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P2 (Storage Media) Information

P2 (P2 is short form for "Professional Plug-In") is a professional digital video storage media format introduced by Panasonic in 2004, and especially tailored to ENG applications. It features tapeless (non-linear) recording of DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO-HD, or AVC-Intra streams on a solid state flash memory card. The P2 Card is essentially a RAID of SD memory cards with an LSI controller tightly packaged in a die-cast PC card (formerly PCMCIA) enclosure, so data transfer rate increases as memory capacity increases. The system includes cameras, decks as drop-in replacement for VCRs, and a special 5.25" computer drive for random access integration with NLE systems. The cards can also be used directly where a PC card slot is available, as in most notebook computers, as a normal disk drive, although a custom software driver must first be loaded.

As of early 2010, P2 cards are available in capacities of 4, 8, 16, 32GB and 64GB. At introduction, P2 cards offered low recording capacity compared to competing, videotape-based formats (a miniDV tape holds roughly 13GB of data, and an S-size HDCAM tape holds 50GB). To solve this, camcorders and decks using P2 media employ multiple card slots, with the ability to span the recording over all slots. Cards are recorded in sequence, and when a card is full, it can be swapped out while another card is recording. This limits recording time only by power supply and the available amount of cards. If a card is partially full, the deck will record only until it is full. Unlike tape, old video cannot be recorded over accidentally. Old footage must be manually deleted.

P2 cards are of a ruggedized PCMCIA type with the fastest transfer speeds currently available through this format. The card also contains a processor that organises and safeguards the files and the case is developed and crafted to "military" (according to Panasonic) specifications, making P2 cards tough and reliable.

The first pieces of equipment released by Panasonic which use the P2 format included the AJ-SPX800 (a 2/3" broadcast camcorder for ENG and EFP applications), the studio recorder AJ-SPD850, the AJ-PCD10 offload device (basically, a five-slot PC card reader with USB interface designed to fit a 5-1/4" IT systems bay), and the memory cards themselves - AJ-P2C004 (4 GB) and AJ-P2C002 (2 GB). Panasonic is currently shipping a wide range of camcorders that support the P2 format, including the professional AG-HVX200 HD handheld camcorder, and the high-end, or broadcast professional shoulder-mount AG-HPX500, AJ-HPX2000, and AJ-HPX3000 camcorders. Panasonic has also announced the P2-based AG-HPX170 handheld HD camcorder. The HPX170 is very similar to the HVX200 and the HVX200A, the main difference being the lack of a tape drive on the 170. The latest products to feature P2 technology are the well-received[1] recently launched AJ-HPX2700 and AH-HPX3700 "Varicam" high end cameras.

Contents

Specifications

P2 Workflow

P2 is a solid state technology, and as such departs from the older method of recording video onto tape. Since the video output is saved onto a solid state P2 memory card as a file, many possibilities are opened up to change the approach to workflow; indeed, it is claimed that the workflow can be sped up and made more reliable, which in turn, reduces production costs [2]. Since its inception, the development of this workflow, together with partners such as Avid and Apple, has matured, and has been adopted by many major production teams.[3] However for many in the post production field the P2 format is quite troublesome. Because no hard copy is produced from the camera, editors must rely on massive amounts of stable drive space for security. The raw files on the card are usually treated as the 'tape', and then the converted Quicktime files are treated as capture. P2 is still seen in the production world as a maturing format, since storage media is so costly, and little has been done to address archiving tapeless productions.

P2 Card Run Times Timetable

AG-HVX200 handheld
Model # Capacity DVCPro DVCProHD 720pN24 DVCPro50,

DVCProHD 720p30, or AVC-Intra 50

 DVCProHD at

1080i60 or 720p60, or AVC-Intra 100
AJ-P2C004H 4GB 16 min. 10 min. 8 min. 4 min.
AJ-P2C008H 8GB 32 min. 20 min. 16 min 8 min.
AJ-P2C016H 16GB 1 hr. 4 min. 40 min. 32 min. 16 min
AJ-P2C032H 32GB 2 hrs. 8 min. 1 hr. 20 min. 1 hr. 4 min. 32 min.
AJ-P2C064H 64GB 4 hrs. 16 min. 2 hr. 40 min. 2 hr. 8 min. 64 min.

2 GB P2 cards are not supported in DVCProHD applications. Panasonic recently published a slightly more complicated version of this table for 16 and 32 GB cards.[4]

P2 Current Camera Range

Handheld models

AG-HPX170 (NTSC version)

AG-HPX171 (European version)

AG-HVX201

Shoulder Mount Models

AG-HPX300

AG-HPX301E NEW[5]

AG-HPX370/371

AG-HPX500

AJ-HPX2100

AJ-HPX2700

AJ-HPX3000

AJ-HPX3700

References

  1. ^ Independent P2 Varicam review
  2. ^ Panasonic Professional User Group Interviews
  3. ^ Panasonic Professional User Group References
  4. ^ Panasonic P2 Panasonic Guidebook
  5. ^ Independent In depth AG-HPX301E review

External links

· · Video storage formats
Videotape
Analog

Quadruplex (1956) · VERA (1958) · Type A (1965) · CV-2000 (1965) · Akai (1967) · U-matic (1969) · EIAJ-1 (1969) · Cartrivision (1972) · Philips VCR (1972) · V-Cord (1974) · VX (1974) · Betamax (1975) · IVC (1975) · Type B (1976) · Type C (1976) · VHS (1976) · VK (1977) · SVR (1979) · Video 2000 (1980) · CVC (1980) · VHS-C (1982) · M (1982) · Betacam (1982) · Video8 (1985) · MII (1986) · S-VHS (1987) · S-VHS-C (1987) · Hi8 (1989) · W-VHS (1994)
Digital

D1 (1986) · D2 (1988) · D3 (1991) · DCT (1992) · Digital Betacam (1993) · D5 (1994) · DV (1995) · Digital-S (D9) (1995) · DVCPRO (1995) · Betacam SX (1996) · DVCAM (1996) · HDCAM (1997) · DVCPRO50 (1997) · D-VHS (1998) · Digital8 (1999) · DVCPRO HD (2000) · D6 HDTV VTR (2000) · MicroMV (2001) · HDV (2003) · HDCAM SR (2003)
Videodisc
Analog

Phonovision (1927) · Ampex-HS (1967) · TeD (1975) · Laserdisc (1978) · CED (1981) · VHD (1983) · Laserfilm (1984) · CD Video (1987)
Digital

VCD (1993) · MovieCD (c. 1995) · DVD/DVD-Video (1995) · MiniDVD (c. 1995) · CVD (1998) · SVCD (1998) · EVD (2003) · XDCAM (2003) · HVD (High-Definition Versatile Disc) (2004) · FVD (2005) · UMD (2005) · VMD (2006)
High Definition

HD DVD (2006) · Blu-ray Disc (2006) · HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc) (2007) · CBHD (2008)
Solid state

P2 (2004) · SxS(2007)
Digital Tapeless

Editcam (1995) · MOD (2005) · AVCHD (2006) · AVC-Intra (2006) · TOD (2007) · iFrame (2009)
Video recorded to film

Kinescope (1947) · Electronicam kinescope (1950s) · Electronic Video Recording (1967)
· · Memory cards
Main articles Memory card reader • Comparison of memory cards •
Types

CompactFlash (CF) • Express Card • JEIDA • MultiMediaCard (MMC) • Memory Stick (MS/MS-PRO) • miCard • Microdrive (MD) • MiniCard • P2 • PC Card (PCMCIA, CardBus, CardBay) • Secure Digital (SD) • SmartMedia (SM) • SxS • Universal Flash Storage (UFS) • USB • xD-Picture

Categories: Video storage | Solid-state computer storage media

 

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