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Format-IT Wars 2006
I receive many calls
inquiring about where I think the industry is going, and what
camera/format I see pulling ahead in the “Format Wars”. Which one
finally settles as the “standard” (if any), is still anyone’s guess, but
what I can do, is give a breakdown of trends that we see in our shop
from year to year, then you can come to any conclusions (confusions?) of
your own.
Back in 2004 our
clients were purchasing camcorders that were used as “interim formats”
to hold them over until the video production and acquisition community
decided what the next format would be. Sony’s XDCAM blue laser optical
disk, and Panasonic’s P2 solid state memory camcorders were about to be
released. Ikegami already had its Avid Camcutter SD version out for
years. But with the HD revolution on the horizon, most of our clients
would rather hold out with any big investment that could have such a
questionable return. The most purchased formats back then were DVCAM
and DVCPRO SD model field cameras. That was a good investment for that
time period.
We are able to show
the purchasing trend with our client base of over 2300, by the number of
new camera set-ups we perform. To see a complete explanation of why so
many new cameras come here for a setup, see my newsletter entitled “Format
Wars 2005” . The following is a breakdown of percentage
increases/decreases we’ve seen in 2006, compared to the previous year.
In 2005 we saw a 26%
decrease in new set-ups, but in 2006 we experienced a 125% increase, 20%
in SD models and 580% increase in HD camcorders. Panasonic accounted
for 90% of new camcorders - up from 47% in 2005. Their most popular
models are the AJ-HDX900 and the AJ-HDC27 Varicam for HD, and the
AJ-SDX900 for SD, all of which are tape based. The “HDX900” has become
a leader because of its low price (about half of a varicam) and it’s a
1080i and 720p switchable camera. The IT based models (non tape)
accounted for 10% of new cameras, with the Sony XDCAM-HD (PDW-350L)
being the most popular. While IT based gear may be in the future, the
industry has yet to adopt its work flow, and the manufacturers don’t
seem to have the desired HD versions available yet.
Toward the end of
the year we definitely saw that our clients were buying more HD
camcorders than SD. That sign shows that High-Definition is close at
hand. Locally in Boston, I see that our local TV stations are soon to be
airing local news in HD. When that happens, the networks cannot be far
behind.
As far as used
camcorder purchases go, determined by our “Pre-purchase Check-ups”, the
number stayed the same as the previous year.
Tape – based camera
maintenance: BetacamSP increased slightly because of our 10 percent
increase in overall workflow, but as a percentage it decreased from 52%
to 48%. DVCAM, DVCPRO, and Digibeta models grew in volume.
So, I guess that
clears everything up for you, right !!??   
As another year
closes, I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one
of our loyal clients for trusting us with the care and maintenance of
your gear. I must also thank our techs, Dan, Daniel, Mike, Ray, Paul,
and our office manager Paula. I am humbled by their dedication, and
quality work.
Take care,
Roger
For a complete list
of previous newsletters,
click here. Or go to our homepage:
www.macievideo.com
Many of you who are
listed on our
www.broadcastvideo.com/freelance page have been contacted recently
so that we could verify that your contact info and email were up to
date. To those of you who have emailed in your updates – “Thank you”.
The updates will be posted soon. I am also in the process of completely
revamping this website (much more dynamic). More info will follow.
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