New Panasonic HD direction??

B

Bob Diesso

Active member
I originally asked this question on another forum and realized after posting that it should have been asked here. Sorry for the repeat post.

I took delivery of an HVX200 and a couple of P2 cards in early March and am generally satisfied. It wasn't possible to attend NAB this year, but like most everyone here I was eager to learn what Panasonic was planning for future HD. Among their new announcements was a full size P2 HD camera scheduled for delivery sometime next year, which looks great. The camera has DVCPRO HD encoding like my HVX200 but it will also feature H.264 (MPEG4?).

Today, I found an interesting article by Tore Nordahl lauding Panasonic's move away from 100Mbps framebound to this "more efficient" compression method: http://www.coax.tv/ (The P2 benefits of H.264 are mentioned in Nordahl's article).

So, my question: Though the HD recording time on 8Gb P2 cards is a bit short, the video results are pretty good. However, if H.264 can double the P2 record time, improve quality and it is Panasonic's future direction, what is Panasonic's plan for an H.264 migration path for my new HVX200?

(I'm hopeful of a positive answer.)
 
Sony and Panasonic will use a format called AV CHD for camcorders in future. AV CHD is based on H.264. I can give you some specifications (in German) here:



Videosignal ..........................1080/60i1080/50i1080/24p....720/60p720/50p720/24p.........480/60i.................................576/50i
Pixel (horizontal x vertikal) .......1920x1080./.1440x1080..............1280 x 720..................720 x 480........ ....................720 x 576
Seitenverhältnis ..................................16:9................................ 16:9 ............................4:3,.................................4:3
Abtastfrequenz
für Luminanz-Signal ...................74.25 MHz / 55.7 MHz .............74.25 MHz ...................13.5 MHz ..............................13.5 MHz


Kompressionsmethode .............................................Dolby Digital (AC-3) ...................................................Linear PCM
Bit-Rate nach Kompression .......................................64 – 640 Kbps ...............................................................1.5 Mbps (2 Kanäle)
Audio-Modus ............................................................1 – 5.1 Kanal ..............................................................1 – 7.1 Kanal


Kompressionsmethode .........MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Abtast-Format .........................4:2:0
Bit-Rate .....................................8 bit (Luminanz / Chrominanz)
System .....................................MPEG-2 Transport Stream
System Bit-Rate .......................Bis zu 18 Mbps



I'm sure, at least the coming consumer 3CCD HD-cam from Panasonic that was to be seen at CeBit this year and that records on SD-card will use AV CHD as format. AV CHD can be recorded onto 8 cm DVD and that will be the primar application that Sony intends.
 
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The announcement by Panasonic and Sony in general is centered around the longer GOP versions of the H.264 and 4:2:0 and the consumer market place. At the top end of our product line we will be offering an I frame only H.264 option to the HDC2000 camcorder. This will be on a fairly expensive ASIC so I do not see it coming into the HVX200 level camera any time soon. Perhaps not the answer you wish but it is the state of the technology today. It took the right timing in technology to bring the HVX200 out, and it takes time for technology to migrate from the high end to the lower end.

Best,

Jan

Best,

Jan
 
Jan_Crittenden said:
At the top end of our product line we will be offering an I frame only H.264 option to the HDC2000 camcorder.
Click to expand...
Interesting. Can you give any more information as to how much extra that option will add on to the price? (Approximately.) And any information on specifics such as envisaged bitrate (and will there be a variable option?), colour space, and 8 or 10 bit recording?
 
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