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General discussion

Need help understanding resolution of camcorders

Mar 27, 2005 2:13AM PST

How does one interpret camcorder specifications regarding resolution. All I am looking for is a camera that will have similar resolution to that of a progressive scan DVD (480 verticle lines of resolution progressively scanned)What do I need to look for in a camcorder spec that will equate to that type of resolution. Also, can anyone tell me how many horizontal and verticle lines of resolution can be support by the miniDV tape format.

Thanks in advance

John

Discussion is locked

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Why it doesn't matter.
Mar 27, 2005 2:20AM PST

99.99% of the camcorders adher to NTSC or PAL video standards. As such, this is where we are in your consumer grade models.

If you want to get past that, then you look to DvPRO HD models. I'll show one and only one example camera of such a stature.

-> "The AJ-HDC27FE VariCam progressive scan high definition camcorder brings variable frame rate acquisition to the DVCPRO HD product line up."

There are many models out there like this. But you won't see such at Best Buy.

Bob

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Resolution??
Mar 27, 2005 2:49AM PST

Thanks Bob

So are you saying that all miniDV format cameras will provide similar results and that resolution is not really an issue?

John

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Similar. Not same.
Mar 27, 2005 2:54AM PST

Some have better lenses so they are a tad clearer, or work with less light. You can see such if you pick over the results at dvspot.com and other sites that offer clips. When you move to 3 chip camera you find better color, but resolution is again limited by the NTSC/PAL standards.

However, you won't find much difference in video resolution since all adher to the NTSC/PAL standard. At first this will seem unclear.

Bob

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That's a bit overboard. There are more affordable cameras
Mar 27, 2005 4:29AM PST

available. If you are looking for HD, Sony has two new cameras out costing between $3,000 and about $5,500. This is the direction in which the industry is moving. Apple cites HD specs of 1920x1080, 24p, and there are several other possibilities.

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Mini DV format
Mar 27, 2005 6:00AM PST

So as I understand it, the Mini DV format is the limiting factor relative to standard definition camcorders. MiniDV has a standard format of 720 by 480 pixels resulting in a maximum resolution of 345,600 pixels. It is also my understanding that the miniDV format highly compresses the raw sensor data, such that it is questionable if there is noticable difference between 3CCD vs 1 CCD camcorders. This being the case, what tape and format is being used for the higher definition cameras. By the way, all I am trying to do is record image and sound at the highest resolution for a given camcordered, download the information to a computer and then burn a DVD.
That being the case given the resolution restrictions of MiniDV, would I be better off getting a camcorder that records directly to DVD. Do these direct recorded DVDs play back in 480 P like a conventional Movie DVD?
Thanks
John

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Not exactly true.
Mar 27, 2005 6:19AM PST

The MiniDV holds "digital" data and as such can hold any data you can write code about.

The HD video will overflow the capacity and as such would make 10 to 20 minutes work of such a tape. You betcha it would not be a good seller.

Bob

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Your understanding is wrong. Check the Canon XL2 for
Mar 27, 2005 11:38AM PST

high end specs, or the Sony PD170.

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PS: A DVD can store 4.7 gigs. A miniDV can store about
Mar 27, 2005 11:43AM PST

13.5 gigs. You do the math.

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Mini DV forma
Mar 31, 2005 4:53AM PST

After reading all the posts you never talked about what you were going to watch this on, a regular TV or a HDTV?
Makes a big difference! The only way you can watch 480p is on a computer or a HDTV. The 480p,720p and 1080i only
apply to HDTV. If your talking about regular analog tv
it would by 320x240. John

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HDTV
Mar 31, 2005 11:13AM PST

I have HDTVs that I would be watching them on
John

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I didn't go shopping.
Mar 27, 2005 6:20AM PST

I also noted that I would give one example of the DV HD type cameras.

Let me share that the Indies I know never buy such a camera. They rent them.

Bob

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The indies I know are looking closely at the Sony camera
Mar 27, 2005 11:40AM PST

because HD is finally affordable. It's a bit inconvenient to rent a camera every time you want to shoot some video.

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OK, the other indies I know are...
Mar 27, 2005 12:13PM PST

Still using the college's equipment. They seem to dump money into Apples so that's the breaks.

Bob

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Getting to the facts regarding resolution & MiniDV
Mar 27, 2005 9:27PM PST

Thanks to all who responded to this thread, but honestly, I felt it a bit cumbersome to try to fit together all of the pieces of this rather complex puzzel. I found that the information provided by shortcourses (http://www.shortcourses.com/) was helpful, but as the web site indicates the explinations are short leaving significant voids in my understanding of this topic. I did however find a website (http://www.adamwilt.com/DV-FAQ-tech.html#DVformats) that provided good detail as to what is really going on. Any comments on the information provided by this website would be apreciated.
Thanks again
John

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And in a nutshell or the "one-liner"...
Mar 27, 2005 9:49PM PST

"The video is sampled at the same rate as D-1, D-5, or Digital Betacam video -- 720 pixels per scanline -- although the color information is sampled at half the D-1 rate: 4:1:1 in 525-line (NTSC), and 4:2Shocked in 625-line (PAL) formats."

Many get hopeful of "more resolution" but as we read above the NTSC and PAL standards limit what we can do. This is why when people ask me for "more resolution" I have to offer HD content.

Bob

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Thanks
Mar 27, 2005 10:14PM PST

Bob

Thanks again for your insight

John

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Getting to the facts regarding resolution & MiniDV
Apr 1, 2005 2:02AM PST

The second link is realy good. Lots of info. One of the problems comes from engeering terms like used in the second link and makeing the concepts understandable
to non engeering people is that somthing alwise gets lost in the translation. So if you have any questions just repost. John