each frame is entirely standalone), the data rate is about 1/8th that of DVC PRO HD. I know a good job can be done with 720p AVC at 12 Mbps. It won't be artifact free, but it could be good. I'll have to look at Sanyo's implementation and see how they did. (Another reason for progressive -- at lower data rates it degrades more gracefully than interface.)
(Sony, Panasonic, JVC and Canon are using a branding called AVCHD(tm), which is a particular of flavor of AVC ... HD. Sanyo is not part of that program, and their AVC profile might be a little different. The tools are increasingly agnostic about those differences.)
I think I have to go to a store and play with one. (Pardon me sir, but could I run around the parking lot making vrooom, vrooom noises while testing your camera?)
- mark 12-01-2007 10:16 am