Sony DSR-11 or Panasonic AG-DV2500?

The Panasonic may have headphone jack and audio meters. The DSR11 doesn't according to one review.

The Panasonic can add 7.5IRE setup (which is correct for non-Japan NTSC), the DSR11 cannot.

The Panasonic can read but not record to DVCAM. The DSR11 does both.
I believe both can read PAL/NTSC DV tapes.

The DSR-11 is noted for its ruggedness, and Sony makes good decks.

Which I can tell you more on the Panny.

I have the AG-DV2500 and although I've only had it a couple of months it has performed flawlessly with FCP.

As far as ruggedness, it feels pretty solid but in my situation it stays in one spot so I can't address the issue of moving it around.

Hope that helps.

Dan

The thing that is BAD about the DSR-11, is that the door is flimsey. IT has roken off many people's machines. When I use mine, I just take it off. But it breaks off easily.

Other than that, it is a great machine. AND...the only DVCAM deck that you can output timeline timecode to...with a hack.

And David, what do you mean by this, "The Panasonic can add 7.5IRE setup (which is correct for non-Japan NTSC), the DSR11 cannot."

DV IRE is 0...always has been. 7.5 IRE is for ANALOGUE formats such as Beta and Digibeta.

Shane

7.5 IRE is for ANALOGUE formats such as Beta and Digibeta.

Digital Betacam is analouge?


DAVE

It is when it comes to IRE. Every spec I have read and needed to deliver required 7.5 IRE with the digital Betacam.

But I don't know if others have set their IRE to 0 with digibeta. I have not, so AFAIK, it is 7.5

Shane

if you record to analog from your dsr-11, the black levels will be completely wrong. david is saying the panasonic deck adds setup at the analog outputs, the dsr11 does not.

many purists will say digital isn't measured in IRE but in percent or millivolts. phooey, i and every other video operator or studio/truck engineer i know will say "IRE" due to old habits but we also know what we mean. tv can get very weary.......

to the original poster, i wouldn't have a dsr11 in my house unless it was free. just my 1.5 cents.

zeb

i have a jvc br-dv600ua that dates from 2000 and it's a workhorse. rs422 control, super out, video out, component out, timecode in and out, reference loop, the full gamut of connectivity. it's an old machine so it doesn't read pulldown flags in the dv data stream which blows but hey, it was free. i really like this machine. there are a number of users on this board that have the jvc 3000 and 6000 machines and they like them. perhaps you should utilize the search function.

for what it's worth, i don't think anything below the sony dsr45 vtr is worth owning unless it's given to you for free. before all you elitists and ProMasters start flaming me, that's just my elitist opinion.

I will chime in to say the JVC deck is a fine deck. I have worked with both....and both work great.

Plus it doesn't have that freakin' door issue.

Shane

If you've read a spec that dictates an IRE level for any digital video format, than that spec is an oxymoron. Digital video cannot be measured in analogue voltages because it's digital.

Digital video always records black at code 16 (8bit) or code 64 (10bit). Digibeta being digital should have it's blacks at code 64 on the 0 1023 scale, white being at 940.

Now, digibeta decks being prodessional have the capability when recording via analogue video inputs to remove setup if it exists, or when playing back digital video over analogue outputs, to add setup if desired.

All digital video formats, be them SD or HD have their blacks at the same levesl, code 16 for 8it formats or code 64 for 10bit formats. FCP represents these, on it's % scale as 0% in FCP units.

Graeme

I'm also in the market...leaning towards the DSR-11. A friend of mine went to a school that used the JVC BR-DV3000U and they had lots of problems with them. Don't know the specifics but the IT guys were constantly fixing them (maybe because of overuse...with so many people using them on a daily basis??) Only problem I see with the DSR-11 is that it doesn't display the timecode on the deck. I'd go with the DSR-25, but I don't need the monitor preview, nor do I want to spend another $1,000. Those are the only differences I can see between the DSR-11 and 25, right?

Jonathan