I am getting a patent for a videocamera with harddisc.
- Thread starter tree
- Start date
ElDiabloConCaca
U.S.D.A. Prime
Cool, let us know the patent number when you do so we can go look it up!
ksv
web developer
Well, it's not really a technology anyway. I seriously doubt anyone can claim a patent on the idea of writing digital video to a hard drive instead of a tape 
But it's seriously a good idea. What would be ideal is having both a hard drive and a tape mechanism. Data could be accessed randomly on the drive in full speed, while still having a copy on tape.
But it's seriously a good idea. What would be ideal is having both a hard drive and a tape mechanism. Data could be accessed randomly on the drive in full speed, while still having a copy on tape.
I thought the author of this thread was making a joke (thus my sarcastic reply). This technology exists and has existed for a couple of years now. I've been promoting it since Firewire was first announced however many years ago. HDs are just about to do to video what HDs did to audio shortly after Alesis announced their breakthrough ADAT tape system. In a few more short years we will see not only HD-based video capture as a supplement to tape but as a REPLACEMENT for tape. Right now it's too risky. (you drop a tape, no prob, you drop a hard drive, you just lost eight hours of shooting possibly).
Hot swappable drive cameras already exist. I don't have the model numbers right in front of me, but they exist in various forms. The technology is still a little flaky, but the future is clear and it includes hard drive media for digital video cameras (followed by RAM-based capture of some sort). Hard drive video capture starts in the prosumer line and costs around $2000 to get started. Add another $1000 or so for a separate portable unit with swappable slots. They're great for what they do. Go back to the studio and start editing right away, no tape to capture. I've been thinking of getting one for a while now, but can't quite justify the expense at this point.
Another cool feature of one particular model (a Sony one I think) is that it is essentially always recording. It buffers a continuous thirty seconds of recording, which is great in case you miss a critical shot. As long as the lens cap is off, you're sure to capture. Audio keyboards have done that for years, buffering audio/MIDI recording "always on" in case you happen to play that one great performance when the sequencer was not running.
Another cool feature of one particular model (a Sony one I think) is that it is essentially always recording. It buffers a continuous thirty seconds of recording, which is great in case you miss a critical shot. As long as the lens cap is off, you're sure to capture. Audio keyboards have done that for years, buffering audio/MIDI recording "always on" in case you happen to play that one great performance when the sequencer was not running.
Obviously, I wasn't talking about RAM at today's prices or size, but several years from now you can expect video cameras with no moving parts. If you don't believe me, just look at today's digital still cameras that include 30 seconds (or whatever) of MPEG capture. Sure it's crap, but that's today. For now and the foreseeable future, hard drives will be way more cost effective. But then, I know you're just being facetious. The writing is clearly on the wall in big red graffiti.
