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C300 approved broadcasting for UK & USA


chris reynolds

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Good Afternoon All

 

I've been 'googling' around for the past couple of weeks, trying to find out which networks/ TV stations mainly in the UK (but in the USA as well), have approved the Canon C300 as an acceptable camera for HD content.

 

I've been asking various PM's that i know but they don't seem to know what is or isn't.

 

The Sony PDW-800 is the camera of choice for factual programmes and is obviously approved but my budget for a new camera won't stretch to that!

 

Any Ideas??

 

Thanks In Advance

 

Chris

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All I've heard is the number 50 being bandied about, in terms of 50Mbps. I don't know when this was thought of, who by, or if it's still current. I do suspect that the C300's codec was chosen to satisfy the requirement.

 

Of course it's completely misguided inasmuch as 25Mbps of really good h.264 is probably going to look better than 50Mbps of mediocre MPEG2, but that won't stop people making decisions based on the number.

 

As a practical matter I can't see a problem broadcasting C300 stuff. The codec is probably the weakest part of the system, but the pictures are so clean and easily-compressed to begin with that it's unlikely to be too much of a problem. The the artefacts of it seem to be a sort of swimming motion in the grain pattern of really high-gain shooting, as opposed to more objectionable things like quilting or banding, but I haven't shot objective tests. And, if it worries you, you can always stick a better recorder on it, such as a Blackmagic Shuttle. Only a really cynical human being would doubt that combination of toys.

 

P

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Many, if not most, HD broadcast cameras are 8 bit (eg HDCAM now at the end of it's life). The BBC accepts the Canon XF 300, which uses the same codec and Alan Roberts, who tests cameras for the BBC, was very positive in his tests on the C300. You'd probably need to use one of his set ups for a BBC production.

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I think it's too new to have actually been approved as such. The BBC seem to have the 50mbps thing they like and are often fussy about sensor size. They will have to run tests and then someone will say that it is approved and they will allow you to use it.

 

The HPX250 recently got approval and was being muchly touted as the cheapest approved camera out there.

The bitrate problem can be solved effectively by the use of outboard recorders like the hyperdeck/ninja/nanoflash/pix220/pix240 etc etc etc anyway.

 

Find it facinating how the bbc are with one hand demanding a minimum bitrate from independent producers, and yet with the other hand saying that bitrate doesn't matter and is basically meaningless when it comes to the crazy low bitrates they actually broadcast in. I guess thats having your cake and eating it.

I call it hypocrisy of course but given it is the bbc...

 

love

 

Freya

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i am currently shooting an outdoor show for discovery channel and i am using the c300 for the series. i have talked with a lot of production companies that are beginning to use it for a number of shows on the cable networks like discovery and national geographic. as far as i know it fits all their broadcast requirements and it is approved.

 

thanks a lot

 

andy

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Andy

 

I've just shot a Doc for Discovery (via ITN) using the Sony 800, and there seemed to be some uncertainty over the C300 (when i mean uncertainty i mean no one knew!)

 

So Discovery have listed it as a HD content camera??!!

 

Thanks

 

Chris

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