HD video...

[eXan]

Don't be silly. Down-converting to DVD still looks better than something shot on SD, just as something shot on 35mm duped onto VHS looks better than something shot on VHS. And besides, there are HD DVD and Blu-ray burners and players, they just aren't widespread yet. So there is a step 3, it's just not ideal.

How much better? 1%? Or maybe 5% better? But how much more expensive HD cameras are these days? I bet more than 5%

How much does Blue-Ray drive cost? 1000$? Insane...

Why use stuff that is far from being practical? I dont want to be "beta-tester"

There's another way to watch your HD video that would suffice as step 3: Watch it on your computer! You could even upload the video to your webspace and allow others to view your HD content as well. Apple has been doing this with their HD movie trailers for quite some time now.

How many of us have 23 inch displays? Why download/get_otherwise video that your display cannot show at full size?

Urghh Do what you want however, its your money after all. If you like to waste it, go ahead.

 

[dejo]

How many of us have 23 inch displays? Why download/get_otherwise video that your display cannot show at full size?

Not all HD content is 1080p. It can also be 720p. A lot of displays can handle that resolution.

 

[eXan]

Not all HD content is 1080p. It can also be 720p. A lot of displays can handle that resolution.

Yes, 720p on computer screen may be useful, but not for the home user who only shoots home videos. he wants to view the videos on a TV, but current optical media doesnt support more than 720x576.

 

[twoodcc]

so you can't just burn to a different format? (not VTS or whatever DVD is)

 

[dejo]

so you can't just burn to a different format? (not VTS or whatever DVD is)

You can. HD content can be burned to a (SD-resolution) DVD.

 

[eXan]

You can. HD content can be burned to a (SD-resolution) DVD.

Would DVD-players be able to playback it at full resolution?

 

[Rod Rod]

All current Macs are HD-DVD players. That capability is built into DVD Player (it's in your Applications folder). DVD Player can play back red-laser HD-DVDs. A Mac mini ($599-699) plus an HDTV ($450 on up) is the easy answer, and probably a better value than buying a BRD or HD-DVD player if what you're doing is watching home movies.

Besides, one can capture and play back the MPEG2 transport streams by using Virtual DVHS. Once your tapes are loaded to the hard drive, you have nonlinear access to playing back your footage. To me that's better than handling optical media (for playback; for archival purposes I can see storing onto optical).

Raw HD transport streams are not a bad deal; an hour of 720p30 material from my HD10U takes around 8.9 GB. If I would just shoot around 55 minutes instead of 60-63 minutes per tape, I could archive the transport streams as one tape = one DL DVD. However, Sony's 1080i cameras would have identical file sizes to DV, at about 13.3GB per hour.

(edit: I know I didn't figure in the price of DVD Studio Pro 4 in the above calculation . . . hopefully the next iDVD will include basic HD-DVD and / or BRD authoring capability).

 

[twoodcc]

You can. HD content can be burned to a (SD-resolution) DVD.

but would it still be DVD resolution? could i make a disk that has HD video on it and play it on my xbox 360?

 

[dejo]

Would DVD-players be able to playback it at full resolution?

but would it still be DVD resolution? could i make a disk that has HD video on it and play it on my xbox 360?

If by full resolution, you mean full DVD-Video resolution (i.e. SD = 720x480), kinda. The trick is that HD content is at a different aspect ratio than SD content (16:9 vs 4:3). So when viewed on a 4:3 screen, the content will look letterboxed (and so, not really using the full resolution) and will take up the entire screen when viewed on a 16:9 screen (if flagged as "anamorphic widescreen"). I won't use the phrase "full screen" to describe viewing on an 16:9 screen since that has different connotations. And all this is dependent on the settings used when encoding the DVD.

But as long as it's burned as a DVD-Video (not DVD-ROM or anything like that), any conventional DVD player can play it, including an Xbox 360. It just won't be high-def, since the DVD format itself isn't high-def. Besides, the Xbox 360 only has a standard DVD drive, not HD-DVD (yet).

 

[eXan]

It just won't be high-def, since the DVD format itself isn't high-def.

Exectly what I needed to hear.

 

[Judo]

All current Macs are HD-DVD players. That capability is built into DVD Player (it's in your Applications folder). DVD Player can play back red-laser HD-DVDs.

wait... what??? Are you sure Macs can play HD-DVDs?
edit: I think I've just misread your post. I kept thinking you meant it had the hardware to do it too.

 

[dejo]

wait... what??? Are you sure Macs can play HD-DVDs? or are you just making this up?

Rod Rod's kinda wrong. Although DVD Player already has high definition capabilities built-in (see the Preferences), no Macs have ever shipped with HD-DVD drives.

 

[motulist]

Step 1) shoot in HD,2) edit in HD, 3)theres not step 3!

Step 4) Profit!

 

[twoodcc]

It just won't be high-def, since the DVD format itself isn't high-def. Besides, the Xbox 360 only has a standard DVD drive, not HD-DVD (yet).

but is there anyway to burn to an HD format, instead of burning to regular DVD format?

 

[ScubaDuc]

Thanks for the info. And yes, the camera is only 1080i.

I am NOT a professional videographer or even serious amateur yet. I am a serious amateur nature photographer. I want to eventually be able to create compelling nature doccumentaries especially with underwater footage. The HC3 will fit nicely in either an Ikelite or Top Dawg housing. unfortunately my inexpensive panasonic will not work with the housings. I will need a LANC compatable camera. Should I just buy a LANC camera now and upgrade later???

Size is an important consideration as it means less buoancy underwater. Be prepared to spend more than the camera for the housing.... I am still looking for a cost effective solution for my now old PC120

A, but underwater videos make me dream.... I am headed to Fakarava for the hammerhead season this Nov. That ought to be interesting but I'll only be travelling with a point and shoot and a fantasea housing....

Buy a LANC camera and don't use mechanical controls like in an Ikelite

 

[tipdrill407]

but is there anyway to burn to an HD format, instead of burning to regular DVD format?

At this time, no. There are a few blu-ray or HD-DVD burners out there already, but the blank media is not yet made it to market.

 

[twoodcc]

At this time, no. There are a few blu-ray or HD-DVD burners out there already, but the blank media is not yet made it to market.

i mean burn a regular DVD to a HD-format?

 

[spicyapple]

This is all getting really confusing.

 

[twoodcc]

This is all getting really confusing.

yes it is.

this is what i want to know:

if you have HD-format video, can you burn it in HD-format to a regular DVD? so the end result is HD video on a regular DVD. kinda like an SVCD i think?

 

[Rod Rod]

Rod Rod's kinda wrong. Although DVD Player already has high definition capabilities built-in (see the Preferences), no Macs have ever shipped with HD-DVD drives.

I never stated that Macs have shipped with HD-DVD drives. If you read what I wrote you'd have noticed that. I said that an HD-DVD authored in DVDSP 4 and burned to a red-laser DVD can be played on any Mac with Tiger, the current DVD Player app, and either a G5 or Intel processor.

twoodcc: Toshiba showed at NAB this year a prototype HD-DVD player which was playing a red-laser HD-DVD disc created in DVDSP 4.

When I say red-laser, that means what's in your Superdrive right now. Blue-laser is in Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Blue-laser technology players apparently also have red lasers in them, so as to read regular SD DVDs.

This past weekend I created an HD-DVD. As soon as I find out about an HD-DVD player on display somewhere I'll go and check if it works.

 

[dextertangocci]

Is my panasonic 3CCD video camera HD?

 

[spicyapple]

Is my panasonic 3CCD video camera HD?

Does it take P2 cards? If you're asking, it's most likely a no.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Is my panasonic 3CCD video camera HD?

Not unless you paid 5k for it plus a few more grand for P2 cards and it says "HVX200" on the side.


Lethal

 

[Anonymous Freak]

if you have HD-format video, can you burn it in HD-format to a regular DVD? so the end result is HD video on a regular DVD. kinda like an SVCD i think?

Using DVD Studio Pro, yes. Using iDVD, no.

With DVD Studio Pro 4, you can harness the power of H.264 — the new industry-standard, ultra-efficient video codec — to showcase and distribute HD content. Integrated and scalable H.264 encoding allows you to fit HD content on DVDs using existing drives and media. Import native HDV content to HD on DVD with no recompression, even create HD DVD versions from existing SD projects.

It creates what Apple calls a High Definition DVD; but it is *NOT* the same as the new standard called "HD-DVD". It encodes HD in H.264 and burns it onto a standard 4.7 or 8.5 GB DVD (or DVD DL.)

They will play back on any recent Mac running 10.4.1 or higher (10.4.1 is when Apple DVD Player got the ability to play them back.) (Obviously, it helps if the Mac is fast enough...) But, they are *NOT* compatible with HD-DVD or BluRay commercial players, and not compatible with PCs.

 

[The Man]

I have a Sony HVR-A1 HDV/DVCAM camera, which essentially is a souped up HC-1. What's nice about these Sony HDV camera's is that you can switch between shooting in HDV and DV. Also, if you do choose to shoot HDV, the camera lets you downconvert to DV during import to the computer. So you can just edit in DV now, and later you can remaster the same footage in High Definition if you want to.

The HC-3 doesn't have a Mic in, only Sony Intelligent Accessory Shoe, while the HC-1 does have a mic plug. So if you do choose to get one, I'd go with the HC-1 for more options.