scottjaco

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Everything posted by scottjaco

  1. To be more precise, the burner that comes with the SD5 is a standard red-laser burner that uses cheap 4.7GB blank DVD's. However, you cannot burn standard definition DVD's that play on standard DVD players. You can only play the disc back on a Blu-Ray player or through the camera if you need to watch it on a standard def TV. It's basically burning HD content to a standard blank DVD. Kinda neat when you think about it. Backwards compatibility is always a plus!
  2. Here's a theatrical feature shot entirely with the HD100. http://www.sonypictures.com.au/movies/gabriel/ Secondly, you are comparing the RED-1 to a consumer based AVC camera. Apples & Oranges. That CMOS in the RED-1 is more expensive than any AVC based consumer camera. But they supported 30p editing. Even I-movie supported 720/30p the entire time. The HD110 is electronically the same as the HD100 as far as picture acquisition. Here is my reference: http://pro.jvc.com/pro/attributes/HDTV/desc/hd110_diff.html I did get the "A" upgrade when it was released. It doesn't help people with Split Screen since the issue is based on bad QC from JVC requiring re-calibration of the twin DSP.
  3. Not True. 3-CCD is still better than CMOS. It's also good when matching footage to other 3-CCD video cameras. The HD100 records MPEG layer 2 audio at 384Kbps not uncompressed PCM. This is incorporated into the 19.2Mbps stream. Every major NLE system supports the HD100. Never had split screen problems on my camera, and the HD 100/200 series camera is by no means dead. It's been quite sucessful despite it's quirks. Why? My HD100 has a max frame rate of 30p. The idea was to match the footage to my main camera to see how they compared.
  4. I didn't mean to compare the SD5 to professional HDV cameras or to DVCPRO HD. Thats a whole different class. Just comparing it to the other SD card based consumer cams. I don't know the bit rate of the Sony CX7 or the Canon HR10 but I am aware that they are single CMOS sensors, where my SD5 is a 3-chip CCD. That's actually more important than a slightly lower bitrate. Just as a means of comparison, I downconverted the SD5 footage to 720/30p using a conversion program and compared it to footage shot with my JVC HD100 and I was very impressed how well it matched up. Not bad considering my HD100 cost over 5 grand. Now please, lets not get into how much 720p sucks compared to 1080i After all, my sucky HD100 is 6Mbps less than the Sony!
  5. Eeek! don't scare me! The bit rate is 13Mbps AVC, which is about average for H.264 cameras. The quality of the picture is fine, I just don't think it's built to take a beating. It's the first AVC camera (in my opinion) that comes pretty close to HDV quality. It can handle a lot of movement & pans without breaking up, which is generally the biggest weakness with these tapeless cameras.
  6. I just got this camera. http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Camcorders/Hi-Def-Camcorders/model.HDC-SD5BNDL_11002_7000000000000005702 I hadn't planned on using this for skydiving but has anyone tried it yet? It has OIS, which didn't work well with the Canon HV10 so I'm just curious.
  7. I just got this panasonic HDC-SD5 camcorder http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Camcorders/Hi-Def-Camcorders/model.HDC-SD5BNDL_11002_7000000000000005702 It's on the Circuit City website. It's $850, but you can get it for $765 if you select the in-store pickup as a delivery option. Just make damn sure you put the "10% off" coupon code in before you buy it. Anyway, It's 100% sold state using SD memory cards. I paid about $37 for a 4GB card. The nice thing with this camera is there are no hard drives, tape transports or DVD burners to eat up battery power, so the stock battery gives 110 minutes of recording time and even more time (180min) in playback mode. A 4GB card gives 40 min, 60 min & 90 min, depending on record settings. It is a 3-chip CCD 1920x1080i system, which is really nice and has great optical image stabilization. It also comes with a DVD burner that burns blu-ray complient DVD's at the touch of a button.
  8. Just watching TMZ and they said R.Kelly has a new song on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZOAim95Mao This is some pretty funny shit!
  9. Hi, I just got done watching the video shot on the last day at California City. You can see it on the CalCity website. I would like to know if anyone has a hi-res pic of the big group photo with everyone standing in front of the hanger? I'd really appreciate it! Thanks. Scott
  10. I'm really glad they are expecting a lot of people. I will make every effort to be there. This certainly is a unique skydiving event. Skydivers banding together to celebrate the last weekend forever. I’m going to make the best out of it!
  11. So is anybody going up to CalCity next weekend. It will be the last weekend
  12. I've actually found other VH message boards that talk about the sampling. VH supposedly admitted this. I mixed live sound for years and I can tell when something sounds a little too perfect to be live. Watch some of the other videos on youtube. The videos are easier to pick apart because it is very hard to tell in a loud over ambient arena what is really happening. You can trick the crowd, but play the shit back at a lower volume with less noise and you can hear what is really happening. It’s not that big of a deal and I realize a lot of bands do this, but it hit a nerve since they refused to invite the guy who was willing to sing it live. I like what another poster said about re-union bands needing to put out new material before making a come-back. I agree, this is true if you want to be a relevant musical act. Smashing Pumpkins did a really good job with their re-union by putting out a really cool album to compliment their tour. Although the lineup is different, they put on an amazing show this year in San Diego State’s Open Air Amphitheater. Great show!
  13. Well, anyone who is a Van Halen fan knows that their bassist Michael Anthony wasn't invited on to the Van Halen re-union tour. This sparked controversy because M.A. had a unique vocal style that became synonymous with the Van Halen sound. This pissed a lot of fans off along with the fact that Eddie seemed to be trying to re-write history by deleting photos of M.A. from their old album covers. Eddie is a class act all the way. (sarcasm) Why invite M.A. to tour when all you need to do is sample his vocals during the concerts. Really lame.
  14. Of course it's entertainment. You would have to be slow to take any conflict on this website seriously. If you don't like the things I say about dropzones, I sincerely apologize for offending you. If you think I'm a dick and would treat me as such if you met me in real life, I would strongly suggest you ask yourself why you are so easily provoked by a total stranger typing at home on his computer. Be glad that my comments over the years have provided you with a sense of moral superiority. Yes. I'm willing to crucify myself for your entertainment pleasure. I am just that nice.
  15. Skydive Monterey Bay is located in the city of Marina. Thank you.
  16. Is Skydive Santa Barbara, Skydive Monterey Bay, Skydive San Francisco & Skydive Lake Tahoe actually located in the cities they are named after? Do their websites only allow pics taken from their dropzones? You've never seen a few boogie photos from WFC & Lost Prairie thrown in for good measure? Maybe a balloon jump photo from Perris or Eloy to add to the montage they are trying to build for their dropzone? Beyond that, what is deceptive about skyride? They charge more? That's what happens when you don't shop around. You are paying extra for the convenience. They don't tell you where you are jumping until you pay? Maybe it's because they don't want the customer to circumvent them by contacting the dropzone directly (eliminating skyride as the middle man) The deal with skyride is that you are paying for information, and whether that information is worth the money is entirely subjective. Remember, as skydivers, we know enough to steer clear of such a service. We did our homework before getting involved in the sport. These 1-time Tandem students are in it strictly for bragging rights. As such, I don't have a huge sympathy for people that don't take the time to learn a little something about our sport before dropping the dime. In this day & age, it isn't hard to find the facts.
  17. Sorry if I sounded a bit melodramatic with the “orphan” terminology. Isn’t there another skydive school at the airport that purchases jump tickets to fly students on the CalCity Otter? Maybe they could take the ball & run with it. Of course that would mean that they would need a plane. I’m open to the idea of getting a group together once a month if the cost isn’t too high, but there would have to be a serious commitment amongst the jumpers to keep something like that going.
  18. If you don’t use it, you loose it. Sadly, it speaks volumes when a dropzone like CalCity shuts down. It is a real eye opener because this is the second time I’ve been orphaned due to a DZ shutting down. It makes me realize how thin the margin is in keeping a dropzone’s doors open. Is the cost too high? Or is the sport dying?
  19. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPugcCS0JpU This YouTube vid tells it all. Despite the crappy quality, it is clear that they are using backing tracks to fill in the chorus of the songs. I can't believe Wolfie could sound exactly like Michael Anthony did 30 years ago. I can't believe nobody else has noticed this. Look at all the other vids, and it's the same thing. Lip-syncing the chorus of all their songs, and Eddie's playing is sloppier than ever. How embarrassing!
  20. I hope they have some type of shin-dig but keep in mind, the last weekend they're open (nov 24th & 25th) is thanksgiving weekend. I hope some people show up to give the DZ a good send off. Is anything really planned yet?
  21. That is good to hear. So where are all the Cal City jumpers going to migrate to? It would be nice if everyone moved to the same DZ for a little while. It sounds like Taft is going to be getting a lot more business with it's proximity to Cal City. Let me know!
  22. It is a damn shame. I really wish this wasn't happening. I wish there was something I could have done, like buy more jump tickets to keep the place going Cal City was the only place that I ever really felt comfortable jumping in So Cal. I never had to deal with any politics from other jumpers. No skygods, no assholes and no bullshit. It was sort of un-real how cool that place was and how well they treated me. Kind of a safe haven for someone who didn't do so well socially at other dropzones. They had the most professional staff anywhere that provided the best customer service of any dropzone I've ever visited. I'm going to miss Robert the most. We are kind of like kindred spirits in a way. Both outsiders, that share the same cynical outlook This is going to make him homeless, along with a few of the other staff, but I worry about him the most. I hope he can find work and a new home. He doesn’t have much but I believe he deserves to gain the most from this transition. His kindness and good humor will always be an asset in the real world that he’s about to re-enter. I don't know where I'm going to jump now. I feel very sad about this and all the people I'm not going to see anymore. I'm going to start getting teary eyed if I continue so I'll end by wishing everyone at CalCity a bright and happy future wherever life leads them
  23. I've heard that CalCity has been up for sale for quite some time, but it seems the ideal situation would have been to sell the DZ to someone that planned to keep it open and running. I can't help but feel a sense of loss for what they are giving up. Instead of passing the torch, they are selling a fine facility for scrap. What a shame.
  24. This is really awful news. Cal City has been my home dropzone for quite some time. It was the best facility anywhere in SoCal. The vibe was always extremely welcoming and provided a laid back atmosphere to anyone who jumped there. I don’t want to jump anywhere else and I’m really upset to find out about this! I’m sure Van & Alberta have their reasons. I will make sure to visit before the end of the month. Thanks for all the great memories guys!