So today is the big day, right?

Barry_Green said:
Where did it say that? The 8gb should be around $2250, not $2750.

If you view the HVX page and click on "supplies & accessories" the $2750 price is there. But who knows, maybe it will come down. They updated the bundle prices since I first posted earlier today. Looks like the 1 card bundle went up and the 2x4GB bundle is now the "value" bundle.

Actually, I notice now that the main page shows the $9995 bundle with "Save $1500!". That would indeed put 8GB card pricing at $2750.
 
From the new FAQ on the panny website:
>>
Can I use the FireWire output to record directly to a FireWire drive or Apple iPod?
Yes, we have done tests on original iPod models over FireWire by putting the camera into the "Host Mode," though its performance is a little slow. However, the latest iPod models do not have a FireWire port. On a standard 1394 drive, it would be a bit faster.
>>

..correct me someone quickly if i'm totally misreading this.. but doesn't this mean it will work with ANY firewire drive, not just FS400?!?

oh boy it's different to be on this end of the news chain again..

- Mikko
 
mikkowilson said:
From the new FAQ on the panny website:
>>
Can I use the FireWire output to record directly to a FireWire drive or Apple iPod?
Yes, we have done tests on original iPod models over FireWire by putting the camera into the "Host Mode," though its performance is a little slow. However, the latest iPod models do not have a FireWire port. On a standard 1394 drive, it would be a bit faster.
>>

..correct me someone quickly if i'm totally misreading this.. but doesn't this mean it will work with ANY firewire drive, not just FS400?!?

oh boy it's different to be on this end of the news chain again..

- Mikko

I think they are referring to dumping data off of an exisitng P2 card in the HVX.....not live streaming of data. If that is the case then you still need a "smart" device like the Cineporter or the Firestore to record data live as it happens.
 
Jim Arthurs said:
And this little number... price for a single 8 gig card US $2750.00
Jim Arthurs

Kinda makes you shudder when you think about what the 16 gig cards might cost in April . . . NAB

Glad Jan came up with so many nice options for the intro -- I'm going with the two 4 gig P2 package.
 
icicle22 said:
I think they are referring to dumping data off of an exisitng P2 card in the HVX.....not live streaming of data. If that is the case then you still need a "smart" device like the Cineporter or the Firestore to record data live as it happens.


Well, looking at the FAQ, it's either saying you can record directly to a firewire drive, or it's really poorly written.

Here's what it says:

"Can I record directly to a FireStore drive (Focus Enhancements)?
Yes. The FS-100 from Focus Enhancements will give 90-100 minutes of high-definition content in 720p or 1080i modes. In DVCPRO50 it will record 200 minutes, and in DV or DVCPRO it will offer 400 minutes.

Can I use the FireWire output to record directly to a FireWire drive or Apple iPod?
Yes, we have done tests on original iPod models over FireWire by putting the camera into the "Host Mode," though its performance is a little slow. However, the latest iPod models do not have a FireWire port. On a standard 1394 drive, it would be a bit faster."




Anyone have any insight on this?
The second question clearly says "record directly" so I don't think it's referring to P2 footage dumping.

To be safe, I'm still assumming it WILL NOT record directly to a firewire drive.
I don't want to start that rumour again.

**NOTE**
Maybe they meant a firewire drive hooked up to a laptop or computer?
That would make sense...but would still be very poorly written.
 
bgundu said:
I believe icicle22 is correct.


Well if that's the case then 2 things are true:

1) That is new news seeing as up until today we've been told that file transfer could only occur through the USB port to a USB hard drive (NOT a firewire drive).

2) That section of the FAQ is very poorly written. "Record Directly" and "File Transfer" are two VERY different things.
 
Luis Caffesse said:
1) That is new news seeing as up until today we've been told that file transfer could only occur through the USB port to a USB hard drive (NOT a firewire drive).

That used to be the case. I can't remember when Jan mentioned they had changed it to Firewire instead of USB. Can someone verify this?
 
mikkowilson said:
From the new FAQ on the panny website:

Can I use the FireWire output to record directly to a FireWire drive or Apple iPod?
Yes, we have done tests on original iPod models over FireWire by putting the camera into the "Host Mode," though its performance is a little slow. However, the latest iPod models do not have a FireWire port. On a standard 1394 drive, it would be a bit faster.

They are discussing slow on an iPod vs. faster on a standard drive. Data transfer can be slower vs. faster. Direct recording either works or it doesn't. So I'm guessing they really mean data transfer.
 
bgundu said:
That used to be the case. I can't remember when Jan mentioned they had changed it to Firewire instead of USB. Can someone verify this?

Heres what I thought the deal was:

USB connection to your PC and the P2 cards inside the HVX show up to your PC as a removable drive.

Firewire connection used for capturing DV streams from "tape" to you PC/MAC in traditional DV method.

Firewire also used to connect to an external self-powered firewire hard drive for transferring P2 card content without need for a PC/MAC. I assume host mode switches the HVX to some type of controller to talk to the firewire drive.

But as news starts to flow I am not as sure as I once was!
 
Luis Caffesse said:
Well if that's the case then 2 things are true:

1) That is new news seeing as up until today we've been told that file transfer could only occur through the USB port to a USB hard drive (NOT a firewire drive).

2) That section of the FAQ is very poorly written. "Record Directly" and "File Transfer" are two VERY different things.

I've understood that USB is only for mounting up the P2 card on the PC for file transfer (viewed as a drive) and that Firewire is the only option for dumping files to a harddrive in the field.

And yes, I agree it is poorly worded...

Jim Arthurs
 
I would be happy with just recording 720p to a powerbook w/FW drive.

Anyone know if the component out is pre-compression like the FX1?

-will
 
Peter Jordan said:
The single 4GB card is not too bad at $650.00.

A 4GB iPod Nano costs $250. A 4GB P2 Card costs $650. I understand that Apple got their NAND chips at a real good price, but come on. $400 more? Seems absurd to me.

Beyond that, I read the new brochure and the FAQ on Panasonic's website, and everything about this camera looks and sounds fantastic. The AG-HVX200 should be on the Christmas list of every video producer who's not in the Varicam market.
 
Spanbauer said:
A 4GB iPod Nano costs $250. A 4GB P2 Card costs $650.... $400 more? Seems absurd to me.

Keep in mind these P2 cards have four very high quality, zero-error SD cards in them. An iPod can get by with a single Flash memory chip containing an odd defect here and there. (It simply marks those sectors as "bad".)
 
Spanbauer said:
A 4GB iPod Nano costs $250. A 4GB P2 Card costs $650. I understand that Apple got their NAND chips at a real good price, but come on. $400 more? Seems absurd to me.
A four-wheel-drive Suzuki Samurai cost $5000, and a 4wd lexus costs $50,000. Seems absurd to me, but hey, they're about as similar as a Nano is to a P2 card.

Try this comparison instead: a 4gb SanDisk Extreme III compactflash card costs $599 (MSRP). A 4gb P2 card costs $650 (MSRP). $51 more, yet it's four TIMES as fast. Seems fair. And that's "retail", we don't know what street price will be.
 
Final, definitive, unquestionable word on the USB/firewire/drive thing:

USB is used to connect to a Windows computer.

Firewire is used to connect to a Mac, or for AV/C streaming.

Firewire (not USB) can be used to control an external drive. And yes, this is different from the original original announcement, but Jarred and I reported it months ago in our "HVX Update" article.

The camera can control a firewire drive for the purposes of copying P2 card contents onto a firewire hard disk (whether that's a firewire-equipped ipod, or a cheap Lacie or Maxtor, or whatever). It cannot directly record live video onto an external hard disk unless that hard disk is specially equipped to understand and capture an AV/C data stream: that means something like a FireStore.
 
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