New to the HD game and need some help

[fenris]

I've been reading these boards for the past week trying to educate myself on the new technology but I have a few questions that I hope you all can help me with. My wife and I are expecting our first child and we want to upgrade our old camcorder that we bought nearly 10 years ago (Sony TRV-315) and take advantage of the HD capabilities. I'm stuck between the HV30 and the HF100 right now. I know ... this is a topic that has been discussed ad nauseum but please bear with me. I know that both camcorders provide outstanding end product and I don't want to split hairs over their recording performance. My head is still spinning after reading about the different bitrates and compression algorithms.

Here's my current status:

• The primary purpose of the camcorder is for home videos and filming vacations to enjoy them in HD.
  
• I have never edited video but I want to start doing so with the new camera and I'm excited about the possibilities. I'll have to purchase a video editing program at some point though.
  
• I have a six year old 51" Sony rear projection tv (1080i/720p with no HDMI inputs) at the moment and hope to upgrade to a flat screen next year. It's hard to justify buying another right now when this one still works great.
  
• My pc is a tad bit old (P4 3.2 ghz processor, 3 gb memory). This is another item that will be upgraded sooner than later.
  
• I do not have a PS3 or a Blueray player either. My poor old xbox 360 didn't win the format war. It's on my wish list.
  
• We live quite a ways from family so I will want to provide them with dvds of the baby. They all have HD tvs but again ... no blueray players.

I think I understand the merits of both MiniDV and SDHC. MiniDV gives you the ability to film on a readily available and tested format. It also gives you the ability to archive the master copies after it is uploaded to the pc in real time. The recording sound issues from the internal mic with the HV30 has me a little concerned though. I know that there are some work arounds involving expensive directional mics but I'd probably put that money into the new tv or blueray player instead. Again, no professional production goals here. Just a new hobbyist. The MiniDV also seems easier to edit than AVCHD.

SDHC gives you the ability to film without the recording noise of the tape and to quickly transfer the contents of the card to the pc. The SDHC card can be immediately played in a PS3 or similar player. Editing it is another matter entirely. My current pc probably lacks the processing power to edit AVCHD but I still like the idea of the solid state media though for convenience after I upgrade my pc. I also read somewhere that the root contents of the SDHC card and be copied to a DVD. This seems to provide an inexpensive and safe archival method similar to storing the original MiniDVs.

I understand that either the HV30 or the HF100 will exceed my quality expectations. From all accounts, both are great camcorders and a blast to use. I'm just stuck on pulling the trigger on which one to buy. Tried and true technology vs. the new AVCHD format. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated.

[Dodgy Nick]

Hi fenris, and welcome to the forums!

It sounds like you've done your homework properly and know the pros and cons of each option. There's not much we can add here, and in the end you have to decide which cons you can live with. As far as I'm concerned, I like the idea of solid state storage, but concerned that the amount of footage I've taken so far would take up many terrabytes of hard drive space, so I'm glad I have the minidv's as backup. Good luck whatever you choose, and post often!

Cheers
Nick

[fenris]

Out of curiosity, what software do you use to edit your videos? I guess that's another thing I need to budget in.

[Lunchbox]

You can read this thread for editing software discussion. You can join discussion there regarding software editing.

http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=3837

You can also read the FAQ which has lots of valuable info.

http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=3058

[fenris]

Thanks for the links Lunchbox.

[enduser]

In my opinion, since picture quality is not an issue, the convienence of the SD would be a awsome. Although if you go on vacation and can't unload your card, then many cards might get expensive. The only reason I chose an HV20 is that HDV is supposed to be the best quality format in a home camcorder currently and my wife would always complain about how crappy the video was from my panasonic camcorder. If they wrote HDV to SD, I probably would have preferred that.

[veg]

Welcome to you fenris!

Technology in television has changed so fast in the last 10/20 years and will continue to do so.
Problem is, humans dont change quite so fast, we take a bit more time to accept change.

As you're about to give birth to a child of the 21st Century then why not tool up for the next few years as he/she grows?
Taking your 6 Bullet points in order..
1. Your gonna need to be equipped for HD.
2. Yup. Make sure its HD capable.
3. Save your money for # 2
4. Probably the most important thing you have to do next.
5. We're all waiting for Blu-Ray prices to drop. No rush.
6. A/B

welcome again and congrats on your condition
veg.

[fenris]

I've decided to pull the trigger on the HV30. Now the shopping fun starts. Thanks again for the input. This site rocks!