I have covered the Sony PXW-X70 in several other articles, including its 1″ type sensor, spectacular 1080p 4:2:2 10-bit 50 megabit códec, editing compatibility, and even included it in a studio shootout. Many people wonder how well the paid upgrade to 4K UHD could perform with only 60 megabits per second (at least with Sony’s current offering), when so many other camcorders offer 100 megabits/second for 4K. The Mexican-based CineDigitalTV does a very fair demonstration of different 4K UHD material and how it behaves depending upon the amount of movement, via footage they shot in Colombia and México.
I have covered the Sony PXW-X70 in several other articles, including its 1″ type sensor, spectacular 1080p 4:2:2 10-bit 50 megabit códec, editing compatibility, and even included it in a studio shootout. Many people wonder how well the paid upgrade to 4K UHD could perform with only 60 megabits per second (at least with Sony’s current offering), when so many other camcorders offer 100 megabits/second for 4K. The Mexican-based CineDigitalTV does a very fair demonstration of different 4K UHD material and how it behaves depending upon the amount of movement, via footage they shot in Colombia and México.
Even if you don’t understand José Luis Tamez’s narration, you’ll appreciate CineDigitalTV’s excellent visual tests of the PXW-X70 using its paid 60 Mb/s 4K internal recording. As you’ll see in the video, the conclusion is that if you need 4K and are not shooting fast movement, the 60 megabit per second 4K UHD offered by Sony in the current paid upgrade is sufficient. However for fast movement you need a less compressed 4K recording, either via an external recorder, a camera that can record 4K internally at a higher bitrate (or future more efficient códec, i.e. H.265), or if and when Sony decides to offer a higher bitrate upgrade to the PXW-X70, as they implied at NAB that they may.
Of course, none of this is necessary if you don’t need 4K.
¡Gracias CineDigitalTV! Este reportaje es padrísimo, igual que todos los otros que he visto de ustedes!
The PXW-X70 is a WorldCam whose street price is now under US$2000. WordCam means that the same camera includes all NTSC-derived and PAL derived framerates. Although the NTSC-derived framerates are properly recorded and output live, they are unfortunately rounded to the closest integer in the camera menus with the current firmware.
See the following related articles
- First look: Sony PXW-X70 10-bit/4:2:2 handheld camcorder
- Understanding & using the breakthrough XAVC Long GOP códec/file format
- FCP X 10.2.2/Pro XAVC Long GOP compatibility bulletin 2015.2
- 4-camera shootout in-studio with greenscreen & TriCaster virtual set
- PXW-X70 users will want a Shogun or PIX-E5 even more after the 4K upgrade
- Can 4K 4:2:0 8-bit become 1080p 4:4:4 10-bit? Does it matter?
Upcoming articles, reviews, and books
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Si deseas suscribirte a mi lista en castellano, visita aquí. Si prefieres, puedes suscribirte a ambas listas (castellano e inglés).
Books, consulting, articles, seminars & radio programs
Contact Allan Tépper for consulting, or find a full listing of his books, articles and upcoming seminars and webinars at AllanTepper.com. Listen to his CapicúaFM program at CapicúaFM.com in iTunes or Stitcher.
My latest book (paperback + ebook)
My most recent book is available in two languages, and in paperback as well as an ebook. The ebook format is Kindle, but even if you don’t have a Kindle device, you can read Kindle books on many other devices using a free Kindle app. That includes iPad, Android tablets, Mac computers, and Windows computers. Although generally speaking, Kindle books are readable on smartphones like Androids and iPhones, I don’t recommend it for this particular book since it contains both color photos and color comparison charts. The ebook is also DRM-free.
In English, it’s The Castilian Conspiracy. Click here and you will be automatically sent to the closest Amazon book page to you based upon your IP address. Or request ISBN–10: 1456310232 or ISBN–13: 978–1456310233 in your favorite local bookstore.
En castellano, se llama La conspiración del castellano. Haz clic aquí para llegar al instante a la página del libro correspondiente a tu zona y moneda en Amazon, según tu dirección IP. De lo contrario, solicítalo en tu librería preferida con los ISBN–10: 1492783390 ó el ISBN–13: 978–1492783398.
FTC disclosure
No manufacturer is specifically paying Allan Tépper or TecnoTur LLC to write this article or the mentioned books. Some of the other manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. Many of the manufacturers listed above have sent Allan Tépper review units. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs.
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