🚀 go-pugleaf

Mike Wilson wrote:

> enhanced professional versions. In Sony's case they are promoting "DV
> Cam" whilst Panasonic are offering "DVC-Pro". Both these systems can
[...]
> All these new systems have the fscility to download at faster than
> realtime on to hard disc recorders for either on-line or off-line

And to add more fuel to the fire, most of the Sony digital camcorders
(in the $10K range) also incorporate a high-speed digital serial port
(Newly adopted IEEE standard, Applt calls it 'FireWire') for transfer
directly to PC's. This serial bus is purported to be about 200 Mb/s and
designed to interconnect all manner of desktop peripherals (similar to
the old Mac ADB). 

> Just imagine what it is like for a
> professional organisation wanting to upgrade from Betacam SP and
> wondering which horse to back. The only saving grace is that the
> system used for origination and editing is now relatively unimportant
> so long as the finished programme is delivered to the
> broadcaster/publisher in the format they require for transmission which
> with the low loss systems available today is no problem.

This is why the GA spend several years agreeing on a format for
transmission of Digital TV (formerly known as HDTV). And to make matters
worse, once they had settled on something and were pending FCC approval,
Microsoft jumped in, ostensibly speaking for the computer industry,
saying that they didn't like the format because it caused compatibility
problems with PC video formats. Something to do with interlacing. Had
there been several different transmission formats, we all would have
been forced to get multi-standard TV's and suchnot. 

And it only gets crazier. Thank goodness I'm not in the TV industry.

-Ian