Just bought Sony PDX10

Paul M Roberts · February 6th, 2006, 11:21 PM

Greetings folks,

I have just purchased a new PDX10 from B&H (very good transaction) and have mounted it atop a good little Manfrotto tripod. The first thing I have been more than happy about is the quality of the audio on this camera.

I have purschased this camera mainly to shoot footage for web broadcast. I was wondering if there were any good threads on this board concerning web broadcast. My business partner and I will be shooting custom motorcycle builds, underground music segments, trade shows, homemade stunts, tattoos being administered, etc. for the 18-35 year old "guy" demographic under the title Doghouse TV. We will be looking for contributors and you can e-mail us at paul@doghousetv.com .. but let me get to my question:

Should I record footage to the memory stick or go ahead with the DVCAM medium - what would be the pros/cons bearing in mind a finished product on the web. Also what editing software will allow the easiest "export" to the web? Finally - can I just confirm that I will need a firewire card to get the footage into my computer (USB will work for stills only?).

Thanks for any help in advance. This looks like a great little camera and I'm really itching to do a series of short music documentaries as well.

Chris Long · February 7th, 2006, 04:25 PM

Hi Paul
Congratulations on your purchase! It's a neat little camera. I'll try to address a few of your questions. I've never done any web broadcasting, so I'll skip that part...

"Should I record footage to the memory stick or go ahead with the DVCAM medium - what would be the pros/cons bearing in mind a finished product on the web?" I'm thinking that you should simply shoot to a regular DV tape, not DVCAM. That seems like overkill, and the quality (which will eventually be compromised by the web-sized video files anyway) is the same in either case (DV and DVCAM). My (imperfect) understanding is that DVCAM is simply a little more robust as far as any glitches that might occr while shooting, a little safer. But regular DV has been flawlessly safe for me, so I don't see that there would be an advantage to shooting in DVCAM mode. Others will correct/add to what I've said...

The memory stick is something I would only use for stills.

"Also what editing software will allow the easiest "export" to the web?" I use Premiere Pro, and it's usable for that purpose--not sure how we would determine what is the "easiest" exporter. You'll want to edit your footage, so I think of that as the first priority; how well it does as an editor--then you simply output a file of the correct size and properties for your purposes. Use what you're already familiar with, I'd say.

"can I just confirm that I will need a firewire card to get the footage into my computer (USB will work for stills only?)" That's right, you need to use the firewire cable to get it into your computer. I spent a while in the first days I owned mine trying to get my PDX to transfer video via the USB cable, and it just sat there and did nothing.
Actually, that's not true. I thought I heard it laughing. Very faintly.

Hope some of this helps--others will be along to refine it. Good luck with your projects!

Chris

Boyd Ostroff · February 7th, 2006, 04:44 PM

Actually, I think you can stream low resolution MPEG video using the USB cable on the PDX-10. I've never investigated this since I haven't had the need, and I believe the software only works on Windows. But read the section in the manual about streaming. If you're just looking for low res web video then it might be something useful.

But if you're trying to get any sort of quality then shoot either DV/DVCAM and format for the web in post after editing. True, there is no quality difference between the two. But DVCAM records the data to tape in a little different format and at a higher speed, which supposedly makes dropouts less likely. The only downside to using DVCAM is that a 60 minute DV tape will only last 40 minutes.

For discussion of web video, browse through our DVD/Web forum here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=37

Duane Smith · February 8th, 2006, 02:22 AM

Welcome Paul!

I'd recommend shooting in DVCAM mode rather than standard DV; there's no quality difference (which you'd negate anyways with web-quality video) but like Boyd said, it is a slightly more robust recording format. In my experiences (harsh, outdoor conditions) I've found that I seem to get fewer dropouts when in DVCAM mode.

Of, and forget about memory stick. That's not a feature, it's a gimick. :P

- Duane

Paul M Roberts · February 8th, 2006, 05:09 PM

Thanks gentlemen - I value all your responses. I go into this knowing about photography and digital audio - but the world of video is very new and your experiences are greatly valued. I have begun shooting in DV using Sony Mini dv - would there be a problem in switching to DVCAM in the future or is it best to pick a format and stick with it? Thanks again - as I stated earlier - should any contributors be interested in Doghouse TV - drop me a line at paul@doghousetv.com

Boyd Ostroff · February 9th, 2006, 12:55 AM

You can switch any time you want, but it's best not to switch in the middle of a tape. All Sony camcorders will playback DVCAM tapes, but not all of them record in DVCAM mode. If you want to play DVCAM tapes on other brands of cameras/decks you should check for compatability first.

Duane Smith · February 9th, 2006, 01:55 AM

Paul, like Boyd said, don't switch to DVCAM mode in the middle of a tape. Just wait until you pop in your NEXT tape and then switch to DVCAM mode.

Also, you don't have to buy the expensive SONY DVCAM tapes; regular DV tapes work fine with DVCAM mode recording. Just choose a brand of tape and stick with it.

2¢

February 6th, 2006, 11:21 PM	#1
Paul M Roberts New Boot Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: London Posts: 11	Just bought Sony PDX10 - starting web TV Greetings folks, I have just purchased a new PDX10 from B&H (very good transaction) and have mounted it atop a good little Manfrotto tripod. The first thing I have been more than happy about is the quality of the audio on this camera. I have purschased this camera mainly to shoot footage for web broadcast. I was wondering if there were any good threads on this board concerning web broadcast. My business partner and I will be shooting custom motorcycle builds, underground music segments, trade shows, homemade stunts, tattoos being administered, etc. for the 18-35 year old "guy" demographic under the title Doghouse TV. We will be looking for contributors and you can e-mail us at paul@doghousetv.com .. but let me get to my question: Should I record footage to the memory stick or go ahead with the DVCAM medium - what would be the pros/cons bearing in mind a finished product on the web. Also what editing software will allow the easiest "export" to the web? Finally - can I just confirm that I will need a firewire card to get the footage into my computer (USB will work for stills only?). Thanks for any help in advance. This looks like a great little camera and I'm really itching to do a series of short music documentaries as well.

February 7th, 2006, 04:25 PM	#2
Chris Long Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Middletown, Maryland USA Posts: 177	Hi Paul Congratulations on your purchase! It's a neat little camera. I'll try to address a few of your questions. I've never done any web broadcasting, so I'll skip that part... "Should I record footage to the memory stick or go ahead with the DVCAM medium - what would be the pros/cons bearing in mind a finished product on the web?" I'm thinking that you should simply shoot to a regular DV tape, not DVCAM. That seems like overkill, and the quality (which will eventually be compromised by the web-sized video files anyway) is the same in either case (DV and DVCAM). My (imperfect) understanding is that DVCAM is simply a little more robust as far as any glitches that might occr while shooting, a little safer. But regular DV has been flawlessly safe for me, so I don't see that there would be an advantage to shooting in DVCAM mode. Others will correct/add to what I've said... The memory stick is something I would only use for stills. "Also what editing software will allow the easiest "export" to the web?" I use Premiere Pro, and it's usable for that purpose--not sure how we would determine what is the "easiest" exporter. You'll want to edit your footage, so I think of that as the first priority; how well it does as an editor--then you simply output a file of the correct size and properties for your purposes. Use what you're already familiar with, I'd say. "can I just confirm that I will need a firewire card to get the footage into my computer (USB will work for stills only?)" That's right, you need to use the firewire cable to get it into your computer. I spent a while in the first days I owned mine trying to get my PDX to transfer video via the USB cable, and it just sat there and did nothing. Actually, that's not true. I thought I heard it laughing. Very faintly. Hope some of this helps--others will be along to refine it. Good luck with your projects! Chris

February 7th, 2006, 04:44 PM	#3
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Actually, I think you can stream low resolution MPEG video using the USB cable on the PDX-10. I've never investigated this since I haven't had the need, and I believe the software only works on Windows. But read the section in the manual about streaming. If you're just looking for low res web video then it might be something useful. But if you're trying to get any sort of quality then shoot either DV/DVCAM and format for the web in post after editing. True, there is no quality difference between the two. But DVCAM records the data to tape in a little different format and at a higher speed, which supposedly makes dropouts less likely. The only downside to using DVCAM is that a 60 minute DV tape will only last 40 minutes. For discussion of web video, browse through our DVD/Web forum here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=37

February 8th, 2006, 02:22 AM	#4
Duane Smith Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 234	Welcome Paul! I'd recommend shooting in DVCAM mode rather than standard DV; there's no quality difference (which you'd negate anyways with web-quality video) but like Boyd said, it is a slightly more robust recording format. In my experiences (harsh, outdoor conditions) I've found that I seem to get fewer dropouts when in DVCAM mode. Of, and forget about memory stick. That's not a feature, it's a gimick. :P - Duane

February 8th, 2006, 05:09 PM	#5
Paul M Roberts New Boot Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: London Posts: 11	Thanks gentlemen - I value all your responses. I go into this knowing about photography and digital audio - but the world of video is very new and your experiences are greatly valued. I have begun shooting in DV using Sony Mini dv - would there be a problem in switching to DVCAM in the future or is it best to pick a format and stick with it? Thanks again - as I stated earlier - should any contributors be interested in Doghouse TV - drop me a line at paul@doghousetv.com

February 9th, 2006, 12:55 AM	#6
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	You can switch any time you want, but it's best not to switch in the middle of a tape. All Sony camcorders will playback DVCAM tapes, but not all of them record in DVCAM mode. If you want to play DVCAM tapes on other brands of cameras/decks you should check for compatability first.

February 9th, 2006, 01:55 AM	#7
Duane Smith Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 234	Paul, like Boyd said, don't switch to DVCAM mode in the middle of a tape. Just wait until you pop in your NEXT tape and then switch to DVCAM mode. Also, you don't have to buy the expensive SONY DVCAM tapes; regular DV tapes work fine with DVCAM mode recording. Just choose a brand of tape and stick with it. 2¢