H1 owners, would you pay for an SDI upgrade?

[Chris Hurd]

I can just imagine Canon officials rolling their eyes and sending their Goon Squad to my house in the middle of the night, but... I have to ask anyway.

Blue Sky Pipe Dream: what if your H1 could be upgraded somehow to allow for embedded audio and Time Code over SDI? Would you take the time and money to send your camera in to factory service for such an upgrade?

NOTE: Such an upgrade DOES NOT ACTUALLY EXIST. I'm just curious if you would really do it if you had the option.

Maybe this is completely unrealistic, I don't know. But think about it for a second... if it's a feasable thing, and if enough H1 owners indicate their desire for it (say there was an overwhelming response), don't you think the idea might even make it as far as some board meeting somewhere? Maybe this poll could get that ball rolling.

Let's assume that the service fee for a factory upgrade to change the SDI output on your XL H1 from SMPTE 292M (video only) to SMPTE 299M (video, audio, TC) would cost about $300 or $400. Would you do it?

Remember: This ain't for real! Please don't call Canon asking for it, because this entire idea is only in my head. If you ask Canon, they'll say, "sounds like you've been talking to that crazy Chris Hurd again. Why don't you get off the internet and go shoot something with your H1." So don't bug 'em about it, instead let's just discuss it here please.

If you could get SMPTE 299M -- embedded audio and Time Code over SDI -- for your H1, would you buy it?

[Charles Perkins]

i would jump at the chance to get an upgrade. but i dont see why i should pay. i would if i had to though.

[Nick Hiltgen]

Hey chris, why don't we call canon up? I mean maybe if enough people call up asking for this mythical option then they'll get the picture (heh.. picture) But we probably shouldn't stop with the smpte299 port why not go ahead and upgrade ALL of the things that the chaper models have but the xl-h1 doesn't? Of course that might hurt the sales of the xl-h1s(2)...

By the way I was seriously considering the miranda $2K option so if it's less then that it's worth it for me...

[Jacques Mersereau]

My guess is that we would have to send in our cameras. That is okay with
me and I do like the idea of Canon making us a package deal of
the upgrade and console software (intel mac compat.) for $500.00.
At The H1's $9K price point we expect a lot for our money in this
market segement.

IMO, Canon should have at LEAST put timecode into the HD-SDI stream
to begin with. Audio would be gravy and very cool.

[Antoine Fabi]

I am not a XLH1 owner ( i own a HVX )

No doubt that HD-SDI with embeded timecode AND audio would make me want to add the XLH1 to my equipment.

[Michael Ojjeh]

I just bought the XL-H1 and I had to pay $590 to upgrade to pal and $80 for shipping. So I think Canon making enough money on a 5min firmware upgrade.
I think an audio upgrade over the SDI output should be part of the camera in the first place. The new JVC HD200/250 will have it with no extra money to upgrade so why should we pay for it ?

[Daniel Epstein]

My answer is yes I would pay $ for TC and audio in the SDI stream. If that is the only thing I would get and it is only a firmware issue then $250 sounds like a great price. Of course if they want to include it when I send my camera in for repair through the Canon XL series Owners Club that would be great. Also with the JVC coming down the pike maybe they should ship all the cameras with the Pal upgraded included

[Chris Hurd]

Wow, less than 30 votes in the poll... somewhat discouraging. Let's see if "sticking" this thread at the top of the index will draw some more responses.

[Jon Bickford]

me too, Pal upgrade, Console and SDI upgrade package!

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Charles Perkins

i would jump at the chance to get an upgrade. but i dont see why i should pay. i would if i had to though.

Because Canon would have to pay a licensing fee per unit sold. Therefore, they would be passing that cost on to you. That's why it's not there already, to keep the cost of the camera down.

-gb-

[Barlow Elton]

To get a copy of Console would really help to soothe the annoyance of having to pay a signifigant amount of money for something that should've been there in the first place.

I'd gladly pay around $300 for the embedded SDI and Console

[Michael Fischler]

Originally Posted by Barlow Elton

To get a copy of Console would really help to soothe the annoyance of having to pay a signifigant amount of money for something that should've been there in the first place.

I'd gladly pay around $300 for the embedded SDI and Console

Here, here...

[Brian Gauthier]

actually this is one of the reasons i have not picked up this camera... i do have the XL2 but am waiting until Canon does a complete Update to there HD line of cameras with (what i will call) TRUE 24p abilities and others such as this harm of only having VIDEO Output over SDI...

[Eliot Mack]

I have an XL H1 and was a bit surprised to find out that the HDSDI did not have timecode embedded . . thought that was automatically included. I'd be happy to pay for the upgrade as it is very useful for any sort of post work.

[Nick Hiltgen]

I thyink it might be kinda wishful thining to have all three in an upgrade for 300 bucks. I think for the full package, console ($500 will it ever run on a mac? the pal upgrade ($500) and an HD-SDI upgrade ($???) for 300 bucks may be a little wishful, would be nice to upgrade everything for a grand though, maybe even throw in some of those menu itesm from the xh and xa series. still the camera would be under $10000 total for the camera "pimped out". But I think it's just wishful thinking I don't really have that much faith in canon to follow through with this, but maybe these are the things that can be included in the next version of the camera. (which would probably be an S since I don't think these change are substanical enough to warrant a full number raise.)