I ordered an AG-HVX200 from a supplier who shall go unnamed for the moment and got an AG-HVX200P. Could someone please tell me if I there is any reason I should be concerned about this? I could not find any info about this specifi designation on the Panasonic Website.

If anyone could clarify I would be most grateful.

Brian

Don't worry. AG-HVX200P is US/NTSC version.

AG-HVX200E (European/PAL)

I bought an HVX200p and it works fine here in Atlanta.

...but I haven't taken it into Alabama yet.

...but I haven't taken it into Alabama yet.


Ha!

I am looking at the manual provided now and all the frame rates appear to be in NTSC: 480i/60i (30p/24p/24pa) convert to 48060i
so it would seem that I am the clear. No need to move to Atlanta just yet!

I wonder if the P designation is just an early model# or something.

Here's the B&H link that says the P model is PAL:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=439043

You didn't buy from one of those "Broadway Photo" type dealers, didja?

Hold on, guys. There's some mistaken information being put out here.

HVX200P = NTSC. It doesn't matter what B&H or anyone else says; the model number for the HVX200 in America is HVX200P. I'm looking at the box mine came in right now, it says AG-HVX200PY.

HVX200E = PAL/Europe.

HVX202EN = PAL/Oceania/Asia. Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, etc. Exact same features as HVX200E, but a different model number to differentiate what territory it was sold in.

So if you're in America and you got an HVX200P, that's exactly what you want.

Hey Bill,

I called them earlier am waiting to hear back from the Sales person I dealt with initially. However, in the interim, I called Panasonic support in LA and spoke w/ Marcia in the broadcast sales dept. She said that ALL the boxes and manuals have the P on them for some reason and that there is no plain ag-HVX200. That pretty much settles it for me. Thanks to everyone out there for all hand holding!

I have an HVX200P and I got mine from B&H photo. Doesn't do PAL.

That's great that you got the right camera. Thanks for the correction, Barry.
Sorry about the misinformation I got from the B&H website. I bet they get a bunch of messages after this!

B&H has a phenomenal website; it's so huge though that it seems almost guaranteed that something will slip through the cracks once in a while.

As for "why a P"? Near as we've been able to figure, we guess that the "P" stands for "Pacific", since all NTSC countries border the Pacific Ocean.

Of course, not all Pacific countries use NTSC though, so that's a tenuous idea there... :)

Talking about weird, here in Macau, we have to get our official gear in Hong-Kong, and the HVX model is HVX200MC- which goes for Mainland China. Suffice to say, ressell value is lower than HVX200E.

Others have reported mistakes in B&H's specs on their web site, but this is the first one I've seen for myself. If a guy orders the P model, which B&H claims is PAL, thinking he's getting PAL, he's going to have a bigger problem than the person here who thought it was PAL but it wasn't, which was good. Hopefully they'll get that one fixed soon.

Hey Bill,

I think you're right about that. My invoice says Panasonic AG-HVX200 HD/SD Camcorder DVCPRO, but the part # indicates PAN-AGHVX200.S

I don't know if I would be better off w/an AGHVX200 'S' or not. It all seems a little odd though.

Brian

The model number of the US version is AG-HVX200P, that is what is on the box. The P indicator shows that it is destined for North America. So you didn't mention who you purchased it from, so as long as you purchased it from an Authorized Vendor in the US you are pretty likely to have a US unit. If purchased from an shaky source, at a price too good to be true, it could be gray market with no US warranty.

As far as what is on the invoice, may dealers have their own internal codes for their own internal computer systems. What is on the box is the right model number.

Hope this helps,

Jan

PS. The AG-HVX200E or AG-HVX202E are PAL units. An AG-HVX200 with no P is a Japanese unit but still NTSC.

Why in the world did they choose a "P" suffix for NA? Very confusing... Unless we are really in Porth Pamerica.

Why in the world did they choose a "P" suffix for NA? Very confusing... Unless we are really in Porth Pamerica.

I think it comes from an historic reference of more than 30 years old, so since it gave a nice demarcation of which to go where, and E was perfect for Europe, it has stuck. Been there forever, all the way back to 3/4" and beyond.

Best,

Jan

Thanks to Barry and Jan for helping clear things up! Note, some manufacturers, like JVC and Sony, designate it as "u" for United States, "e" for Europe/PAL, etc.

heath

Aha, so that's what the U is for.
I think the manufacturers should take a hint from the auto industry and computer software makers. Name the damn things. I can't keep the alphanumerics of the cameras I own straight, much less all the others.
It would be a lot more fun to say, "I'm thinking about buying that 2007 Oscelot."
"Oh yeah, well, I'm gonna hold out for the Wauxahatchee at NAB." "Wauxahatchee--hell, that baby's obsolete before it's even out; take a look at the Orangutan Orange!"
"Ah, the OO is nothing but vaporware; I'll stick with my tried and true Dyslexicon."
"I've got a Wexler."
"...Snob."

If you got it from B&H they sometimes designate packages with various letters at the end......but the P is definitely NTSC

I sent a note to B&H, hopefully they'll correct it soon.

Here's the B&H link that says the P model is PAL:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=439043


I am sorry for the confusion. We're comparing B&H's internal skus to the manufacturer's product codes. I've let the web team know about this and hopefully they'll make things correspond.

Thanks Henry -- your presence here is always appreciated.

I think it comes from an historic reference of more than 30 years old, so since it gave a nice demarcation of which to go where, and E was perfect for Europe, it has stuck. Been there forever, all the way back to 3/4" and beyond.

Best,

JanI understand the "E" for Europe. "U" for USA makes sense. "N" for North America or NTSC is good too. But "P"? Where'd that come from?