[tjhooker]

Hi, new to camcorders, birth of first child imminent. Would like HD camcorder, but wonder if it is worth it if I don't have a HD player (I presume all HD stuff would need to be played back via camera or purchase of HD player required). Wouldn't be serious filming, mainly recording things for posterity.

Any advice regarding SD vs HD and DV/HDD etc would be welcome, would not be using external mic, so good sound from built in mic would be great, 5.1 not needed.

Panasonic 37 inch plasma (HD ready), Virgin Cable TV, Pioneer DVD recorder (no HDMI/upscaling facility), PS2.

Thanks in advance!

[rhubarbe]

If you bought an AVCHD camcorder you culd use that as an excuse to upgrage to a PS3. The PS3 plays AVCHD fine.

[senu]

Originally Posted by rhubarbe

If you bought an AVCHD camcorder you culd use that as an excuse to upgrage to a PS3. The PS3 plays AVCHD fine.

It plays m2t just as well

I guess the advice to the OP is Buy Hi def , a few threads around this will give you the pros cons of tape vs hard disc vs Flash card. ( or HDV vs AVCHD)

The recorded format being different despite all being "Hi def"The video quality is similar with tape being slightly ahead.

The convenience factor and perception of older technology leave tape lagging behind, but the ease of play, editing , turning to Standard DVD are firmly in tapes favour.
Also once edited you can still play back via the camcorder. With the AVCHD unless you resort to say PS3, your footage will end up on External HDDs as the storage method
This isnt as bad as it sounds. Still digital camera owners similarly don't have film... anymore, but I kind of like the idea that the little tape still has the footage on it..How much longer that will be in vogue is anyone's guess

[alhambra_c]

I'll recommend these Sanyo High Definition Digital Moive Cameras: Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD700 and Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000
They are easy cameras to use in your pocket at all times to catch the moment is important to you, this could be the perfect camera.

[senu]

They are easy to use, and footage is said to be OK in good light, but they are said to struggle a bit indoors when the lighting is less than ideal
Also editing the (non standard) 720p 30fps footage is said to be challenging..

[rhubarbe]

Said to? They suck bigtime in lowlight. More grain than an East Anglian wheat farmer.

[senu]

Originally Posted by rhubarbe

Said to? They suck bigtime in lowlight. More grain than an East Anglian wheat farmer.

But they are easy to use , small and light

Im afraid my roaming around the UK isn't complete.. I hear Norwich is a lovely City but no mention of wheat!

I guess the point is to expose the OP to whatever is out there. His mileage may vary and he may infact choose to never shoot indoors without good lighting

[rhubarbe]

Norwich? Yes, cheaper than Hayes, too. Bit of a hike to get anywhere though.

[tjhooker]

Thanks to all. I guess one of my concerns is that I have no hidef player, so it would have to be the camcorder itself as I don't see myself buying a PS3 etc. I would assume this would limit scope as to which format to record on. Am I left with tape only?

[redsox_mark]

Well you can play from the camcorder with a HDD or flash memory cam as well.

[senu]

Originally Posted by redsox_mark

Well you can play from the camcorder with a HDD or flash memory cam as well.

Yes
Although the HDD will fill up and card be reused, you can just transfer the AVCHD material back ( unedited) to it for replay.
I think that even if you do a little cut trim with PMB you still have your AVCHD for use as opposed to editing on other software.
You can also ( with a suitable graphics card) turn your PC into an "HTPC" for the purposes of playing HD material to HDTV display

[rhubarbe]

Hmm, yes, you can. But I am sitting here looking at HTPC MKV and wondering why I bothered. Unless I want to sit on my sofa with a keyboard and mouse I can't watch any camcorder footage because it won't play in WMP and the only player that loads through the MCE GUI is WMP, not the Nero Showtime I need.

Similarly, my ISOs need VLC and WMP is no use for those either.

[senu]

Is it not possible to output to HDTV via component out even if you dont use MCE? (or Vista Premium or ultimate versions which have MCE and media extender software inbuilt?)
I have an ATI Radeon X1650 Pro (agp x8) With TV out and HDTV display support which Im tempted to put in a "normal" PC and see if it will output HD resolution video to an HDTV with component input, Even 720p mkv files will do very nicely
But that still leaves the "problem" of AVCHD files from camcorder: This is an issue that the marketeers of AVCHD are very quiet about

[tjhooker]

Thanks again for discussion, it would appear that there is no easy solution for replay once data is transferred from cam to pc (I have no laptop and pc is not in living room). Only solution seems to be to buy a SD cam for now and upgrade later, or buy HD cam and get player in future. Dos this seem right?

[redsox_mark]

If you get a HDV (tape) cam, you can edit and output your edited videos back to tape, then use the camcorder to watch (connect the camcorder to the TV), until you get a player which can play HD.

Otherwise, yes, you either need to work out a way to connect the PC to the TV, or buy a player which can play it.

I wouldn't use the lack of a player as a reason to buy a SD camcorder. With a High def camcorder you could always convert to SD (in software, or with HDV also in the cam) to create SD-DVDs for now; then re-issue your videos in high def later.

[tjhooker]

Brilliant. That was the answer I was looking for, so now which HD DV cam should I buy? As I said, good sound from in built mic would be good, and something that doesn't cost the earth unlike this baby thing seems to!

[redsox_mark]

For HDV camcorders, generally the Canon HV20 gets the nod in reviews for video performance. Close on its heels is the Sony HC7.

If you want to save some money, look at the Canon HV10 or Sony HC5. The HC5 is very similar to the HC7 except the HC7 has more features (e.g. external mic jack and better manual control). Quality wise there is not much difference, so if you will shoot on auto most of the time and don't plan to use an external mic the HC5 will save you some money. See recent review of the HC5 here
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content...view-33709.htm

HV10 is physically quite different to the HV20, different shape. Also does not have HDMI output (which both Sony models have). But does have AV-input, and there are some good prices available. HV10 is an older model but still current.

[alhambra_c]

Originally Posted by senu

They are easy to use, and footage is said to be OK in good light, but they are said to struggle a bit indoors when the lighting is less than ideal
Also editing the (non standard) 720p 30fps footage is said to be challenging..

I think the HD1000 will do pretty well in low night, it really depend on the setting.

[senu]

Originally Posted by alhambra_c

I think the HD1000 will do pretty well in low night, it really depend on the setting.

Thanks for sharing that
The HD1000 is the latest and TBH Sanyo need to get some credibility back in all this
The major problem they will now have is to
Get the Price right
Convince people who folk turn to for advice that they mean business
By using
Standard formats which don't need "special" software some of which leaves a lot to be desired
Stop trying to appeal to mainly "gadget conscious" Joe Public

[neilybealy]

Originally Posted by redsox_mark

For HDV camcorders, generally the Canon HV20 gets the nod in reviews for video performance. Close on its heels is the Sony HC7.

If you want to save some money, look at the Canon HV10 or Sony HC5. The HC5 is very similar to the HC7 except the HC7 has more features (e.g. external mic jack and better manual control). Quality wise there is not much difference, so if you will shoot on auto most of the time and don't plan to use an external mic the HC5 will save you some money. See recent review of the HC5 here
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content...view-33709.htm

HV10 is physically quite different to the HV20, different shape. Also does not have HDMI output (which both Sony models have). But does have AV-input, and there are some good prices available. HV10 is an older model but still current.

i'm looking to buy an hd camcorder and have been reading through loads of threads on here

i was originally set on a hdd model but not having a blueray player or recorder i don't have anywhere to store archived film and i don't want to rely on external hard disks and you then can't play it back easy on an HDTV

so been looking at DV models and the Sony HDRHC7E is the one for me at the mo but how does it compare to the Sony HDRSR7 hdd model? are they pretty much the same except for being dv/hdd?

apologies for hijaking the thread and if this has been asked/answered loads before - i have searched and read loads but often you can research too much

[redsox_mark]

Yes; the HC7 and SR7 share the same CMOS sensor, the same lens, and same connectivity (e.g. both have external mic inputs), the same features. Apart from the format, the only other difference is the SR7 has a 3 channel mic with 5.1 recording, the HC7 a stereo mic. But i don't find 5.1 recording to be much use, you generally want to record the audio you are shooting, not what is behind you.

[neilybealy]

Originally Posted by redsox_mark

Yes; the HC7 and SR7 share the same CMOS sensor, the same lens, and same connectivity (e.g. both have external mic inputs), the same features. Apart from the format, the only other difference is the SR7 has a 3 channel mic with 5.1 recording, the HC7 a stereo mic. But i don't find 5.1 recording to be much use, you generally want to record the audio you are shooting, not what is behind you.

i remember years ago when we first went to florida my uncle took his new video camera and all you could hear was him talking all the way through whilst recording!

thanks for the info