DVXuser.com exclusive hands on with the HVX200

Abaddon said:
But can't you use the firewire in the camera and send the signal directly into a Focus Enhancement FS-4 Firestore drive?

What's the difference between that and what's coming out in March?
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The FS-4 will only record DV (and HDV possibly?)

The Firestore device coming out in March will record DVCProHD which requires 4 times the datarate of DV or HDV (100Mb/s vs. 25Mb/s)
 
Just a small comment re the idea of putting a HD drive inside a camera. I agree with Panasonics decision to not do this. Apart from the battery drain and heat issue also HDs are good gyros, great if you want a gyro stabilised camera, bad if you don't it all the time. Also what happens when the drive gets full? Even though I don't like the P2 card idea an internal HD is an even worse idea as you cannot swap the thing out, unlike a P2 card. Sure the P2 cards are way too expensive but at least if you are uber rich you can buy 100 and keep shooting all day.
Lets assume you're writing DVCPro 100 to the HD, at my guess for every hour of footage you record to the HD you'll spend over half that time downloading it via a 1394 connection. I'm all for the crew having coffee breaks but that's a bit excessive.
 
robroysyd said:
Just a small comment re the idea of putting a HD drive inside a camera. I agree with Panasonics decision to not do this. Apart from the battery drain and heat issue also HDs are good gyros, great if you want a gyro stabilised camera, bad if you don't it all the time. Also what happens when the drive gets full? Even though I don't like the P2 card idea an internal HD is an even worse idea as you cannot swap the thing out, unlike a P2 card. Sure the P2 cards are way too expensive but at least if you are uber rich you can buy 100 and keep shooting all day.
Lets assume you're writing DVCPro 100 to the HD, at my guess for every hour of footage you record to the HD you'll spend over half that time downloading it via a 1394 connection. I'm all for the crew having coffee breaks but that's a bit excessive.
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I think the portable drive is the way to go.
 
robroysyd said:
Just a small comment re the idea of putting a HD drive inside a camera. I agree with Panasonics decision to not do this. Apart from the battery drain and heat issue also HDs are good gyros, great if you want a gyro stabilised camera, bad if you don't it all the time. .
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Well, I agree with the P2 concept but, sorry, can't agree with the expressed hard drive "gyro" concern for the reason that tape-based DVCPRO and DVCPRO HD have for years utilized spinning motors and head drums which have far more mass than a little HDD. If it were a problem, internet forums would be filled with "gyro" complaints - and they're not.

Besides, Panasonic and Focus Enhancements are working together on a FireStore peripheral which uses a hard drive. If hard drive were a bad idea, this work wouldn't be occurring.

"Gyro" can't be the reason Panasonic precludes HDD interface but I wonder what is.
 
The HVX200 does have a fire wire outlet right? So that I can connect to my lap top?
I'm running off a powerbook. This is my last option for maybe uploading the P2 data
to a Lacie external. Just ordered a HVX200. Would hate to be stuck with a USB connection.
 
It does have a firewire outlet, yes. Presumably it can connect to the computer through that for external-drive use, although I don't believe we know that answer definitively. We know that it can connect to the computer for streaming purposes, and we know that it supports SBP2 protocol on the firewire port, so it seems logical to assume that yes, it could connect to the computer (and appear to the computer as an external hard disk) through the firewire. Don't know the definitive answer though, that's an assumption.
 
HVX sports both USB2.0 and Firewire. By Firewire, it connects to Apple computers for file access / uploading. With Final Cut Pro 5, it's also possible to directly access HVX. USB2.0 can be used in the same manner, for PC based NLEs.
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This is from the article written by a guy from Panasonic.
See "Some new info of HVX" thread for the source.

So I guess you can use either USB or Firewire for file access.
I just wonder if new video iPod (USB connection) could be used as external HDD, though.
 
Is there any footage from the HVX200 out on the web yet? Why is it taking so long for Panasonic to release it? Is the camera faulty or something?

Michael
 
Saru, I'm also thinking about using an Ipod for storage... Something to dump the files... I'm going to start a thread asking this, if you don't mind.
 
Holy cow it's not faulty... If the hand-built prototype worked that well at ResFest. I can't wait to see the production models in 1080/24p. :) That camera is gonna rock!
 
Jarred Land and Barry Green
"obviously the consumer is the one who will determine the winner, but based on the features we’ve seen on paper, the consumer may very well say “The camcorder wars are over. Sony, JVC, Canon, thank you for playing.”
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Dam I love that quote!.....

I have the cash to buy the DVX100A now but the HVX looks like I should save a little longer then buy the HVX. Dam you Jarred and Barry for a darn good write up!

Panasonics done a great job from what I have read so hats off to you guys and girls who have put hours of time and research into reading what the consumer wants from there digital cameras and making it a reality.

I do have one small idea for the big wigs at Panasonic though. It would be a great Idea to have some type of externaly powered portable hard drive, maybe 80 gigs that can be connected to the HVX so that when we shoot on location we wont be restricted to a laptop. Its better Panasonic makes it now then wait for a after market company to do the same thing. After all the P2 card is great but it would be nice to see a cheaper version for those who beleave the P2 card is still too imature and over priced.


All up like some consumers and budding film makers im confused. I hope they release footage shortly so we can put screen grabs up for all HDV cameras and do a shoot out... But as Jarred and Barry have said already.....

obviously the consumer is the one who will determine the winner, but based on the features we’ve seen on paper, the consumer may very well say “The camcorder wars are over. Sony, JVC, Canon, thank you for playing :thumbsup:
 
Jan_Crittenden said:
Nothing is faulty about the camera, everything has a point in time, when and where it can happen.

Thanks for your patience,

Jan
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Hey Jan, speaking of points in time, didn't you mention that Panasonic was looking at a 2/3" chip version of the HVX?

I'd be very interested in this if it were really on the board for 2006. Any idea of that potential?

Thanks
 
It's not a rumor, it's a pre-announced product. Panasonic showed a presentation at NAB 2005 all about the HVX and the future of HD (as they see it), and they briefly showed a slide of a 2/3" shoulder-mount camera that they'll be introducing probably next NAB. The only things the actually said were 2/3" and P2. What they showed also was a picture that clearly showed a removable lens and a typical 2/3" ENG-style form factor.

So that's all legit. Where it goes to rumor is from here on out: if I'm not mistaken, I'm certain I saw a picture that said "HD-D5" on the side of the camera. We've been trying to put two and three together to come up with five, which would = "Varicam II". As of yet that is unconfirmed, as far as I know. But there is a 2/3" P2-based camera coming. We expect (without confirmation) that it will be dramatically less expensive than the current VariCam, since eliminating the DVCPRO-HD tape deck should shave at least $16,000 to $20,000 off the price (as a comparison, the SDX900 is $27,000 and the fundamentally-identical but tapeless SPX800 is $19,800; the cost difference is attributed to shedding the DVCPRO50 tape deck). DVCPRO-HD tape decks are substantially more expensive than DVCPRO50 decks, so the cost savings by getting rid of it will likely result in a much lower MSRP for the VariCam II as opposed to the existing VariCam. And going P2 instead of tape lets them add fun stuff like HD-D5.

Of course, it could turn out that the P2 2/3" cam isn't a new VariCam at all, it could be a new product in the line (like the SPC700 or HDX400 etc). But I'm betting on VariCam II, with 1080/24p, 1080/30p, 1080/60i, full 720p at all frame rates from 1 to 60, and recording DVCPRO-HD, DVCPRO50, DV25, HD-D5, and maybe just maybe H.264 as well. And this is completely guesswork and unsubstantiated. But I bet it's gonna be accurate!
 
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