Wondering why JVC appears to be shying away from grouping its new
GY-HD100U camera with the HDV format, even though its built-in "ProHD"
recording system records 720-line HD images on MiniDV cassettes? So are
we.
A lot of people can't wait Panasonic to get their hands on the camera
and try it out. That includes the people who work for JVC in the U.S.,
who don't expect to even touch the camera until two days before the
National Association of Broadcasters convention in April. At press time
JVC was still considering pricing, eyeing the Sony HVR-Z1U camcorder
that's now streeting for around $4,000.
There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to the ProHD camera
according to Dave Walton, JVC's National Marketing Communications
Manager. First of all, it records true 24 progressive frames per
second, which makes it a good fit in a consumer world that is
increasingly moving to flat screen progressive-scan monitors in the
home.
Second, unlike the fixed lens configuration of Sony's new HDV
camcorder, JVC is offering the ability to change lenses, which
theoretically makes the camera attractive to a wider range of users.
The camera comes with a standard detachable 16x Servo Fujinon lens, but
customers can order a 13x (3.5mm) wide zoom lens, a wide-angle
converter for the standard 16x lens, and an adapter allowing a variety
of 1/2-inch lenses to be used on the camera. There's even a
"focus-assist" function which exaggerates the detail in the viewfinder
to help with focusing in HD.
And, according to JVC spokesmen, the GY-HD100U uses less (MPEG-2)
compression than Sony's HDV camera. JVC's unit is producing 1280 x 720p
images at 24p fps while Sony's camera captures 1440 x 1080i pictures at
60 fps, which requires slightly more compression. The new GY-HD100U
also outputs an uncompressed 720/P60 HD signal.
It can be connected to an external hard-disk recording module, like the
new FireStore FS-4 Pro HD recorder from Focus Enhancements, allowing
footage to be edited without waiting for digitization. An IEEE-1394 bus
interface lets users connect simply and quickly to D-VHS or a PC for
easy downloading, editing or archiving.
The GY-HD100U includes three 1/3-inch CCD image sensors instead, each
one featuring 1280 x 720 square pixels (approximately 1 megapixel),
which is what appears on most HDTV displays and video projectors that
support 720p natively. Interlaced images from the Sony HDV camera must
be stretched or scaled to fit today's HDTV displays, which some purists
would say changes the look and resolution of a frame.
The GY-HD100U features 2 XLR audio inputs and records CD-quality
digital audio with independent controls for each channel. It also
includes a variety of customizable settings that can be stored on a
standard SD memory card and loaded onto another GY-HD100U, if necessary.
Accessories for the GY-HD100U include shotgun microphone, Anton-Bauer
power system, quick-release tripod mounting plate and DTE
disk-recording module.
This isn't the prototype that JVC showed at NAB last year, which was
designed with 2/3-inch CMOS chips. That ProHD camera, the GY-HD7000U,
will also be shown at NAB but will not deliver until sometime later
this year. It includes native 1920 x 1080i chips and a larger body
designed for ENG applications. Recording on HDV tape as well as other
media, the GY-HD7000U provides true 1920 x 1080i images, avoiding the
problem of "1080i HDV images" that are limited to 1440 x 1080i
resolution.
By Mike Grotticelli
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