Sony Goes HD with Professional Disc Camcorders

by James Murray
Published on Jan 19, 2006 10:00 AM



January 19,2006  - Sony has announced the release of a new line of professional high-definition (HD) optical camcorders and decks which record to either single or dual layer XDCAM Optical Discs. The XDCAM HD line now includes two new camcorders – the PDW-F330 and PDW-F350 – and two new decks – the PDW-F30 and PDW-F70 – that use both the HD and SD Professional Disc media formats. The new decks will give users with older XDCAM equipment the option of up-converting standard definition (SD) footage to the HD format.

“The introduction of a high-definition version of our XDCAM system marks the continuing evolution of optical technology as users shift from standard definition production," said Alec Shapiro, senior vice president of Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Production Systems Division. The decision to keep these new releases within the CineAlta XDCAM family shows a commitment by Sony to this brand line: a reassuring sign for consumers who purchased prior SD video cameras and decks.

Set for release in March 2006, cinematographers, broadcasters, and professionals will be able to purchase the PDW-F330 and the PDW-F350, at MSRPs of $16,800 and $25,800, respectively. (The PDW-F70 deck will retail for $15,990.) Both models record in HD and SD formats. Both models feature three 1/2-inch 1.5 MP CCD imagers. They will also accept third party manufacturer lenses.

Both new camcorders also feature slow shutter and interval recording options. Additionally, the PDW-F350 is able to “over” and “under-crank” for slow/fast motion functionality, providing variable frame rates from 4 to 60 frames per second. Four fps recording, when played back at a twenty-four fps rate, results in motion that appears six times faster. Conversely, recordings at 60 fps appear 40 percent slower. The PDW-F350 is also able to shoot at rates of 24P, 30P, and 35P without additional conversion necessary.

The XDCAM HD product line provides users with three variable bit rates for recording data to Professional Disc, recording 1080i at 18 Mbps, 25 Mbps, and 35 Mbps. HD footage will be encoded in the HD MPEG-2 Long GOP format. All new camcorders and decks can also down-convert to SD in anamorphic, letterboxed, or 4:3 formats.

The Professional Disc, similar in its design to the Blu-Ray format, is based on shorter wavelength blue laser technology, and can be re-used for 1,000 read/write cycles in less than perfect conditions and upwards of 10,000 read/write cycles in optimal situations. The format was released by Sony in 2003.

The XDCAM HD camcorders will expand on, not replace, the SD product line, introduced in 2004. The new camcorders and PDW-F70 deck have a scheduled release date of March 2006. The PDW-F30 deck, retailing at $9,500, has a June release date, meaning that those looking to save money on a deck purchase will be forced to wait three additional months.


More pictures of the PDW-F350 (above) and the PDW-F330 (below)