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Camcorders: Interested in HDV

by Bizily - 9/4/06 6:36 AM

Total posts: 3

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Post 1 of 3

Interested in HDV

by Bizily - 9/4/06 6:36 AM

I'm interested in learning more about HDV. I've been recording, capturing, editing, and producing SD video for several years now and would like to learn more about these steps in HD.

Recording
How many hours of HD video can be recorded on a standard miniDV tape?

Capturing
Can I capture the HD video to .AVI files?
How does the file size compare with SD video?

Editing
I use Pinnacle Studio 10 to edit SD video. I think it supports HD video. Does anyone know how well it works?

Producing
I produce SD movies onto DVD. I assume that this is possible with HD, but the video is down-converted. Is this right?
I also produce MPEG movies for PC viewing. What is the PC format for HD movies?

Thanks.

-Jim

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Post 2 of 3

Check out VASST if you're interested in a seminar.

by Kiddpeat - 9/4/06 9:05 AM In reply to: Interested in HDV by Bizily

Sony records 60 minutes of HDV on their prosumer camera, and probably on their others as well. I suspect Canon does the same. The difference is that they record mpeg2 rather than DV. That means 13 gigs of mpeg2.

I haven't worked with HDV yet, so I can't say how various applications perform the capture. I do know that the Sony and Canon cameras can convert if to SD for capture. I also know that the actual HDV files are huge, and require substantial computer processing power. Two or more processors, lots of memory, and big, fast hard drives.

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Post 3 of 3

I've been using a sony HDR-HC1

by boya84 - 9/4/06 4:51 PM In reply to: Interested in HDV by Bizily

for about a year. Sony does not make it anymore. Replaced by the HDR-HC3 which lost a lot of the manual controls the HC1 has. Canon just announced a consumer-level HD video camera - should be out in a couple of weeks/months...

To answer your inquiries directly:

Recording:
Kiddpeat is correct: 1 hour on a normal MiniDV tape.

Capturing:
You captuer in HD... you render out to what you want to render out to - presuming your application allows for .AVI files then that option should be available when you save as or export... Kiddpeat's right on the file size - HDs are HUGE compared to SD...

Editing:
No experience with Pinnacle Studio 10... sorry...

Producing:
Producing from HD to DVD will indeed cause the video to be down-converted... but keep the HD "master" since one of these days, HD burners WILL be available and you can re-burn. The good news is that since the quality is really good at the source, even down-converted, the finished product is really good.

As far as which mpeg "version", the editing application should give you a choice...

Keep in mind that the consumer/prosumer camcorders do 1080i... Not 1080p. Kiddpeat makes a good point on the hard drives and available space... I have an external firewire 250 gig for vidoe projects only and regularly wish it was 2x the size... Once you get all the editing done, it is time to render... That takes a LONG time for a "feature"... The computer needs to crunch a LOT of information. Typically, when I am ready to burn the DVD (double layer), I let it run over night. If the subject is less than 1/2 hour or so, then I'll burn whenever - but any longer and it's while I am sleeping.