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Attending NAB 2003, one could be forgiven for thinking that tape would soon be "dead." Panasonic showed its solid-state pro camcorder. Sony introduced a complete line of professional camcorders and VTRs that employ blue-laser recording to optical disc. And Hitachi promoted Z-3000/CR-D10 camcorders that record using MPEG-2 on DVD-R or DVD-RAM media.
While tape's days may be numbered, it remains the lowest-cost way of recording formats from DV to HDCAM. That, however, doesn't mean that tape can't get an assist from disk recording. That's Sony's message in marketing its DSR-DU1 ($2,250 MSRP).
The DSR-DU1 incorporates a 2.5in., 40GB hard drive. It can record a 25Mbps DV/DVCAM stream for up to three hours - equivalent to the recording time of a DVCAM "large" tape. The DU1 weighs 1lb. 5oz. and measures 4"1 3/8"5 5/8".
The DSR-DU1 provides controls for functions such as Play, Stop, Next, Previous, and Record Start. This means shooters can use the unit as an independent feeder or a DV/DVCAM recorder. The playback picture can be monitored on the viewfinder of a Sony DSR-570WS, 570WSP, 370, or 370P camcorder or the LCD screen of a Sony DSR-PD150, PD150P, 250, or 250P camcorder.
The DU1 offers loop recording as insurance against missing the beginning few seconds of an important scene. The unit continuously buffers up to eight seconds of video and audio in an internal memory. The DU1 records those eight seconds to the hard drive the instant the Record button is pressed.
I used the DSR-DU1 with a DSR-PD150 to shoot a conference with multiple presenters. I employed the DU1's eight-second cache in linked Start/Stop mode. I really liked being able to wait until a speaker truly began his presentation, knowing that I had captured the eight seconds prior to pressing Start.
Through an i.LINK (IEEE 1394) cable, the output of the camcorder simultaneously records to both the hard drive of...