April 5, 2011—Video of Sony Factory Hit by Tsunami
Click here to watch a video of the Sony Sendai tape factory—where HDCAM tapes are made. Sony predicts it will be months before production resumes.
March 24th, 2011—Maxell Production Update
Production facilities in Japan are undamaged and now operational, according to a statement released by Maxell today. However, expect delays as Maxell increases production and works to meet growing demand.
March 22, 2011—Sony Production Update
Status of Sony Group Manufacturing Operations in Japan Affected by
Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami and Related Power Outages
Sony Corporation
today provided an update on the status of Sony Group manufacturing
operations in Japan affected by the March 11 Pacific Coast of Tohoku
Earthquake, tsunami, and related power outages, as of 10 a.m., March 22,
2011 (JST). Read full press release here.
March 22, 2011—Taiyo Yuden / JVC Update
Taiyo Yuden's Japan facility has sustained some damage, but they are currently making repairs.
March 21st, 2011—Pro Media Alternatives
With the ongoing shortage of Pro Media, here is a list of suitable format alternatives. Unfortunately, quantities are still limited with all brands, but these alternatives will become available.
DVCAM
Panasonic AMQ tapes are interchangeable with all DVCAM decks and cameras. They even come packaged in the same style plastic case as DVCAM.
HDCAM
Maxell HDCAM tape may be more readily available in the coming weeks. Their tape is readily interchangeable with Sony HDCAM tape.
Betacam SP and Digital Betacam Maxell also offers alternatives to these common formats. Both Maxell Betacam SP and Maxell Digital Betacam can be interchanged with Sony branded tapes.
HDCAM SR vs. D5
While D5 and HDCAM SR tapes are not interchangeable, D5 is an alternative, offering uncompressed 10-bit storage with 4:4:4 color space.
Recycled Media
Consider using recycled or "evaluated" media. Evaluated tape has been erased by a machine that runs at high-speed to both erase and then read the tape for errors—free of defects. March 14, 2011—Sony Group Operations Affected by Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami and Related Power
OutagesOperations at several Sony Corporation and Sony Group sites and
facilities have been affected by the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake
and tsunami, and Sony is monitoring the status of each of these sites on
an on-going basis, while also considering the most effective recovery
measures. Sony also has responded to reports of widespread power outages
by voluntarily suspending operations at several sites. No significant
injuries have been reported to employees working at any of these sites
when the earthquake or tsunami occurred. Read more. March 14th, 2011—Pro Media Delays: Sony, Fuji, Maxell and Panasonic
Expect pro media delays from major suppliers of professional recording media—Sony, Fuji, Maxell and Panasonic—caused by the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan. Sony's Sendai factory, the sole facility for the production of HDCAM and HDCAM SR, has sustained the worst damage. In addition, Fuji, Maxell and Panasonic have had reduction of capacity due to earthquake damage.
Please keep the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you informed of the situation and how it affects our industry so you are able to make the best decisions for your business.
What formats are effected?
HDCam SR, HDCam, DVCamBetacam SP, Digital Betacam, Betacam IMX, Betacam SX, XDCam, SxS, LTO, Blu-ray, DV and HDV.
How can I get these products?
We will do our best to provide you with products that are in limited supply. In most cases, we are forced to pay more for the products than we normally do. As a result, we are increasing prices on these products accordingly. Please call us at 773-927-6066 if you have any questions about prices. Also, we are happy to recommend other brands, or alternatives that meet the needs of your particular situation.
