Editing HD output for SD player

[cjb]

Hi,
Further to my earlier thread about my possible purchase of a Canon HV20 1080i or Sony HD cam, I have been researching other threads about working with HD files.
I hadn't really thought about the most obvious... the final product...i.e.. watching the cam output directly via HDMI on the TV is one thing, but if you don't have a HD player or you want to show the edited video on someone else's DVD player, then how do you show the full benefit of the HD quality on DVD.

The most obvious solution that came to mind is to reinput the edited HD video back onto the cam tape via DVin ( an obvious requirement )... is this what others do ?
Or I read you can burn the edited video as a 'data' file onto ordinary DVD.. so what data file is this and does it show the full HD quality.
I have tried to view downloaded HD Divx fles on my Philips HDMI player and it refused.
I know these cams also work in SD mode but that defeats the object surely..
Any thoughts on this

[redsox_mark]

if you don't have a HD player or you want to show the edited video on someone else's DVD player, then how do you show the full benefit of the HD quality on DVD.

If you (or your friends) don't have something which can play the HD material, then you will need to downconvert to SD. You will lose the full benefit of HD (but you still have it on tape).


The most obvious solution that came to mind is to reinput the edited HD video back onto the cam tape via DVin ( an obvious requirement )... is this what others do ?

I shoot HDV, edit HDV, then to create a SD DVD (that anyone can play) I do the conversion in my editing software (Sony Vegas in my case).


Or I read you can burn the edited video as a 'data' file onto ordinary DVD.. so what data file is this and does it show the full HD quality.

A Data DVD simply means putting files of any type on it as a PC data disc, not a DVD-video. It could be HDV .mpeg files, it could be HD .wmv files, whatever you like. But you would need a PC (or some media playing device) which can play the files.

[senu]

Standard Definition DVD players do not understand Hi def files and will not play them
DVD players with HDMI usually have them for upscaling SD video: As it happens not all do it that well

You can
Play back the tape to an HD TV : As shot or edited and "printed" back to another tape
Play via a PC ( in any suitable Hi def file which your PC is capable of playing back:note that not all video playback software play Hi def files well or at all ) or
from that PC to a Hi def display if the PCs graphics card can output Hidef to a TV/Projector ect
or via
A Media streamer like Popcornhour , PS3 ect
Otherwise,
Via a Blu Ray or HD DVD player .. some of which can play Data DVD discs with Hi def material on it

It is probably possible to develop DVD players which have codecs for High def files and can output 720p or 1080i but I dont think this will happen as it may muddy the waters for the marketing of Hi def players

[cjb]

OK Guys, thanks for the input.
This has ,to be honest , made me personally pull back a bit from going out and getting my HV20 tommorrow.( maybe later in the year tho ).
I am not a serious amateur film maker, just like taking videos of anything interesting.
I appreciate the HV20 has the full potential to be HDef and I would personally see the benefit in my own home, but if to make it 'user friendly' I can only realistically share my videos in others' houses in SD mode, then I might as well stay with what I have (Canon DV)... at least until most people have a Blue Ray player, and I think that will be a few years yet to become 'the norm'.

Very illuminating... Many thanks for your replies.

[senu]

No worries but don't forget that you can shoot in HDV, download to PC as SD( DV) by in-camera "downconvesion" for sharing with others.
However if you have a capable DV camcorder, you can wait .
As time goes on HD playback devices will get more common though and Anyway it looks good on the PC as well
AVCHD playback ( ie the absence of return to tape for playback ability) is even more limited although it can similarly be played back on the PC, converted in software to SD and played via streamers/PS3 ect