DSE

It's on "Willing to Fly" from Norman Kent. http://www.normankent.com Norman also discusses the scene on the "Aerial Camera: What You NEED to Know" DVD.

I'm a big alienware fan, have a couple of their desktop machines. VERY nicely built, and very well supported. Also have a MacBook Pro, and it's great with AVCHD on it on the PC side, and not so great on the Apple side. Apple and AVCHD do not play nicely together when speed is the need. What NLE are you going with?

I've purchased a few electronic items from Amazon, no problems with them, but YMMV

don't feel bad. I'm the same way. My first concert was Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (Billy, Don't Be a Hero) and KISS was a few weeks later in 1975. I've seen KISS at least 100 times both in front and back. Member of the Army, and flew to Oz to see them with the Melbourne Symphony. No one ever, has put on a show like KISS. I've seen BonJovi and Garth Brooks on the KISS stages that they bought from KISS, and their shows suck by comparitive energy and equal gear. KISS may not be the best musical band in the world, but they sure as hell defined rock n' roll. But Psycho Circus still sucked.

Yes, it can be done. I have video of it being done, less than 20 feet in front of my lens. Velocity canopies.

Not copyright, trademark. Big difference. No doubt iGasm will suffer from revenuous-interruptus, but I doubt it'll come to fines or punative damage. This company seems to have been a bit more circumspect.

What support? All you need is a sewing machine and website. Or a laser cutter and a printing apparatus adapted from an existing clothing line Oh yeah, I forgot about the IT/HR/legal/marketing/customer support departments. Don't forget a cool logo. If you have a super-cool logo, people will buy your product no matter whether it flies, floats, or farts. Prada will be envious of your customer base because they'll be young, hip, adventurous.

Memory stick vs. cheaper Sansdisk -HC5 doesn't record to mem stick, unless you're using it for stills only. Perhaps you're thinking of some other camcorder? -SanDisk makes MSPD cards too, for approximately the same price as any other card in a similar class. SDHC on the other hand, is more confusing (and that's what Panasonic uses). MSPD cards are faster than SDHC cards, which come in a wide variety of classes, many not compatible with video. SDHC cards write speeds: -Class 2: 2 MB/s (16Mbps) -Class 4: 4 MB/s (32Mbps) -Class 6: 6 MB/s (48Mbps) MS Duo/ProDuo speeds: Transfer: 159 Mbit/s (20 MB/s) Minimum write speed: 15 Mbit/s (1.8MBps) Maximum write speed: 80 Mbit/s (10Mbps) As you probably know, anything labeled with the MSPD on it, is MS card compatible. SDHC doesn't carry that same compatibility, and there is a tremendous amount of confusion in the market as to which SDHC cards work in which products. As far as "how many minutes on a disc," the answer is entirely bitrate dependent, just like MPEG 2 and DVD. As few as 20 mins at highest bitrates, and as much as 90 mins at low bitrates, with the avg being around an hour of high quality footage at 18Mbps on a standard DVD 5. Of course, if you have dual layer burner, you can store longer/larger files. Bear in mind that although the cameras are constrained by lower bitrates, DVDs don't need quite the same contraints, and bitrates of up to 20Mbps are just fine. We have a bitrate calc for this on one of our tools (Ultimate S 3.0) that can help you calculate time/quality. As far as third-party quality vs what comes in Vegas...Vegas is exceptionally good, but there are better encoders, but not for cheaper, so your *best* bet would be to upgrade to Vegas 8Pro. I happen to know that Videoguy will shortly be announcing a very good upgrade deal, but B&H and others will likely offer it soon after.

What "proprietary shit?" Nothing at ALL proprietary about the HC5. Of all the camcorder manufacturers on the planet, only one company chooses to be proprietary, and that is Panasonic. The SD1 had non-compliant streams that required conversion. They've since changed that. The HC5 is the same file type as every 1080 HDV camcorder there is. It's an M2T stream. Simple, sweet, ubiquitous, and every editor on the planet can use it. The same cannot be said for DVCPro (Panasonic only) DVCProHD (Panasonic only) AVC-I (Panasonic only), and Panasonic P2's unique MXF wrapper (Panasonic only). Grass Valley, Sony, Canon, Ikegami, JVC are all on the same page.

I do?? I recall saying I wasn't understanding how you were burning HD DVD-compliant discs for playback on Blu-ray players in this thread with Scott Jaco. We burn AVCHD discs for BD playback all the time. Your post in the other thread suggested that you were authoring HD DVD discs for playback in BD players. Beowulf, I don't have the latest Platinum 8, but according to Sony's charts, Platinum only READS AVCHD, but cannot output AVCHD. The Pro version can output for playback on BD discs. TSRemux can take an M2t and convert it to AVCHD, however. You can also use Nero Vision and if you want to get really tricky, you can use a frameserver to serve from the Vegas Platinum timeline to Nero Vision. There is a tutorial on the VASST site about frameserving, and links to a free frameserver. The tutorial details how to make an AVCHD file using the frameserver and Nero, but the article is nearly 3 years old.

Nope, I don't. BD didn't win based on PS3 players, polls show that very few PS3 users play DVDs on their PS3 game system. Consumers were buying BD discs and BD players much faster than they were buying HD DVD players and discs, at 2:1 before Xmas, and at nearly 4:1 after Xmas. At no point did HD DVD disc sales remotely approach sales #'s of higher cost BD discs, and at no point did HD DVD approach the profit margin of BD, although the sales of HD DVD machines did climb higher than set-top BD players when Toshiba announced the $99.00 special pricing. HD DVD isn't forward-looking enough to the future. The HD DVD format died nearly 30 months ago, but Bill Gates chose to resurrect it, I believe in hopes of staving off any disc format until VOD could become a reality (still a long way off). He benefits most from VOD, not disc sales. Consumers understand why BD is superior, and given that HD DVD had a larger marketing budget, bought nearly double the marketing space, and sold at a loss to buy the market and STILL lost, it shows that the consumer "gets it." Obviously they're not. You've voiced your opinion as to why HD DVD is better, based on what you're reading in the AVS forums, which is predominantly a bunch of braying jackasses that are interested in pirating DVDs rather than working on real projects. -'HD DVD is backwards compatible'....So is BD. -'HD DVD is a better picture quality'....nope...Same file formats on both formats of discs. VC1, MPEG 2, AVCHD are both common formats. Except BD also accepts DivX formats, and NeroShowtime formats, but HD DVD didn't. -'HD DVD is cheaper to author' Wrong again. Cost is identical at authoring stage, and no more difficult than authoring an SD disc. -'HD DVD is easier for the consumer' How? it's a format that requires a new player, just as BD is, just as DVD required a new player over CD players. -'HD DVD requires significant changes for replicators' Now THIS one is true. One grain of truth in the FUD constantly posed in this discussion. Just as in the early days of DVD, replicators are required to upgrade. As they will be for other future formats. -'HD DVD is cheaper to replicate' Nope...cost of HD DVD was expected to be in the 6.00 range for small-format runs. BD is in the exact same range. Licensing fees for BD are actually less than licensing fees for HD DVD. -HD DVD doesn't have all the copy guards that BD has, and HDCP isn't an issue on HD DVD' Wrong again...HD DVD has EXACTLY the same parameters for HDCP as BD does. Otherwise, no studio would have looked at HD DVD as a delivery mechanism. -HD DVD is better for consumers because it's easier for independent film producers to use' How exactly? Please explain exactly, specifically, how anyone benefits from HD DVD more than they benefit from Blu-ray. I've heard about every argument there is, and have only heard one intelligent argument (and it's not been brought up here). Consumers, studios, manufacturers alike all saw the significantly greater benefits of Blu-ray over HD DVD, and the superior format won. Stock prices for *both* camps rose significantly when Toshiba admitted defeat. But I am looking forward to an intelligent, cogent, and specific argument about how anyone benefits from HD DVD over Blu-ray. A mantra of "consumers are stupid" won't fly.

The HC3 doesn't just "seem" like it's more sensitive, it is. It adjusts exposure far more quickly than most cams, and it's one of the weaknesses of this cam. It has been addressed in later models. Not much you can do, other than shooting ith exposure slightly under, and using the backlight in the plane.

It's very difficult, and this is one of two reasons I'm still using a wide adapter, but *hope* to not be later this year. I've looked at what McGowan has shot with the same cameras I'm using, and he's shown me how he gets out there to get that shot. Since I can only practice on non-paying tandems...it may be a while til I'm satisfied, if I can ever even get there.

It just goes to show that history repeats itself once again and proves that electronics consumers are the stupidest people on the planet. It’s funny how people tout Blu-ray as superior when both formats are fully capable of storing a full-length movie at 1080p HD-DVD was more accessible by allowing backwards compatibility with standard recordable DVD’s. This was a major advantage for independent video producers. While Blu-Ray has a higher capacity, it currently costs thousands of dollars to do any type of detailed menu authoring. Thank you consumers. Your ignorance has once again led us down the path of higher production costs. BD is backwards compatible. BD is forward compatible with what manufacturers in both entertainment and data storage have planned. You've obviously been reading the AVS forums, as one of your paragraphs is almost verbatim the FUD that has been posted there, over and over. We're now burning BD discs at a rate of roughly 2 per day, in prep for a large event that requires all display being 1080 60p No point in arguing the subject, the superior, forward-looking format won, and nope...consumers aren't stupid. In fact, in my opinion, they're brilliant. Consumers saw through Toshiba "buying" the market by losing money, selling players that cost 220.00 to build, at a firesale price of $99.00. Consumers saw through the limited offerings, and dual-packaging of SD with the HD DVD. Consumers saw through the exceptionally short term benefits of HD DVD. BD does not "cost thousands of dollars to do detailed menu authoring." More FUD. Authoring BD can be as simple as making an SDDVD ,or if scripting is involved, yes, it takes someone who knows how to write scripts to do it, just as it does with SD DVD. Independent film producers (like myself) don't very often use scripts, but if they do, modifying existing script, ripping script from existing DVDs, or downloading myriad script from the web and altering it is very easy (scripting is per-project, and may not be blanket-pasted from one project to another). I'll wager 100.00 that no one here has once used scripting for their standard tandem DVDs.

Two words: "Crazy Glue" It works. Seriously.

Wink's video is very, very good. I haven't seen the final product, but saw it during it's post-production phases, and it's jammed with great stuff.

What "dealer show" was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago? CES was the first week in January at the LVCC, I'm unaware of anything outside of small rep gatherings? There is no dealer lit that isn't available to the public re; Sony that I'm aware of, I guess there might be. All of the cameras that will be seen prior to July are announced and very public, including the SR10/12, HC9 which is shipping now, Z7 which is just starting to ship, and the DSR 270 which is due in a month. My company is the training partner for Sony camcorders, FWIW, in addition to Canon and some JVC products. It's not a surprise that no specific mention of LANC is in the print literature, there is nothing to mention about LANC, as LANC is tape-based only protocol, and tape is developmentally dead. There is nothing more to say about LANC. Most folks don't know what LANC means, let alone what it is capable of and what it's limitations are. There's not much in any literature over the years about LANC, other than a "yes/no" box in a comparison chart. The 'new' protocol isn't "new." Products that utilize this protocol aren't new. But the product that will benefit the skydiving community using an old protocol, accessible via the D connector on most Sony DV cams, all HDV cams, the XDCAM EX, and other as-yet-to-be-announced models. Sony is sharing info on the protocol, just gotta ask or look around. It's there. Sony sells a connector for the D link that controls zoom, start/stop/ focus, and more. It's been discussed and photographs provided in this forum over the past few months, Laszlo built one recently. HDMI doesn't fully support bi-directional control in these cameras. It could, but at a significant additional expense for zero gain, IMO. And no DV camcorders have HDMI. Thankfully, no one is going down that road. ] Well then, spend a lil' more time around here then!

Hmm...curious denial. It would hint that there might exist porn of you? I know someone shot an "adult" film at Deland some years back? Would you know anything about that?

Couldn't agree more. Remi, if you'd like, I can give you my IP so you can watch all the porn on MY computer. It might be a short night fer ya tho

Just as an upload hint...An mp4 at 640 x 480 or even 320 x 240 uploads very, very nicely. A WMV file at 1Mbps also converts very nicely as well. Bear in mind that attempting to upload MPEG2 at DVD quality, or an AVI at DV quality, will be too large for long presentations.

Here is the memcard I just bought a bunch of.

In my FFC, my instructor spent a fair amount of time explaining the flight plan, and we have a basic wingsuit webpage on our DZ site about wingsuiting, flight patterns, etc. When LouDiamond repeated my FFC in Eloy, same thing...lots of time spent discussing the flight pattern, and then during the larger flock jumps, I also learned a lot about understanding the importance. James looking directly in my eye saying "Some of you lower-number jumpers might wanna consider..." conveyed a fairly strong message that sticks with me on each jump.

HDV is a passing format, but you perhaps already knew that. Sony is done with it, Canon is done with it, JVC is done with it. Nothing new will be forthcoming in the next 18 months nor beyond, other than one minor change in an already existing camcorder, and it will not be impacted other than a part # change. The HC 5/7 are both very much current model camcorders for Sony. ALL HDV records at 1440 x 1920. Few of the other formats record 1920 x 1080. In fact, virtually NO other format records 1920 x 1080 in small size camcorders other than AVCHD. AVCHD has 1920 x1080 in the spec, but only two camcorders out of nearly 30 models from various manufacturers record 1920 x 1080, because the payload simply isn't worth it in image quality at this time. If you feel you can see the difference between 1920 x 1080 at 1.0 PAR and 1440 x 1080 at 1.333 PAR, you've got a good imagination, unless you've got a 100" display or larger and you're viewing at 180" back. The "prosumer" and "professional" grade cameras will not offer LANC, because LANC is a tape based-only protocol. Tape is dead. Get used to it. The new Sony EX1, a "pro-sumer" camcorder, has no LANC. No file-based camcorder offers, nor will offer LANC, ever. And all future camcorders are/will be file-based. The Z7U is Sony's transitional camera into 25Mbps MPEG2 formatted disc systems, recording HDV to tape and CF card at the same time. The DSR 270 offers an accessory back that does the same thing. Of course, XDCAM HD is file-based too, but I'd shudder to think of someone using XDCAM HD 35 or 50 on a jump (it has been done). Scott Campos became the first person in the world to fly an MPEG4 file-based camcorder earlier this year, with Brian Drake and Ben Butler as his subjects, but the EX format is too large to be commonly used for any sort of skydiving photography. It does not offer LANC, as mentioned above. Lens and power control are achieved through different means. In short, getting hung up on LANC is short-sighted and foolish, IMO. If you have plans to purchase a camcorder in the near future, and expect to use it for more than one season, worrying about LANC as a control mechanism only serves to severely limit your options, whereas understanding that control via other protocols (which happen to be more powerful) offer more options in terms of camcorder choice.

Nearest international is Phoenix/SkyHarbor (PHX), but Tucson is equally close (usually more expensive to fly into, depending on point of origin). Places to stay: Skyrider Inn (EXCELLENT place, right on DZ) Mike Lofthouse/Lofty has a 5th wheel trailer on DZ, sleeps 6, search the Classifieds here. Mark Kirschenbaum (Bomb420 on DZ.com) has a bus on-DZ where folks stay. In Eloy, there is the Red Roof Inn, I've had bad experiences there, but it is there (hope you don't mind bugs in your bed). Complete list of lodging in the area. Casa Grande lodging is farther, but much higher quality if that is important to you. There are tent spaces on the DZ too. Directions to the DZ from anywhere

Not quite.... HC1, 3, 5, 7, 9 all have LANC, Z7U has LANC, V1, FX7, FX1, Z1 all have LANC. In other words *every* HDV camcorder manufactured by Sony offers LANC, and nearly all the DV camcorders do as well. Get used to LANC being dead, as tape is dead (search this forum for an understanding of why/when/timeline). LANC is only licensable to tape-based formats. It's a format designed for mechanical controllers, and is absent many options that other protocols allow for. In other words, the absence of LANC is by far not the end of the world, and superior control is available for non-LANC cameras. But for skydivers, those controls are too large, bulky, and trouble-prone. Therefore, as mentioned previously, you'll soon see a controller made for skydivers that does a whole lot more than start/stop/indicate.