• TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
  • Follow
    • Follow
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • google+
    • instagram
    • youtube
Hearst Corporation
  • TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
Forums
  • Register
  • Login
  • Forums
  • Gadgets
  • Tablets and e-Readers
HD Camcorder
Gilbertoo
17-01-2008
I'm looking to get an HDD HD Camcorder. Does anyone have any experience of using one, in particular when editing footage on a laptop?

I use a Dell Inspiron laptop with a dual processor and 2gb of RAM. Will this laptop be okay for editing footage?
ntlhellworld
17-01-2008
I suggest going for a minidv camara over one with a builtin HDD. You get better quality video (at a higher bitrate) and better value for money.

I can highly suggest the Canon HV20 aswell; excellent video and it even has a progressive filming mode - thats 1080p25

Your laptop will be fine, those specs are enough.

-Chris
andybno1
17-01-2008
I've had the Sony HDR-HC3 HD MiniDV camcorder for about a year now and I cant complain about it at all 4mp camera 1080i picture.

how I edit my software on my pc is via firewire transfer.

I use a program called CapDVHS which reads from the firewire port and reords my footage to an MPEG-2 stereo file, I then use a program called videoredo to trim the output mpg file. the latest Videoredo tv suite also has an option to export footage to dvd which I have yet to tryout.

all in all I have had no problems besides a few dropped frames during transfer which I then done a re-capture and got a spot on output.
simonp820
17-01-2008
I've got an HD HDD (Sony) and it's ace. The quality is amazing. It wasn't cheap but Sony stuff usually isn't!

The only thing that lets it down is the poor software - no editing software included at all

Not really sure why people are still buying minidv!?
Gilbertoo
17-01-2008
Originally Posted by simonpearce:
“I've got an HD HDD (Sony) and it's ace. The quality is amazing. It wasn't cheap but Sony stuff usually isn't!

The only thing that lets it down is the poor software - no editing software included at all

Not really sure why people are still buying minidv!?”

I am keen to get an HD HDD camcorder but I understand that the bitrate/compression of HDV is much better than HDD based camcorders....therefore ensuring a better quality image..

Personally, I prefer HDD rather than tape...
TheBigM
17-01-2008
I think part of the problem is that tape camcorders use HDV whcih is quite well recognised. But HDD ones use AVC-HD which only a few software can handle. Premiere Elements can't for example and that's the best consumer level editing suite (subjectively).
andybno1
18-01-2008
also look at it from this point of view, you can only store so much on a hard drive before you have to loose precious video, with DV you just buy more tapes and mark older ones as non writable so that you dont accidently erase.
simonp820
18-01-2008
Originally Posted by andybno1:
“also look at it from this point of view, you can only store so much on a hard drive before you have to loose precious video, with DV you just buy more tapes and mark older ones as non writable so that you dont accidently erase.”

I think you get used to it after a while. I've used a digital camera with a memory stick for years and I'm well used to deleting photos when needed or copying them to my laptop (which inevitably comes on holiday with me!)

I was rather impressed with the way my HDD camcorder saves movies as individual files (or clips) so that if there's something you want to delete you just can!

Can't do that with a tape
Gilbertoo
18-01-2008
Originally Posted by TheBigM:
“I think part of the problem is that tape camcorders use HDV whcih is quite well recognised. But HDD ones use AVC-HD which only a few software can handle. Premiere Elements can't for example and that's the best consumer level editing suite (subjectively).”

Do you know whether the picture quality is significantly different with AVC-HD? I've read that HDV is by far the best PQ but if the quality of AVC-HD is only marginally inferior, I'd probably prefer that instead of tape (for the reasons simonpearce mentions).
andybno1
18-01-2008
cant even get a video comparisson of the two from the net all I can do is offer up a clip from my minidv sony hdr-hc3 cam as a rough guess how minidv is

but you'd have to wait till I was home to do that
TheBigM
18-01-2008
Originally Posted by Gilbertoo:
“Do you know whether the picture quality is significantly different with AVC-HD? I've read that HDV is by far the best PQ but if the quality of AVC-HD is only marginally inferior, I'd probably prefer that instead of tape (for the reasons simonpearce mentions).”

I don't know about better - that probably depends more on the camera than the format. I do know HDV is a cheaper, slightly older format. AVCHD has less support and is heavier on computers.

Both formats give good enough HD for you to be pleasantly surprised and PQ will be similar.

HDD and flash memory based camcorders are the future but the technology is not yet mature. It is also more susceptible to data corruption and other problems. In a tape camcorder you replace the tape, in this one, you would have to repair/replace the entire unit.
ALanJ
28-01-2008
Originally Posted by TheBigM:
“I don't know about better - that probably depends more on the camera than the format. I do know HDV is a cheaper, slightly older format. AVCHD has less support and is heavier on computers.

Both formats give good enough HD for you to be pleasantly surprised and PQ will be similar.

HDD and flash memory based camcorders are the future but the technology is not yet mature. It is also more susceptible to data corruption and other problems. In a tape camcorder you replace the tape, in this one, you would have to repair/replace the entire unit.”

I would agree - I have (have had) DV / HDV and AVCHD format cameras over the years. The HDV high end Sony produced great pictures but comparing the results to the Panasonic that records on SDHD memory cards I was amazed at the quality of the Panasonic - if anything the colours are better. It certainly is not a perfect solution but I can thouroughly recommend it - very light and easy to film with even in extreme conditions.
ALanJ
28-01-2008
Originally Posted by Gilbertoo:
“I use a Dell Inspiron laptop with a dual processor and 2gb of RAM. Will this laptop be okay for editing footage?”

I would say for editing AVCHD you need quite a beefy computer I have been usin goccasionally a 3GHz dual core Athelon with 4Gb of RAM and it isn't fast.
VIEW DESKTOP SITE TOP

JOIN US HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation

DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

© 2015 Hearst Magazines UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Complaints
  • Site Map