[David Braue]

JVC Professional is bringing bog-standard SDHC cards to the top end with a pair of new video cameras that record in full HD resolutions onto expandable cards. Equally significant because the cameras use QuickTime, meaning the captured video can be imported directly to Final Cut Pro without any need for transcoding.

Does this make your life easier?

[mickdevlin]

I like the idea but the cost of the cameras could be problem.

[lumeswell]

I like the idea but the cost of the cameras could be problem.

Not to mention the cost of the cards.

Think about trying to get through a full day corporate shoot, where you might generate 6 hours of rushes.

Compare the cost of 6 HDV tapes to enough SDHC cards to hold 6 hours of footage.

[Some Random Bloke]

Not to mention the cost of the cards.

Think about trying to get through a full day corporate shoot, where you might generate 6 hours of rushes.

Compare the cost of 6 HDV tapes to enough SDHC cards to hold 6 hours of footage.

Yeah, but the cost of flash cards is plummeting. Won't be long and this will be a superior option.

[dancepuppy56]

Not to mention the cost of the cards.

Think about trying to get through a full day corporate shoot, where you might generate 6 hours of rushes.

Compare the cost of 6 HDV tapes to enough SDHC cards to hold 6 hours of footage.

Nice really nice, but where do I archive the used footage and the cut?..Blue Ray?
Any idea the price?

[lumeswell]

Yeah, but the cost of flash cards is plummeting. Won't be long and this will be a superior option.

Thats true, and you re-use the cards, but you still have long term backup issues.

Everyone knows having your data in a single place isn't safe - but I am reasonably confident leaving a tape on the shelf for an instant backup of the rushes. If you are really paranoid you can make a clone and keep one tape in another location.

If I shoot on SD (or internal HD) for every 1GB I shoot I need at least 2 x 1GB storage somewhere to know its safe before I wipe the card/camera and start again..

Don't get me wrong, I think these formats are great for production environments where you can go in eyes open for what it involves in the long term (to avoid having to dig in that 6 hours of rushes I was talking about would be great) - but I have great fears for a lot of domestic users who are sucked in by the hype (and this is sexist, but particularly women who like the little HD recorders). You have a camera with a 30GB HD in it, then really, every time you fill it you should be filling up 60GB of storage somewhere. And when the interface for that external HD you were using becomes obselete (FW400 anyone) you need to buy a new drive with the new interface just to store the stuff you already have!

Whenever anyone asks me I always tell them - the story is in the edit, but your memories are in the rushes.

In 20 years time its not the finished edit of the holiday you want to look at at all the camera wilds that show how you were living your life at the time, or that shot of Aunt Beryl who didn't make the edited version, but that just became the only moving footage you have of her, or her voice.

For me, tape still has it in this market.

[mickdevlin]

Think about trying to get through a full day corporate shoot, where you might generate 6 hours of rushes.

Compare the cost of 6 HDV tapes to enough SDHC cards to hold 6 hours of footage.

The capacity of the cards is also improving. There was a thread elsewhere on the Forums on this.

[Genshin]

Yamada Denki here (an electronics store) has 24" iMacs set up with the new Victor range connected.

[lumeswell]

The capacity of the cards is also improving. There was a thread elsewhere on the Forums on this.

Yeah, I going to correct myself a bit here - I had a look at the costs of the cards today, and it doesn't seem to be as bad as I remember last time I looked. The cost of the that all day corporate shoot may not be that bad anymore.

I stand by my concerns with long term storage however.

Lumeswell