Do You Have a Hi-Def Camcorder? About This Page:

[disneyfan2000]

If so, what kind and how have you liked it?

[DVC_Increda_Man]

I was waiting to see what kind of answers you would get for this question myself.

I am totally into camcorders now and record everything now, and I do not have a Hi
Def camcorder because of the recording format, and the software for advanced
editing the recording is not ready yet. No matter what they tell you its not there yet.

First of all you really really need to study and compare camcorders
before you buy because Hi-Def, HD, High Definition do not always mean the same
thing and are for the most part sales ploys to get you to just buy the camcorder.

The most important question is " What will I do with the recording"
If you have a LCD TV, a HD camcorder with a HDMI port that you can plug directly
to your TV and play back the camcorder, it will produce a fantastic picture
depending on the settings you put into the camcorder.

But if you want to share this with your mother who lives 2500 miles away and just has
a regular tv, you are in trouble.

Most camcorders have editing software that comes with them and can help you
produce a DVD to send to your mother but it will not be of the quality you saw on your TV, and using the software and your current equipment to make the DVD may
not be a pleasent experience.

If you do get one, make sure that it records with 1080 lines of resolution at
60 frames per second, using 3CCD recording sensors, and can do this in a
16:9 aspect ratio video.

[disneyfan2000]

I only have a TV with a DVI input and component. And my computer can't handle playing, much less editing AVCHD 1080 video. However, I was still considering buying a 1080i camcorder. Either the Canon HG10 or Canon HV20 in particular.
I figure, I my children are only going to be 1 and 2 for a short while, and I only have one shot to record them and capture these moments in the best quality I can now.
The HDMI TV will come in the future, and so will the computer that will laugh at 1080i video.

[DVC_Increda_Man]

Originally Posted by disneyfan2000

I only have a TV with a DVI input and component. And my computer can't handle playing, much less editing AVCHD 1080 video. However, I was still considering buying a 1080i camcorder. Either the Canon HG10 or Canon HV20 in particular.
I figure, I my children are only going to be 1 and 2 for a short while, and I only have one shot to record them and capture these moments in the best quality I can now.
The HDMI TV will come in the future, and so will the computer that will laugh at 1080i video.

You know this is one of the things that most people fail to consider when buying a
camcorder. What Will I Need (Computer, Software, Cables, etc) To download, edit and Author a Disk.

I have the computer and software to handle AVCHD video and author AVCHD
Video Disks but its still not worth all the effort just yet. Plus I don't have LCD
tv yet to enjoy it on either. Its not cost effective yet.

Since your computer gear won't handle AVCHD video, it makes the Canon HG10
a non choice for you. For instance "What will I do with the video when my camcorder
is full????" Once the hard drive on the camcorder is full you are dead in the water.

The Canon HV20 on the other hand records to Mini DV tape that you can take out
when full and put in another tape. A Modest computer with a DV Firewire port should
be able to capture this video and put it to disk. Also the camcorder has composite
and component video ports that would at lest let you play back the tapes to your
current tv if you can't do a disk. Plus the tapes last a long time if taken care of.

So the HV20 would let you record, play back, for now and you would have the tapes
to sometime in the furture capture to a good computer and make some great Disks
that you could share!

[disneyfan2000]

Originally Posted by DVC_Increda_Man

You know this is one of the things that most people fail to consider when buying a
camcorder. What Will I Need (Computer, Software, Cables, etc) To download, edit and Author a Disk.

I have the computer and software to handle AVCHD video and author AVCHD
Video Disks but its still not worth all the effort just yet. Plus I don't have LCD
tv yet to enjoy it on either. Its not cost effective yet.

Since your computer gear won't handle AVCHD video, it makes the Canon HG10
a non choice for you. For instance "What will I do with the video when my camcorder
is full????" Once the hard drive on the camcorder is full you are dead in the water.

The Canon HV20 on the other hand records to Mini DV tape that you can take out
when full and put in another tape. A Modest computer with a DV Firewire port should
be able to capture this video and put it to disk. Also the camcorder has composite
and component video ports that would at lest let you play back the tapes to your
current tv if you can't do a disk. Plus the tapes last a long time if taken care of.

So the HV20 would let you record, play back, for now and you would have the tapes
to sometime in the furture capture to a good computer and make some great Disks
that you could share!

What i like about the HG10 is that it is more cost effective. Everytime I want to test my camcorder and record, I'd have to buy tapes with the HV20.
With the HG10, 40 GB will last an entire trip for me. I'm not going to record more than 5.5 hours per a 5-7 day trip.
And when I get home, I can plug the HG10 into my hi-def TV using component and watch the video. When I'm ready to record again, I can download it to my external hard drive.
My computer can't play it back, that is true and very inconvenient. But I only have one chance to capture my kids at 1 and 2 yrs old, I'm willing to wait till I get a new computer.
I see your point with the HV20 though, I can always pop in a tape and watch the old stuff.
It will not be easy or convenient to transfer 40 GB of data back and forth from the camcorder to the external hard drive.
But the tapes add up don't they?
And they are on their way out.

[modisney]

Does anyone have any opinions on the ones Sony has out right now? I have an old Sony Handicam but haven't used it in a couple of years now for a couple of reasons. I miss using it and would like to get a new one but aren't sure if Hi Def. is the way to go. We have all the fancy hi def t.v.s and I think one would work with my iMac but I'm not sure.