http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Tag: Consumer - Recent Posts en Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:59:00 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/in-market-for-new-camcorder#post-72786 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:46:41 +0000 Marc Pulliam 72786@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I am in the market for a new camcorder. For 10 years, I have been shooting with a Canon GL1 and it has been great, but it's time to put the miniDV tapes to the side.</p> <p>I am looking for a tapeless camcorder, that is compatible with a MAC. HD, professional quality, depth of field, good color, sound...mainly to shoot weddings and short films.</p> <p>I keep hearing about the Canon VIXIA HF G10. Would this be a good choice?</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-41407 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:42:10 +0000 Don 41407@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I think the confusion comes from the nightshot mode. the sr11 and sr12 are the same except for the harddrives.</p> <p>speaking of nightshot modes.... a not so well documented trick with the sonys is to set the camera to nightshot mode and then add a digital filter from the menus to change the ugly green to b+w or Sepia. </p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-41405 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:01:44 +0000 birdcat 41405@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>The only difference between the SR11 and SR12 is the SR11 has a 60GB hard drive as opposed to the SR12 which has a 120GB hard drive - Otherwise they are identical. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-quality-to-dvd#post-41402 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:07:26 +0000 Coreece 41402@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Also,  what format is your miniDV footage. ( ex. AVI, MOV)</p> <p>You want to make sure you have the best possibly quality prior to encoding DVD.  If your video was compressed or converted to a lossy format somehow during the editing process, it will not look pretty once that file is finally compressed to Mpeg 2 DVD.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-quality-to-dvd#post-41400 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:50:39 +0000 Coreece 41400@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>There will always be some quality loss when encoding for DVD. (even if you can't notice it)</p> <p>DVD footage needs to be mpeg2 which is a lossy format, but it shouldn't look bad if its encoded properly.</p> <p>The three general formats are:</p> <p>1 PASS CBR:</p> <p>This is for shorter videos that have a minimal amount of fast action movements and/or pans This is the faster method of encoding and will render a larger file.typically the best bit rate will be 8mbps, but 7mbps is good too.  You can go higher but this is not recommended because it may be to fast for some DVD players. </p> <p>1 PASS VBR</p> <p>This setting may not be available with many encoders and really isn't necessary, but it would typically be used with longer videos with a minimal amount of fast movement.</p> <p>2 pass VBR</p> <p>This is used for longer videos that include fast action movement.  It will analylze the video in the first pass and than encode a higher bit rate for parts of the video that have fast action and lower bitrates in the areas that have less movement.  This format maximizes quality while maintaing a smaller file size.  The bitrate will depend on how long your video is.   In variable bitrate encoding, there are 3 settings:</p> <p>    - Average Bitrate - Maximum Bit Rate  - Minimum Bitrate</p> <p>The range between 6.5 -8.0 mbps will render better quality, however, if you video is over 90 minutes, you'll have to use a lower range.</p> <p>I have noticed that motion graphics and animated backgrounds seem to be more affected by DVD compression, so if this describes your video, expect there to me some undesireable effects.  There really is not too much you can do...DVD compression was great for awhile, especially when there were only tube TVs.  The moitors today are very detailed and show off all the imperfections.  </p> <p>If you have a Good HD monitor, you'll notice that any Hollywood Blockester on DVD has some artifacts in the motion graphic intros...and in some cases, it's really bad...including text.  You'll also notice some artifacts in the darker scenes of the movie as well.  But sometimes, you really can't tell unless you're looking for it.</p> <p>It also may help to do a search for a good Bit Rate calculator.  This may make it a little easier for you to determine the settings for VBR.  If you don't like the quality using the settings that the bit rate calculator gave you, try using a higher rate if you video didn't max out the space on the DVD.</p> <p>Regards,</p> <p>Corey</p> <p>Its not necessary to know this, but you may see settings for GOP(groups of pictures).  You can usually keep this at the default setting.  GOP is the compression technique that gives DVD compression its lossy characteristic.  Thaey consist of I-frames B-frames and P-frames.</p> <p>I found this following explanation from wikipedia to be rather humorous the fist time I read it:</p> <p>MPEG-2 specifies that the raw frames be compressed into three kinds of frames: intra-coded frames (<a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/I-frame">I-frame</a>), predictive-coded frames (<a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/I-frame">P-frames</a>), and bidirectionally-predictive-coded frames (<a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/I-frame">B-frames</a>).</p> <p>An <a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/I-frame">I-frame</a> is a compressed version of a single uncompressed (raw) frame. It takes advantage of spatial redundancy and of the inability of the eye to detect certain changes in the image. Unlike P-frames and B-frames, I-frames do not depend on data in the preceding or the following frames. Briefly, the raw frame is divided into 8 pixel by 8 pixel blocks. The data in each block is transformed by a <a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/Discrete_cosine_transform">discrete cosine transform</a>. The result is an 8 by 8 matrix of coefficients. The transform converts spatial variations into frequency variations, but it does not change the information in the block; the original block can be recreated exactly by applying the inverse cosine transform. The advantage of doing this is that the image can now be simplified by <a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/Quantization_(image_processing)">quantizing</a> the coefficients. Many of the coefficients, usually the higher frequency components, will then be zero. The penalty of this step is the loss of some subtle distinctions in brightness and color. If one applies the inverse transform to the matrix after it is quantized, one gets an image that looks very similar to the original image but that is not quite as nuanced. Next, the quantized coefficient matrix is itself compressed. Typically, one corner of the quantized matrix is filled with zeros. By starting in the opposite corner of the matrix, then zigzagging through the matrix to combine the coefficients into a string, then substituting <a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/Run-length_encoding">run-length codes</a> for consecutive zeros in that string, and then applying <a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/Huffman_coding">Huffman coding</a> to that result, one reduces the matrix to a smaller array of numbers. It is this array that is broadcast or that is put on DVDs. In the receiver or the player, the whole process is reversed, enabling the receiver to reconstruct, to a close approximation, the original frame.</p> <p>Typically, every 15th frame or so is made into an I-frame. P-frames and B-frames might follow an I-frame like this, IBBPBBPBBPBB(I), to form a <a href="http://videomaker.com/wiki/Group_of_pictures">Group Of Pictures (GOP)</a>; however, the standard is flexible about this.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-41399 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:39:25 +0000 bizzy 41399@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Is there any notable difference between SR 11 and SR 12 when it comes to light? I noticed SR11 has 0 lux while the latter has 5 lux.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-quality-to-dvd#post-41393 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:04:27 +0000 robGRAUERT 41393@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <blockquote><p> Is the quality of a consumer miniDV camcorder going to look bad when burned to a DVD?</p></blockquote> <p>No. Just compress it properly. You may not even really have to compress it if your video is less than 4.7GB.</p> <p> </p> <blockquote><p> What are the best settings to render the miniDV video footage and burn it to DVD and have the greatest possible quality?....</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p> </blockquote> I just render it as DV/DVCPro NTSC.   </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/minidv-quality-to-dvd#post-41380 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:41:20 +0000 RockstarRider 41380@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Is the quality of a consumer miniDV camcorder going to look bad when burned to a DVD?.......</p> <p>What are the best settings to render the miniDV video footage and burn it to DVD and have the greatest possible quality?....</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39669 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:20:44 +0000 birdcat 39669@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <blockquote><p> The SR12 has a minimum illumination of 5 lux. My GL2 that i used to have was 6 lux, and it wasn't too bad.</p></blockquote> <p>Plus you also have Night Shot (IR) if you don't mind the weird look....</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39645 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:45:38 +0000 robGRAUERT 39645@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> The SR12 has a minimum illumination of 5 lux. My GL2 that i used to have was 6 lux, and it wasn't too bad. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39642 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:06:28 +0000 hamzter 39642@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> is the Sony hdr sr12 good in low light?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39541 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:03:30 +0000 robGRAUERT 39541@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> ohhhh. I'm not into HDD cameras, so I guess that's why i never noticed.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39535 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:37:50 +0000 birdcat 39535@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Sony's HD HDD cameras are AVCHD (at least the SR11 and SR12 are). I have the SR11.</p> <p>I copy the MTS (AVCHD) files down to the PC via USB and work with them directly in Vegas Pro 8.</p> <p>This also assumes your working in HD - SD on the SR11 &amp; 12 is MPEG2 which most NLE's should be able to use.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39532 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:35:17 +0000 robGRAUERT 39532@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Does Sony make AVCHD cameras? I thought that was a Panasonic format. I could be wrong though. All I've ever noticed were HDV, XDCam, from Sony consumer/prosumer HD.</p> <blockquote><p> "I am a newbie, but aren't Sony DVCs not compatible with Final Cut Pro?"</p></blockquote> <p>I've never heard of anything not working in FCP from Sony. The only thing that may be buggy is HDV, but that's because it's HDV, not because it's Sony.</p> <p>As mentioned earlier, RED one might give you problems, but I know that camera is made to be used with FCP. So you wouldn't have problems with that camera. I'm sure that camera is out of your price range and would be overkill for whatever you need though.  </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39531 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:25:21 +0000 Don 39531@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> some avchd cams don't play well with macs. apple has a list of compatibles on its website somewhere.</p> <p>the sony hdr sr12 does work well. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39529 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:40:29 +0000 birdcat 39529@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <blockquote><p>I am a newbie, but aren't Sony DVCs not compatible with Final Cut Pro? I am in the same boat as far as being in the market for a DVC and I don't have a huge amount to spend in my budget.</p></blockquote> <p>You may be thinking about the AVCHD files from HD HDD cameras (like the SR11).  I don't know of any camera that is incompatible with any of the major NLE's (except maybe the Red One).</p> <p>If you are speaking of AVCHD (MTS files), there are a couple of solutions to handle that (one from VASST springs to mind - Upshift, which converts AVCHD to MPEG2).</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39522 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:10:26 +0000 hamzter 39522@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I am a newbie, but aren't Sony DVCs not compatible with Final Cut Pro?  I am in the same boat as far as being in the market for a DVC and I don't have a huge amount to spend in my budget.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39173 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:00:20 +0000 robGRAUERT 39173@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I agree, shooting HD and then down converting makes for very nice SD. Why not get a prosumer HDV camera though? They aren't that much more expensive. Sony has a lot of options. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39172 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:49:19 +0000 Don 39172@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> My hdr-hc1 shoots better standard def than the gl2.</p> <p>shooting hd, then downconverting to sd for dvd seems to be as good a dvd as anything I've ever bought or rented.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hd-consumer-vs-standard-prosumer-camera#post-39171 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:40:11 +0000 ewick86 39171@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>To video tape weddings and other events.</p> <p>Would it be better to get an HD consumer camcorder (JVC GZ-HD6) or a prosumer (Canon GL2)?</p> <p>Despite the difference in media and the limitations of hard drive recording. Which would be better to produce a professional picture in the end product?</p>