Written on September 7, 2004, day of the Sony press release
HDV: Soon to Replace DV?
SOME HDV BASICS BEFORE WE START
Under no circumstances do I want anyone reading this to assume we've been playing with a preview unit of Sony's new HDR-FX1. We haven't; I suspect only Adam Wilt and a couple others have and they aren't talking -- yet. What I am writing here is based on Sony's latest news and comparing that news to what we already know based on comparisons with competing products already in the market -- cameras like JVC's first-to-market offerings in the HDV marketspace, the JVC JY-HD10U and its little brother, the JVC GR-HD1US. JVC's first-out-of-the-gate HDV cameras were certainly revolutionary but their single-chip design and all-too-auto functionality left many with the chills. And while many pros have been slow to adopt JVC's offerings, anyone with an honest disposition who has seen these cameras in action has had to admit that HDV looks much better on the screen than DV. We'll go so far as to say that we believe that HDV holds the same promise of replacing DV that DV once held when it replaced Hi8, S-Video and other entry-level formats. It will happen and with today's announcement from Sony, that day just got a lot closer.
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BASICS OF THE HDV FORMAT:
HDV is a consumer digital format which uses DV tape (if not using tape it can only be called "HDV compatible") to record data in an MPEG2 compressed high-definition signal.
The HDV fomat uses 720p and 1080i specifications, thus allowing users to record high-definition video that exceeds the quality found in the DV format.
HDV records both the video and audio streams using MPEG encoding. Video uses MPEG2 encoding (inter-frame compression). Audio compression uses 48kHz/16-bit quantization sampling frequency and compresses this to 384kbps using MPEG1 Audio Layer II encoding.
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SONY'S THREE CCD CHIP DESIGN
The first thing that Sony brings to this new HDV camera is something that many pros have been asking for. And it's a reason why many independent filmmakers, corporate video departments, project shops, event videographers and others will at least consider Sony's new HDR-FX1 even though Sony has positioned it as a consumer camera. Sony has given the HDR-FX1 three CCDs in a move that is very important for pros willing to work around the limitations of the format and push it into areas where officially it is not postioned -- a move very common in this industry.
To quote Sony: "...Sony's new three-chip, one-megapixel Super HAD™ CCDs. The new 1080i HD CCDs have several improvements, including an on-chip micro-lens on top of the CCD sensor that increases the light focusing rate for focusing on the fly. There is also a newly developed 16:9 aspect mode for recording in widescreen. By giving each lens its own megapixel imager, the camcorder captures the intense detail and color that expert videographers and HD lovers appreciate. Each of the camcorder's three 1/3-inch, 16:9 CCDs utilize Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* optics, minimizing warping while maximizing sharpness and contrast." more official announcement details
The Importance of Three CCDs: Because of Sony's use of three CCDs, much of the pixel degradation found in certain circumstances when shooting with single-CCD cameras, is avoided in large degree using this three-chip design. This, as there is a single chip assigned to each of the RGB channels to capture, sample and feed to the downsampled MPEG2 data stream -- so image quality is kept at a format high while artifacts are traditionally kept at far lower levels than with single CCD cameras. I have always thought that the JVC JY-HD10U camera is a good camera for use in certain limited circumstances -- especially if you have great lighting and are shooting at fixed focal lengths and from a tripod, etc. But I'd never try any kind of "run and gun" handheld shooting with the JVC due to the single chip design. I look forward to getting my hands on one of the new HDR-FX1s as I suspect that its real-world performance will yield much better results in a broader range of uses than has been the case with HDV cameras to date.
SONY'S 14-BIT A/D CONVERTER:
Sony also cites its "...14-bit A/D converter that processes four-times more digital information than converters used in traditional television cameras -- producing sharper, richer and more true-to-life images." As HDV works in a 4:2:0 colorspace, any move which retains as much of the chroma and luma data as possible during the sampling process means that users can expect at least acceptable image quality. For this reason, I think that many corporate, event, project and other users will find this camera worth a look. I suspect that Sony will find more pros using the camera than they may be comfortable with -- and even branding it a "Handycam" may not dissuade some pros from giving this camera's picture a place in their studio for use in specific situations.
SONY'S HDR-FX1 LENS & VIEWFINDER:
The new HDR-FX1 has a shooting range from 32.5mm to 390mm, using a Carl Zeiss® 12x optical zoom with a combination of zoom control mechanisms, including a non-perpetual zoom ring that allows for professional-like control. Users also have the option to switch between the zoom ring, the two zoom levers as well as a variable zoom control on the handle for greater shooting flexibility.
To capture even the smallest detail with clarity, the new HDR-FX1 model offers increased focusing control with expanded focus and peaking functions. In the expanded focus mode, the camera's LCD image is magnified up to four times its original size without any loss of resolution. The peaking function emphasizes the outline of objects creating clear contrast and clarity in a scene.
In addition to the "through-the-camera" viewfinder, the HDR-FX1 also has a 3.5" SwivelScreen™ hybrid LCD which offers 250,000 pixels -- the highest resolution of any consumer camcorder LCD -- which Sony cites as being useful "...for accurate viewing under bright lighting conditions." I am a little skeptical about this as I have yet to see a built-in LCD screen that doesn't have a shield of some kind which is really useful in bright light conditions.
AUDIO:
The HDV audio spec is one which is based on an audio compression scheme which uses 48kHz/16-bit quantization sampling frequency and compresses this to 384kbps using MPEG1 Audio Layer II encoding. (For the technical types.) Sony hasn't yet announced whether this camcorder has XLR inputs -- something which I suspect is reserved for a later more pro-targeted model with a b/w viewfinder, XLR, etc. -- but it has said that this camera has added an external audio levels switch so that users do not have to use software menus. A good move for those whose shooting may involve less controlled circumstances where a quick turn of a dial easily beats a drive through viewfinder software choices.
MANUAL ADJUSTMENTS COME TO HDV:
A regular complaint with earlier HDV offerings has been their reliance on far too much automated functionality to be useful to pros. Auto focus may be nice for a soccer game or a family get-together but it's anathema to a working pro whose control starts with experience and often setting up the shot under tightly controlled circumstances -- circumstances that auto focus can easily destroy by over-riding the shot and instead focuing on a bright background object, etc. That is not the case with Sony's HDR-FX1 which allows users to manually control important aspects of the shoot such as the iris, gain, white balance, shutter speed and focus which can all be adjusted manually. Because of this single consideration alone, I suspect that we'll be seeing a lot of these cameras discussed here in the Cow very shortly.
SUPPORT FOR SONY'S HDR-FX1 CAMCORDER:
Today, September 7, 2004 also marked announcements from major manufacturers such as Adobe Systems and Ulead Systems, who have announced that they have been working with Sony to offer native support for the HDV format and the HDR-FX1 specifically into their video editing software, Adobe Premiere Pro and Ulead MediaStudio Pro. Expect to see other related announcements shortly.
-- Ron Lindeboom
To discuss this news or to ask specific questions, please visit Creative Cow's HDV forum and watch for the Cow's new Sony HDR-FX1 forum to be announced very shortly.
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©2004 by Ron Lindeboom and CreativeCow.net. All rights are reserved.
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