I have just ordered the Panasonic HDC-TM200 AVCHD cam to take on holiday to Italy as my Panasonic DVX 100 too bulky.I was thinking of buying the Panasonic VW_BN1 burner which seems the best solution while on the move.The question I want to ask does it burn in the native AVCHD format so that I can edit the clips when I get back.Also has any one used Neo Scene to convert AVCHD to Cineform AVI files so that I can use with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3.Any feedback would be appreciated

The question I want to ask does it burn in the native AVCHD format so that I can edit the clips when I get back.

You don't need to burn it as a DVD-Video. Just dump the files onto the DVD and burn it as a DVD-ROM and you should be good.

If you just want someplace to stash your video until you get home, you might want to get an external USB drive instead. It might be simpler than juggling disks. If you do go with DVDs, consider dual layer for the increased capacity.

Thank you your feedback.Your idea of an external USB drive sound's good, but I don't think the camera supports that, only their DVD burner (VW BN1) that why Panasonic market it as an optional extra for storage and play back.

Bernie

I used the cineform neoscene to convert the AVCHD files to AVI, but if you trying to save on space this is not the thing to do. On all my files to date, the conversion ratio is right around 7.2:1 meaning a 1gb AVCHD file will equal 7.2gb in avi after conversion. Therefor that idea would quickly put you out of space on a dvd in record time. That being said, neoscene converts the footage beautifully and if you have the space, worth every penny.

I used the cineform neoscene to convert the AVCHD files to AVI, but if you trying to save on space this is not the thing to do. On all my files to date, the conversion ratio is right around 7.2:1 meaning a 1gb AVCHD file will equal 7.2gb in avi after conversion. Therefor that idea would quickly put you out of space on a dvd in record time. That being said, neoscene converts the footage beautifully and if you have the space, worth every penny.

Thanks for your information.I have to trial neoscene as I cant test AVCHD with the trial version of Adobe Premiere CS4. I have CS3. I am thinking of upgrading to CS4 as it has a large selection for media encoding, but editing with AVCHD could be painfully slow. This is going to be a whole new learning curve for me.

Bernie