The World of Tomorrow was delivered to my studio recently, neatly
packaged in two massive blue shipping crates. Inside was a new XDCAM
PDW-530 system, Sony’s shining disc-based camcorder that leaves behind
the limitations of tape. The PDW-530 is the top of the XDCAM line,
offering both DVCAM and IMX MPEG recording.

As a firmly entrenched videotape user, I was very skeptical about the
viability or advantage of XDCAM media. Yet after weeks of testing the
PDW-530, I found the XDCAM system both impressive and eye opening. This
review will focus on the features of the PDW-530, while my adventures
in production with the PDW-530 are documented in the article "Going
Tapeless," on page 34. Sony’s XDCAM technology may not ultimately be
The Next Big Format, but one thing is clear: For me, XDCAM is
officially the beginning of the end for tape-based video.

While it can record DVC25/DVCAM signals, the PDW-530’s CCD puts it
squarely in the professional camcorder range. Using three 2/3-inch
Power HAD EX CCDs, the PDW-530 is a standard definition camera with a
resolution around a million pixels. This gives the camera a vertical
resolution around 450 lines EVS. The PDW-530 uses 12-bit A/D
conversion, so image processing-especially contrast control-is more
precise.

Techno babble aside, the image quality on the PDW-530 is impressive.
According to Sony, the 16 x 9 native (but switchable to 4 x 3) XDCAM
series uses newer and more sensitive CCD’s than even its HD camera line
(although, no doubt those cameras will see CCD improvements at this
year’s NAB). Under the close scrutiny of a video engineer, the IMX
signal tends to be noisy, although the IMX 50 mode has far less signal
noise than the IMX 30 format. Also, even in the IMX 50 setting, we saw
ringing around our main subjects, so the XDCAM wouldn’t be a great
camera for greenscreen work.

The PDW-530 is also flexible, as it can record in either 4 x 3 or 16 x
9 (its native format) in either interlace or progressive scan formats
at 30 frames per second. A $2,500 24p (well, actually 23.976 frames per
second) option board is also available that gives a very clean "film"
look to the image.

The PDW-530 has a look and heft like Sony’s DigiBeta camcorders, but
there are some new additions to the camera control features.

Let’s start with the Paint menu section, which provides software
control that’s usually only found in the higher end Sony cameras. The
PDW-530 has 15 different Paint "pages" with over 80 individual settings
for controlling everything from Gamma settings to Knee levels. With
this paint menu you can get stunning visual "looks" in camera, from
finely tuned color temperatures using the White controls, to deep
lustrous blacks using the Gamma and Black/Flare settings. There are
even three levels of Detail control, including a Skin detail control to
help electronically smooth over a talent’s complexion.

Next you’ll find not two, but four assignable user controls: two on the
side of the body, and two on the handle. One of the two on the side is
a slider switch; you can feel where the setting is even if you can’t
initially see it on screen. You can assign one of 16 different
functions (such as adding a starting Record, zooming out the lens, and
so on). These are great for quickly adjusting the camera to different
shooting situations.

Amazingly, the audio implementation on a video camera is not an after
thought. On the PDW-530 you get four channels of 48 kHz audio that you
can record at once, in either 16-bit or 24-bit formats. Wait, it gets
better.

There are three XLR jacks built into the camera; a mic input in front and two XLR jacks in back.

And now for the frosting-the PDW-530 has a built-in space for a
wireless receiver, so you don’t have an external receiver box that you
need to strap on the camera.

The PDW-530 is a remarkable camera, but like all bleeding edge
technologies, it has some notable drawbacks. First and foremost, the
PDW-530 is the first generation of Sony’s XDCAM camcorders.
Historically, you can bet that there will be other versions to come, as
Sony has proven over and over that they just can’t stop tinkering with
things.

Next is the cost which, like the PDW-530’s feature set, is impressive.
The camera body alone is $34,000, which adds up to well over $60,000
when you add in a decent lens, and other options. You’ll also need to
invest in an XDCAM deck (so you don’t tie up your camera in your post
suite), which will set you back an additional $7,000 for the PDW-V1
Mobile Deck or $15,000 for the PDW-1500 Studio Deck. So your entry cost
is about $67,000.

Finally, the ProDATA PFD23 discs are not exactly something you’ll find
in your local video supply house; you’ll need to order well in advance
of your shoot. PFD23 discs are also limited to 45 minutes of recording
time at the high-resolution IMX 50 data rates. But this is a temporary
limitation, as storage capacities continue to increase.

The PDW-530 may be a harbinger of XDCAM things to come, but it is
definitely a great camera to work with. Still, XDCAM is not the only
non-tape based system out there, as Panasonic continues to push its P2
flash memory-based video products. Which format will ultimately win out
is a Betamax versus VHS debate that the market will ultimately decide.

Yet the value of a nonlinear video recording medium can’t be denied.
I’ve been ready for years to skip the whole digitizing step in
post-production, and now I have a solution that is reliable enough to
trust with my productions.