Can I record Standard Definition on High Definition camcorder?

[mistys77]

Hello,

Forgive me if this has already been answered.

Can you record Standard definition on a High Definition Camcorder? Is this specific to certain camcorders only? Are there any available for around the £400 mark?

Also if I do record in High Definition, can I play back on Standard Definition. If I can what would need to be done to achieve this. i.e, convert the picture?

Thanks in Advance.

Cheers

[A n d r e w]

Originally Posted by mistys77

Forgive me if this has already been answered.

There's an easy way to check: the forum search function . . .

Originally Posted by mistys77

Can you record Standard definition on a High Definition Camcorder?

Some yes, some no.

Originally Posted by mistys77

Is this specific to certain camcorders only?

Yes.

Originally Posted by mistys77

Are there any available for around the £400 mark?

I'm not sure. Perhaps someone else can tell you.

Originally Posted by mistys77

Also if I do record in High Definition, can I play back on Standard Definition. If I can what would need to be done to achieve this. i.e, convert the picture?

Any camcorder with composite output will give you a way of displaying standard definition video on a standard definition television, regardless of what resolution the original video was recorded at. Most HDV (tape-based high definition) camcorders are capable of downscaling during playback (it's a menu setting).

I suppose the question is, why do you need this feature? It will limit your choices, and downscaling from high definition to standard definition can be done in even basic editing software.

[mistys77]

Thanks.

I have searched, but could not find anything. Maybe I was entering the wrong search string.

The Camcoder is for my Father in law, who is not tech minded. He currently has a plasma, but its not HD compatable (old hitachi). So bascally I wont something that he can plug into his DVD / HDD Recorder and record and playback with ease.

I'm looking for a HDD camcorder or a SD card camcorder.

If anyone has any suggestions, i'd realy apprieciate it.

thanks again.