Comments

amt wrote on 3/18/2004, 10:08 AM

check www.camcorderinfo.com
Jsnkc wrote on 3/18/2004, 10:31 AM
Just imagine a dark grey GL2 with a few more buttons and there ya go :)
rique wrote on 3/18/2004, 10:59 AM
Man, that reviewer has been studying that photo as sharply as we have been here. It's like an episode of CSI: SONY.
busterkeaton wrote on 3/18/2004, 11:15 AM
What's the data rate for HDV again? What kind of setup do you need to work with it?
riredale wrote on 3/18/2004, 1:25 PM
From what I've read it's the same as miniDV--about 4MB/sec. I note that Sony says an "LP" speed is not planned, so you get 60 or 80 minutes per miniDV tape.
Guy Bruner wrote on 3/18/2004, 4:35 PM
Go read the most that is known about it at CamcorderInfo. Robin pestered a lot of folks into giving her tidbits. It is real, but it may not be immediate.
rextilleon wrote on 3/18/2004, 6:55 PM
There is a major difference between a prototype and a mock up---a prototype usually works---LOL--I am figuring this camera is at least a year to two years away--so in my mind its not big news because Sony is a member of the consortium that was developing this format. I bet you that JVC comes out with a 3 chip HDV camera before Sony--no doubt in my mind.
MUTTLEY wrote on 3/18/2004, 9:50 PM
Gotta say, looks pretty good. I agree that the positioning of the lcd ( if that's what it is ) seems like a great idea. I'm a huge fan of Canon's XL1 series but this does look interesting. If there's one thing that keeps me with XL1 its the flexibility and interchangeable lenses, huge plus. I'd love to see another manufacturer incorporate this as well as Canon has. Also the optional black and white CRT viewfinder for the XL1 has been an amazing plus, don't know that I would want to trade it for an lcd no matter where it is.

- Ray

www.undergroundplanet.com


John_Cline wrote on 3/19/2004, 11:38 PM
JJKizak,

Yes, I am very interested in your experience with the Cineform HDV codec. Tell me all about it...

John
JJKizak wrote on 3/20/2004, 6:27 AM
John:
I downloaded the Microsoft HD-WMV test files from the Microsoft HD site, they are about usually 2 minutes running time, put them one by one on the Vegas timeline with preferences set to 720 x 30p using the Cineform Connect HDV settings for Vegas which are as follows: 720 x 30p mpeg2, CBR 15 megs, Audio set for 384, system stream to transport stream, uncheck auto caculate and add 19.4 meg bitrate. The render file will end in mpg and it must be changed to m2t which is what Cineform uses to export. Put the file in the Cineform export menu and export to D-vhs tape. The result is a bit bumpy on fast pans (bump ever 1/2 second) but the color and sharpness are outstanding. I used standard dma 5 hard drives for this stuff so maybe that was the reason. I cannot tell the difference in color and sharpness as viewed on my Sony KV-HS34510 from full HD live programs such as Grammy Awards or Monday Night Football. In fact it beats such recorded programs as NCIS and CSI hands down which in my opinion are recorded using standard 16 x 9 equipment. The arial scenes on CSI are definitely HD. NCIS looks like it was recorded on super eight film.
Now if you change the file ending from m2t or mpg to tp and pick it up on the MY-HD video card it plays back absolutely perfect but there is no sound. The performance of the Cineform codec is absolutely staggerring. I also took about 100 2200 x 2200 jpg still pictures and rendered out with the same specs and put them to D-VHS tape with stunning results. I also put them in the MY-HD file with stunning results.
I am totally blown away with the performance as seen on the Sony TV but I don't know how it would perform on huge projection systems. One
of the problems I have is Capturing from HD programs with the Cineform codec as it will capture anything but it will only convert HDV streams to AVI files to edit in Vegas. I have tried other settings in the custom section of Vegas with negative results. The Cineform Codec only works on 19.4meg Mpeg2 streams in my opinion. (HDV) Some of the jpgs had large pans and zooms which worked to perfection (all facial discolorations, pimples, skin deformations, hairs, etc.
I can't wait to get a good HDV camera. The money is burning a hole in my pocket. The HDV thing is going to blow away the Full HD thing in my opionion as I think the networks are doing a lot of cheating---substituting digital 16 x 9 for HD --- as the consumer can't tell the difference.
The Cineform Connect HD software is about $499.00 which is steep
but worth it.

JJK
filmy wrote on 3/20/2004, 10:03 AM
Question - have you tried to uprez anything and if so how did it look? and I mean have you edited someing in DV, footage from a mini-dv source, and then rendered as HD and output to D-VHS and how did it look?
JJKizak wrote on 3/20/2004, 3:44 PM
Filmy:
Haven't tried to go from Mini-DV tape and go up in resolution yet. Nor DV from the timeline. I have tried to capture standard 480i from the JVC D-VHS deck and it captures but Cineform will not convert it. I think (not sure) that Cineform is looking for a particular mpeg stream of around 19.4 megs. What the result is of the 480-i after converrting and putting on the timeline is a small
upper left picture with many horizontal lines and jumbled looking pixels. The entire picture is there as I can tell from the pans but there is so much garbage it is unusable. It almost looks like an anti copy type of thing. Of course I might be all wet on the capture thing. The stuff is so new nobody
knows anything. Actually the Cineform will capture anything you throw at it
but it won't convert it to AVI so you can edit it. Evidently there is no problem capturing and converting from the JVC camera as it comes out of there in the correct mpeg stream. I tried capturing 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i but it would not convert. I do not have a camera at this time as there was a lot of bad mouthing on the JVC so I decided to pass and wait for Sony or Canon.
This HDV has me so stoked, and yet not many people even know what "HD"
is supposed to look like or even have the "HD" setup to view it. Its very difficult to explain to people about how you see that little tiny person eating peanuts in the stadium 1/4 mile away. I was really hoping to capture full 720p with the Cineform but I have had no luck doing that and most of the time it is someting stupid that I forgot to do. I will try some standard DV from the Vegas
timeline and print to tape with the Cineform stuff and see if there is any improvement. I have a Panasonc Mini deck and will try that just for laughs
But the "Connect HD " drivers specifically say JVC D-VHS deck. The people that have used the Cineform codec really like it, even on the full "HD" forum.

JJK