Re: P2 cards are 100% "Media". The pure definition of Media supports that

When one talks about the cost savings of P2 vs. tape, you must add in the costs of dealing with this system. A large segment of the business is done by producers that want to walk away at the end of the day with 'footage' in hand.

So I'll need to bring a laptop or some other device along and a P2 card reader and DVD-RAM discs or some similar media. This gear, whatever form it takes, costs more money. The disc I burn onto costs money, probably about the same as a DV tape. And of most concern to me is the time involved. We out here in the production world already have lots of pressures to get the shots before the sun goes down, etc. and smaller and smaller crews to do it all with. The producer wants to dash off to jump on a plane. The transfer/loading of material by an editor, or an assistant, is a much more realistic method.

Now if the costs come down to near the cost of tape and I can pass these cards out like candy, then I can bill for them as an expendable and you have a great system.

If the cards drop by 50% per year, (less than that so far) then the 4G card will go from $1700 to $800 to $400 to $200 to $100 to $50 to $25 and now you have a winner. But that took 6 years. By then there will be some other newer, better technology available.

Sorry but in my opinion, XDCAm or some variation on that theme is much more viable for the immediate future for most of the production world. Not all, for sure, but for mainstream production.