HD Video options

[solomr2]

Hello,

I've been looking at buying a new HD camcorder, maybe the Sony HDR-SR5 or the Canon HV20, but I can't figure out how the video content can be played back without converting it to non-HD.

It seems as though the only option is to buy a Blue Ray DVD burner ($$ ouch $$) if you want to be able to play the content back on anything besides the camcorder. With the Sony, since it is a HDD based recorder, that would be a major pain in the a$$. At least with a tape system you can pop the tape back in. But even tapes don't last forever.

So, it seems to me the only option is to convert the videos to non-HD format and save them as regular AVI/WMA type files, or you store them on you computer in native format, and then copy them back onto the camcorder when you want to play them. None of which is desirable.

So is this it, is this the only way?

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

My 2 cents.....

Stick to a HD camera with tape. The hard-drive only camera's are a pain in the *ss unless you like the idea of having your entire recorded family history lost because you crashed your computer. Not to mention.... imagine the nuisance of transferring multiple gigs of video every time you replace your computer

 

[westcott]

Hello,

I've been looking at buying a new HD camcorder, maybe the Sony HDR-SR5 or the Canon HV20, but I can't figure out how the video content can be played back without converting it to non-HD.

It seems as though the only option is to buy a Blue Ray DVD burner ($$ ouch $$) if you want to be able to play the content back on anything besides the camcorder. With the Sony, since it is a HDD based recorder, that would be a major pain in the a$$. At least with a tape system you can pop the tape back in. But even tapes don't last forever.

So, it seems to me the only option is to convert the videos to non-HD format and save them as regular AVI/WMA type files, or you store them on you computer in native format, and then copy them back onto the camcorder when you want to play them. None of which is desirable.

So is this it, is this the only way?

Can't you use an S Video or Composite video out of the camcorder for standard definition?

 

[solomr2]

My 2 cents.....

Stick to a HD camera with tape. The hard-drive only camera's are a pain in the *ss unless you like the idea of having your entire recorded family history lost because you crashed your computer. Not to mention.... imagine the nuisance of transferring multiple gigs of video every time you replace your computer

I think you may be right. After more reading and research, I think I will be sticking with tapes. From the sounds of it, it will probably be another year or even two before HD/BD recorders are affordable, so until then archiving is going to have to be on tapes.

Editing is still another big issue. It doesn't seem there is any way to edit the native formats of these video streams, so it seems you have to convert them and then that format is not compatible with your camera, and not playable in HD either. This all stinks!