On Sat, 23 Nov 2002 17:19:19 GMT, "Bill Farnsworth"
>Hi all,
> Well, I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to do equipment-wise
>with the idea that BetaSP has about eighteen months left to live as the top
>acquisition format of the major networks and documentary format houses.
>I have spoken to three large rental companies and read a newsletter Macie
>Video.
>It looks to me like DVCAM is getting the nod. (But, what the hell do I know)
>The houses are seeing a big upswing in DVCAM and Mini DV rentals. Obviously
>the daily rental rate is a major part of the popularity and figures in on an
>even par with final image quality.
>Well, cool.
>I could always go out and buy a PD-150 and piss off my soundman who just
>bought a monster Canon XL1S system with all and I mean all the bells and
>whistles.......... Naaaaa.
>That leaves me with what I consider only one choice based on the kind of
>work I do.
>That is the Sony DSR-570.
>The NBC O&O stations have bought some. BUT I'm not exactly thrilled with the
>resolution. 850 lines.
>Hell, my BVW-D600 has at least 900 lines. That also goes for the DVW-700.
>And that's the bottom line for me.
>$15~18 grand isn't a lot to spend on a camcorder in the broadcast field. And
>tradition has dictated an increase in resolution for each new generation of
>broadcast 'mini-cams' going back to 1976.
>No way is HD going to zoom into the lead in the near future.
>It's just not an affordable format for most producers.
>The new inexpensive Panasonic 24P fake HD format isn't going to fly for the
>broadcast mainstream either.
>
>So, I'm thinking that Sony has got to have a Broadcast Professional DVcam
>camcorder with 900~950 lines of resolution waiting in the wings. With Sony's
>commitment to supporting the BetacamSP equipment is sold in the last 15
>months, I have a feeling that the new line will probably be announced at the
>2003 NAB convention with deliveries available in August, which is two years
>after the last BVW-D600 was assembled. And will cost about ten grand more
>than the DSR-570. (Not including lens or lenses, batteries and charger)
>
>Talk amongst yourselves.
>
>Bill Farnsworth
>www.billfarnsworthvideo.com
Hmmmmmm...... While I'm not in the same "spot" you are,
needing to match media with my buyers of material, we are
all in the same "boat" concerning what format to
start/continue buying... With 8-9 Mini-DV camcorders, my
market will probably be OK with standard DV for long enough
to get the value out of them through work (heck, my clients
still accept VHS copies for most things, and I'm *still*
waiting for DVD-writing to become really practical/settled),
then from selling them off the camcorders before they are
too "old fashioned" - but all them thar HDTV sets at
Sears do begin to make one a bit nervous.......;-) I guess
you could smack a DVCam deck onto the BetaSPs for now,
though, to get you through to the time when, MAYBE, things
will be more settled...
Or, jes' git thet PD150 an' larn thet soun' man thet
he shoulda red theez NGs, so he coulda a-voi-ded th'
XL1 mis-stake...! ;-)
As for resolution, DVCam, like all D25, is limited
absolutely to 720x480 (540 TV-lines), though improving
the "front end" for resolution, CCD size, and processing
quality can improve the appearance of the image within that
limited D25 medium. BTW, a point I noted when watching a
35mm transfer of a Digi-Beta master: it looked like good
"B"-movie quality, shot originally in 35mm...
Jes' a few ramblin's as I talk amongst myself...;-)