compatibilities USA-España EX1

[rdegracia]

If I am using an EX1 camera in 1080 HD mode (not in PAL or NTSC SDTV) is there any problem buying the camera in USA and carrying it to Europe? or the contrary?

1080 is a very different thing from Pal or NTSC... is that right?

THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Unfortunately, Europe adopted an HDTV standard of 50 Hz, so it's either 720/50P or 1080/50i for broadcast. US HDTV broadcast is 720/70P or 1080/60i.

And most 24P HDV camcorders in the USA record 24P to 60i/1080 with a pulldown, just as the DV ones record 24P to 60i/480 with a pulldown, whereas a European HDV camcorder would probably offer 25P or 50i, recorded to 50i/1080, or offer recording to 50P/720 as an option.

So while there may be some "universal" HD camcorders that offer all the frame rate options, generally the European and US ones are a little different, similar to the PAL and NTSC camcorders. You just have to look at their frame rate and recording mode options carefully. Of course, it may be possible to use the camera as a playback device and strip the recording in post to the basic "P" frames (if you shoot progressive mode at 24P, let's say) and then output to whatever standard you want. But it may get awkward if you want to playback the camera's recording on a TV set that isn't in the same standard.

 

[rdegracia]

not sure to understand...

not sure to understand...

excuse me.. but...

If I shoot 1080 24P with a EX1... will it be a universal format? or you mean that the camera will need to pulldown to pal or ntsc, despite of the fact that the capture was HD?

so confused...sorry

AND THANKS A LOT

 

[David Mullen ASC]

It just depends on how it handles 24P for recording, and how you plan on monitoring the image and posting the footage. Some of the HD camcorders record 24P to 60i/1080 with a pulldown, just as the DVX100 records 24P to 60i/480. Others record 24P as 24PsF.

24P is semi-universal, meaning that in 50 Hz countries, it probably will just get played as a 25 fps project, slightly sped-up. In 60 Hz countries, it would get a 3:2 pulldown to create 60i.

I'm not sure you understand the problem of recording 24 whole frames onto 60 fields, or that NTSC and HDTV can both be 60i, just one is 480 and the other is 1080 pixels vertically. You need pulldown to convert 24 into 60, whether it is NTSC or 60i HDTV.

But some HD cameras do record 24P, others convert 24P capture to something else, and some shoot 24F but create 24P out of it, etc. Lots of variations which is why it is confusing.

My point is that some HD camcorders offer features and frame rates depending on if it is for European or USA sales.