Our Panasonic AG-HVX200 video camera goes down for the count. Again.
Not only did the P2 cards (there's a 4GB version and an 8GB version, we have both) enable us to drop the video right into a PC or Mac without having to go through a time consuming FireWire transfer (you just put it into a PC Card slot and it's all there, as though it were on the local hard drive), each video clip is stored on a card independently of the other clips which in turn means that the clips are not only very easily deleted (try that on tape), they're also immediately ready for non-linear editing. So between the non-linear editing readiness and the elimination of any FireWire-based transfers (which are slow by comparison to simply having the video already on PC Card-based storage), the AG-HVX200 represented a revolution in the video production process. At least to us it did.
That camera is what enabled us to do nearly 30 fully produced videos from CES earlier this year (across about 4 days). It's what enabled us to do seven videos from Digital Experience just a couple of weeks ago. With this camera, we've been turning around the videos for our weekly product giveaways with lightning speed. In fact, we had the process down to such a science that we decided to tape this week's product giveaway video (which always posts on Monday) today (Monday).
But beware. The revolution that the P2 camera represents comes at two high prices. First, just the cost to buy it and the P2 cards that go into it. One camera a some extra P2 cards (you'll need them, especially if you're doing HD) will easily cost you more than $8,000. Second, for the second time in a month, our AG-HVX200 has gone completely dead on us. Dead as dead can be. No signs of life dead. It happened while we were taping the product giveaway video this morning. We recorded about four clips and then, it just died.
The first time this happened to us, we sent it out for repair (thankfully, a warranty repair), it took two weeks to get it back, and it was all because of a non-customer-serviceable fuse. Is it the fuse this time? I have no idea. All I know is that our video production capabilities go from 100 to zero each time this happens.
As a result, of these difficulties, we've been looking for a camera that take the place of the AG-HVX200 -- one that has similar features. For example, removeable digital storage that can be dropped straight into a PC or Mac and be ready for non-linear digital editing. The one that seemed most promising to us was JVC's Everio GD-HD7. JVC rates the GD-HD7 as a consumer grade camera. But with it's 3 CCDs and its ability to store video on SD cards (sort of like the way Panasonic's cameras store video on P2 cards), I've been wondering if the GD-HD7 is just the ticket and have wanted to get one in for testing and reviewing. Because of their standard nature, SD cards are far less expensive than P2 cards and the camera alone is about 1/5th the cost of an AG-HVX200. But, after an initial round of e-mails with JVC's public relations folks, they simply stopped writing back to me.
Our search continues. If you have suggestions (one's that [a] don't involve FireWire transfers and [b] stores each clip separately so that they're easily deleted and ready for non-linear editing), I'd love to hear them in the comments below.