[jordan25]

Hi,
Basically i just bought a Sony HDR-HC3 HDV camera. Now i want to shoot some footage with it and put it onto my computer to edit and then onto a dvd or DVD DL, can someone tell me from beginning to end what i should do to get the best quality, e.g. how i should record it, how i should capture it, how should i burn it?
I have a Apple Imac 2.4GHz computer and it has 4GB RAM. Also i have Final Cut Express, Ilife 08, Toast and After Effects CS3.

[MarkE19]

Although you have an HD camcorder you can't put the HD footage onto a DVD in HD unless you have a BluRay or HD-DVD burner - unless you burn a mini HD-DVD by putting HD footage onto a standard DVD disc, but you are then limited on the length of the video due to only having 4.7Gb per DVD. You can obviously get close to double the capacity with a DL DVD, but IMO they are often more trouble than they are worth to get working on many DVD players.
Therefore your best quality that can be played on a standard DVD player is to burn the footage after downconverting it to SD. You can just get any DVD authoring software (Nero, Ulead DVD MovieFactory etc) to create the DVDs. For best quality stick to about 1 hour per disc, although up to 2 hours can often look almost as good.

Mark.

[Nick_H]

I can see where the OP is thinking here.

Whats the point in having a HD camera if I cant play the footage back in HD ? I may have well stuck with SD in the first place.

Well other options are ( and please correct me if I'm wrong here because I'm no expert ) to convert the files to WMVHD if you have an Xbox 360.

Build yourself a Media Centre PC is another.

At least your in an excellent position for the future. You have a ready made archive of tapes that will allow you transfer to the format of your choice in the future.

[macdaddy]

You'll need to make sure you're using Toast 9. Also make sure you've got the Blu Ray add on for Toast 9.

Then you can shoot on the Sony in HD, edit in iMovie (must be 08 so that you can work with AVCHD files) and burn to DVD using Toast.

You would need a Blu Ray player (i.e. PS3) to view the discs that you burn.

Good luck

MD

[celtic13]

Can you not just play out the HD video files back onto DV tape? Thats what I have done with my Canon HV20. It stays as HD then connect up the camcorder to plasma/lcd/projector via hdmi and play movie. I also use a mac, FCP and imovie. This method works a treat until affordable BRD burners appear.

Best

Paul

[redsox_mark]

Yes, with any HDV camcorder you can output back to tape in high def, and play from the camcorder.

[dejongj]

And don't forget to get an AppleTV Can easily export from any of those packages in HD into iTunes and sync automatically to the AppleTV....That's what I do, even though I also got a PS3, Blu-Ray writer and discs are just stupidly expensive for now...

[chrishull3]

Originally Posted by dejongj

And don't forget to get an AppleTV Can easily export from any of those packages in HD into iTunes and sync automatically to the AppleTV....That's what I do, even though I also got a PS3, Blu-Ray writer and discs are just stupidly expensive for now...

discs are no dearer than hdv mini tapes if you look around and hold over double the footage.

[dejongj]

Originally Posted by chrishull3

discs are no dearer than hdv mini tapes if you look around and hold over double the footage.

£10 per disc'ish, and then there will be the coasters etc...Tape won't have the chapter markings etc once you've edited your movie....But hey each to their own...

[jordan25]

The thing is i wanna make like a home movie, with around 50-60mins footage on it, but i want to have it on a dvd as i like having the menus and stuff like that. Also i have a xbox 360 so cant i burn regular uncompressed HD footage to a DVD DL so i can play it on my 360, or maybe compressed HD footage to play on my 360, i just dont want SD!

[macdaddy]

Originally Posted by jordan25

The thing is i wanna make like a home movie, with around 50-60mins footage on it, but i want to have it on a dvd as i like having the menus and stuff like that. Also i have a xbox 360 so cant i burn regular uncompressed HD footage to a DVD DL so i can play it on my 360, or maybe compressed HD footage to play on my 360, i just dont want SD!

See my post above!!!! (explains exactly how to do what you want)

[senu]

Originally Posted by dejongj

£10 per disc'ish, and then there will be the coasters etc...Tape won't have the chapter markings etc once you've edited your movie....But hey each to their own...

Discs are cheaper than that now, The lastime I got them I spent £2.50-3
However i agree that

• There will be coasters
• Playback Compatibility is never guaranteed
• Tapes are arguable more durable for archiving

What I would say is that the OP does not have a PS3 so using an AVCHD disc may not work for him as per Nick_Hs post
Also coming from the HC3, whose native output is mpeg2 1080i ( M2t) I wonder what would be archieved by converting to AVCHD
AFAIK, the XBOX360 ( which he does have) can play WMV-HD natively , especially via the HD DVD add-on ( Im not sure with its own drive, Ill have to check that out)

[macdaddy]

Originally Posted by senu

Discs are cheaper than that now, The lastime I got them I spent £2.50-3
However i agree that

• There will be coasters
• Playback Compatibility is never guaranteed
• Tapes are arguable more durable for archiving

What I would say is that the OP does not have a PS3 so using an AVCHD disc may not work for him as per Nick_Hs post
Also coming from the HC3, whose native output is mpeg2 1080i ( M2t) I wonder what would be archieved by converting to AVCHD
AFAIK, the XBOX360 ( which he does have) can play WMV-HD natively , especially via the HD DVD add-on ( Im not sure with its own drive, Ill have to check that out)

Toast 9 will burn HDDVD disks which can be played on the xbox (assuming you have the HDDVD player)

[dejongj]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Toast 9 will burn HDDVD disks which can be played on the xbox (assuming you have the HDDVD player)

and assuming that hd-DVD discs keep on being produced. I'd still vote appletv for ease of use an personal hi-def viewing.