Hello,

I have been trying out some consumer cameras and the HV 20 was my favorite (at least in 2007). I posted the review on my blog at Digital Video and Film

The only real downside with the HV 20 (for me) is that I am leaning toward AVCHD and the HV 20 is HDV.

Let me know if this helps.

Take care,
Z

HVD poops all over AVCHD.

The latter uses much more compression and the video produced is often in a weird format that can be fiddly to edit.

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I have two prejudices - I am anti HDV for consumer camcorders, and I eat mooks who claim to be pro wedding vidders and ask dumb questions.

www.zaskarfilms.com You tube channel 'zaskarfilms'
JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.

Mark is correct that the compression ratio of AVCHD is higher than HDV.

He is also correct that there is more (and better) support in video editing software for HDV than for AVCHD today.

I am interested in AVCHD due to the fact that I think this is where the industry is going and that vendors will slowly clean the poop off AVCHD such that it will in fact be superior to HDV, perhaps even in the next generation of AVCHD camcorders.

Zam
my blog: Digital Video and Film

If I went out tomorrow and purchased a camcorder that used AVCHD, would it work with any of the current video editors straight out of the box, or would I have to struggle with converting it to one of the more friendly file formats? What it might do in six months or in a years time is anyone's guess.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

I dont think hard drive cameras are the future - the future is solid state.

Hard drives get full - then you are stuffed.

Hard drives are easy to bust - every portable device I have ever owned with a hard drive in has had the drive bust.

I see all these HD cameras as a cynical exercise in marketing, just something new to get peoples dollar - I have heard sales people say that DV tape is 'old' and that HD is 'better'.

Sure, you dont have to capture in real time - big deal - you have to watch all your fottage lots of times anyway so I watch the capture, thus wasting no time.

__________________
I have two prejudices - I am anti HDV for consumer camcorders, and I eat mooks who claim to be pro wedding vidders and ask dumb questions.

www.zaskarfilms.com You tube channel 'zaskarfilms'
JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.