Couldn't find this anywhere. We've started a project using Canon XH-A1 HDV files captured via a Canon HV20 which is set to output DV. We're also using Panasonic GS400 SD pix in the same project which look great and burn nice DVDs.

Using VMSP 9bs video capture 6e, these HV20 pix on the Vegas timeline don't look half as good as the Pana pix on the same timeline. I know we'll have our work cut out matching the Pana look exactly but we've got to get a better match than at present. As HDV the pix look fine from the A1 using the Panalook2 preset.

PAL, Widescreen, capture as avi files. WinXP. Thx.

Cheers.

What if you capture the Canon footage as HDV instead of DV? Then use Vegas to downconvert the footage instead of the other camera.

Yes we'll do that when a project is all HDV. But having started this project I'm hoping there's a way to improve these HV20 SD files already captured.
Cheers.

Edward, after some tests capturing the HDV footage directly from the HV20 then down converting it in VMSP 9b...there's no question that's the way to go.

We're getting about twice as good resolution rather than letting the HV20 convert the A1s HDV footage to DV.

Ah me, back to square one capturing the clips. Looks like it might be easier matching the GS400 too, so thanks.

Cheers.

Then use Vegas to downconvert the footage .

Exactly how do you have Vegas do the downconvert? By the rendering process? Do all your editing in HDV and then render to SD?

You can edit in HD and then render to SD or go ahead and edit in SD using HD footage on the timeline. Either option will work but I'd edit in HD and then do the final render in SD.

The biggest advantage to doing it Edward's way is that, when you're ready to make the jump to some form of HD DVD creation, all you need to do is a new render.
Everything else is already done :-)

Agreed, and during the editing process it's more helpful to see a HD picture with better resolution, colours for dissolve rates etc.

Really disappointed with the Canon HV20s downconvert from HDV to SD, that doesn't align with the rest of their gear, maybe something else is amiss with the interface with Vegas.

Using that process to copy a program to a Sony RDR-HX900 DVD recorder, the results were fine.

Cheers.