P2 (storage media)


P2 is a professional digital recording solid-state memory storage media format introduced by Panasonic in 2004, and especially tailored to electronic news-gathering applications. It features tapeless recording of DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO25, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO-HD, or AVC-Intra streams on a solid-state flash memory. The P2 card is essentially a RAID of Secure Digital memory cards with an LSI controller tightly packaged in a die-cast PC Card enclosure, so data transfer rate increases as memory capacity increases. The system includes cameras, decks as drop-in replacements for videocassette recorders, and a special 5.25-inch computer drive for random-access integration with non-linear editing systems. The cards can also be used directly where a PC card slot is available, as in most older notebook computers, as a normal hard 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, 32 and 64 GB. At introduction, P2 cards offered low recording capacity compared to competing, video tape-based formats. 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 number of cards. If a card is partially full, the deck will record only until it is full. Unlike video 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 organizes and safeguards the files and the case is developed and crafted to "military" specifications, making P2 cards tough and reliable.
The first pieces of equipment released by Panasonic which use the P2 format included the AJ-SPX800, the studio recorder AJ-SPD850, the AJ-PCD10 offload device, and the memory cards themselves – AJ-P2C004 and AJ-P2C002. Panasonic is currently shipping a wide range of camcorders that support the P2 format, including the professional video camera 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 tapeless camcorder. The HPX170 is very similar to the HVX200 and the HVX200A, the main difference being the lack of a video tape drive on the 170. The latest products to feature P2 technology are the well-received recently launched AJ-HPX2700 and AH-HPX3700 "Varicam" high end cameras.
On April 15, 2012, Panasonic introduced the "MicroP2" system, an entirely different format based on SDHC/SDXC conforming to UHS-II bus mode. Most current P2 products can use MicroP2 and SDHC/SDXC cards through a MicroP2 card adapter, with some requiring a firmware update. Some P2 products are not able to use MicroP2 at all.
On February 27, 2014, Panasonic has announced a new generation of P2 media, the expressP2 card, designed to accommodate high frame rate 1080 HDAVC-ULTRA recording as well as 4K capture.

Specifications

Model #CapacityDVCProDVCProHD 720pN24DVCPro50,
DVCProHD 720pN30,
or AVC-Intra 50		DVCProHD at
1080i60 or 720p60,
or AVC-Intra 100
AJ-P2C004H4 GB16 min.10 min.8 min.4 min.
AJ-P2C008H8 GB32 min.20 min.16 min8 min.
AJ-P2C016H16 GB1 hr. 4 min.40 min.32 min.16 min
AJ-P2C032H32 GB2 hrs. 8 min.1 hr. 20 min.1 hr. 4 min.32 min.
AJ-P2C064H64 GB4 hrs. 16 min.2 hrs. 40 min.2 hrs. 8 min.1 hr. 4 min.

Panasonic recently published a slightly more complicated version of this table for 16 and 32 GB cards.

P2 current camera range

Handheld models

AG-HPX170
AG-HPX171
AG-HVX200
AG-HPX250
AG-HVX202AEN HD DVC-PRO

Shoulder mount models

AG-HPX300/HPX301
AG-HPX370/371
AG-HPX500/HPX555
AJ-HPX2000
AJ-HPX2700
AJ-HPX3000
AJ-HPX3700