Computer with lens

By Mikhail Zhitomirsky

Review contents:

Computer with lens Camcorders of Hitachi-Denshi Company High Definition Ikegami camcorders Ikegami camcorders — a realization of any creative tasks Camcorders of the format D-9 and camcorder heads of the JVC Compact HD-camcorder JVC JY-HD10 with 720/30p format Professional DV series camcorders of JVC company New Panasonic camcorders High speed camcorders from Redlake (USA) New generation of the camera heads Sony DXC series New DVCAM camcorders from Sony Company Modern HD camcorders from Sony for E-cinema Camcorders of Grass Valley a Thomson Brand company

A little more than two years have passed since the moment of the publication in the Magazine 625 the review about existing camcorders (#9/2000.). However for this time so many changes have occurred that the necessity in analysis and description of the new camcorders is more then vital. The structure of these products practically did not change, and all interested persons can get acquainted with functioning of camcorder and processes, occurring inwardly it, having read introductory article of already mentioned review, where all this is stated pretty in detail.

In this article I want to try to analyze some changes, happened for more short time and on base such express-analysis to do the suggestion about perspectives of the development of the camcorders.

So, for present day it is possible with full confidence to confirm that the age of analog camcorders draws to its close. As regards for producing of this equipment the age has already ended in that moment, when Sony has officially declared about cancellation of the equipment family Betacam SP manufacturing. Naturally, many broadcasters and production studios worldwide use a large park of the equipment of this format, with faith and truth served for television during many decades. Remembering about cessation of the issue of the analog camcorders follows to understand that this fact speaks not only that it will be impossible to purchase such devices. The problem is concluded in service as well, because issue of the spare parts and completing unless discontinued quite, that cut down to minimum. Hence, periods and cost of the repair of the equipment will steadily increase. So there is a sense to think not about repair, but about change the analog shooting equipment for digital one.

Holy place can’t be empty and on change to analog technology came digital; moreover the lines of DVCPRO, DVCAM, digital Betacams, D-9 and even DV equipment are greatly enlarged. The choice of the camcorders is offered for decision practically any problems, from shooting of the news and to production of the feature movies. It is necessary to note, that its price let slowly, but steadily falls.

Here is, probably, the most obvious that noticeably even naked eyes. It is thought, that specialists have noted the other trend as well. Somehow the war of formats came to the end. Already mostly no one does not argue about choosing of the best format: DVCPRO or DVCAM, Digital Betacam or D-9, Betacam SX or any else… At choice of the format we can say preferably about technologies established in broadcasting company, about equipment stock, production problem and even about simple adherence to one or another company-producer. Besides, due to standard interface and greater or smaller degree of multi-format operation, the equipment itself becomes all more and more compatible. After all, there is pretty much equipment, recording/playback in particular, which “reads” not one, but several formats. So within the framework of a single broadcasting company two, three and more formats can peacefully coexist.

As to quality of the picture, provided by camcorders of the different producers, that and here, it looks like device on base traditional charge-coupled devices (CCD) unless reached the limit, that quickly approaches to it. The fight for picture goes at a rate of possibilities of sensors already, levels of digital processing and algorithm of its realization. But I believe that only very big “gourmet” visually distinguishes video, shot by camcorder of one manufacturer, from scene, shot by camcorders of another one. Naturally provided that both camcorders belong to one class.

As alternative to charge-coupled devices the new photosensitive elements of CMOS-structures begin to appear. And though camera heads on base these sensors are partly as far back as stage of the development, but partly in the manner of prototype, they have their own advantage, particularly, small size and integration with ADC within single chip.

The broadest spreading of the DV-camcorders is the next thing that attracted attention too. In notion of DV all formats are entering, beginning from DVCAM, DVCPRO and strictly DV abbreviations. Many broadcasters and producers of the programs abandoned to let more qualitative, but also more bulky, and the main — much expensive equipment by other digital formats, and work on DV exactly. This wholly validly since if about quality of the scene DV-camcorders with non-removable lens and three 1/3" CCDs it is possible else to argue then when use 1/2" CCD and up with removable lens any disputes lose any sense, because a picture is got splendid.

If hereto moment someone will think that in sphere of the camcorders has approached “the piece and quietness and Grace of God”, that he powerfully is mistaken. The format war has changed to the war of the media. While as before the video cassette remains the most wide-spread medium for recording of pictures and sound though the last NAB exhibition has shown that it is crowded three new, but very aggressive competitors such as hard disk, compact disk and solid-state memory.

Before passing over to discussions about the new recording techniques advantages, it is necessary to stop briefly on each medium type.

The idea to record any shooting material onto hard disk is not new. Several years back some attempts to realize this method were undertaken already, but practically then they have tolerated the fiasco. There are several reasons. First, at that time hard disks were expensive, they have not possessed by high reliability, and besides, the memory capacity was even so insufficient. Additionally, probably, adversely affect the fact that in exploitation enormous amount of the analog camcorders was found, for which the recording on disk provides the analog-to-digital transformation, which accompanied by loss quality of picture. Further the systems of the digital nonlinear editing were not yet broadly wide-spread. But after all basically exactly they are “consumers” of media with random access to data.

However, the reality has shown, that the idea turned out to be faithful. The broad row of hard disk recorders appeared for the last year-one and a half as mushrooms after rain is evidence of this statement. The convenience of this medium increases by IEEE1394 interface utilization for data communication as well. Two approaches in development of recorders on hard disk are existed (naturally, only the devices assigned for operation with camcorders are considered). The main is a recorder with built-in disk, which it is necessary “to unplug” from camcorder after shooting and use as input/output device for any nonlinear editing system. This choice can be consider hardly as optimum. The shortages are obvious: there are fixed volume of the disk and a need to disconnect the device from camcorder. Besides, not all disc-recorders can be perceived by computer as standard disks. This means that transfer the material into NLE system is possible basically only in real-time mode, similarly to copying from videotapes.

The choice with removable disk is more universal. In this case adapter itself remains constantly connected to camcorder, but disk can be inserted and took out upon necessity. It is possible to connect this disk to computer via standard interfaces and perform a transfer of material in mode of copying files (for this it is necessary to install on computer corresponding driver), that in suppressing majority of the events is vastly faster than in real-time. Some manuifacturers of such equipment provide the possibility of the cascading of recording devices that else more raises the capacity of the system. One more advantage of removable disk is a possibility of the change the medium in body-shell with more capacious one (upon such appearance).

As summary to tale about method of record on hard disks follows to note that while these devices are relied basically on exploitation with 25 Mbit/s DV-camcorder. And deal is quite not in volume of the medium. This is OK. The restrictions are connected with access rate. If recording on hard disk with 50 Mbit/s stream is possible then recording with non-compressed video is a problems.

The idea to record on compact disk is not new as well. But on professional level this idea was realized most recently by Sony and is presented in “ferric” on NAB2003. For “burning” of this disk the blue laser is used. This method has the undoubted advantages too. There is the same file recording system, the significant reducing of “disk-drive” mechanism size, but the main advantages are a free access to recorded material and simplicity of the use with system of the nonlinear editing.

But the questions remain. For instance, it is known that from dirt and dust any optical system is suffered. The blue laser is not exception. It is not until clear how this camcorder with such system will function, for instance, at sand deserts or dust steppe. The developers assure that they’ve provided a whole protection of camcorders from penetration of outer particles inside them.

Finally, some words about recording of picture and sound using solid-state memory cards. In principle, it is not new thing as well. Already for pretty long time in professional and home camcorders for recording of adjustments, stills and even short video sequences the memory cards of different formats are used. But that has shown by Panasonic is something quite different. The prototype of this camcorder has not neither tape-, nor some other “drive” mechanism. The single remained electromechanical element is a drive of the lens. If consider that lens falls into category of outboard equipment, that, in general, new camcorder does not contain any mechanical elements. Recording is executed onto memory cards, for which special slots are provided. Moreover functioning is possible to begin after insertion of one card only.

It is not sense to stop on advantages of such approach. They are obvious and little differs from powerful points of two other methods. This is only exclusion: due to high access speed there is possibility to record even non-compressed picture on memory card. However, the time of recording of non-compressed picture by existing models of memory cards can’t be more than 8 minutes. But in some cases, for instance, for short promotional trailer shooting with duration about 10…15 seconds this can be enough. But with 25 Mbit/s data stream the duration of recording can take several hours already. Certainly, the price of solid-state memory cards is high at this time, but trend to reduction of the cost and increase the volume of solid-state medium make one optimistic.

Previous to terminate this article, I want to add “the spoon of tar a fly in the barrel of honey”. All this is because none of media described above do not provide such reliability, as videotape. Do not hurry to resent. The deal is in following. Even though knock on video cassette gavel and afterwards trampled on its remains, some big part of tape remains available for reproducing. Even roll tapes without case are so firm that it is very difficult to destroy them. For realization of this goal the roll must be unwind and tear to small pieces. And even in this case each piece of the tape can be reproduced.

Everything is much complex in case of disk, CD and cards with solid-state memory. For instance, a breach of the formatting the hard disk, a crack on compact disk or a failure of the memory card is resulted in full loss of information kept on them. Of course, there are methods of the data restoration, but they rescue far from always and take away much time and money. Probably, exactly for these reasons the camcorders with disc-recorders (which in reality are exploited by broadcasters), all provide in majority the recording on a cassette too.

Finally it is necessary to say that information technologies get deeper into television branch, and camcorders are not exceptions. Each of them contains one or several processors, which not only process picture and sound, but also have account for camcorder control. Now the media become purely computer’ already. So modern camcorder absolutely validly can be named as the computer with lens.