Hi everyone

I'm extremely new to HDV but after researching, I decided to buy a Sony HDR-HC3. I know this camera records HDV (I'm in PAL Australia) at 1080i/50 and 720p/25. However, what I want to know is (as I'm producing a community tv program):

1. Can the footage be converted from 1080i/50 to 1080p/25 and if so, what tools can do this (preferably free) and how?

2. Is the conversion worth doing (for archive purposes), as I am hoping to produce a documentary for a TV station here?

Thankyou for your help. I apologise if this is a dumb question, but please forgive my newness to this technology.

Regards
Andrew

1. Can the footage be converted from 1080i/50 to 1080p/25 and if so, what tools can do this (preferably free) and how?


Just deinterlace the footage. Then it's progressive.

Hi everyone

I know this camera records HDV (I'm in PAL Australia) at 1080i/50 and 720p/25.

As far as I know, no Sony cam shoots 720p.

Thankyou Mikko and Ken for your help here.

Yes, it seems the HDR-HC3 only does do 1080i or otherwise just SD. I've just tried using Vegas to deinterlace to 1080p but it really looks the same. Perhaps 1080p isn't worth bothering about at the moment anyway? I'm guessing it might be around 5 years away and by then I'll have upgraded my cam probably anyway.

Thanks again though.

I often deinterlace Sony HC1 1080i60 to 720p60 using Virtualdub (freeware) and its Smartdeinterlacer plugins (also freeware).

Remember that HDV is actually 1440x1080, so resizing to 1280x720 is not a major change. Furthermore, resizing to 1920 horizontal width won't really gain you extra resolution because it ain't in the image to begin with.