HDV distribution a big ??????

[alpi69]

so when you have a HDV cam from any manufacturer (and have a PC-NLE that can work with it) what are the possible distribution channels for you?

- film: well the HDV format should give you many pixels and a good quality, better than any DV (DVX, XL2). but how the pseudo-24p/25p format will look needs to be seen.
- broadcast: if you can deliver HDV-formats to your network/channel and they air it like that, fine. but i guess most broadcasters would still downconvert it to their SD-feed. it might still deliver a crisper image, but will the viewer appreciate it? if you have a channel that airs in HD then you are sure to win smiles with them.
- DVD: i don´t know, is there a HD-DVD format yet? or are all DVD in SD (4:3 or 16:9) anyway. in which case you would need to downconvert again. correct me if i am wrong.

so there are really a lot of questionmarks right now on this format. especially here in europe the HD-hype is far from taking over. people don´t even own 16:9 screens let alone HD-screens. if you have no organized distributionchannel for 1080i i see no reason to opt for any of those 2 cams yet. and if then the features that Sony left out on the consumer level are definitely dealbreakers IMO.

[Hyperbolic]

alpi,

2 reasons for switching to the camera:

1) Downrezzing from film to go on a standard DVD looks better than DV footage on DVD. Downrezzing from 1080i to standard DVD will also look really nice -- way more video-ish than film, for sure, but nicer than DV.

2) Even if you use the HDR-FX1 as a standard DV camera, for $3699 you get true 16:9 widescreen -- no adaptors to buy (or lose!). It doesn't have the famous 24p, of course, but not everyone needs that, and a lot of us can add a nice look in post.

I've been thinking a lot about DV vs HD vs film, and I've thrown my hands up when it comes to making video look like film. Everyone knows what you're watching, and if it looks good, most folks won't care. My belief is that most of what has always made us cringe at regular DV is the resolution. While HDV footage will look different than film, I think those of us on the bleedin' edge of it are gonna find some really nice looks for it in post that'll give it its own unique flavor.

These cams are just the beginning, and I don't doubt that a Panasonic HDV cam could wail on any Sony, but that's down the road. In 6-8 months, I bet some quality HDV docs/short films/feature films are gonna start going public, and boy is it gonna get interesting!

[alpi69]

hyperbolic,
you are absolutely right. and i realize that the bigger resolution will improve image-quality (we also scan pictures at 300dpi and not at 72dpi, even when for a videoproject, don´t we).

i just gave in a proposal and added: we could produce in HDV for not much of an increase in proce. but the response from the networks was: please not in 16:9 and BetaSP/DVcam is just fine. mind you some of the edits will be for news and stuff (therefore no 16:9), but still they did not really wanna pay a cent more just for the HDV. this is for a pan-european project and i will now (have to ;)) wait another 9 months before getting into HDV.
BTW they also didn´t want the 25p version. simple and plain 50i is what networks here want and pay for, cos it is proven and the viewer is used to it.

[Hyperbolic]

Hey, wow, must be nice to have a real paying gig instead of winging film projects on the side and hoping to get them distributed. :P

I'd shoot with anything in any format if people were paying me for it!

[glassblowerscat]

You think that, but it gets old after a while. Getting paid to use crap is better than not getting paid to use crap, but it's still not as fun as not getting paid to use good stuff.

[alpi69]

that is so true......but when i get hungry and can´t afford a chocolatebar i need to bite the sour apple.....