And to add the 'official' Panasonic pre-NAB quote:
"DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, DVCPROHD recording capability on P2, 24P, and under $10,000."
Jan M. Crittenden
Product Manager, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, AG-DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems
I've said before that this years NAB could be extremely interesting. After those two very good links, I feel that even more strongly. Likewise, without a pressing, immediate, business need, I wouldn't advise buying a Z1 now, good though it is. The hints so far seem to point to cameras more expensive than the Z1being released there, I wonder when we'll see the first true lightweight HD consumer camera? (That, unlike an FX1, I'd be happy to carry around on holiday.)
The JVC was trailed at the Video Forum, 1280x720 p/25, i.e. film-look with repeated frames to raise the output to 50fps. Naff for anything else though.
Hi
More JVC info (rumour?):
"JVC Releases NEW Pro HD Camera Specs to Select AVR Resellers
Model: GY-HD100U
SPECS
Aprox 5lbs
Heavy Duty Magnesium Body
Shoulder Mount Balanced Light Weight Camera
3 - 1/3" 1.1 Megapixel CCDs
Interchangeable Lenses 1/3" - Stock options 16X and 13X Fuji
Recording: TRUE 720 24P, 720 30P, 480i,480P (1080i Playback)
DUAL MEDIA Mini DV Tape Option (Hard Drive)
Memory Stick
Camera Presets
Image Control - Including Cinema Gamma
Motion Smoothing Filter
Dual XLR
Component Out/Composite Out/ Fire Wire I/O
Flip Out LCD
Enhanced Focus
Monochrome Viewfinder
Data 19Mps
Shipping June 1, 2005
List Price - under $10K with Lens
COMPANION DECK ALSO SHIPPING in June
Model Name: BR-HD50U
FULL and Mini DV Tape
Integrated Small LCD
Component Out
Fire Wire I/O
(Additional Specs TBA)
NEW HDV FORMAT ANNOUNCED!!!!
JVC PRO HD XE
Recording 720 24P,30P,60P,1080i
4 Channels Audio
First Product will be a 3 2/3" Camera with true 1080P CCDs
Higher Bit Rate
DUAL Media DV Tape/ Hard Drive
The camera's the one JVC were showing pictures of at the Video Forum, and will be launched at NAB. It doesn't do 720 p/60 (or p/50) as per broadcast standards, only p/30 (or p/25) with frames repeated on replay, giving only jerky film motion.
The new JVC format, which will probably get adopted by all the others as well, does nothing for the 50Hz countries, it's aimed squarely at the 60Hz countries. So there would have to be a 50Hz based version as well if they want international markets to take notice.