PBS TOS defines HD as acquired by 3 chip cams?

S

Sam Scoggins

Well-known member
I have a GH2 and I'm thinking about an AF100. I have a documentary in development and have noticed that PBS's Technical Operating Specifications say:

"Beginning on March 1, 2012 PBS will accept only:​

• Video that is acquired in high definition (HD) and submitted in Sony HDCAM video format.
• Video that is acquired in standard definition (SD) and upconverted to Sony HDCAM video format for submission."

Further:​

"2.1.2.1 HD program submissions are defined as those programs which have been acquired by​
cameras which have three sensor chips, each at least a 1/2” diagonal in size with a minimum frame size of 1280 x 720 and have been edited minimally as 3:1:1 -8 bit video (HDCAM resolution)."

I was considering shooting on AF100 and GH2's. Does anyone here know if there is anyway around this 3 chip requirement? You can read the TOS here:
http://www.pbs.org/producers/TOS-2-2010-Submission-to-PBS.pdf ​

 
Sam Scoggins said:
I have a GH2 and I'm thinking about an AF100. I have a documentary in development and have noticed that PBS's Technical Operating Specifications say:

"Beginning on March 1, 2012 PBS will accept only:​

• Video that is acquired in high definition (HD) and submitted in Sony HDCAM video format.
• Video that is acquired in standard definition (SD) and upconverted to Sony HDCAM video format for submission."

Further:​

"2.1.2.1 HD program submissions are defined as those programs which have been acquired by​
cameras which have three sensor chips, each at least a 1/2” diagonal in size with a minimum frame size of 1280 x 720 and have been edited minimally as 3:1:1 -8 bit video (HDCAM resolution)."

I was considering shooting on AF100 and GH2's. Does anyone here know if there is anyway around this 3 chip requirement? You can read the TOS here:
http://www.pbs.org/producers/TOS-2-2010-Submission-to-PBS.pdf ​
Click to expand...


sam-

interesting thought.

seems that the ex1/ex3 are on the high side as is the venerable hpx500.

where does that leave all the dslr-vs, the hpx310, and the canon xf305/300 (which the bbc approved because it was 50mbps and 422)?

ymmv

be well

rob
 
My guess is this spec was written up a year or two ago, submitted to committee, kicked around for a while before being approved, submitted to the commission, kicked around for a while before being approved, then finally submitted to the board of directors where it was just now finalized as policy and approved to be enacted ASAP in 2012.

In other words, this spec is SO FAR behind the times compared to the BBC spec it's almost laughable. 3:1:1 edited, SD def is acceptable, just as long as the submitted format is HDCAM?! But Alexa is prohibited. Yeah, right...
 
The problem is that some of PBS's project funding is completion funding, only available to doc's that are already in production and where you can show them some footage. So if you were hoping to do that it would be very risky to start shooting on a cam which does not meet their technical specs.

Personally I think that given that Panasonic are choosing to market the AF100 as a "Professional" camera, marketed on their "Broadcast and Professional" website it would be nice if Panasonic used some of their massive resources to take the camera to the technical departments of the worlds major broadcasters and get it approved for broadcast. If they can't get it approved in what meaningful sense is it a "Professional" camera?
 
if Panasonic used some of their massive resources to take the camera to the technical departments of the worlds major broadcasters and get it approved for broadcast.
Click to expand...

This is where the rubber meets the road, and why I have held my Af100 purchase off until at least march. I currently have an HPX500, but the "pundits" on these forums have deemed it - and DVCPRO HD - as obsolete, or inadequate.

APT will take a film shot on VHS if they think the subject matter's important. But getting funded in advance for national broadcast is a whole different deal. Most of what I do ends up on PBS, and often I am funded through consortiums associated with the network, not with APT or others.

They are always a little behind the times at PBS - but I'm afraid that if I start a 2 year project now with my 500, it won't be accepted when I go for completion funding. But the 100 isn't accepted now. This is a mess, folks.*
 
I read it as the originating camera has to be 1/2" (full XDCam) or 2/3" (AVC-I; DVCProHD; HDCam) sensor - ruling out most other HDV cameras. All deliverables on HDCam tape. Commissions are negotiable on a production-by-production basis. Almost every network has some leniency in the specfication, but unless it is expressly communicated, you're on the hook to meet the published guideline.
 
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