There has been some heated debate over in the Panasonic groups about whether the GS400 offers true progressive scan capability, and a lot of this centers on the exact wording in the Panasonic brochures. Now I was a little surprised to see this statement on Canon's website about 30p on the XL-230p, or 30-frame progressive, is a non interlaced format, the same as Canon's Frame Movie Modehttp://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=114&modelid=10350

Can anyone clarify this seeming contradiction?

Where's the contradiction?

Frame Movie mode gave the same results as progressive scan, but by different means. The XL2 has true progressive scan CCD's.

Well one interpretation would be that that Canon's frame mode is a form of non-interlaced video, but that the XL-2 shoots true progressive scan. Another interpretation would be that the XL-2's progressive mode is the same as frame mode on the XL-1. From all that I've read, true progressive scan as implemented on the DVX-100 for example, produces a higher resolution image but the Canon frame mode only approximates this, as discussed here ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/papers/Progressive-WP.pdf

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Thanks for clearing that up Chris, it's strange that they mention frame mode in the specs.

thx for the article. it was highly informative =^).

I went to that site and copied what I saw, and I don't see the quote you pasted. Where did it come from?

Here is the full text of that segment on frame rate:


60i / 30p / 24p (2:3 and 2:3:3:2 both with 1/48th second shutter speed) frame rates are available in the XL2.

The demands being made on the video production community to be able to provide solutions under a multitude of different scenarios have been met with the Canon XL2. It delivers 60i, 30p, 24p (2:3 and 2:3:3:2) frame rates. 60i (interlaced) is the standard video frame rate that has been in use for decades; it's what you see on your home TV, and is captured by handheld consumer camcorders. Progressive (non-interlaced) scanning mimics a film camera's frame-by-frame image capture. 30p, or 30-frame progressive, a non-interlaced format, produces video at the rate of 30 frames per second, delivering spectacular clarity for high speed subjects. Shooting in 30P mode offers video with no interlace artifacts.

The 24p frame rate, for example, is now widely adopted by those planning on transferring the video signal to film. But film/videomakers turn to 24p for the "cine" look even if their productions are not going to be transferred to film, simply because of the "look" of the frame rate. Also just as important as 24p, is the shutter speed of 1/48th per second. This is the standard shutter speed that movie cameras use. The combination of 24p frame rate and 1/48th perfectly mimic a motion film camera.

24p with 2:3 pulldown produces video with the look and motion of film. (24p, used in conjunction with a cine gamma curve on the XL2, produces images that have similar tonal characteristics as film. This mode is used when the finished video will be shown on television. 24p with 2:3:3:2 pulldown, is used when the video is going to be transferred to film. The 2:3:3:2 pulldown allows to editing software to extract true 24 frames a second.

Look under "Complete Feature List" -

- 60i, 30p and 24p (NTSC format)
The XL2 delivers 60i, 30p and 24p frame rates. 60i is the standard video frame rate used in television today, as viewed on your home TV, whether from a broadcast signal, rented DVD or home camcorder. 30p, or 30-frame progressive, is a non interlaced format, the same as Canon's Frame Movie Mode, producing video at 30 frames per second, delivering spectacular clarity and a cinematic-like appearance. 24p, also non-interlaced, produces video with the look and motion of film; its capture rate is the same as that of movie film for theatrical viewing.

Ah, OK, thanks for helping me find that. So in one place they say it's progressive scan and in another place they say it's the same as the frame movie mode. Interesting.

Under specs you can read:
"Image Sensor
Size 1/3", approx. 680,000 pixels (total), Progressive Scan CCD x3 (charge-coupled device) with horizontal pixel shift"

So, Progressive Scan with horizontal pixel shift. How's that? :)

That's great.