Is the new HPX170 a PAL or NTSC camera?

[DavidChia]

SO is it switchable from 50 to 60 ? PAL to NTSC ?

Like the sony EX1 or Z1 or the HPX500?

I looked around and I didn't seem to find the spec that allows it to do so.

Correct me if i'm wrong.

So the will be a PAL version for the folks that live in PAL land like me?

[manglerBMX]

there is an upgrade from panasonic that makes it ntsc/pal switchable. i think its $300 and you have to send it to panny. but if firmware updates come and you update, out it wipes it out. so for $500(i think?) you get the ntsc/pal for life so if anything ever does happen you just send it in and they do it.

[DavidChia]

What ? $300 and it is not for life. and $500 is for life but you don't know if when you do a firmware upgrade and it might wipe it out and you still have to spend $ for shipping and risk your camera getting damage or lost to get it to Panny .

This is a joke don't you think?

[TwistedLincoln]

What ? $300 and it is not for life. and $500 is for life but you don't know if when you do a firmware upgrade and it might wipe it out and you still have to spend $ for shipping and risk your camera getting damage or lost to get it to Panny .

This is a joke don't you think?

I could completely understand offering a "one time" upgrade for $300 that isn't persistent -- IF it was a downloadable update that you could run your self. The same way with the lifetime upgrade - I would completely pay for it if I could do it myself.

But since I don't really need PAL functionality, and would just be getting it for resale purposes and "just in case," I'm not going to risk my camera being damaged in transit, pay an extra $75 for shipping, and be without a camera for weeks on end just to have it.

Panasonic should really make this available as a online purchasable download.

[Barry_Green]

Here's how I understand it, though I may be wrong:

The HPX170 (USA) and HPX175 (Japan) are 60Hz-only units. The HPX172 (asia/australia) is a 50Hz-only unit. The HPX171E (europe) is a more expensive, switchable 50/60 unit.

The USA version will offer a factory upgrade to switchability. I don't really get the whole $300/$500 thing, I say just spring for the $500 and have it switchable for life.

[Shane Ross]

Yeah, the $300/$500 thing is truely odd. Spring for the $500 and be done with it. I mean, to have a camera that shoots BOTH? Duuuuude.

[DavidChia]

Here's how I understand it, though I may be wrong:

The HPX170 (USA) and HPX175 (Japan) are 60Hz-only units. The HPX172 (asia/australia) is a 50Hz-only unit. The HPX171E (europe) is a more expensive, switchable 50/60 unit.

The USA version will offer a factory upgrade to switchability. I don't really get the whole $300/$500 thing, I say just spring for the $500 and have it switchable for life.

I would like to spring for the $500 life time. But if it wipes it out every-time when I do a firmware upgrade. What is the point ?

I have to send it in every-time to get it done again...

Guess , I'll just have to settle for the HPX171E

[Barry_Green]

I would like to spring for the $500 life time. But if it wipes it out every-time when I do a firmware upgrade. What is the point ?
Well, that's exactly the point: the $500 option is supposed to never be wiped out.

[ProfessorU]

Seems like a poor marketing decision. Panasonic has a habit of making firmware difficult to use already.

[CW-35]

It's my understanding that the $500 is for endless firmware updates but each time you run a new update, you would have to send the camera in for this. It is also my understanding that you have to pay for the shipping to & from Panasonic each time.

Almost seems more efficient to by the HPX171E or two cameras or the EX1...

[Spec-Comm]

Hey guys,

One thing to keep in mind is the frequency of firmware updates. There has been just one or two substantial firmware upgrades for the HVX200. In fact, we still get cameras in our service center that the client hasn't upgraded the camera at all since the original firmware. It's just not important to some folks and it's very important to others. What I'm saying is, you may have to send the camera back to Panasonic once, maybe twice over a three year period if the firmware update schedule is anything like the HVX200. We have always recommended to have your camera cleaned at least once a year anyway so I don't think that it is going to put us out of our way very much at all. It is just going to change the way we upgrade our cameras if we choose to shoot in both formats which was only solved by owning two cameras before, and we didn't have much of an issue with paying about eleven times the amount that Panasonic is asking of us now($500 X 11 = $5500). Just my $0.02 to keep things in perspective. :)

Andrew Hoffman
Vice President
Specialized Communications Corp.
20940 Twin Springs Dr.
Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510 USA
800-359-1858 (US)
301-790-0103
Fax: 301-790-0173
andrewh@spec-comm.com
www.spec-comm.com

Please visit our new online store at ( http://www.spec-comm.com/store ). New products being added daily!replying to sender.

[Everts]

It's not the frequency of the updates that matters to me but what if your in the middle of a shoot( documentary ) and there's an update that could help you out with your shoot for whatever extras that may come with this update, you decide to upgrade thinking that the pal functionality will be intact.If it doesn't work anymore you will have a big problem.You might loose the client,a couple weeks of sleep,well lets just say I hope this doesn't happen.
I understand that Panasonic might be afraid that by making this feature a downloadable update ,chances are someones is going to hack it.
Well if this features is build in that will not be a problem.
With that said when can we see some footage ?

[CW-35]

Yes, I would love to see some test footage of a modified/upgraded HPX170 comparing the NTSC & PAL footage, both SD & HD samples. Where would one find that?

[Barry_Green]

Hmmm. Well, offhand I don't know of any place, and the 170 I have access to is a US-only unit. When the 171s hit in Europe we should be able to harangue some of our European members to perform such a test.

[TwistedLincoln]

Here's how I understand it, though I may be wrong:

... The HPX171E (europe) is a more expensive, switchable 50/60 unit.

Hmmm... if that is the case, then Panasonic is really starting to confuse me. If the firmware upgrade purchase is part of their strategy to discourage grey market sales (by making the purchase only available via authorized dealers), then why have the 171e be switchable by default?

My first thought would be that if someone wanted a switchable camera without the headaches of the firmware mess, they could just buy a grey market 171e...

Am I missing something?

[Barry_Green]

Presumably the 171e is going to be far more expensive (as European products typically are) and therefore would be unattractive for gray market import.