PDW-700 XDCAM HD Camcorder announced; 2/3rd-inch, 4:2:2

[Chris Hurd]

News from IBC2007:

The PDW-700 will be the "Top-of-the-range XDCAM HD camcorder recording HD material at up to 50Mb/s onto Dual Layer Disc – Three 2/3-inch CCD sensors, Full 1920 x 1080 4:2:2 operation and 1080/720 switchable."

Also announced is the PDW-HD1500 recorder to go with it.

See http://www.sonybiz.net/biz/view/Show...=1184310553385

[Simon Duncan]

Hi Chris,

Any idea on a release date for this camera?
Would it be around the same time as the PDW EX1?

Since the company I am doing some work for are looking at this camera and I'd been really keen to get my hands on it.


Thanks

[Chris Hurd]

No date mentioned in the press release, but I would assume its target delivery date is intended for early 2008 and not at the same time as the PDW-EX1. I'd love to be proven wrong, though!

[Ivan Snoeckx]

They will be released early 2008 according someone from Sony yesterday at IBC. They had two camera's on their booth at IBC. From what I saw it looked very good. The time to play with was very short, because everyone wanted to see and touch this beautiful toy! ;-)

[Simon Duncan]

Was there any indication of price?

[Gerson Becker]

Any sign of Cinealta logo in the camera, since there is no 24f at the link?

[Ivan Snoeckx]

I couldn't get a price indication, but you can expect it somewhere between an PDW-F355 and HDW-730S. That's nothing new because I guess you already knew that.

As far as I can remember there was no CineAlta logo on the camera.

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Gerson Becker

Any sign of Cinealta logo in the camera, since there is no 24f at the link?

This camera isn't supposed to have 24P (or at least that was the case at NAB). It's aimed at high quality network news gathering.

-gb-

[Mike Marriage]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

This camera isn't supposed to have 24P (or at least that was the case at NAB). It's aimed at high quality network news gathering.

-gb-

And otherwise it would really knock a hole in the HDCAM sales.

I thought after the EX1 Sony had started giving the shooter what they want, not just what Sony wants them to have. :(

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Mike Marriage

I thought after the EX1 Sony had started giving the shooter what they want, not just what Sony wants them to have. :(

As a manufacturer, you do have to protect the investments of your customers or else you won't have any in short order.

Sony has three levels of HD market segment...

HDV - aimed at consumers and low end professionals
XDCAM HD - mid level quality for production houses and indy film makers
HDCAM/SR - the high end imagery for those that demand it

Sorry if that bothers you, but that's the way it is.

-gb-

[Matthew Ernest Adams]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

Sorry if that bothers you, but that's the way it is.

-gb-

You say this as if you are complicit or at least agree with their thinking?

I think it's a huge mistake if that's how their going to operate. Too bad.

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Matthew Ernest Adams

You say this as if you are complicit or at least agree with their thinking?

I think it's a huge mistake if that's how their going to operate. Too bad.

This is not unique to Sony. Many manufacturers of many different products have a product line differentiation with pricing that reflects it.

When I was recently looking up engine parts for my Briggs and Stratton powered pressure washer, I found that even they have different tiers of engine build quality depending on expected end use.

Or, how about a 1 ton dually pick up vs. a 1/2 ton pick up. They both haul things in the bed, but the former will cost much more because it has a lot of extra heavy duty build quality.

HDCAM/SR = 1 ton dually with diesel engine
HDV = 1/2 ton pickup

I could go on with more examples, but I hope you get the point.

As to complicit, well, I do get hired by Sony occasionally to demo and teach the XDCAM HD stuff, mainly because I was an early adopter. To that end, I know where they officially position their HD product segments.

-gb-

[Greg Penetrante]

Originally Posted by Matthew Ernest Adams

I think it's a huge mistake if that's how their going to operate. Too bad.

I agree. While Sony 'has' to protect the customers' investment, IMHO this specific delineation point (optical) is stupid, in that Sony wants to use their most highly spec'ed format for interlaced images only (at least in the initial specs)?????????

I believe there is space for BOTH highly spec'ed optical and tape-based formats. The high-end pros will likely stick to the tape-based F900/R and many high-end indie filmmakers could use the pdw-700. At least Sony could install 24P recording via an OPTION board (like the old XDCams)...!

Just as well for Sony, then, because this move might drive indies who want highly spec'ed file-based recording to the Red camera (assuming Red can increase their manufacturing throughput) or to Panasonic's 2/3" camp (where P2 cost may not be an issue for the high-end folks)...

cheers,
-G

(I own an F350 rig, BTW so I don' mean to troll)

[Tip McPartland]

When Sony and Panasonic introduced the DV format, as we all know they made it 4:1:1 (NTSC). This intentional hobbling was to protect both companies' high-end digital formats, Digital Beta and D-5.

But JVC didn't have a high-end digital format to defend, so they introduced Digital-S (later called D-9) which was 4:2:2, higher data rate and lower compression than DV. It was virtually as good as Digital Beta, something that Sony would not do at the lower price point, which of course they could have easily done.

Sadly, most videographers failed to notice the incredible value proposition of D-9 and supported the vastly inferior DV. Later Panasonic gave the D-9 fomrat a nod by cloning it into DVCPRO 50. Anyway, thanks to Sony's market stratification, I made my living for six or seven years with my D-9 camera and deck primarily by upselling clients from DV to D-9.

Hence my email address of tipsd9video@msn.com which I guess I should update someday to tipsxdcamhdvideo. No, it just doesn't roll off the tongue.

Tip

[Mike Marriage]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

HDCAM/SR = 1 ton dually with diesel engine
HDV = 1/2 ton pickup

Greg, I understand why they may exclude 24p from this camera and it is not for the customers benefit.

The point is that 24p could easily be included as it has been on many lower end cameras. I doubt it would add anything to the price as it would likely be a software setting. It's not like they are having to build a bigger pickup truck.

Of course, Sony can "give away" 24p on lower end cameras because high end users demand 2/3" chips and better codecs. The PDW 700 would supply these, and with 24p would take business away from HDCAM.

The specs do mention progressive scan, so it should have 25p in PAL land. Hopefully 24p will be there too by the time of release.