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MillimeterHDV@Work
Apr 11, 2005 2:50 PM
On the Job with the Z1
by D.W. Leitner
Last month I shot a project with the Sony HVR-Z1 about the making of a pair of large artworks by eminent American painter/sculptor Ellsworth Kelly. These were commissioned for the new American Embassy in Beijing, which will be the largest in the world when finished. Kelly’s sculptures are floating planes of perfect color, mounted back-to-back on both sides of a tall wall extending from the Embassy building.
Our shoot documented the completion of the first piece at Carlson & Co., one of two foundries in the U.S. that fabricate monumental art. This was the third shoot since 2003 I’ve done for the Checkerboard Film Foundation about these artworks; there will be another at Carlson & Co. when the second piece is completed in a few months.
Until now we have shot everything in MiniDV. For this shoot we switched to HDV to take advantage of the superior imaging of the HVR-Z1. We relied on the Z1’s default Picture Profile settings for 1080i. We did not wish to intercut Cineframe or Cinematone experiments with our previous footage. After shooting it became necessary to downconvert 16:9 HDV to 4:3 MiniDV, which we did in the field—FireWire to FireWire—from the Z1 to a PD150. This went without a hitch.
The PD150 was on hand as a backup, but I didn’t need it. (After using the Z1, the PD150 feels dinky.) I operated the Z1 without a manual. Controls and settings are clear and intuitive, and I encountered no setup issues that I couldn’t quickly figure out. Everything functioned exactly as expected.
Sony certainly kept ergonomics in mind. The Z1 is exceedingly well balanced, whether held at eye level or knee level. Steady handheld shots were no problem, even with an expanded 16:9 horizon.
I found the layout of VTR control buttons under the flip-out screen to be perfect. Startup of recording after pressing the camera record button seems slow, however. I flubbed the start of several shots because of this.
The camera’s auto-focus appears quite good, with minimal hunt-and-peck. I left it on by accident at one point and didn’t notice at first. The expanded focus button near the zoom rocker switch is brilliant. To aid focusing, it momentarily enlarges the image by a factor of two. This is an excellent idea, with great implementation. The camera automatically returns to original framing after two seconds, which is smart.
The main zoom rocker switch has a smooth, professional feel. The zoom lens at maximum aperture ramps (loses transmission of light) from f/1.6 to f/2.8 as it travels from wide-angle to telephoto. That’s nearly two stops of exposure. Many people won’t notice, because the Z1 automatically compensates for this with either gain or shutter-speed adjustments.
The viewfinder is the best there is in a camcorder of this class. Its switchable 4:3 markings are ideal, with vertical borders only. The external LCD viewing screen is also first-class—it can rotate and flip out, or lie flat against the handle, which is terribly useful. The Z1 makes you choose between display of overexposure zebras or peaking for fine focus. Camera operators need both.
I really like the breakdown of menu functions between two menu buttons: MENU and P-MENU (personal menu). MENU displays all menu options, while P-MENU enables you to cherry-pick favorite menu functions and group them together as a subset for personal use. You can even sort them to appear in the order you would prefer. I love this. Using P-MENU, you don’t have rifle through a cascade of menu choices in the heat of a shoot when you really need access to only two or three. Another button at the back of the camera, STATUS CHECK, offers a snapshot of all current menu settings. This is a lifesaver—I readily spotted a setup error or two—especially when someone else has used the Z1 and possibly changed settings.
The assignment of six (!) soft buttons in the menu, each numbered and arranged efficiently, is an example of excellent GUI design in the Z1 menu. It took me two seconds to assign one button for bars, another for marker. There’s great design sensibility at work here.
One remarkable and unique feature is Shot Transition, which permits storage of settings of focus, zoom, iris, gain, shutter speed, and white balance for two shots, labeled A and B. These are stored at the press of two buttons, A and B. Press button B and the Z1 robotically performs a perfect zoom and focus-pull from the A position. This is incredibly simple and powerful.
If you begin a shot at a third framing and focus, then hit button A, the shot will transition to settings for A. Then if you press button B, the shot will transition to framing and focus for B. This in effect gives you automated zoom and focus for three shots. You can pre-program the timing of each transition, from 2-15 seconds, and also the speed ramp at the beginning and end of each zoom. It would be nice if Shot Transition could fully rehearse its move without recording to tape. At present, shot transitions can be previewed without recording, but transition timing and zoom curve (speed ramp) cannot. On balance, though, I cannot overpraise this new feature.
Downconversion of 16:9 HDV to 4:3 DV via FireWire (from Z1 to PD150) went perfectly. For aspect ratio conversion, I chose to eliminate the right and left edges. But I could have easily selected squeeze or letterbox solutions. In either case, original 16:9 composition remains intact on the HDV master tape for future use.
I shot a total of two hours and 15 minutes of HDV without a single problem. Overall, this camcorder rocks. The HVR-Z1 is in a class of its own.
Incite introduces Remote Producer, expandable to handle HDV
Incite Avexco Corporation Inc. today announced release of their new generation video editing application tailored for the broadcast market - Incite Remote Producer (RP). Taking advantage of powerful multithreaded processors Incite RP, a software only product, converts a laptop or desktop computer into a complete DV production suite.
Incite RP was engineered from the ground up as a mobile field production toolkit for professional story tellers. Tested and approved in mission critical situations, by accessing media during capturing, the workflow is dramatically accelerated. It provides media browsing and cataloging on location, efficient and fast editing with complex effect compositing and background processing and enables users to exchange the files to various video servers (Profile, Sea Change, Omneon, Matrox Compatible).
“Originally intended as a robust software-based editor, RP has evolved to include advanced asset management and has become a multimedia transcoding package.’’ says Amir Rijavec, Incite Product Manager. “Our goal was to be able to select, manage, edit and process material while media was being ingested or transferred and to be able to handle a variety of media formats.”
The Incite Remote Producer comes with innovative ideas for today’s video editor, the result of research and experience to meet market demands. The RP product line is designed to have an upgrade path to various HD and SD hardware and is expandable to new file format tendencies – MXF, XDCAM and HDV.
Incite, now part of Incite Avexco Corporation Inc., designs editing software used by independent editors, post-production facilities and TV broadcasters around the world. Incite's product line offers professional end-to-end solutions to efficiently capture, manage, cut, finish, and deliver high quality video and audio in a collaborative workflow environment using advanced networking, storage and IT technology. In its merger with Avexco, the combined expertise of both companies in software design, broadcast workflow and systems integration makes Incite-Avexco a key asset for any broadcaster looking for a digital migration plan that is efficient, modular, cost-effective, open to 3rd party applications and customization, and provided with professional technical and after sales support. For more information visit www.inciteonline.com.
DVEO unveils FireCaster for HDV
DVEO, the broadcast division of CMI, will demonstrate the new FireCaster for HDV at NAB 2005. FireCaster provides a complete solution for transporting live high-definition unidirectional or bi-directional HD resolution MPEG-2 video feeds to and from nearly any location worldwide via nearly any type of IP network, including wireless, satellite, and Internet, making it the perfect system for delivering content to and from the new HDV Mini-DV drive recorders and cameras. FireCaster for HDV consists of a pair of gateways that are designed to route FireWire Packets into a high speed Internet circuit and deliver an HDV stream continuously and reliably in real-time. FireWire is a cross-platform implementation of the high-speed serial data bus defined by the IEEE 1394-1995, IEEE 1394a-2000, and IEEE 1394b standards. At 800 megabits per second, FireWire is one of the fastest peripheral communication standards ever developed. Multimedia peripherals such as digital video cameras, hard disk drives and HDV tape drives that include a FireWire 1394b port are ideal for the FireWire Caster.
HDV is a new consumer high-definition video format proposed by JVC, Sony, Canon and Sharp. HDV is designed to be a 19 megabit-per-second MPEG-2 transport stream that records to existing standard DV format digital videocassettes, including the Mini-DV shell. ““DVEO chose to introduce FireCaster for HDV at NAB to be possibly the first company with a product that encapsulates FireWire into IP and sends it over high speed Internet circuits,” stated Laszlo Zoltan, Sales Manager for DVEO. FireCaster for HDV works in conjunction with a FireCaster receiver and encapsulates standard or high-definition DV, DVCPro, or HDV MPEG Transport Stream video feeds over a Serial IEEE Standard 1394 interface. FireCaster for HDV supports protocols that are designed to recover lost packets and restore stream sequence and timing after transport through unconditioned IP networks. This helps insure the highest possible video quality with jitterfree, clear video -- even through network congestion and dynamic route changes. FireCaster for HDV is compatible with a wide variety of video cameras, video playback equipment, and video encoders having DV compatible or HDV MPEG-2 Transport Stream outputs over SerialBus. FireCaster also adds industry standard RSA encryption to protect video content and maintain the privacy and security of the video connection.
Features
o Advanced Quality of Service (QoS) technology facilitates the highest quality live audio/video transport with the lowest bandwidth overhead and latency.
o Enables high-quality bi-directional video transport over unconditioned IP networks, including wireless links and the Internet.
o Captures compressed video via SerialBus IEEE Std. 1394 (FireWire) in the following formats: 19Mbps 720p HDV MPEG-2 TS, 25 Mbps 1080i HDV MPEG-2, 25Mbps and 50Mbps Standard Definition DV and DVCPRO, and 100Mbps DVCPRO HD.
o Includes strong stream encryption for security and confidentiality
o DVI output; decodes HDV MPEG-2 and DV, DVCPRO and DVCPRO HD formats
Specifications
Supported Network Interfaces:
o IEEE 802.3 1000/100/10 Base-TX Ethernet interface (RJ-45)
Supported Video Formats:
o 19 Mbps 720p MPEG-2 TS
o 25 Mbps 1080i MPEG-2 TS
o 25 Mbps and 50 Mbps Std Definition DV
o 100 Mbps DVCPRO HD
Supported Network Protocols:
o Audio/Video streams: RTP/UDP/IP
o IETF DiffServ and IEEE TOS compliance
o IEEE 802.1x
Encryption:
o RSA RC4
Suggested Retail Price: FireCaster for HDV, $17,995 US
Visit www.dveo.com for more information.
Media 100 HD sw to support HDV over FireWire in future
Media 100, a unit of Optibase Ltd. and a leading provider of advanced media systems, has announced Media 100 sw, a software-only version of the company's Media 100 HD editing system. The product, which will be rolled out as public beta software on CD-ROMs distributed exclusively at the Optibase booth (#SL343), April 18-21 at NAB 2005, brings the popularity and ease of use of editing in the Media 100 interface to an expanded range of markets, including producer/editors, home enthusiasts and students. Media 100 sw also provides a cost-effective companion to customers and facilities using existing Media 100i and Media 100 HD systems.
The Media 100i/Media 100 HD interface has been favored over the years for its straightforward layout and ease of use and is one of the most intuitive and easy to learn in the industry. Media 100 sw will enable content creators to ramp up on the popular software quickly and complete projects from their desktop or laptop computers using an efficient and streamlined set of tools.
"Our editors have always liked the feel of working on the Media 100, and we like the end results. That's why we own strictly Media 100 systems, and continue to edit all of our television projects in the Media 100 interface," said Lou Reda of Lou Reda Productions, a producer of award-winning historical mini series and television documentaries in Pennsylvania.
"The lower cost of the Media 100 sw and the future development to handle HDV and DV through FireWire will open new customer markets, and give a growing number of people - from enthusiasts who want to just start editing right away to producers who sit down occasionally to put together their own projects editing tools that can be quickly adopted and used," said Steve Bayes, Director of Product Marketing, Media 100/Optibase. "The software will also benefit existing Media 100 customers who want to inexpensively add an editing or review-and-approval bay to their setup by using Media 100 sw on a laptop or a basic G5."
Media 100 sw comprises:
… A full-functioning editing application, with the familiar Media 100 interface
… Full support for all Media 100 codecs
… Real-time effects, depending on processor and drive speeds
… Full media and graphics import and export capabilities
… Trial version of Boris Graffiti
… Moving programs backward and forward to Media 100 HD
The public beta version will be able to play and render all codecs and media formats now currently supported with Media 100 HD. The public beta software does not include capture or output capabilities, but users will be able to access media captured using Media 100i or Media 100 HD products and use it for editing and export. Users will also be able to open programs created by the Media 100 sw version on Media 100 HD systems and, when the corresponding media is attached, output to tape with complete accuracy.
Media 100 sw will also be able to open any program created on Media 100i, export material as a QuickTime movie and output via a Media 100i system to tape. All existing import and export workflows, including sending to third-party compressors for MPEG2 for DVD or MPEG4 for web, will continue to work as they do with the current shipping Media 100 products.
Availability and Pricing
Free public beta Media 100 sw software will distributed April 18-21 exclusively from the Optibase booth during NAB 2005. The CD will contain an interactive demo of Media 100 HD and an installer for the public beta of Media 100 sw. The public beta will time out after 90 days, but new versions are expected to be available during development. A productized version of Media 100 sw, with Firewire deck control and I/O, is expected to be announced in 2005. For more information, please call (800) 773-1770 or visit the Media 100 website at www.media100.com.
Pinnacle enhances Pinnacle Liquid Edition end-to-end HDV workflow with version 6.1
Pinnacle Systems, Inc., a leading provider of digital video solutions, today announced the immediate availability of Pinnacle Liquid Edition version 6.1, which offers expanded HDV capabilities that provide true end-to-end HDV workflow with the inclusion of comprehensive deck and device support for Sony’s popular prosumer and professional lines of HDV cameras and decks.
With Liquid Edition version 6.1, editors also gain a real-time full screen preview of their editing timeline for all formats, including HDV, directly on a computer monitor, allowing editors to preview their work on location, on vacation, or anytime they do not have a video monitor available. These new features, combined with Liquid Edition’s SmartRT true multi-stream native HDV editing, provide a robust end-to-end workflow solution for HDV production.
“The combination of Pinnacle’s Liquid Edition and Sony HDV products can offer video production professionals a powerful and cost-effective end-to-end HDV production solution,” said Juan Martinez, Senior Product Manager, Acquisition Systems Broadcast and Professional Division, Sony. “Users should be able to work within the native HDV format throughout their production process, from their first day of shooting, through editing and up until final distribution.”
For more information about Liquid Edition version 6.1, please visit www.pinnaclesys.com/liquidedition.
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