Different HV20 modes

[Michael Hackney]

Would you say that it's best to shoot HDV all the time and if burned to DVD and watched on a regular tv, will it look better than if I shot in DV wide? Also, when is it best to use cinema mode and when not to. I like using the 24P with cinema set, but would it be better to shoot normal HDV mode and just mess with it in post to get the cinema and 24p look if I need?:)

[duzzit_madder]

For me, it's like using a different paint brush to paint a picture. 60i, 24p, 24p cine mode, all look different and react differently when you move the camera. For me, I capture the best picture I can and so far it seems 60i nets the most video signal. I have a really good NLE so messing with things in post is not a problem and often rather fun. But it can be time consuming. I'm still learning how to use this camera effectively but getting the most video on to tape seems like the best thing to do.

[Brett A. Noe]

It does depend on the look you are going for. The thing to remember when using 60i is you are getting 60 1440x540 interlaced images per second. This produces a lack of motion blur that says "video" to the viewer. The 24p mode gives you film cadence and motion blur. It also produces 24 1440x1080 full frame images per second.

It mostly comes down to personal taste.