Notes On Video

There's been very little to write about this week. Apple released an update to Final Cut Server , and ahh.....well that's about it. Other than that, I've been checking the Black Friday deals at Amazon , and already bought a 7" monitor, so it's been good...or bad, if you're trying not to spend money. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Nigel Cooper at dvuser.co.uk got to spend some time with the NXCAM prototype, and his article adds some more information about the camera: NXCAM is a “brand” not a model name. The camera will get a model number when it is announced. The camera has an overcrank/undercrank feature, limited to 12 seconds A new “Super Steady Shot” system that sort of works like the stabilization filter in Final Cut (it reduces the image area slightly and figures out how to smooth movement of the frame around that extra "slop"). He says there’s some reduction in image quality, and it’s not perfect, but “ I found it to be more effective than the lens damped version that has been around for many years, but nobody is going to be putting Steadicam operators out of a job anytime soon ” Oh, he also seems to think that this won't replace the Z5 immediately, and Sony plans to keep selling HDV cameras while demand exists. I'd agree with that - they'll keep selling HDV cameras for a while - ...

Questions 1. How does it compare to the EX1? Does it replace the EX1? It probably doesn't replace the EX1, since the EX1 has 1/2 inch imagers instead of 1/3 inch. Also, they just updated the EX1 with the EX1R, so clearly it's not going away for a year or two. The EX1R sells for $6,299. 2. Does this replace the Z5U? Probably. It's essentially the same body, and HDV is dying. Given the pricing/features of the EX1, this gives us a good idea what the NXCAM will sell for (the Z5U sells for $4,095.) 2. AVCHD? Why not XDCAM EX? Since Sony owns XDCAM, it's probably not a licensing issue. AVCHD takes up less space (24 vs. XDCAM EX's 35 Mbps) and given recording to flash memory, size is probably a big consideration. Both are 8-bit, and 4:2:0. AVCHD gets a bum wrap because it's mostly been in consumer cameras, often at the lower bit rates (24 appears to be the maximum for the standard at the moment.) But it's also a more efficient compressor than MPEG2 (which can be a ...

For the past year it seemed that Sony was the lone tape supporter for pro-sumer, low-end professional cameras. JVC went tapeless and even embraced QuickTime with the GY-HM100U , while Panasonic has the AG- HMC150 . And even though Canon is still selling the XH-A1s HDV camera, they’ve been so preoccupied with the Canon 5D Mark II and 7D you can almost overlook the fact that they seem to be overlooking this market segment. Only Sony was still selling tape and telling people that was the way to go. Until the day before yesterday, when they announced the NXCAM , a camera based on the FX1/FX1000/Z5U body shape that replaces the HDV tape mechanism with AVCHD on Memory Stick recording. This is big news. November 18, 2009 may go down as the day tape died . At least for video acquisition. The camera also has an optional solid state recording module that -at least in the prototype- holds 128GB. According to Sony, the camera will automatically switch cards when one is full, and it can record to ...

Sony has an online HD Expo , which went live today. It runs live all day - there are Sony people hanging out in the chats, so there's some value to popping in today if you have questions! The demo videos etc., will evidently remain available until March. There's some interesting prerecorded lectures, including one on the just announced NXCAM: PDW-F800 and PMW-EX1: Battle Proven in Afghanistan (Run Time 16:45) Basics of Professional Blu-ray Encoding and Authoring: Part 1 (Run Time 54:21) Broadcast Fundamentals Part 1: Nomenclature, Basic Color Theory, the new xvYCC Color format, Film & Frame Rate Basics, Progressive vs. Interlaced Display (Run Time 44:02) Broadcast Fundamentals Part 4: Video Compression Basics (Run Time 45:53) Brooke Rudnick, Event Videographer, on Sony's UWP Microphone System (Run Time 10:31) Sneak Peek at Sony's NeXt Affordable Professional HD Camcorder (Run Time 9:13) Dusty EX1 Thierry Humeau, talks about documenting the war in Afghanistan with a ...

Rule Broadcast Systems has been hosting a series of lectures/workshops relating to video production. The Nov 11 workshop on sound featured sound mixer G. John Garrett . John started with an introduction to the human auditory physiology; the parts of the brain that receive and process sound, and noted that the bone surrounding the inner ear is the hardest bone in the body. He then asked, somewhat rhetorically; how do you know when the sound is right? Some one yelled out from the back; “ when the producer says there’s no money left. ” Getting down to specifics, John didn’t have many positive comments about on-camera audio hardware, noting about one camera “ What do you think they spent on the audio hardware? Probably $50? ” One audience member said she’s heard that the audio on the RED camera wasn’t that good, and he agreed, noting that the very first version didn’t even have audio, and that Sound Devices had tested the RED and found it to be closer to 12-bit sound than the claimed 16-...

When I first saw the JVC Picsio I was interested in it because it was low priced, looked pretty and Engadget blasted it for falsely claiming it was HD. I’m not sure whether it’s my natural inclination to doubt Engadget , but I added the camera to my bookmarks, and sat back to wait for reviews. After a somewhat favorable review on Camcorderinfo , questions started to appear when the first review on Amazon was negative. But that’s one review. MacWorld was a little less flattering , when they touched it. But now it’s been blasted by Gizmondo , and the ratings on Amazon have turned abysmal: it has a rating of 3 ½ stars after 7 reviews. Worse yet, one of those five stars is from someone that doesn’t even own the camera, jumping to the defence of budget cameras. The other ratings one 2-stars, and four 1-Stars. I had the worst time trying to get good quality video out of this device. The build quality was cheap and flimsy, the controls were awkward and counterintuitive, the video was un...

Engadget's video producer, Chad Mumm, provides his impressions of the Canon 7D for video work . He does a pretty good job of listing all the drawbacks (audio, 12 minute recording limitation, etc.,) and notes a concern about over-heating. There's nothing new here if you have been following the 7D, but I really like his summary, which is pretty much how I'd describe the camera to someone: We like to think of the 7D as another very specific tool in our arsenal. [...] there is a time and a place for this camera. If we're running around shooting a mile-a-minute, we're still going to reach for our trusty HD camcorder. Meanwhile, Gizmodo does a comparison of some low-budget cameras , and crowns the Flip Ultra HD the winner, the Flip Mino HD losing because of price and the "lousy touch controls." Most interesting of all, the recently released JVC Picsio GC-FM1 really scored low, with a rating of: sucked. It's spectacularly ugly (think Ed Hardy-inspired) and c...

Engadget does a review of the GoPro HD Hero , and compares it to the ContourHD. There seems to be pros and cons for both, with the GoPro having a slightly better color rendition, while the ContourHD is easier to use. It's available for pre-order at Amazon, and supposed to be released on November 25th.

B&H is co-sponsoring a "virtual trade show." You register (now) and then log-in December 2-3 to "chat / attend virtual events / network." I'm not really sure what the advantage of this will be ( didn't we try this kind of thing 10 years ago? ) If you're interested, check out the PDN Photographers' Virtual Trade Show

I just got a Blu-ray player (finally) and was able to watch my first Blu-ray disc; the 50th Anniversary edition of North by Northwest . I have to say, the results were mixed (both for Blu-ray, and for this particular disc.) Resolution I have a 36” Sony tube HDTV which is getting on in years. One problem is that 36”, when you’re sitting across the room from it, isn’t really stretching the limits of DVD resolution. Yes, there was a noticeable difference up close; I could read quite easily body copy on a newspaper that was very blurry on the DVD. The resolution was there, but I really need either a bigger screen, or to sit right on top of the TV to see it. All those with 50” TV’s, run out and get Blu-ray. Color This edition is remastered, and from the get go the differences are very obvious; the hideous green of the MGM logo in the previous DVD release is replaced by a much more pleasing green in this new edition. Through the rest of the picture the colors are more vibrant, and there’s mu...

The Sony Sportspack is an underwater enclosure for Sony brand camcorders. This is actually the third model, which works with most Sony camcorders made after 2006. The Sportspack provides protection from rain, snow and sand, and can be used underwater down to 17 feet. This is really a bit of a mashup between an unboxing and a First Look, as I have yet to do any serious testing of the Sportspack. The Sony Sportspack arrived at the end of a couple of very wet weeks, and immediately the weather improved. I was really hoping for some heavy rain to give it a test, but since then, we’ve had two very fine weeks, with a threat of a third, and I can’t help thinking that the camera gods are having a laugh at my expense. Anyway, it’s a very cool piece of gear; all clear acrylic and white plastic. It opens at the back, and there’s an O-ring that you are supposed to inspect and grease (and replace after a year.) The camera sits on a large plastic shoe, and several different shoes are included to mat...

Just saw the Cohen brother's latest movie " A Serious Man ." I enjoyed it, though it's a black, black comedy, so I'm not sure I actually want to watch it again(!) What I found particularly interesting was the color work that had been done on a lot of the scene's; Cyan and Yellow have been removed so that it looks like aged film. This was done throughout the movie in varying degrees and it's particularly noticeable on some of the exterior scenes like the car crash below. But check the shot below. The flesh tones look as though they have been manipulated like much of the rest of the film, but the blue of the dress (and probably the wood behind) has not been altered. (You may want to click on it to look at the larger file.)

Carefully took my (still) camera to an event this morning and when I went to turn it on discovered there was no memory card in it - oops! Well, at least I had my iPhone.

In the third quarter : spending on home entertainment down 3.2% spending on DVDs down 13.9% spending on DVD rentals UP 10% I own quite a few DVDs, but my purchase rate has gone way down over the last few years, and I'm not sure it's the economy. A lot of the movies I bought in those early days were back-catalog items, not new releases. And to be honest, my purchases of new movies may have been goosed a bit by the fact I was buying quite a few movies regularly. But then I kind of fell out of the habit. And I'm not downloading them from the net, and my rental rate hasn't gone up that much either. I think it was just a new technology and a new availability which spurred me to buy things, but now that urge has mostly been satisfied. I'm resisting saying " they don't make good movies anymore ."

In Music industry bows to point-and-shoot cameras , Daniel Terdiman takes a look at where we are with cameras at concerts. At last month's huge U2 show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., how could you tell the difference between the professional photographers and your average amateurs? Answer: the professionals were the ones whisked away after Bono and friends finished their third song, and the amateurs were still there, happily shooting to their heart's content. As the article points out, with everyone carrying cell phones with cameras, and the increasing quality and resolution of small cameras, it's both getting harder and harder to stop people from taking pictures, and the line between professional and amateur is getting smaller and smaller. I remember several years ago going to a concert at Radio City Music Hall where they made people check in their cameras. At the end of the show, we all lined up while they tried to find each persons camera; which took a long time a...

Interestingly enough, right after camcorderinfo.com came out with it’s Select Awards 2009 , and gave the top award to the Panasonic HDC-TM300 over the Canon HF S11, Macworld came out today with their own review of the HDC-TM300 , and though they gave it four and a half mice (out of five) and praise it’s “impressive resolution, smooth motion, accurate color, and low noise” they actually rate it ½ a mouse below the Canon HF S10, saying that it’s image quality “slightly trailed” that of the Canon. Note: the HF S10 and HF S11 are essentially the same camera, with different storage options.

Camcorderinfo.com has come out with it’s Select Awards 2009 . To be honest, I’m a bit wary of reading too much into these; they don’t list how they decided to select the cameras - if it’s only the cameras that they have reviewed, then the pool isn’t a large one. They also don't describe how they went about making the decision. Despite those concerns, Camcorder of the year went to the Panasonic HDC-TM300: Not only is the video performance impressive in all lighting conditions, but it also offers a seamless and enjoyable operating experience—for novices and experienced users alike. Runner up is the Canon HF S11 with it’s improved optical stabilization and an edge in sharpness and motion. But they dinged it for lack of a viewfinder and poor performance in low light. JVC scored well in the overall competition, with a runner-up in Best Value, and a win in Mid-Range and Standard Definition. I was most interested in the video-enabled DSLR win that went to the Panasonic GH1, with the Canon...

Seems there's an update to Apple TV 3.0 which fixes prevents "content from temporarily disappearing until it is resynced." To update to 3.0.1: Reboot your Apple TV (unplug the power cord and plug it back in) Select Settings > General from the main menu Select Update Software Select Download and Install

DPReview has posted it's review of the Canon 7D and they seem to love it. Admittedly, this site is a photography site, but it's still good to know that the camera scores highly as a still camera. The beginning of the conclusion sums it up: If you are looking at the pros and cons list above you could be forgiven for getting the impression that we somehow struggled to populate the cons list with a number of bullet points that comes at least close to what you can see in the pros department. You are not mistaken. The EOS 7D is an excellent addition to Canon's range of APS-C DSLRs that is, in terms of build quality, speed of operation, ergonomics and image quality, a cut above Canon's previous APS-C flagship, the EOS 50D.