Sony V1U vs Panasonics HMC150
by Pablo Hill
on
Jun 9, 2008 at 3:46:14 am
I was about to spend some cash on Sony’s V1U basically for it's real 24p and 30p capabilities, and the fact that if I connect it to my intensity pro card I could get pre hdv format. But suddenly read about Panasonics new avchd HMC150, this cam captures to solid state SD card, uses mpeg4/h264 instead of mpeg2, can capture 60p, 30p, 24p and 12p but the best of all FULL 1920x1080 instead of hdv's 1440x1080, it has hdmi output so I can still get pre avchd if I live capture to my card with full horizontal rez. All this for 4,500, the only thing that still makes me doubt is the avchd codec.
Is this to good to be true? Or is there something I'm missing about avchd?
I'm not very fond of the 4:2:0 sampling, but it's the same with hdv.
I know it will be out until fall, but I can wait.
And no, I can’t afford the extra $1,000 plus P2 cards, for the hvx200. But I love the 4:2:2 sampling, I'm still going to have to rent this one every now and then.
Re: Sony V1U vs Panasonics HMC150 by Michael Palmer on Jun 9, 2008 at 4:23:16 am
There is not one EDL that can edit AVCHD natively at this point that I know of, transcoding is the only method. If you are thinking about LIVE recording from the HDMI with the Intensity just know you will have 4:2:2, 8 bit 1920x1080i (full HD raster and not 1440x1080) from the V1, this can be captured to a variety of all i-frame codecs and the V1 can produce extremely high quality HD images in a controlled situation. AVCHD is said to be a better compression choice for the lower end compression levels but HDV can be used natively and some say the 13Mbps AVCHD that goes with the HMC150 isn't as good as 25Mbps HDV. I wonder if the HMC150 1080 setting is a full raster or the 1280x1080 that Panasonic uses with the P2 system?
Have you read this article?
http://techthoughts.org/2008/02/21/panasonic-hmc150-still-wrong/
Re: Sony V1U vs Panasonics HMC150 by Douglas Spotted Eagle on Jun 9, 2008 at 5:43:51 am
Sony Vegas (both consumer and pro) Ulead Video Studio, Avid Liquid all edit AVCHD natively. VASST (my company) also co-developed a transcoding software for all PC systems, soon to be Apple-supported as well.
As Michael indicated, at low bitrates, AVCHD does have some advantages, but it's a bitch to edit on any but the fastest systems.
My understanding is that the HMC is not using a full raster system but is based on the same imager technology as the HVX.
Douglas Spotted Eagle
VASST
Certified Sony Vegas Trainer
Aerial Camera/Instructor
Re: Sony V1U vs Panasonics HMC150 by Pablo Hill on Jun 9, 2008 at 1:17:59 pm
Apple suports AVCHD.
You can transfer AVCHD footage to your scratch disk using the Log and Transfer window in Final Cut Pro. The workflow for transferring AVCHD footage from a camcorder or disk is similar to the Panasonic P2 workflow. However, there are some important differences:
AVCHD support is available only on Intel-based Macintosh computers.
AVCHD camcorders typically connect to computers via USB 2.0, not FireWire.
DVD-based AVCHD camcorders are not currently supported in Mac OS X.
Standard definition video recorded with AVCHD camcorders cannot be accessed in the Log and Transfer window.
Preview of AVCHD video in the Log and Transfer window is limited to 1x forward playback. Scrubbing the playhead does not update the video in the Preview area until you stop scrubbing.
AVCHD footage is transcoded to the Apple ProRes 422 codec or the Apple Intermediate Codec. You can choose the destination codec in the Log and Transfer window preferences.
When you choose to transfer AVCHD audio in the Logging area, audio is automatically mixed down to stereo.
It is not possible to delete clips on an AVCHD volume, even if read-and-write permissions on the volume are set to allow file deletion. This behavior is different on P2 volumes, where clip deletion is allowed when proper read-and-write permissions are set.
AVCHD files are transferred as entire files from beginning to end. It is not possible to set In and Out points before transferring the clips.
Designed to be used in a variety of budget conscious production applications, the HMC150 records stunning high definition in four recording modes – PH mode (average 21 Mbps/Max 24Mbps), HA mode (approx.17 Mbps), HG mode (approx.13 Mbps) and HE mode (approx. 6 Mbps). It captures full horizontal resolution 1920x1080 images at its PH, HA and HG recording modes. The camera can also be set to capture 1280x720 images at PH mode. At its 6 Mbps record mode, it captures 1440x1080 HD images for extended HD recording at its lowest bit rate. The HMC150 supports a range of HD formats, including 1080/24p, 1080/60i and 720/60p.
