Thinking of DVX100b: will NTSC or PAL matter for me?

H

Hughan

New member
This is my first time posting, though I've visited many times. Please excuse me if my post exposes my lack of knowledge about (creating) video...

I'm researching the possibility of doing instructional videos to complement audio-only content I already produce. I've already done quite an amount of testing on a crappy little Sony recorder I've had for some time and I've also done considerable research and testing on lighting, audio, editing with with Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, and more.

I think I'm ready to ditch that little Sony and progress to a 'proper' camera, i.e. the DVX100b.

It is highly likely that the short video lessons I will produce will be for web distribution only and that they will never be viewed on a TV screen.
Am I right in thinking, therefore, that it doesn't matter whether I'm using an NTSC or PAL camera? In other words, that these standards are only applicable to TV-screen viewing?

I'm in Ireland and stock cameras are generally (always?) PAL. But, given their comparably ludicrous prices here, I'm considering ordering a DVX100b directly from someone like bhphoto in the U.S. who presumably sell only NTSC cameras? With the weak dollar and strong euro, the price differential is huge between the U.S. and here, not just a few percent.

(I did come upon a crowd called Expandore in Singapore who sell PAL versions of this camera, but...)

Any help appreciated.

Hugh
 
If you're producing for the web, then NTSC or PAL will be irrelevant. The web is the great equalizer.

However, there are two things you should be aware of, if you go with an NTSC unit and you live in a PAL country:
1) you won't have any sort of warranty coverage. You'd have to send it back to the country you bought it from if you needed any repairs.

2) when it comes time to resell it, if you want to resell locally there will likely be very little interest in an NTSC unit in a PAL country.

Other than those two caveats, it sounds like an NTSC unit might work for you.
 
Barry,

Would the power supply work with his power outlets? I'm not sure what Ireland uses for power, but would he need to get a different power supply adapter?
 
Thanks, Barry and Tom, for your help on this. I guess I'll need to look into the warranty situation in particular. The power in Ireland is 230v/50Hz. The plugs/sockets are 3 square pins, so the power adaptor issue is also significant...

Hugh
 
Two points I'd like to make:
1) Your crappy Sony cam is good enough for the web. Don't buy what you don't need.
2) If you can afford the DVX, you can afford the XH A1, a professional HDV camcorder will serve you well for the foreseeable future. It's a big mistake to spend a huge amount of money on a DV cam when HDV cams with DV mode support are so cheap.
 
It's not that I'm dying to throw my money away but despite what you say, I'm inclined to think the Sony cannot do what I want, even for the web.

I certainly take your point but, try as I might, the results I've had from the crappy Sony are just that: crappy. That's after lots of test work using tripods, lots of extra lighting, sound tracks recorded separately and then sychronised with the video in FCP. I've tried adjusting levels, colour correcting, and more, but the quality is just simply not what I would like.

I've done a lot of reading and researching about the DVX100b - almost invariably positive. That said, I know nothing of the XH A1. I'll get googling...


Hugh
 
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were dying to throw money away.

Some more questions:
1) What model is your Sony cam?
2) How much extra lighting did you use with it? (hint: maybe it was just not enough; have you tried taken some shots outdoors, with a tripod?)
3) Can you show us some full resolution screen grabs from those crappy videos?
4) Have you taken some shots outdoors?

You might be surprised to learn that the problem isn't the Sony cam's fault. I've made perfectly good-looking youtube videos with a digital still camera. I don't see why a camcorder - any camcorder - won't do much better if you feed it with enough light. When we say enough light, we mean 1000 Watts or more. Or better still, just shoot your videos outdoors.

As for sound, that's a different issue entirely. If you're recording the audio separately and you're still not getting good sound, the DVX won't do any better.
 
Hughan, Im selling an XH A1 in the market place forum on this board. Its an NTSC model though. Warranty period has expired. In perfect working order. Sold a few things on DVXUser with nothing but positive outcomes.
 
Seunosewa,
1) camera is a DCR-HC14E - a little camera I got years ago to record stuff with my kids, etc.
2) lighting: the additional lighting wasn't 1000W - only half that - so you may well be right. I guess this is at the root of the poor results. I've got two sets of lights on stands with five bulbs in each head but, in total, it's only around 500W.
3) I don't have full-res grabs right now, but... I did go back to some footage I took around Christmas which was better than recent test stuff. I think that it was better then because of better arrangement of the lighting... and more incidental light, too, as the footage was taken on a bright day, near big windows.
4) Outdoor stuff is ok but what I'll want to be doing will have to be done indoors. (I plan to have two people 'discussing' educational content - at a desk or whatever - with a (Photoshop) 'backdrop' behind them. The two people will be keyed out from a green screen (another can of worms, I know, but I'm aiming high ;o)

As for sound, the sound I'm getting is perfect. No probs there - recording on high quality Rode mics through a mixer and further fixed up in Soundtrack Pro, then sync-ed in FCP. Having said that, the sync-ing takes a lot of time. The thought of XLR connectors on a 'proper' camera so no sync-ing would be necessary is of great appeal.

Noel.... if I can't get the results from my Sony... I'm going to hold out for a PAL camera, given what others have said here about me being in Ireland and all that. Thks anyway.

Hugh
 
Hmmm.

Your camcorder is indeed old, but the next step up doesn't have to be the DVX.

I use the Rode Videomic with my GS500, no mixer or XLR, and I get good audio.

When I shoot in low light, I always clean my videos with the Neat Video plugin. This may be all you need to make your Sony cam usable for the web.

There's nothing wrong with buying a professional camera, but it would be a big mistake to buy a DV camera when you can get a HDV camera with the same range of features for about the same price. If you're going to spend money, spend it on something that will serve you for many many years. Consider the XH A1. All HDV cams support DV, but DV cams don't support HDV.

And yes, a PAL camcorder might serve you better, but most PAL TV sets and DVD players support NTSC content. An NTSC cam will only be a problem if you need to broadcast your videos on a local TV channel. Even then, there are many ways to convert NTSC material to PAL on a PC.

Good luck!
 
The PAL version has almost one fifth more resolution than the NTSC version. Check out LAND OF PLENTY (PAL) as oppossed to LONESOME JIM (NTSC). It's a noticable difference in quality. I'd go for the PAL version, especially if you live in PAL land. It's worth it.
 
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