P2 Pricing at DVinfo.net

Trey Thompson · January 10th, 2009, 12:09 AM

Anyone heard any news on P2 pricing? Is the 128GB card around the corner? I'm thinking about picking up a 64GB card, but I'd hate to do that now and it be half price next month.

Tom Klein · January 10th, 2009, 12:31 AM

Hi Trey,

I'd bet you could buy now with confidence, 128gig would be long way down the track in my opinion.
Prices of 64's and 32's are stable, if a 128 were to come out soon you would have to sell "two" vital organs to get one judging by the current pricing.

Best is to buy when you "need", be it any size card and forget the cost.

cheers
Tom K

Ellis Kendrick · January 10th, 2009, 12:59 AM

I think there's a good chance Panasonic will drop P2 prices significantly between now and NAB. The economy is shaky, and memory prices for every other format *except* P2 have plunged. My guess is that P2 cards aren't selling very well given these circumstances, and Panasonic is going to have to face the music and adjust its prices.

If I were you, I would wait a little while and see what happens. Remember that the 32Gb P2 card's price hasn't changed in more than a bloody year. A year! What other form of digital storage goes a year without a price drop?

Panasonic better wake up and realize that its entire new pro camera line (hpx2000, hpx3000, 2700, 3700) depends on people embracing P2 storage tech. But I think a lot of folks are not buying those cameras because they're unsure about whether the P2 format is viable. I'm beginning to wonder myself...

Trey Thompson · January 10th, 2009, 01:09 AM

The whole reason I'm asking is because a vendor told me (unofficially of course), that I might want to hold off on a 64gb p2 purchase for a few weeks. I guess the word on the street is that panasonic plans a price drop in feb...

So has anyone heard anything similar? I know without a doubt that they will be cheaper in the future, it's just a matter of when that might be.

TingSern Wong · January 10th, 2009, 08:30 AM

Right now, Singapore pricing for P2 64GB is something like SIN$4,000 - you can pretty buy a good video camera for that money.

I think 64GB P2 card is optimal for my use. And I am waiting for the prices to drop as well. Then no need to carry my 60GB HDD to backup the P2 cards anymore.

Currently, I am not even maxing on my 3 x 16GB P2 cards - I shoot exclusively 720p in native mode - so, I am getting 32 minutes per 16GB P2 - which is pretty good already.

Dan Brockett · January 10th, 2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

Currently, I am not even maxing on my 3 x 16GB P2 cards - I shoot exclusively 720p in native mode - so, I am getting 32 minutes per 16GB P2 - which is pretty good already.

TingSern:

Why do I get 42 minutes of 720 24pN with my 16GB cards and you only get 32? You are getting ripped off for 10 free minutes!

Dan

TingSern Wong · January 10th, 2009, 05:39 PM

Dan,

That's because, in PAL land, I shoot in 720pN, and the frame rate is 25 ... not 24. That explains why you have your "free" 10 minutes :-). There is no such thing as 720p at 24 frames for PAL.

Dan Brockett · January 10th, 2009, 11:32 PM

Really? Just that extra one frame per second eats up 25% of the cards capacity? That math doesn't seem to add up. But then again, I never scored really high on my math tests.

That's a bummer.

Dan

TingSern Wong · January 10th, 2009, 11:53 PM

Oh well ... what can I do?

Dan Brockett · January 11th, 2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

Oh well ... what can I do?

Grin and bear it my friend!

Dan

Tom Klein · January 13th, 2009, 02:23 AM

Seems lots of posts about on forums lately are driven by "Speculation", eg "a friend overheard" , "a guy mentioned to me". and so-on.

Can we stick to an "exchange of ideas" or helpful advice ?.

Cheers
Tom K
olinevideo.com.au

Trey Thompson · January 14th, 2009, 02:55 AM

Tom,

To me the "exchange of ideas" is no different than the "exchange of information". Speculation, info from friends, vendors, or other sources all fall under the umbrella of information; this is after all "Digital Video information Network".

If you were about to spend over $10,000 on camera equipment wouldn't you exhaust all your options to make sure that the next best thing isn't about to be released?

Anyway, sorry to have annoyed you.

Christian Magnussen · January 14th, 2009, 09:04 AM

In the world of flash media and broadcast I think we might has to differ between the smaller producers and larger production houses and tv networks.

The smaller need to take price much more into consideration and also might have the time to wait say a month and then buy. A production house or tv network usually need stuff now or the plan ahead and buy, lots of it. A tv station buying boxes with P2 cards don't pay the price that are offered to the smaller guys. And a large firm has the power to demand dates for when say Panasonic will start to make 128gb p2 cards....

But if you are about to spend 10 grand at you local dealer, I hope that they then are service minded enough to let you know if its smart to wait say a week or two...

Tom Klein · January 17th, 2009, 05:31 AM

Hello Trey,

No, you haven't annoyed me. If I need product I buy it, if I can't afford it, I don't. and to wait for the "latest and greatest" in this industry is not always the best move.But, that's your choice.

good luck with your vendor.
Cheers
Tom K

Chris Hurd · January 17th, 2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trey Thompson

Speculation, info from friends, vendors, or other sources all fall under the umbrella of information

Just so you know: on this site we make a *big* distinction between information and speculation.

January 10th, 2009, 12:09 AM	#1
Trey Thompson New Boot Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 9	P2 Pricing Anyone heard any news on P2 pricing? Is the 128GB card around the corner? I'm thinking about picking up a 64GB card, but I'd hate to do that now and it be half price next month.

January 10th, 2009, 12:31 AM	#2
Tom Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Vic Posts: 160	Hi Trey, I'd bet you could buy now with confidence, 128gig would be long way down the track in my opinion. Prices of 64's and 32's are stable, if a 128 were to come out soon you would have to sell "two" vital organs to get one judging by the current pricing. Best is to buy when you "need", be it any size card and forget the cost. cheers Tom K __________________ Tom K www.olinevideo.com.au

January 13th, 2009, 02:23 AM	#11
Tom Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Vic Posts: 160	Seems lots of posts about on forums lately are driven by "Speculation", eg "a friend overheard" , "a guy mentioned to me". and so-on. Can we stick to an "exchange of ideas" or helpful advice ?. Cheers Tom K olinevideo.com.au __________________ Tom K www.olinevideo.com.au

January 17th, 2009, 05:31 AM	#14
Tom Klein Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Vic Posts: 160	Hello Trey, No, you haven't annoyed me. If I need product I buy it, if I can't afford it, I don't. and to wait for the "latest and greatest" in this industry is not always the best move.But, that's your choice. good luck with your vendor. Cheers Tom K __________________ Tom K www.olinevideo.com.au

January 10th, 2009, 12:59 AM	#3
Ellis Kendrick New Boot Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 21	I think there's a good chance Panasonic will drop P2 prices significantly between now and NAB. The economy is shaky, and memory prices for every other format except P2 have plunged. My guess is that P2 cards aren't selling very well given these circumstances, and Panasonic is going to have to face the music and adjust its prices. If I were you, I would wait a little while and see what happens. Remember that the 32Gb P2 card's price hasn't changed in more than a bloody year. A year! What other form of digital storage goes a year without a price drop? Panasonic better wake up and realize that its entire new pro camera line (hpx2000, hpx3000, 2700, 3700) depends on people embracing P2 storage tech. But I think a lot of folks are not buying those cameras because they're unsure about whether the P2 format is viable. I'm beginning to wonder myself...

January 10th, 2009, 01:09 AM	#4
Trey Thompson New Boot Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 9	The whole reason I'm asking is because a vendor told me (unofficially of course), that I might want to hold off on a 64gb p2 purchase for a few weeks. I guess the word on the street is that panasonic plans a price drop in feb... So has anyone heard anything similar? I know without a doubt that they will be cheaper in the future, it's just a matter of when that might be.

January 10th, 2009, 08:30 AM	#5
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	Right now, Singapore pricing for P2 64GB is something like SIN$4,000 - you can pretty buy a good video camera for that money. I think 64GB P2 card is optimal for my use. And I am waiting for the prices to drop as well. Then no need to carry my 60GB HDD to backup the P2 cards anymore. Currently, I am not even maxing on my 3 x 16GB P2 cards - I shoot exclusively 720p in native mode - so, I am getting 32 minutes per 16GB P2 - which is pretty good already.

January 10th, 2009, 05:39 PM	#7
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	Dan, That's because, in PAL land, I shoot in 720pN, and the frame rate is 25 ... not 24. That explains why you have your "free" 10 minutes :-). There is no such thing as 720p at 24 frames for PAL.

January 10th, 2009, 11:32 PM	#8
Dan Brockett Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,109	Really? Just that extra one frame per second eats up 25% of the cards capacity? That math doesn't seem to add up. But then again, I never scored really high on my math tests. That's a bummer. Dan

January 10th, 2009, 11:53 PM	#9
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	Oh well ... what can I do?

January 14th, 2009, 02:55 AM	#12
Trey Thompson New Boot Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 9	Tom, To me the "exchange of ideas" is no different than the "exchange of information". Speculation, info from friends, vendors, or other sources all fall under the umbrella of information; this is after all "Digital Video information Network". If you were about to spend over $10,000 on camera equipment wouldn't you exhaust all your options to make sure that the next best thing isn't about to be released? Anyway, sorry to have annoyed you.

January 14th, 2009, 09:04 AM	#13
Christian Magnussen Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 191	In the world of flash media and broadcast I think we might has to differ between the smaller producers and larger production houses and tv networks. The smaller need to take price much more into consideration and also might have the time to wait say a month and then buy. A production house or tv network usually need stuff now or the plan ahead and buy, lots of it. A tv station buying boxes with P2 cards don't pay the price that are offered to the smaller guys. And a large firm has the power to demand dates for when say Panasonic will start to make 128gb p2 cards.... But if you are about to spend 10 grand at you local dealer, I hope that they then are service minded enough to let you know if its smart to wait say a week or two...