What kind of video am I watching?

[Mac'nCheese]

So I have an old iMac with iMovie 6.0.3. I made a project using manly sd video from my old sd camcorder. I also put in some high-def clips taken with my cybershot waterproof 5 at the highest quality settings. I burned all the video as one project onto a dvd, played it on a dvd player hooked up to a high def tv. When the clips from the cybershot play, am I watching High-def video? Is it downconverted sd video? Is it some bastardized in-between?

 

[huntercr]

So I have an old iMac with iMovie 6.0.3. I made a project using manly sd video from my old sd camcorder. I also put in some high-def clips taken with my cybershot waterproof 5 at the highest quality settings. I burned all the video as one project onto a dvd, played it on a dvd player hooked up to a high def tv. When the clips from the cybershot play, am I watching High-def video? Is it downconverted sd video? Is it some bastardized in-between?

If you burned it to a DVD it's SD video. It is possible to create a high def DVD, but you'd need to play it in a blu ray player and you'd need Toast to author it.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

If you burned it to a DVD it's SD video. It is possible to create a high def DVD, but you'd need to play it in a blu ray player and you'd need Toast to author it.

When I finally settle on a real hd camcorder to use with my new imac, I'm gonna have to buy Toast and a blu-ray burner if I want true HD, correct? But if I buy a HD camcorder and edit it with the new imac and burn it, it will be sd but will it be any better quality since it was shot hd and then downcoverted? and thanks for your reply.

 

[huntercr]

When I finally settle on a real hd camcorder to use with my new imac, I'm gonna have to buy Toast and a blu-ray burner if I want true HD, correct? But if I buy a HD camcorder and edit it with the new imac and burn it, it will be sd but will it be any better quality since it was shot hd and then downcoverted? and thanks for your reply.

Well... maybe. That all depends on the quality of the cameras you're comparing though. Theoretically, downconverting from HD will reduce noise, so it will look good, yes.
Would it be better than a really high quality 3CCD SD camera? Unlikely, but you appear to be using this guy underwater, no? So you have other advantages

I think it will look fine.

You're basically going to have the problem the other way around later if you burn Bluray discs.... your older footage is going to have to be upconverted.

So in terms of seamlessness this is the way to go fox mixed media.

Don't forget of course that the SD limitation is for DVDs only. You can still export the video for viewing online at HD sizes.

Good luck!