Posted by blackburst@aol.com on 09/26/05 13:42

Ryan Boni wrote:
> Hey blackburst,
>
> It's always good to see others who are in the same boat as I am!!

I guess we are now an underserved market. The major manufacturers
ignore us and the minors all strive to break through to the biggies.
Even the public access newsgroup is dead.

> Unfortunately as Richard & Anthony said there isn't much yet in the low
> end for tapeless acquistion.

That's my point. It's here for the pro user, but not for prosumer yet.
DV seems to be about the best way to go. Jump to DVCAM or DVCPRO and
you quintuple the cost.

>
> We're looking to finally getting around next year to putting the
> infrastructure in place at our Public Access facility to be able to use
> a server and link our edit suites, control room & playback and get as
> close to tapeless as possible. Especially now that TB storage drives
> are down into the $1000 range.

We were lucky to get a building already wired with network. A few
managed switchers and routers, and we're on our way.

>
> However, we've had horrible experiences with lower end equipment
> (durability, lack of respect for equipment on the part of users, etc.)
> with any attempt we've made to go that direction, so I can't really
> speak from too much experience there.

I budget with a certain amount of attrition in mind. Look, we can spend
$3000 to get a semi-pro camcorder with dual XLRs, but heavy, lots of
menmu options, etc. If someone breaks one, we're down $3k. But for the
same money, I can get 7 or 8 of the minicams. Anybody can use them,
they produce great pix, and you can plug mic and phones in. So I get a
few cheapies and a few better units.


My purchase of a GL-1 quite a
> few years back still haunts me as one of my worst purchases during my
> tenure here (although it gives a great picture in its current job of
> being suspended from our studio ceiling for overhead shots during some
> programs.)

Ruh-roh, Rorge...I have a volunteer who wants to donate one of those
and get a tax writeoff. What's wrong with them?

>
> Anyway, getting back on topic...
>
> We've been experimenting with the FireStore on our Sony DSR-250 and
> plan to buy another for our JVC 5000 next year, I imagine as these
> items get more use out there, some manufacturer will create one that
> sticks onto the battery slot of consumer models, or something similar
> and sticks into the Firewire of the camcorder.

it ALL filters down in time. I LOVE to have that hard tape in my back
pocket or in my archive, but I can live with temp storage.

>
> Probably the best current available option is an external capture
> device like the Laird CapDiv. Although its $900 price tag is probably
> a lot more than you'll want to spend for use with a $300 camcorder.

And a bit cumbersome. But a possibility. I just might stick with DV and
DVCAM for acquisition until the prices all-in-one temp recorders come
down.

>
> Ryan
>
> -----
>
> Ryan Boni
> Public Access Director
> Peters Township Community Television

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