On Thu, 29 Nov 2001 01:23:05 -0500, "JD" wrote:
>"flopper" wrote in message news:3c05d0d7@news.estpak.ee...
>> "JD" wrote in message
>> news:QVgN7.949$o4.363031@news1.iquest.net...
>> > "Gocycle" wrote in message
>> > news:19661-3C0593A1-16@storefull-618.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
>> > > Color, contrast. clearness. Depth, hues, and a higher s/n ratio. Dubs
>> > > hold-up much better with a 3-chip camera.

>> All right, but what about price? Is it comparable?

>With 3 chip designs, you have a better chance of getting higher quality,
>but isn't alway true... (There are some 3chip dogs.)
>
>When it comes to quality, YOU have to decide about how much to pay
>for it. I have an optura-PI that does okay, but I also have a full
>KY-D29/BRS40U that does much better. The full broadcast production
>quality camcorder cost about 15X more than the optura-PI, and it
>blows away almost everything except digital betacam. There is
>high quality in between, and you can pay 2X more than the optura-PI
>and get 70% of the difference on the way up to the D9 camcorder.
>
>How much do you want to pay? :-). I think that for home video,
>the optura-PI or better is very good. For serious hobbiests, it might
>not be good enough, but they are all much better than the best
>consumer camcorders from 5-10yrs ago (pre DV.) I claim that
>alot of the limitations of the single chippers have been mitigated,
>and it is certainly possible (say 7yrs ago) to get a 3chip machine
>that provides a worse picture (in general) than an good 1chip.
>
>How good is good enough for you? I can tell you alot of disadvantages,
>but you might never notice them.
>John

Thanks - I have been trying to say the same things (here and
in other threads), but maybe more "awkwardly..." ;-). The
TRV30 one-chipper has almost achieved the image sharpness
and color quality of average-good 3-chip Mini-DV camcorders,
and with no motion of contrasty edges, and no "hot"
highlights or large dark shadows in the frame, most people
would not see the difference between it and the 3-chippers.
But these are limiting qualifications, and the price difference
between the TRV30 and the good 3-chip TRV900 is
fairly minor (in the US). Going to a lower level of one-chip
performance (PC9/TRV17 for instance), and/or to a higher
level of 3-chip performance (VX2000 for instance), the
differences (even under ideal conditions for the
one-chipper) are more obvious. Even so, with image
manipulation, one can often successfully mix together
*some* footage from all the above samples... In other words,
the worst is not "night-and-day" different from the best,
(under ideal shooting conditions for the worst), but there
are still differences, and the worst limit what one can
shoot well more than the best camcorders do... (this is
also true even among 3-chippers or among one-chippers...;-).
Those who care about the differences and want the
least-limiting tools seek the best at a given price level
in a given format; those who don't wonder what all this
discussion is about...;-)