Barry_Green
Moderator
I'm talking about the AVC-HD models, not the Z1. The two little AVC-HD models Sony put out are decidedly consumer and only consumer.Heath McKnight said:
The Z1 kind of proves my point, actually. HDV was announced as a CONSUMER format. I don't consider the Z1 a consumer product, nor do I consider the HD100 or the XLH1 as consumer products.
In fact, look at the JVC HD1. That was a consumer product and only a consumer product, and not even a very good consumer product. Yet the HD100 is aimed squarely at pros. Same format. It's all about the product, not the label that someone's marketing department saddles the format with.
Whether pros decide that the format is viable or not is something that remains to be seen (and something they get to decide, not the manufacturer.) Look at BetaSX -- Sony positioned that as the professional format to replace BetaSP. It landed with a wet splat, and as far as I know it's been a dismal failure everywhere except Australia. DVCPRO and DVCAM were far, far more successful, and both were nearly identical to the "consumer" DV format. (DVCAM runs the tape faster, DVCPRO uses metal particle tape, but the fundamental data is identical).
Sony has announced a couple of consumer models. But, I mean, look at history! DV was a consumer format, and only a consumer format, right? Look at the DSR500 and DSR570 and now the DSR450 and DSR400 -- would you call those "consumer" cameras? They record the exact same data on the exact same tape, the only difference is that they run the tape faster. Look at the SDX900, that's a $17,000 camcorder (used to be $27,000). Widely regarded as one of the finest standard-def cameras ever offered. And yes, you can put a DV tape in it and record DV.
The product defines whether something is professional or not. Sony's marketing department doesn't get to pigeonhole the format as "consumer" just because they have a stockpile of Z1s they need to clear out.
