CompuServe Messages

Luke (Pat), I own a Sony EVO 9650 and it works fantastically. Preroll is fairly quick, dropouts are managable (if you record a few minutes into the beginning of the tape) and I can output to tape an average of 1 second of animation every 8 minutes (or about 8 seconds/hour). My only problem with it is the image quality. Not that the deck produces poor video. It's just that Hi-8 is pretty much a great quality CONSUMER format. My animations look great as first generation, but I dub to 3/4" or VHS and everything goes pretty noisy. Lack of good blacks, etc. Things seem to suddenly fall somewhere between 20 and 85 IRE. I'm trying to compensate using my TBC, but am not sure of the results right now. I think the PAR option is a good one, though I do not own a PAR. If I did, I'd still want to get a higher-level dedicated VTR (i.e. BetaCam SP or Rewritable Laser Disc). But you could also assemble your entire piece in a script within PAR and just shoot it out to whatever format you need for your clients. I am currently pricing and debating about the purchase of a new format for output myself. If you get a PAR, let me know how you like it.