HV20/30 or HG10?

[BigRedNole]

I have been reading quite a bit on the differences between these two camcorders. I know there is nothing but praise for the H20. I am almost sold on getting the H20 or H30, but I want to be sure I am getting the most future proof with my $650+ purchase. I have to buy a camcorder in the next two weeks for my daughter's first trip to Disney World.

What I want to be able to do:
1. Take high quality HD video
2. Be able to burn the HD video to a DVD that can play in current DVD players. I cannot afford to buy BluRay players for all of the family members just to see the video

What I have or have access to:
1. Sony Vegas 8 Pro
2. Adobe Premier Pro (I can purchase a business license from my neighbor for far less than retail).

Questions I need answer clarification:
1. Is the AVCHD video much worse than HDV?
2. Can I convert AVCHD files to be able to play in HD form on normal DVD players?
3. Do I have to buy the $11 MiniHDV tapes or can I use other tapes?
4. Is there any specific reasons to avoid AVCHD?

Thanks for all of your help from a newbie. I am coming from the old Hi8 camp.

[bytehoven]

HDV is easier/faster to work with on your desktop (because you avoid a recompression step from AVCHD). Even better, transcode from HDV on import to something even faster on your PC (NeoHD) Mac (AIC or ProRes).

Buy the Panasonic PQ series 63 minute miniDV tapes

[Yositimy]

AVCHD compression currently has problems with PQ, especially anything with much motion. It continues to disappoint.

HDV has been around for awhile and will continue for much of the foreseeable future, although there is a sense that camera manufactures are putting less emphasis on DVT. Nothing is future proof for 10-20 years, but Mini DVtape is been around for 10 maybe 15 years, and there is another 10 at least.

HDV tape is easier than AVCHD to work with and has built in inexpensive archives. Run out of room in the field, just slap in another $5 tape.

Tape recommendations change from year to year, but Panasonic is always on or near the top. AY-DVM63MQ is a good tape that has never failed me or gunked up a camera, and its $1 more than the PQ series. No need for HDV tape, just settle on one brand.

You won't be able to play HD video on any old DVD player, but should be able to play HDDVD encoded DVDR disks on modern computers, HDDVD players and some bluray players. If you have any old DVD burner you can put about a hour of HD quality video on a regular old DVD that will play on any HDDVD player (which you can get for less than $80 fire sale prices now) and most modern PCs and Macs that have a DVD drive and DVD player software.

To play video on a standard DVD player it needs to be converted to the 480 resolution SD DVD format (I think any of the popular video editing programs can do that)

Even if its SD, the advantage of shooting HD is that you always have the HD footage for future use. If you shoot SD, then you will never have HD footage regardless.

[BigRedNole]

Thanks for the info. I have decided to buy the HV20. Now, I just have to find a deal under $725. Unfortunately, I am time constrained and may have to pay more. After reading more, I think I have a much better understanding of burning an HDV tape to a DVD. However, I am still a little confused. This may explain the situation a little better:

I have 2x 720p HDTVs. I have upconversion DVD players (at least I think they are). Both DVD players have HDMI which leads me to assume they are. If I burn a tape to a DVD+/-R (I know it will only get 20 minutes or so), will I be able to get it to play in HD through this type of DVD player?

[Ian-T]

I believe it has to be an HD-DVD player and the disk has to be authored as HD-DVD......which are currently going for $75.00 at Wal-Mart.

[Yositimy]

No conventional DVD player will play "HD" material. SD DVD is limited to 480 lines, so you down convert your 720 or 1080 HD video to 480 to play on a standard DVD player. A standard up-converting DVD player may up-convert back to HD resolution, but you see there is always something lost in translation (over half of the original resolution). It can look pretty good anyway, depending on the black art in the DVD player, but it won't look any better than a quality SD DVD.

I have burned 1080 resolution HD video on dozens of DVDs using nothing more than a Mac with FCS2, the DVD burner supplied with the machine, and a $1 DVD-R.

No you don't need a HD-DVD disk and authoring unless you also want to provide HD-DVD advanced options like PIP and internet access. If your happy with the same kind of menus you can put on a SD DVD, and the one hour video limit, then you will be happy with HD-DVD on DVR-R.

One reason is that the H### encoding used on HD-DVDs is a common HD codec, so its often sitting there in your video authoring software. And a HD-DVD player and PC drive use the same laser for SD DVD and HD DVD, which was one of the beauties of HD-DVD for the video hobbyist. Practically no entry and license fees.

Browse the software and authoring forums and you should find many programs both PC and Mac based that will put true HD video on DVD-R.

Regardless you need a player that contains H### decoding to play them. HD-DVD players have the decoder, most PCs and Macs (many movie downloads use this codec). BluRay players may have the decoder but few currently have the software to read the disks.

So its like the early days of DVD burning. You prepare a DVD and ready to proudly show it off to your friends, and it won't play on their machine.... I recall early on purchasing (as a holiday gift) compatible DVD players for family members.

[BigRedNole]

Thank you for the answers. This definitely cleared up a lot of the confusion.

1. It has to be burned as HD DVD format.
2. HD DVD format can be burned to a regular DVD R type disc
3. Need an HD DVD player to view the DVD in HD format (1080i)

This answered my confusion. I now understand.