Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Yeah, variable framerates was one of the first things that came out of my mouth! HAHA!
HVX and DV50
- Thread starter Brandon Rice
- Start date
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Thanks, I'll send that off to him!
DavidBeier
Veteran
If he's worried about P2s, mention this to him:
The JVC uses HDV tapes. Aside from their quality problems (which others have covered) the other big issue is capturing. While they look like miniDV tapes (and are pretty much), you can't capture them using a mini-DV deck. What that means is that you'll have to do all your capturing on the head of your JVC. This means that it could likely breakdown much faster and thus render your nice little HD100U into a $6,000 paperwieght. Not a nice though huh? The nice thing about the HVX is that there is no head. It's PURE digital. You simply cut and paste the files and it'll never break down. You'll also never have to wory about losing resolution because you've ran the tape too many times or the head is dirty or anything else. I've had enough problems with my heads breaking or being dirty and messing up my footage to know that I never wanna deal with tape again.
The JVC uses HDV tapes. Aside from their quality problems (which others have covered) the other big issue is capturing. While they look like miniDV tapes (and are pretty much), you can't capture them using a mini-DV deck. What that means is that you'll have to do all your capturing on the head of your JVC. This means that it could likely breakdown much faster and thus render your nice little HD100U into a $6,000 paperwieght. Not a nice though huh? The nice thing about the HVX is that there is no head. It's PURE digital. You simply cut and paste the files and it'll never break down. You'll also never have to wory about losing resolution because you've ran the tape too many times or the head is dirty or anything else. I've had enough problems with my heads breaking or being dirty and messing up my footage to know that I never wanna deal with tape again.
briceman said:
But the variable frame rate with the 350 degree shutter angle is magic. Just like my old film days! Without the film.
You can actually shoot longer at 720p 24pN than DVCPRO 50.
In FCP 5.0.4 the compressor export from the 720p timeline to
DVD makes great videos! The best I have seen or done in video.
DavidBeier
Veteran
So? In a few months Panasonic will release it's own hard drive for roughly the same price. This is one that is specifically designed to work with the camera and can do native recording (saves space). For that matter, firestore still has a host of problems as it isn't designed by the companies that make the cameras. There are frequent drop frames as well as more artifacts. There's also the fact that you still need tapes and, if your head does breack down, you still can't record to the firestore since the camera won't record without a tape and working head. Only the HVX200 will let you go purely tapeless.
If it's a for a film course then he should indeed choose the HVX. You will learn to use variable frame rates - the P2 cards mean that you cannot shoot gung-ho like you could with tape. Everything must be prepared like film. The HVX likes light just like film. It's the closest you can get in this price range to shooting on film without actually shooting on film IMO 
I covered an event before I managed to get my 8gb P2 cards ~ had to shoot it to DV tape. The week before that I covered 2 events for the same client with a DVX. I've been editing the DV footage today and noticed that the HVX DV25 footage is by far better than the DVX footage. Everything about it is better in my opinion. (native 16:9, better DSP, better lens).
I covered an event before I managed to get my 8gb P2 cards ~ had to shoot it to DV tape. The week before that I covered 2 events for the same client with a DVX. I've been editing the DV footage today and noticed that the HVX DV25 footage is by far better than the DVX footage. Everything about it is better in my opinion. (native 16:9, better DSP, better lens).
CORUSA Design
Active member
You can get a 100gb or 120GB harddrive attachment, A DVX brand new with one such harddrive would only run you $7,000. If he is a professor at a college, he should be able to afford that since he can use school funds since it isnt a personal purchase, it is for the film dept right? We use a 100gb CitiDisk with ours, and one P2 card, shooting in 720p, so while we are transferring the disk contents to another computer or laptop on scene, we can use the P2 card until we hook the HardDrive back up, since both the drive and p2 card are hotswappable it is a nice setup. Our HVX with 4 batteries, a Manfrotto tripod, and 100GB Citidisk ran us $6,800 1 month ago. Might be able to get a slightly better deal now.
::: Connor
::: Connor
CORUSA Design
Active member
You can still use a 100gb or 120 Firestor or Citidisk with the HVX, you dont have to use P2 cards for HD if you have the 100/120gb external disk.
Since you can get a HVX and a 100GB disc to record to for $7,000 total, i see no reason to invest in anything else.
::: Connor
Since you can get a HVX and a 100GB disc to record to for $7,000 total, i see no reason to invest in anything else.
::: Connor
Smart Alac
Active member
DavidBeier said:
Totally and utterly false.. The above statement needs to be corrected...
You will not lose resolution if the heads gets dirty although you may experience a dropout... And your camera certainly isn't thrown away if your tape head fails, which doesn't happen very often...
As a camera tech of 9 years now servicing all brands of video cameras, i've seen mini DV tape heads in some cameras last 5000 hours or more. A Sony DSR-500 I serviced recently had over 6000 hours tape run on it with the original tape head.
Even if or when the head does fail, it doesn't make the camera a "paperweight" as you've described. Its a matter of getting the head replaced, which is usually about 2 hours tech labour plus parts. So its definitely worthwhile given its over $5000 to replace the camera...
There's pros & cons with both tape & P2 so research into it & decide what bests suits you..