Q1. Are you planning a DVCAM HD version.

A. For existing DVCAM users we will launch new tape based HDV switchable compact and shoulder style cameras with an interchangable lense system. This will provide new high quality tapebased solutions for our existing customers. It is very important for sony to offer our customers choice depending on their customers business and creative drivers.

Q2. For the thousands of DVCAM users who would like to use the EX camera how easy will it be to downconvert to DV/DVCAM. Is this done via the camera or will the software do this for you.

A. It won't be able to down convert in the camera. There will be a deck available that will be released at NAB which will down convert via i-link. Non linear editors can also also down convert after the post production process.

As technology evolves so will the processing power to make editing easier maintaining optimum picture quality through the production process. It is required from many clients from those who make wedding videos, corporates and entry level broadcasters.

Interoperability with apple final cut pro is very good. We have received lots of positive feedback from apple final cut pro users wanting to switch to a fully non linear workflow.

I know this isn't downconverting in camera, but Cineform's HDLink has a batch process that will allow you to batch-downconvert to SD in three flavors.

You can either 'crop' the edges off the 16:9 format if you want 4:3 OR you can 'letterbox' the footage into a 4:3 frame size/aspect ratio, or you can 'squeeze' it into 16:9 NTSC 1.2 aspect ratio if you want.

That should be familiar terminology for those of us using the Sony HDV cameras.

At least you could take your HD files, copy them to your computer, then batch-downcovert all of them before you edit.

The EX1 will output SD from the component, SDi and composite outputs. If you have a decklink card you could output SD over SDi encoding to either DV or maybe DVCPRO50 for really good quality SD.