Will the HDV format fade away?

[Dror Levi]

HI there
I hope this is the right place to post this question or should I say my concern

I am a wedding videographer that currently has the fx1
My debate started when I started looking for a 2nd camera.
I did not know if I should get the z1 , z7 or the ex1
The only thing with the Ex1 is that I don’t think it can work together with the fx1 since it is HD Format vs. HDV.
So do I need to sell my fx1 and get to EX1?
Will the HDV format fade away? If so why did Sony make the z7?

[Robert M Wright]

Don't sweat it. HDV is well established and isn't going to disappear overnight. The EX1 also uses MPEG2 compression. MPEG2 editing support will be around for the foreseeable future.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Dror Levi

The only thing with the Ex1 is that I don’t think it can work together with the fx1 since it is HD Format vs. HDV.

Hi Dror, it's important to realize that HDV *is* HD. HDV is one particular HD format while XDCAM HD is another particular HD format (ultimately though, they are both HD formats, each with its own type of workflow). All video formats fade away eventually -- but HDV isn't leaving us anytime soon. Hope this helps,

[Perrone Ford]

The EX1 will shoot HDV if you want it to.

[Bill Pryor]

XDCAM HD is HDV at a faster data rate.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

XDCAM HD is HDV at a faster data rate.

I don't understand your point...

[Kevin Shaw]

He's commenting that XDCAM uses the same basic compression technology as HDV, but at higher bit rates - plus it can record full 1920 x 1080 resolution where HDV is anamorphic 1440 x 1080. So it's not quite the same but they are related.

People have been predicting the decline of HDV since it was introduced four years ago, but it's still going strong and will continue to be functional as long as miniDV tapes are readily available. One good complement to an FX1 would be another FX1, or a Z1U if you need more advanced features. The Z7U is also becoming popular for weddings but is a bit harder to learn than the FX1. Also consider that the HC9 can be a good backup camera and playback device for the more expensive cameras.

[Dror Levi]

Thank you all for your all comments and suggestion.
After reading and reading some more I got to the conclusion that I am still not sure and still confused as far as how long it will take before the HD will be the dominate format.
Is it going to take 2 or 3 years? That I don’t know.
It does not look like it will take long especially when you see this days small cameras coming in HD format like the Canon VIXIA HV30 HD Camcorder.
For my needs as a wedding videographer the HD cameras that I considered are not an option at this point
First because over the entire package is very expensive when you add to it the storage cards.
2nd it has problems when there is photographers around it (flash light)
So, I think for me 2nd fx1 will do it.
Again thank you so much for all the input.

[Robert M Wright]

You might look at the XH-A1. (Better value at current retail prices, in my opinion.)

[Kevin Shaw]

Originally Posted by Dror Levi

After reading and reading some more I got to the conclusion that I am still not sure and still confused as far as how long it will take before the HD will be the dominate format.

HD is quickly replacing SD as the standard recording format for professional video projects, thanks partly to the popularity of HDV (which as Chris noted is an HD format). Another FX1 will serve you well until you have a client who insists on more advanced gear, and at that point just charge them for the cost of renting same.

[Cole McDonald]

Originally Posted by Kevin Shaw

HD is quickly replacing SD as the standard recording format for professional video projects, thanks partly to the popularity of HDV (which as Chris noted is an HD format). Another FX1 will serve you well until you have a client who insists on more advanced gear, and at that point just charge them for the cost of renting same.

Keep in mind that by quickly, he means that SD was predicted to DIE 5 years ago... and still isn't gone. You'll see much more HD here than out in the real world even as these are the bleeding edge folks ;)

[Robert M Wright]

I'd be somewhat surprised if sales of HD cameras don't exceed sales of SD cameras, to professionals, by a pretty wide margin nowadays.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Robert M Wright

I'd be somewhat surprised if sales of HD cameras don't exceed sales of SD cameras, to professionals, by a pretty wide margin nowadays.

I know a few HDV cameras used by broadcast camera people that have (so far) only been used for shooting SD on Mini DV.

[Heath McKnight]

HDV will eventually fade away, but not for a while. But HDV is based on tape, but tape is going away. I have an EX1, and I'm now a fan of drive-, disc/disk-, or card-based cameras!

As for a second camera, how about the small Sony A1u?

heath

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Dror Levi

or my needs as a wedding videographer the HD cameras that I considered are not an option at this point

IMHO the FX1 will be fine so long as you go out and shoot good stuff with it and earn enough money to make it into a profit centre rather than a cost.

There's two sides to HD:

- The origination format (HDV, DVCProHD, whatever is the flavour of the month)

- The delivery format (BluRay, HD via cable or satellite, web based, downloadable files)

Your wedding clients don't need to know the origination format, but do need to know that you will DELIVER in HD, whether you give them a BluRay disk, a URL or even the channel and time slot. I doubt you'll hand over a tape!

Now that BluRay and Cable are established, and broadcasters switch to HD, I guess we're seeing the graph of HD viewers begin to point ever upwards, which means we're probably in the foothills of a standard bell-chart of adoption. Even in the UK it's hard not to purchase any TV (of reasonable quality) that's not HD ready. So anyone replacing their TV set in the last year or so just needs some source device with an HDMI output.

As well as a Standard Def DVD, you may hand over your HDV-sourced and HDV-edited wedding video as a 1280x720 WMV on DVD-ROM (or on the Data portion of your DVD which is what I currently do), so if/when they have a PC with HDMI output, they can watch it in HD that way.

But in the years I've been working with Z1s, I've never been asked to hand over an HDV tape (other than handing over rushes of course).

Originally Posted by Heath McKnight

HDV will eventually fade away, but not for a while. But HDV is based on tape, but tape is going away. I have an EX1, and I'm now a fan of drive-, disc/disk-, or card-based cameras!

Well, as the EX family prove - HDV is not limited to recording format. Neither is XDCAM-HD. HDV isn't just on tape - as FCS or any other NLE demonstrates.

So I'd bet the farm on tape fading away (debate elsewhere if that is good or bad thing), whilst HDV in various forms is here for a while yet - just not on tape.