Panasonic will demonstrate new HD camera with solid state storage, while Sony will show an under-$2,000 unit.A new crop of High Definition video cameras and equipment will likely be the center of attention as DV Expo East opens in New York this week.
Dozens of hardware, software and video service vendors are scheduled to be on hand, including Sony Corp. of America and JVC Corp. of America, which will both discuss their newest camcorders.
Panasonic Corp. of America has scheduled two two-hour sessions to explain the unique design of its new HD camera, the AG-HVX200, which will store High Definition footage on a solid state 8GB memory card system that Panasonic has dubbed P2.
Solid state storage has gained enthusiastic adherents in the electronic news gathering community because it offers instant turnaround by eliminating the need to capture from tape, a big advantage for shooters on tight deadlines.
On the other hand, independent filmmakers are more circumspect about solid state recording because the storage cards are much more expensive than tape and offer much less shooting time.
Panasonic's new camera is likely to attract a large following anyway, being the successor to the highly regarded AG-DVX100 camera that currently leads the field because of its 24p recording features.
The HD camcorder shootout promises to be a dramatic contest, as each vendor is taking a somewhat different approach to handling capture, compression and storage of the giant data files that result from shooting HD video.
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Sony recently announced the first under-$2,000 HD camcorder, the HDR-HC1 HDV, a consumer-level camcorder that uses a CMOS imaging chip rather than CCD technology.
Until now CMOS imaging chips were typically associated with bargain-basement imaging devices, but Sony claims that their new chips' cutting-edge, onboard image-processing circuits will cut down on smear and improve overall performance.
Sony's camera will also store data in the HDV format, which is more compressed but easier to manage than the DVCPRO format that Panasonic has chosen.
Canon Inc., the leader of the DV camcorder pack only two years ago with the venerable XL1, still has not announced an HD camcorder.
Other topics drawing attention this year include new methods of distributing video content via the Web, optical disks and other media.
Disc Makers is introducing a new, standalone DVD duplicator, the $990 MicroUltra desktop unit. Featuring a 16x Plextor DVD±R/48x CD-R drive and a 75-disc input bin, the unit can burn up to 6 DVDs or 12 CDs per hour. The unit also includes a 4800 dpi color inkjet printer along with label design software. The unit only works with Disk Makers Ultra media, which is designed to minimize spoiled disks.
Matrox Electronic Systems Inc. will also demonstrate a high-performance graphics card, the Parhelia APVe, which supports multiple displays, HDTV component video out and Dual-DVI plus TV output.
Traditional photographic and video skills remain in demand, and so many attendees are also participating in tutorials on topics such as motion graphics, led by authors Trish and Chris Meyer; audio with sound designer Jay Rose, and copyright issues with lawyer Thomas Crowell. The show runs through Thursday.
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