HD For Indies

Panasonic USA Pressroom

News to me:

What frame rates does the HVX200 support?In 720p mode this camera handles: 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 30, 32, 36, 48, 60 fps.

How does the HVX200 record 24P?
It shoots every frame as a progressive frame, so it is true 24P (more accurately known as 23.98 fps). In most recording modes, duplicate frames are added in a 2:3 or a 2:3:3:2 pull-down cadence and the progressive frames are divided into two fields in order to conform to existing interlace 29.97 formats. The 2:3 mode follows all of the conventions of film to tape transfer, so that the recorded material can be treated as a film transfer or in the 2:3:3:2 mode it can be extracted for 24 frame editing. In the 720p "Native Capture" mode only flagged frames are captured with 23.98 time code; these files are directly compatible with a 720p 24-frame timeline, and require only 40% of the P2 disk space of 720p 60 fps or 1080i HD recording.

What size is the 3-CCD imager?
The imagers are 1/3" CCD, 16:9 native aspect ratio. These are scanned and captured at 1080p/60, and the signal is then converted to 1080i, cross converted to 720p or down converted to 480p/480i, or cross converted for the many modes on this camera. This assures the highest quality of recording.

Is the HVX200 16:9 or 4:3?
The HVX200 has 16:9 native imagers, and it is capable of recording 4:3 video in any of the standard definition modes.

What video inputs and outputs does the HVX200 have?
It pretty much covers the range of needed inputs and outputs, as it has HD Component Analog, 1080i, 720p, cross-converted 720p-1080i, 480i (D4) output, Composite input/output, S-Video input/output, Standard IEEE 1394 interface and USB 2.0.

How many channels of audio does the HVX200 support?
It supports 4 channels of PCM 48K 16-Bit audio via 2 XLR connections in DVCPRO HD, and DVCPRO50; 2 channels in DVCPRO and DV. DV tape can also record 32K 12-Bit signals for 2 channels live and 2 for dubbing later.

Does the HVX200 have IEEE 1394 (FireWire) interface?
Yes, both streaming and file transfer.

Does the HVX200 have USB 2.0 connectivity?
Yes, for file transfer.

Can I record directly to a FireStore drive (Focus Enhancements)?
Yes. The FS-100 from Focus Enhancements will give 90-100 minutes of high-definition content in 720p or 1080i modes. In DVCPRO50 it will record 200 minutes, and in DV or DVCPRO it will offer 400 minutes.

How much recording time do I get on a P2 card?
It will depend on what mode you are recording in. For DVCPRO it is 4 minutes per GB; in DVCPRO50, it is 2 minutes per GB; in DVCPRO HD 720p it is 1 minute per GB, and in DVCPRO HD 1080i it is 1 minute per GB. Using the 720p Native Capture mode, only the flagged frames are recorded so the running time will depend on the frame rate (just like film). A rule of thumb in this mode would be to treat 1GB as 100 feet of 16mm film or 250 feet of 35mm film. For example, running an 8GB card at 24P in this mode will give you about 20 minutes per card of 24P HD footage. Or more simply, if shooting 720/24p, you would get 2½ minutes per GB.

How can I record for durations longer than the P2 cards’ capacity?
In three ways: you can continuously record over from one P2 card to the next and hot swap them for unloading, or you can use the FS-100 mentioned above, which is an external FireWire drive. You can also open your capture window in your NLE and capture via FireWire to your external drive.


...and so forth and so on. Read it all, this may well be your next camera (if you can afford it).

-mike