DSE

It is. The Intensity is a very nice card with professional, nonbiased output. Matrox card is GREAT for presentations. I use it religiously. But not useful for color correction output. It's a presentation/splitter card and doesn't allow for calibration.

Couldn't comment. I have an SD1, SD5, and SD9. All three did one of three things; 1-OIS is an issue just like Sony/Canon 2-Shut off in freefall/exit 3-Corrupt files after jump To get hundreds of jumps on an SD9, you guys must be incredibly busy. I only have perhaps 5-6 jumps on each of the above. Corrupt files and turning off in the air are no-starters for me. You can see my SD1 and SD5 footage on YouTube VASST channel. SD5 is a great ground cam, so is SD9, IMO. SD1 was non-standard file format. McGowan has an SD5 that was sent in (through me) to have the OIS issue dealt with at one of the camera dealers who has now stopped modifying the cams. In other words, I'm not the only one who experienced challenges with these cams. But...it's your money.

Which is *exactly* why this is a bad idea. If you're monitoring to know exactly what the DVD will look like, color correction, image placement, safeties, etc are a waste of time on a video card-controlled preview. You cannot have the video card have any control over gamma, color, etc of any professional preview output. Which is why for instance, you see Phil commenting about a BMD card, or when I comment about SDI or 1394 cards. This is critical, if you're speaking from a point of an accurate image preview.

If you're going to go HD, you can't reasonably justify a broadcast-level monitor. If you're SD, then not just any ole' monitor will do. You can't reasonably monitor HD on a crummy monitor, and cant' monitor SD on an LCD panel monitor. What's your budget? You have a few options, but if Firewire is your output format, then you're working in SD. Personally, I think that's a mistake, but at the end of the day, it's your workflow and output and not my opinion that matters.

Hmmm..... Perhaps it would be a good idea fly a canopy before passing judgement on it (in either direction)?

There is nothing "funky" about the Silhouette, there are reasons it's a canopy by both beginning and experienced skydivers.

I'd suggest that Rigging Innovations is likely your best/firsthand information source. They're really fast about answering any emails I've sent them, assuming it's not during a weekend.

A few things... The screen you have is a 1440 x 900 pixel/resolution. If you feed it a low resolution signal such as a standard def TV signal, then the picture will appear soft. If the signal isn't strong, it'll appear soft and likely washed out. Dynex does not have a good rescaler. No low-cost television does. Feed it a good HD signal from your cable or DTV receiver, or feed it 1080i/p from a Blu-ray player, it'll look like you expect it to. As far as color, you can buy color calibration DVDs, or if you know how to feed it a still image, I can email you a color chart with instructions that will help you calibrate it. one thing to look for, in the Dynex setup menu, it has extreme contrast and brightness settings. Be sure you're not in those modes for brightly light rooms. It'll make skin appear reddish and everything else will be bluish-green. HTH

thank you for that

for a top/side mount config, I'm a big fan of the Tonfly myself. For flat-style top, i've got a Bonehead FTP, and for a while, had considered a WesPro Vapor. I think I'm gonna stick with my FTP for a while.

The capture/Xfer process varied from point to point. There were moments that the OmniSkore system failed or a component on that end of the chain failed, so only 1394 was used to capture to keep the line moving, and then a print from the NLE was used to re-feed the judges while video was being ingested in another instance of the application. In other words, the system is capable of operating independently of the OmniSkore system, feeding OmniSkore in real-time or time-shifted. The guys that had file-based cams had it the fastest, as their files could be Xferred while video was being captured. A 1 minute jump takes one minute to cap via tape, file-based takes less than 10 seconds. Quade's point regarding formats is right on, IMO, and it was part of the design that Trunk put into that part of the system; Any and all comers, PAL, NTSC, widescreen, HDV, DV, AVCHD were all ingested. There were two very old cams that had issues interfacing via firewire, so tapes were removed from the cams and cap'd separately in a different machine. At least...that's what occurred when I was sitting at the stations. Can't comment on what took place later. I was only there for 4, 8way, and CRW.

With an adapter, they do work, and of course we've had this discussion in PM; but they don't work directly with the CamEye. FWIW, I've effectively forgotten the CamEye simply because it can't offer even a tiny bit of control by comparison to what is available in the HypEye product, but some folks are good with just start/stop and nothing more. I've gotten lazy. I can't see the rationale in buying a new CamEye and then spending more for an adapter and then kludging the assembly together. I do it with my stills cam because I have to swap cameras back n' forth and I don't care for the weak link in the adapter. But as you say...there does exist the alternative.

To clarify a semi-small point...HD makes frame SIZES the same worldwide, but due to 50Hz and 60Hz electrical systems, the frame RATE is still different, we're still dealing with 50i/60i or 25p/30p. However, virtually everything new can play both frame rates as well. ALL NLE systems can deal with either framerate. In other words, while there is no more PAL/NTSC, we do still have a framerate difference that will always exist due to the different electrical frequency differences between the US/Canada/Japan and most of the rest of the world.

Don't feel too badly about it. Those of us that live in the country, raise horses/cattle/sheep make fun of city and suburban-dwellers that wear all that, drive monster 4-wheelers, spit tobacco, and generally attempt to sound like they're even more igner'nt than they are because "igner'nt" is apparently the new black ('specially now that black is the new President). Make fun of em' all you want, it's cheap comedy that isn't limited to Texas. You'll find that brand of laugh in Jersey, too.

Actually, Zing would jump a Voodoo.

Yes, I know this, but at the same time, on the display side (not acquisition side) 1.212 or .909 pixels output over composite are same analog dim as 640x486. And...there are no pixels in analog video. Not to be picky...I think you meant "once digital goes to component (not even composite!)" assuming you meant once it goes to Ypb/pr (given that the bandwidth of Y/C is the same as composite?) Then we get into the discussion of 4:1:1 and 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 SD vs 4:2:0 MPEG...and lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!. Damn. That's twice in one DAY I've tried to keep it simple and gotten my ass in a sling for it. Incidentally, your post caused me to realize that I failed to bring up progressive vs interlaced (and please don't get me going on Kell Factor, Quade). The future is entirely progresssive, yet cams for the next 24 months will be a combinant of interlaced sensors and progressive delivery, and then we move to PsF, which will keep our not-yet-purchased new cams fairly current, and with NLE tools, entirely current. But... This too, needs to be considered as we move into the "next big thing." Some folks weren't around 14 years ago when DV debuted, and they've been only familiar with that world. What we're going into now is identical to what happened in broadcast, only accelerated. high praise from the guy that started it all. Thank you, Quade.

Composite video IS SD video. it's square (if there were pixels in analog video) vs non-square pixels, that's all. Doesn't it seem a conflict to be upset about resolution and judging yet in the same breath condem 88% *more* resolution? There are *far* more variants of SD video formats than there are MPEG-relatives in HD. AVCHD doesn't have "variants" outside of bitrate, which doesn't cause any decoding issues. In that regard, it's similar to DVCAM/DV. AVCHD is a standard no different than DV. If you'll recall two years ago in this same forum it was commented that AVCHD is the new DV. And it has become so. There are variants of MPEG, of which AVCHD is a part. An NLE is not required to capture/playback AVCHD. Aside from Media Player, there are *many* free players. Exporting to a delivery-mechanism is entirely file based, and can be as simple as a thumbdrive or as difficult as a DVD or email. It's faster, more easily transportable, fewer variants, same frame size worldwide. Same colorspace worldwide. So...here's a scenario. You can't buy a CRT monitor for either PAL or NTSC in a year (green laws). You can't buy an SD monitor in a year. Everything is at least 720p. Parts on existing gear fail. We watched a few old pieces of gear fail at this year's Nationals. Cameras fail, especially in skydiving. So in three years time, on gear not expected to have a half-life of three years...we expect competitors to view 4:3 SD video over composite or Firewire on an HD monitor where (by argument of resolution) the signal is less than a quarter the resolution of the monitor, and therefore soft, fuzzy, and significantly LESS judgeable than composite SD that you already feel could conceivably cost the team points? Technology is rapidly advancing, costs are coming down, and if it means losing some good people along the way...so be it. Unfortunate, but it's part of the game. It's expensive for everyone. A cage here, a box there, a new control switch for a new camera, gotta have a laptop for archiving, it's *all* expensive. Widescreen isn't optimal for team video, but that's the way of the world. There isn't an animal known as 4:3 LCD anymore... in the words of another moderator friend..."suck it up, cupcake." The WORLD has standardized. Skydiving competition is going to have to catch up, either sooner or later. There isn't a "next big thing" coming soon. UXHD is at least a decade off, and it won't be the same techno-leap we've taken in just under two years. Two years ago, people were saying "no one gives a shit about HD." Four years ago, my company invested heavily in HD, and we won out over competition because of it. A year ago, people were saying HD-DVD was king, and in this same forum I wrote I believed HD DVD would lose. It did. It was also said BD would continue to be a device for the elite. Not with Walmart selling 149.00 Blu-ray players and $13.00 Blu-ray discs, it isn't. HD, like it or not, is the way of the greater world even if parts of the world are not yet in sync. On February 16, 2009, the USA will be entirely digital and heavily HD in broadcast both OTA/direct. The rest of the world will follow suit. Personally? It doesn't matter one way or the other if FAI competitions use outdated gear for the next millenia. Yet it's obvious that folks do care, do realize the very nasty quandry the competitive world is about to find itself mired in, and interested in creating a solution before the problem becomes unmanageable. And it will be unmanageable sooner than later. The rock don't roll fast, but once it starts to roll, it'll roll over you hard if you don't have a plan to move quickly. If there isn't a solution in two years, in three years it'll be a monster mess. A small comparison....CYPRES uses a technology that only has a lifespan of 12 years and they're a pampered, managed technology that is relatively simple. Some people scream and threaten to quit jumping because they have to replace them, or else they forego jumping with one once it does reach EOL. And that's OK, isn't it? If the decision is to not grow with the technology, perhaps quit jumping camera, or understand that you just won't be able to jump at some events. Just like some DZ's won't allow you to jump without a CYPRES. Progress is a bitch. But it's better than the alternative, isn't it?

GoPro Hero Wide arrived today. Review forthcoming. Short comments; 512 x 384 frame size, so for broadcast, being put on a DVD, etc, it's useless. For web or fun review on a computer in small viewer, it's just fine. MJPEG codec in AVI container (will be .mov on Apple) 30Fps Progressive compressed to 4800 Kpbs 1.0 PAR 4:3 SAR Mono audio@8Khz/64Kbps

Check out a Silhouette. Very soft openings. Spectre is great w/Dacron (or the one I had for a while was) The Silhouette, I can pack without anything special, basically just a fast flake, clear lines, roll n' stuff in bag. Consistently soft openings, great for camera flying.

Not at our DZ..you'll merely get a shake of a head and a chuckle from the DZO and DZM. Tennis balls (or anything but a Vladiball) are not permitted. I thought the AD system was over? There is a recent thread in Gear/Rigging on the subject.

I would have thought Ricin was hard to get but apparently it's not. Even here in little ole' Utah.

I disagree. The PMW EX1 is better for jumping, as there is no bayonet to get dirty or air, less worry of vibration, and easier to set up due to no backfocus issue. Besides, I jump an EX1, Norman jumps an EX1, Joe Jennings jumps an EX1, who better as a role model? But the CX7, CX12 are my preferences for casual HD on a Memory Stick Pro Duo (MSPD) card, which is different than an SD card. You cheated. The 235 isn't HD, it's film.

Phree, As you know, I have a lot of opinions on this, and there are a couple people working on this directive in addition to you. If the FAI isn't able to quickly change this, they're going to hose a lot of people. Obviously OmniSkore is a big fly in the ointment in this discussion too. This is where Sony Vegas worked well at Nationals, we had every format under the sun coming in. HDV, AVCHD, DVCAM, DV NTSC, DV PAL...one right after another. We also had wide and 4:3. I don't expect FAI would standardize on one video platform, but they do need a means of standarizing output from XXX to OmniSkore or whatever (NEEDS) to replace it. Widescreen is the standard for ALL video cameras worldwide from now til we're all dead, most likely. Whether it's 1:212.1, 1:85.1, whatever, it's all widescreen. Compression for the future is all MPEG. HDV, AVCHD, AVCI, MP4, and even a potential of MJ2K are all around MPEG decoders. 1080i is obviously the new standard worldwide. Whatever the FAI accepts must be 1080 50/60i/p capable. The next 12 years are expected to circle around these standards. A few things like bitrate may change, and a few aspects of MPEG (MPEG 21, etc) may change, but MPEG Widescreen 1080 will not change as standards over the next decade or perhaps longer. Xfer format no longer matters so long as they add USB to the acceptable ingest mechanisms. USB opens the door for all card-based systems, and any NLE that supports 1394-based Xfer (other than Apple) will support USB Xfer in full. In fact, other than Apple, every NLE on the planet supports AVCHD, AVCi, HDV, DV. The reason this is important, is to demonstrate that any pc-platform can decode these MPEG formats and variants, and likely always will. Fortunately, at Nationals nothing was so short-sighted, and the systems devised by Trunk and myself was flawless, filled the OmniSkore requirements, and allowed for very fast Xfer, replay, and archive of over 1000 videos. We had a card reader and 1394 ports, plus analog card, so we could manage 2 ingests at the same time, of any format brought forward. We also coverted PAL to NTSC in real-time.

-By SD card, I'm assuming he means flash mem format, regardless of whether it's SDHC, MSPD, CF, Express....they're all card formats. IMO, when someone is talking about the storage format vs speed, cost, compatibility of a card-based system, I didn't feel a need to delve into the minutiae of which card systems are supported by which manufacturer. No...the 5DMKII does NOT shoot decent video. I've edited quite a bit of it for a trade event, and it's unusable for "real" video use. If you have a problem with OIS, you'll definitately not like the shutter shimmer of the 5DMKII. It's a really cool gimmick, but it's NOT quality video. If you have any kind of a horizontal reference in the video at all, it judders badly. If you have a moving source and no horizontal line, a non-critical eye might enjoy it, but that's about it. You're about as well off with a POS AipTek or GoPro camcorder. To be completely technically correct and answer the OP's question, assuming he meant SD CARD vs Standard Definition card-based; "Sony has never made an SD card-based camcorder, and never will. Sony also no longer is releasing Standard Definition camcorders in card, HDD, nor tape-based configuration." Izzat better, Dave? Feeling picayune this morning?

Sony does not make a good SD Card camera, AFAIK. Any Sony consumer/prosumer cam will work with a HypEye, no card-based cam will work with the LANC control from the older CamEye. No still camera also shoots quality video, and none of the video cameras currently available shoot quality stills.