I was in my early teens in the late 1970s when the VHS/Betamax wars were raging. My best friend Robbie took the plunge and bought a Betamax. Indecisive, I waited.
Early adopters run some risk, as anybody with a Commodore Amiga in their basement will probably tell you, but they also come away with some significant advantages. With more camcorders on the market, and a host of editing programs to choose from, HDV isn't going anywhere in the near future. But the question is when to take that step; still missing from the HDV loop is an affordable, recordable playback solution. While people wait for HD-DVD or Blu-ray to make some decisive victory, some hesitate over buying HDV cams or upgrading their computers. We'll take a look at some of the risks and some of the benefits of being the first person on your block to be shooting in HDV.
Defining Your Needs
Let's first take a look at several groups of people who may benefit from making the switch to…