Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

HD Camcorder with SD TV?

by paru5 Nov 10, 2007 1:13AM PST

Hi,

I have been planning to buy Sony HDR SR5 or HDR SR7 handycam. Please advise on which one is a better model ( except for the difference in storage capacity).

i currently do not posses a HD TV, does it make sense to buy a HD camcorder ? What will happen if I output my HD recording from the above handycam to a SD TV ?


Please advise

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
What will you edit with and store that
by boya84 Nov 10, 2007 1:53AM PST

edited video on?

HDD based hidef camcorders from Sony, Panasonic and Canon store hidef video using AVCHD. Not all video editing applications can handle that yet - though more are able to handle it.

If you use the camcorder to record standard definition video (4:3 or 16:9), AVCHD compression is not used and the resulting video can be handled by pretty much all video editing applications.

If you capture and edit hidef video, and butn to a DVD burner, we need to know what type of burner it is... generally, the DVD burner applications are smart enough to know to downsample to whatever the burner is you are using... If you connect your camcorder directly to the TV - since it is a standard definition TV, you will be using the AV cable (yellow-video; red-right audio; white-left audio) and the analog signal will display correctly on that standard definition TV (since hidef is, by default, 16:9, the display on the TV will be "letterboxed"). If you record in 4:3 standard def and plyback on the standard def TV with the AV cable, the video format will be 4:3 and fill the screen.

- Collapse -
Not thought on those lines
by paru5 Nov 11, 2007 1:21AM PST

Hi ,

Thanks for your inputs, frankly i had not thought on those parameters at all. I was thinking of buying a camcorder (HD and HDD )as a combination sounded good ( very ignorant). I wanted to find out if HD video output in any form on a SD TV will work. If it makes no difference as the output will anyway be in SD, I was wondering whether it is worth spending extra money on a HD camcorder ?

What software should we use if we record in a non HD but HDD camcorder. I am a big Sony fan ? is there any other models that are better than Sony ?

- Collapse -
What I have found is
by boya84 Nov 11, 2007 2:20AM PST

when I record in 1080i and playback on a standard definition TV, it is very clear.

Please keep in mind: In order to playback high definition video by connecting a high definition camcorder on a high definition television, you need to connect using either Firewire, component (RGB) or HDMI cables from the camcorder to the HDTV. Standard definition TVs do not have any of these connections. When you record high definition video into the high defiition camcorder and connect to a standard definition TV, you will connect using (analog) composite (yellow-video; red-right audio; white-left audio) AV cable.

Is it worth it? That is up to you and your budget.

What software should you use? That is up to you, your budget and your computer. I use an Apple Macintosh and run OSX - and I use iMovie and FinalCut Pro for editing, transitions, audio enhancement, titles, special effects and DVD mastering. Others on these boards use Windows and the bundled (with SP2) MovieMaker, Pinnacle Studio, Sony Vegas, Adobe Premier - there are many of them for various budgets and skills and editing capabilities.

Any other camcorder models? Yes - lots. Sony makes some. Canon and Panasonic make consumer camcorders, too... (and JVC, Samsung and many others.)

- Collapse -
In the SD HDD realm,
by whizkid454 Nov 11, 2007 3:22AM PST

Sony is at the top.

If you feel you will get a HDTV in the future, why not have the video already in HD. If HD is not necessary now, wait for a better one down the road. Of course, this all depends on how much you are willing to spend.

For editing, I use Sony Vegas Studio. Lots of features at a competitive price.

Back to Video Cameras forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info