The cost of multi-format high-definition acquisition equipment, now in
the $25,000 range (without lens), continues to surprise many who
remember the days when a single camera cost more than a nice car.
Last week Sony officially launched the new HD versions of its XDCAM
Professional Disc system, which are now all being marketed under the
CineAlta brand. There are two new camcorders – you can save about
$9,000 if you decide to do without variable frame rates and HD-SDI
outputs – and two decks for playback and editing applications.
At a press conference in New York City last week, the company sought to
broaden the XDCAM's appeal by addressing issues important to
cinematographers and video professionals. For the independent shooter
who typically buys one camera every five to seven years, these cameras
and decks can be used to shoot (and edit) SD today and HD whenever the
time is right.
The new PDW-F330 and -F350 cameras allow users to record up to two
hours of 4:2:0 HD content on a single-layer disc while leveraging the
same workflow benefits (proxy file management and transmission,
in-camera editing and affordable media) as the existing XDCAM SD
equipment. The XDCAM HD camcorders both offer 24p recording in SD or
HD, interval recording (for time-lapse effects), and slow shutter
(allows up to 64 frames to be captured).
With three half-inch CCD 1.5 megapixel imagers, the XDCAM HD camcorders
offer 1080i capture in three data recording rates: 18-, 25- and 35
Mbps. The system records HD content to Sony's existing Professional
Disc single-layer media using MPEG-2 long-GOP video compression.
Some might question the choice of 1/2-inch CCDs, but Sony's Bob Ott,
vice president of optical & network product marketing, said it's to
keep the cost of the camera down. It's also curious that Sony's XDCAM
SD system records IMX at 50 Mbps while the new HD version only scales
up to 35. And it should be noted that footage shot with XDCAM SD in the
50 Mbps IMX format cannot be played back on the new XDCAM HD system.
All 25 Mbps DVCAM material, however, is fully compatible.
The more fully-featured PDW-F350 also offers variable frame rate
recording capabilities (for overcranking and undercranking effects)
that let the shooter preview the effect inside the XDCAM HD camera or
deck. This allows a variety of recording options, from four fps to 60
fps in one-frame increments, without the need for any additional
processing through an NLE or external converter. The 350 also captures
24p, 25p and 30p image capture, without any additional conversion
required.
Other features include four channels of uncompressed audio, an Expand
function, which takes a clip that has been initially tagged as a
thumbnail and divides it into 12 even time intervals for easier
searches, and Freeze Mix, which allows a shooter to switch between
pre-recorded material and live footage for preview on the camera's LCD
screen or viewfinder.
Allowing high-speed data transfer between compatible nonlinear devices,
the new PDW-F70 and PDW-F30 decks upconvert XDCAM SD content recorded
in the DVCAM format to 1080i at output. The XDCAM HD camcorders and
decks can downconvert HD material to SD in anamorphic, letterboxed or
4:3 format.
While it's now marketed under the CineAlta brand name, Ott said that,
rather than competing with its existing HD production products, the new
XDCAM HD line-up fills out its HD range, enabling it to address a
broader market. It's now positioned between Sony's entry-level HDV gear
and the high-end HDCAM and HDCAM SR formats.
Based on blue-laser technology, the XDCAM system's Professional Disc
media offers random access, multi-format flexibility and adjustable
record times (approximately 120 minutes of HD content at 18 Mbps or 85
minutes of SD DVCAM at 25 Mbps). The same 23 GB Professional Disc media
used in the XDCAM SD system works with the new HD version and sells for
approximately $30 per disc.
The format seems to be gaining traction. Sony spokemen said that since
it introduced XDCAM in 2004, 9,000 standard-definition (SD) units have
been sold worldwide. Also, CBS has committed its 17 O&O stations to
the new XDCAM HD gear for local news.
The PDW-F350 camcorder ($25,800), PDW-F330 camcorder ($16,800) and
PDW-F70 deck ($15,990) are scheduled ship in March. The PDW-F30 deck is
slated to follow in July, with a suggested list price of $9,500.