What is the resolution on the componet out jack on the Z1. Is it 1440x1080 or 1920x1080?

The HDV 1080i spec is 1440x1080 anamorphic, but it is stretched to 1920x1080 for output. But this is also affected by a menu setting which allows you to choose 1080i50, 1080i60, 480i60, 480p30, 576i50 or 576p25 on the Z1.

Boyd answered your question, but to be sure it's clear, it's 1920 x 1080 on the component output.

Boyd answered your question, but to be sure it's clear, it's 1920 x 1080 on the component output.

I have a few questions:

So live out of the camera would be considered uncompressed?

So playing back from tape is what out of the componet out?

Live out of the camera is uncompressed.
Component out post-tape/recording is uncompressed, but the stream has already been compressed.

Put another way, playing a VHS tape out of a component output is also uncompressed, but the media was compressed when it was put onto tape, therefore compressing it for storage.
Uncompressed does not=great quality, unless the source was never compressed to begin with.

Live output is pre-HDV compression.

Thank you for your quick response, I am debating a coworker on these issues as I type. There is much confusion over here. On another note, is HD-SDI considered a better output source that componet output. HD SDI is still an analog signal correct?

SDI stands for Serial Digital Interface... So figure out... ;-)

I'm still in doubt:

Is the high def component signal from the Sony Z1:

1. a signal which decompressed an already HDV-compressed signal - with, followingly, little or no real advantage, compared with the Firewire HDV signal sent from tape,

OR

2. a non-compressed signal sent directly from the AD circuitry BEFORE HDV compression

OR

3. ...any other variant?

Please enlighten me !!

It is before HDV compression. So better then via the firewire out, if you do it live. During playback not, then you get the HDV materia as it is on tape, so compressed.

Douglas and Vincent seem to confirm that LIVE HD output from the Sony Z1 is uncompressed and, therefore, so much better.

Have any of you guys out there EVER tested thoroughly LIVE HD output from the Z1 and compared it with the HDV signal over Firewire? It would be nice to hear how such comparison has been achieved (capture card, capture software and subsequent testing).

Otherwise the assertion may be based on "hearsay" or "subjective impression"....

This is a subject of HUGE discussion around the world. It's how folks like Scott Billups shoot some of their work, it's why companies like Wafian and CineForm partnered up to create uncompressed input to lightly compressed codecs in a box, it's why Black Magic sells cards and boxes, along with AJA and Bluefish.
Yes, it's been done, tested, discussed a lot. All you need is an HDSDI card if you have an SDI converter from someone like Convergent Design, or a component input card such as an AJA. You can not only see the difference immediately, but the difference range in color grading is significant as well.

I do believe that if you search around the image galleries here, you can compare the two.

Thanks Douglas. The Scott Billups reference might be true for the Canon XL H1 HDV cam (see:http://www.usa.canon.com/app/html/XLH1/case_study_01.shtml) . But what about the Sony Z1 Live HD output compared with the XLH1 ?

now you're asking a different question, one of opinion and not fact. I'll leave that one to others.
*all* HDV, and almost all DV camcorders offer a pre-compression, 4:2:2 output. Nothing new, nothing different, been that way for many years now.
In any case, *any* time you can avoid compression, it's a better quality image.

since canon uses 1440x1080 sensor, it should be better than the 960x1080 from the sony.
currently, capturing HD component or HD-SDI is very expensive.(needs oversized PC, big processor, fast raid disk, expensive capture card)
you can do a lot cheaper with capturing HDMI with the Intensity (250$) card and a good coded like cineform.
component to HDMI converters come for cheap also (less than 200$) while component to HD-SDI are over 700$.
My opinion is if you shoot HDV (on tape) correctly (good light, tripod, slow move) you would see only marginal improvement going direct component capture.
If you are really looking for the best, renting an XD cam with superior optics will really make the difference.