Shooting on Disc

Marty Hamrick · May 20, 2004

Hi Folks,

One of my collegues from a competing station tells me his company (Gannett) is planning to convert everything over to a disc format before January 2005.They are currently shooting DVCAM.Anyone familar with the format and want to shed some light here?

Marty

Mitch Gross · May 20, 2004

I understand CNN is doing the same. Sont XDCam blue-laser disks. Supposedly very easy to integrate into Sony-based systems, which is not unusual. Not necessarily better technology than others, but it integrates well so that's what big companies like to hear. Sony's always been smarter than other companies in this way.

Phil Rhodes · May 20, 2004

Hi,

I imagine it'll work quite well for someone like CNN, where it's all in house gear. Sony formats tend to work best where you buy Sony equipment throughout - that is, Sony cameras lock you into expensive Sony post gear. When you do get all those systems working together, and you get all the clip link, take marking, poster frames etc etc working it can be quite impressive.

There are two variants on XDCAM, which I haven't been following because I don't work in the situation I described above. I've been keeping an eye on it more as a data storage format. There is a high-rate MPEG-2 option, and a DVCAM option. The more expensive cameras do both.

Phil

Marty Hamrick · May 21, 2004

There are two variants on XDCAM, which I haven't been following because I don't work in the situation I described above. I've been keeping an eye on it more as a data storage format. There is a high-rate MPEG-2 option, and a DVCAM option. The more expensive cameras do both.

Phil,you know a url,perhaps Sony's website that has details on this?My station will probably be stuck SX for some time.Post Newsweek is slow to spend big on hardware changes.

Marty