4:3?

  • Thread starter Thread starter j
  • Start date Start date
I need written proof.

As stupid as that sounds, that is my bosses boss concern before allowing the purchase. Is there anything on Panny's website that might address that? I haven't found anything specifically, and he is scared away by the "16:9" reference.

-j
 
Interestingly, I couldn't find any verification anywhere. I can offer you this -- approximately 90% of the televisions in the US are 4:3. I don't think there's ever been a 16:9 camcorder that didn't also shoot in 4:3. I think the odds are 100% that the HVX supports 4:3 in DV, DVCPRO25, and DVCPRO50 modes. I cannot conceive of it not doing so. But, I can't find written documenatation that verifies that it does. I wouldn't worry about it though -- I can't find written documenatation that says the camera has a headphone jack on it either, but it absolutely unquestionably does. It may be one of those things that's just so obvious that they don't feel the need to put it into print maybe... but eventually, someday, we'll get a full spec sheet, and that should definitely show 4:3 modes.

Until then, I'd suggest routing your question directly to Jan, perhaps in her position as product line manager for the HVX, she can give you a definitive answer that would alleviate your boss' concern.
 
I have to second Barry. While I also cannot draw reference to written proof right now, there's no way I can imagine that they wouldn't include it. Of all the things that have been confirmed it will do, this is remedial in my opinion.

If it can shoot 720p and downconvert to MiniDV NTSC, it has to be able to do 4:3.
 
>Of all the things that have been confirmed it will do, this is remedial in my opinion.

I concur, but upper management doesn't think so. The network affiliate I work for is owned by a larger organization and they are Sony 100% of the way. They like to have all their stations have exactly the same equipment and software. It's weird, kind of like the old soviet mentality. So I need to find some docs that overstate the obvious, that the SD camera should record and output 4:3...
 
I see what you mean now. Not so much that of course it's something they probably wouldn't highlight specifically, but their other cameras do say 16:9/4:3 switchable but the HVX just states 16:9. Curious.
 
this is a very important question in my mind. and unless panny says it's 4:3 the safe, job security protecting assumption should be that it's 16:9 only.
 
Barry_Green said:
I wouldn't worry about it though -- I can't find written documenatation that says the camera has a headphone jack on it either, but it absolutely unquestionably does.
Click to expand...

actually, the HVX doesnt have a Headphone Jack, they thought a pencil sharpner would be a much better thing to have in its place.

Anyways, I will bet you an HVX that the HVX shoots 4:3 in SD modes. Even the Varicam can shoot in 4:3 if you want it to and it doesnt have a 4:3 delivery option, let alone 3 (DV, DVCPRO25,50) like the HVX does.
 
j said:
>So I need to find some docs that overstate the obvious, that the SD camera should record and output 4:3...
Click to expand...


The AG-HVX200 will switch between 4:3 and 16:9 in Standard Def, in High Def, since there is only 16:9 aspect ratio in the high def standard, it will only record 16:9.

Hope this helps,

Jan
 
Jarred Land said:
actually, the HVX doesnt have a Headphone Jack, they thought a pencil sharpner would be a much better thing to have in its place.
Click to expand...


dang. .. i had my hopes up for an air compressor hookup.
 
DV can be either 4:3 or 16:9. So can DigiBeta, or DVCPRO50. Basically standard-def video can come in either shape. High-def video is always 16:9, but standard-def can be either.

So no, it wouldn't be letterboxed, it'd be full-screen, full-height, full-chip 16x9.
 
Barry_Green said:
DV can be either 4:3 or 16:9. So can DigiBeta, or DVCPRO50. Basically standard-def video can come in either shape. High-def video is always 16:9, but standard-def can be either.

So no, it wouldn't be letterboxed, it'd be full-screen, full-height, full-chip 16x9.
Click to expand...
So that means the dimensions of the 16:9 SD footage are ___ x 480?
 
*sigh*, I wish I understood how this stuff worked better. 720x480 isn't even a 4 to 3 ratio in itself, letalone the fact that you're saying 16x9 footage is recorded into the exact same space. Does that just mean that everything we see is stretched in some way in order to display it properly? Why isn't 4:3 a 640x480 ratio, so that the pixels don't have to be altered after the fact - surely that would provide the clearest output, right? And 640 must take up less bandwidth than 720...

I guess I just don't really understand why the CCDs or pixels on a display don't explicitly match the ratios they are presenting. In the previous HDTV example, where you said that the imagers don't grab 1920 horizontal pixels because it takes up too much bandwidth, I can kind of understand. But in this situation, getting "true" 4:3 would require even less! Can you please enlighten me? :-)
 
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