AndreVideo

Any popular transmitter makes amplitude modulation of a video. In freefall your distance changes and quality depends on an utomatic gain control of the receiver. It works well for static sources. For moving, it creates oscillations in brightness. Only systems with FM modulation work well. Satelites use this method and TV, potable video links, use FM modulation. Few systems including mine, over 25 years old, that were used in skydiving had FM modulation transmitters. If the unit shown is FM, than you can try. In skydiving all is in the line of sight. Ask woofos :-) Andre

You are right about slow motion. Didn't use remote for years - yes, it has a button. In contrary, my older JVC HD camcorder (HD1) did not have slow motion at all.

The modern flat TVs with component inputs play both PAL and NTSC. Tried it two years ago in Europe With my HD (HC1) camcorder. The same was with playing a home made DVD on their players.

When DVD is in use I don't have to be there. Usually I pack my parachute when others are watching video. DVD makes decent slow mo and freeze frames. My HC-1 doesn't make slow mo. Andre

Who needs Blue Ray for skydiving? For about four years I use an IOdata DVD player. It plays HD videos in all formats. One can record up to 10 jumps in m2t format. Plenty heh , one minute per jump. Last year I tested a Helios 3000. Similar to the IOdata but with an additional HDMI output. For no apparent reason this unit was slower and had problems with 1080i (25 MB/s), but worked for slightly compressed m2t files - down to 19 MB/s. Looks like both unit are related in spite of different manufacturers. By accident I used an old remote to control the new unit. Had no problems. Both unit can play, in addition to DVD disks, from memory sticks (USB input), and through internet cable from a computer. Didn't use them frequently. Regular DVD format (720x480) was good enough for two plane jumps. One cannot record on these units but today every computer has a DVD burner. Capture first and burn a DVD, as a data disk, with m2t or mpg files. Skydive and have fun, Andre

I jumped with a 100 mm lens (film 35 mm) and adjusted video accordingly. The idea was to capture another cameraman over the center of about 30 way formation. Worked like a champ on photos - video was still acceptable to my surprise but had no depth we are used to with a wide angle lenses. In other trial I followed a formation with a 200/4 mm lens - hand holding the camera. Had no problem flying :-) In spite that the focus was at infinity, photos were crappy. Framing was OK - had a one formation over the round airport building in Quincy but the photo was out of focus. Had no AF camera then. Today with self stabilizing AF lenses it would have more sense. Andre

Hi guys. I have over 50 jumps with this camera. Works fine. It runs 60 interlaced frames per second, like all standard DV camcorders. Records frames in size 1440x1080 pixels, displays 1920x1080i. It can output video via IEEE1394 in standard DV format (720x480) in anamorphic 16x9 shape. On standard TV image looks slightly squeezed but nobody figured it out! Hey, there is no good reference shape in freefall. Similarly component output can be in HDV or DV format. Easy to record, straight to a Philips 615 DVD recorder. Quality - very good, even after conversion to DV. Single chip? It is a CMOS and handles sun like 3 CCD camcorders - no vertical line. And ... HD video on a big screen looks spectacular. Resolution - higher than on my old JVC HD1 camcorder that was much better than any DV crap. Welcome to the future. Andre

GR-HD1 HD a JVC HD camcorder, resolution 1280x720. Made over 100 jumps with it. Top mounted, obviously :-) . Copy to DVD via RGB cable in 480i mode. Could do 480p but not all DVD/TV will play it. HD copy only to HD VCR (no slow mo) or to computer via 1394 with (slow mo and photos OK). Stills via Minolta D7 (5Mp), working OK, still. Andre